Concerns

[cavalicious]

Hi everyone

I think I'm just really stressed at the moment and paranoid about every little thing! But here are my latest concerns about little Ollie

Whining and moaning.. I don't think he's hurt because it's not sudden or sharp it just seems like his saying "I'm bored I want to moan." It's usually when I pick him up after his woken up or is just chilling on the couch, is it normal?

Yelping... a couple of times his just walking along and yelps and then turns around to look at his back leg. My dad thinks his just strained a muscle and we had a big fight this morning about me wanting to take him to the vet It seems to be on/off because at times he is fine, sprinting around but sometimes he gives a little yelp. He was even limping a little bit this morning so I gave him some time to relax on the couch and he seemed fine afterwards

Scratching.. he seems to scratch quite a bit around his ears and collar? The collar I understand but it's been on for a couple of weeks now.. and he scratches at the base of the ears. They look fine inside, pink and not dirty at all.

And lastly.. sneezing. Should I worry if he sneezes 1-5 times in a day? It doesn't seem to be consistant just random.

My dad is not a fan of "take the dog to the vet with every little problem" If I hadn't spent all my money on Ollie I would be paying for the vet trips myself! I pay for nearly everything else. I can make my own way there (its only a 20 minute walk or so) but I wouldn't have any money to give them.

If something serious ever happened to Ollie I would do my best to raise the money, garage sales, pawn shops, fundraisers, selling lemonade anything I can think of! I would hope that I would have some support from my parents though..

Thanks for listening

Emily

[Joanne M]

Emily you are an amazing young woman. How proud your parents must be to have a daugther like you and how lucky Ollie is to have a mummy like you to look after him. I do not feel qualified to answer any of those questions, other than to say that I have noticed other people making similar posts on this board. One question, do you think his leg is hurting him, is it tender when you touch it?

I want to offer all the moral support and encouragement I can give you from the other side of the world.

Sometimes tucker scratches behind his ear and makes like a snarl, not exactly a snarl but a sound like he's annoyed. He almost always has a mat behind his ear when I check. He sneezes, and I say "God Bless You" now everytime he sneezes he stares at me waiting for me to say it. I think he has allergies, his nose will get just a tiny bit runny too. I mentioned this to the vet. She felt it was allergies. Poor boy he's probably allergic to dust, and I think some pollen too, as depending on the season he sneezes and has watery eyes after being out in the yard.

Please know how much I value your pictures and posts and how impressed I am with your maturity and wisdom. Most importantly I appreciate your friendship, you feel like a niece to me.

[Karlin]

This could be allergies if he is sneezing a lot -- sounds like that is likely as a lot of sneezing isn't normal -- but that wouldn't explain the yelping. Sometimes puppies get handled the wrong way or picked up awkwardly (like by the front legs as if they were cats, but this makes small arms support a lot of body weight) and that might cause the yelping.

If you are concerned, have a vet check for the all the things that could cause scratching and biting -- fleas, mites, skin problems, allergies, middle ear infections, etc. I'd do that anyway because of the sneezing but also if you are concerned and the scratching is excessive (eg more than a few times a day). If they cannot find anything than start keeping a diary of how many times a day he scratches, when he yelps etc. If things continue then you probably need to look at potentially more serious causes of this kind of behaviour --- PSOM, SM. Try to video the behaviour and just keep an eye out for distinctive issues like air scratching. There's lots of info on what to do and what to look for at www.sm.cavaliertalk.com, for both SM and PSOM.

[Lisa_T]

Don't worry too much at the moment about the whines and moans and yelps. Puppies quite frequently yelp when they're being picked up- often because we forget how little they are! Never lift him under the arms- support his tummy, and make sure you don't pull any hair in the process. Cavaliers can be real wimps.

Some pups are very vocal and will 'talk' away to you. Having said that, if he's lying happy and *suddenly* yelps (as opposed to grousing, whimpering, whining or any other noise) regularly bring him to the vet. Remember pups often have fleas etc, even worms can cause discomfort...

Re the limping- I would take him to the vet.

[Kodee]

He doesnt sound like it happens too often and you did say in between he appears fine. I think your safe to wait it out unless it becomes worse.

Why dont you keep a diary of days and times these things creep up and then at your next visit you can discuss them. the vet will be able to see if there is a pattern or if is seems more than usual.

[PamH]

Have you checked the leg for thorns etc? Maddy got burrs in her leg (prickly thorns) and they really hurt. Sometimes they are just in the leg a little bit and when the leg is pressed they prick more.
I would be more concerned about the limp than anything else at this point.
Pam

[Cathy T]

It is hard to have a new puppy...you tend to worry about every little thing.

Both of mine moan. I laugh at Shelby because she'll be laying on the couch and let out a big old moan...like she's had a really hard day. She's just goofy that way. Both of mine will let out a big moan and/or sigh when they are relaxing.

The sneezing...if it's excessive, as mentioned above by others...probably allergies.

The yelping. I'd say just keep an eye on him and document it. Shelby had bad knees but she didn't show any sign of it bothering her. As Karlin said....sometimes they are just touchy. I had a woman stop to pet the pups last night and she went to pick up Shelby (why on earth she wanted to pick her up, I don't know....Shelby's not little...she weighs 20 lbs!) but, she tried to pick her up under her front legs (like a baby) and Shelby let out a big squeal. Scared the woman to death...I explaiened that they are tender when someone tries to pick them up that way.

You'll go through a lot with a puppy. Eventually you will learn what is normal and what isn't.

Good idea to jot down what you are seeing so you can discuss them with your vet on your next visit.

[cavalicious]

Thankyou everyone for all the wonderful help and advice

I will start writing down all my 'observations' and see how he goes over the next couple of days.

I'll make sure I pick him up right and tell my parents too as well because their a bit rough! No thorns Pam, I checked quite often for thorns, grass seeds, ticks and fleas. Heck I brush im at least 2 times a day at the moment! I've also tried feeling his back legs, putting a bit of pressure on certain areas but he doesn't show pain, just annoyance!

Cathy, Ollie has his little sigh which sounds exactly like the one I make when I'm frustrated!

Thanks again everyone it's really great knowing I can come here and get the help and support I need

I'll keep you updated on the leg and any other troubles if they come up.

Ollie's snores (coming from my bed ) are probably saying thanks too!

[molly]

Awww, Emily, you're such a good mom to Ollie. Your love for him comes through every time you write about him. Pups are like first babies. Everything they do is strange and it is hard to tell what normal is. Writing down what you see is a good idea! If he doesn't seem to be in pain it may be normal puppy stuff. You are smart to notice the stuff you mention and track it. My Casey is a talker. He moans, he groans, he woo-woos and howls for no reason except he loves to talk! Sounds like Ollie is talking dog to you. I love your avatar. It makes me smile everytime I look at it.

[cavalicious]

Thankyou Molly! Ollie is the greatest pup who couldn't love him

Well he woke up for lunch about 10 minutes ago so I took him outside and placed him on the grass carefully. He didn't like that too much (wet ) so he hopped onto the concrete and sat down. 2 seconds or so after sitting he looks around at his leg and lets out three quick yelps. I took him back to my room and gave him a chicken neck for lunch (which he chose to eat on my lovely rug) and he hasn't been moving much so there haven't been any more yelps.

I have a friend coming over in an hour so I'll have to be very careful about Ollie getting over-excited.

Thanks for the help everyone