My 9-week-old puppy yelps in pain with no visible injury. What's wrong?

Question

Hi! I have a 9 week old Labrador who suddenly started to whimper/yelp at random as if he were in pain. I took him to the vet and they tested for parvo, came out negative. He was sent home with Deramaxx. But now that we’re out, the yelling continues as if he’s in pain. There’s no signs of issues on the outside but I’m left out of ideas on what could be wrong with my pup or how to relieve him if he’s in pain. Any suggestions? Before I go spend +$100 for in person advice? Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 10 days old | 7.5 lbs

Ann Dion, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Beau isn't feeling well. Crying intermittently with no external injuries can be caused by a number of factors. If he is reluctant to walk or limping, then either a soft tissue injury in a joint/fracture/ or torn ligament is possible, however this you would expect to see some limping. Puppies can also get 'growing pains' and conditions of their joints, which affect all of their joints equally, so they are just reluctant to move. This can be incredibly painful and requires strong pain medication. The other common cause of crying out can be gastric pain. This can be caused by Beau getting into something he shouldn't have (bones, garbage, raw food, socks, underwear, etc) and his abdomen being very sorry. Usually with this you will see a reluctance to eat, possibly vomiting/diarrhea, and sometimes pain when you push on his abdomen. If this is the case I strongly suggest to stop the Deramaxx (hard on the gut, especially so young), and to have him re-checked by your vet and x-rays performed. An ultrasound may also be needed to make sure he doesn't have a peritonitis (infection in his abdominal cavity). He could also have a gastritis from worms, so making sure he is up to date on his worming is needed. A fever can also cause animals to feel unwell, so a full physical exam including his temperature is important. I would strongly suggest a re-visit with your vet, and they will likely need to do more tests, like an x-ray as mentioned, or if no answer is found there, or if Beau has a fever some bloodwork may be needed. Best of luck with Beau. I hope he feels better soon.

My 9-week-old puppy yelps in pain with no visible injury. What's wrong?

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