Help Needed - We’re at our wits end with Beagle yelping in pain

Seeking help
1

Hey everyone,

We’re really hoping you can help us with a bizarre issue we’re experiencing. We have a 7-year-old male Beagle named Bailey who has always been in perfect health and is usually very well-behaved.

Late last week, Bailey started yelping for no apparent reason. It’s an extremely loud, high-pitched scream, but then he goes back to behaving normally. This escalated to him yelping several times and clearly being in a lot of pain, before seemingly being fine again.

We took him to the vet on Saturday morning. They suspected a trapped nerve issue since he yelped during the examination. We were given several medications for pain relief, including a nerve-specific pain relief and muscle relaxant (Metacam). However, these didn’t seem to have any effect, so we called the vet again yesterday. They asked us to come back in as they had a specialist on duty.

The specialist examined Bailey thoroughly, bending him in every conceivable way, but Bailey didn’t make a sound. We even walked him up and down the car park, and he was absolutely fine. The vet must think we’re imagining things!

But as soon as we got home, Bailey was back to his random screams. He’s now holding his front left leg up, and it seems to be triggered when he tries to place it down after sleeping. The vet checked all the joints in his leg, and everything appeared normal.

This issue seems to be linked to sleeping, tiredness, or evenings, and it’s not constant. The sudden, loud yelps are giving us anxiety every time he wakes from a nap, as we’re always on edge waiting to see if he’ll scream out.

We’re at a loss. The painkillers and other medications haven’t had any impact. When we take him to the vet, he acts perfectly healthy.

Could this be some form of arthritis causing his joints to seize up after sleeping? Should we consider stronger painkillers?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated!

2

If this were my dog, I would immediately seek more specific tests. First, I would get X-rays of the affected areas. Additionally, a CBC blood panel would be essential to identify any underlying issues.

Consider taking him to a different vet for a second opinion. My vet team would never rely solely on physical manipulation; they would insist on X-rays and blood tests. Simply giving pain medication isn’t enough, you need to identify the root cause of the pain. In my opinion, the vet you saw isn’t doing enough for your dog or for you.

There could be a pinched nerve in his spine or neck causing the pain. Only an X-ray can confirm this.

3

Thank you for your reply.

To be fair, the vet did mention that x-rays (estimated around £600) and an MRI (estimated between £2000-3000) could be done. However, because our dog decided to make us look like fools by appearing perfectly healthy, the vet wasn’t pushing for these tests at this stage.

He suggested continuing with the medication for a week and a half before returning for a follow-up.

Obviously, the underlying issue needs to be addressed, but the extremely loud yelp/bark/scream Bailey lets out without warning is terrifying. After a few seconds of walking it off, he’s back to pottering around with a waggy tail. If the pain relief could take the edge off enough to stop the screaming, we could be more patient with other treatments.

It’s so puzzling that he didn’t show any signs of an issue during the (quite thorough) examination, yet he screams when putting his foot down after a sleep.

4

My first thought when I see a post that starts with “random pain” and “beagle” is spinal issue. Almost every beagle have a gene that increases their chances of developing IVDD. The fact that the front leg is involved puzzles me.

5

I agree with Brandy, my first guess would be a spinal issue. The front leg involvement could be due to a spinal issue in the cervical area; it does not have to be a lower spine problem. I see a significant need for some imaging tests, such as an MRI. If he were mine, I’d take him to a neurologist. I understand that it would be costly, but I believe the information obtained will be crucial for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

6

As previously said, he was evaluated by a professional, specifically a neurologist, who performed comprehensive physical testing on every joint, back, neck, paw, and mouth, and Bailey showed no reaction.

7

I agree with others that additional tests are necessary. You know your dog. You understand that his abrupt shrieks are out of character. Just because he wasn’t doing it at work doesn’t mean your views from home are invalid.

I had a similar experience with one of my cats years ago. He’d be resting in bed with us and suddenly wake up with an ear-piercing yowl. I took him to the veterinarian multiple times and received no clear diagnosis. The practice’s owner treated me like a whining, overprotective owner, and I was having no success with him. Finally, one of the junior veterinarians agreed to the exploratory surgery. It turned out that my dear boy had a tumor.

8

Sounds like you’re making progress; now it’s a waiting game. Please keep us updated as you move through this process.

9

We took the referral and visited a different vet yesterday morning. The vet was able to quickly get a yelp out of our boy by moving his neck to a specific point on the left, but this alone doesn’t confirm the source of the problem.

He explained that a CT scan, costing around £2300, might reveal the issue, but there’s a chance it might not. An MRI, which they don’t offer at their practice, would be between £4,000 and £6,000.

He suggested continuing with the current medication and adding Diazepam to see if there’s any improvement. If there’s no change this week, we will likely proceed with the CT scan next week and also include a steroid injection into the shoulder area. Since our dog needs to be sedated for both the scan and the injection, it makes sense to do them simultaneously.

We’re hopeful for a breakthrough soon!

10

Thank you for your update. Is he insured?

11

Hello, Anne, Sadly not :disappointed_relieved:

12

It’s unfortunate that you don’t have insurance to help with the costs. I know CT scans and MRIs are very expensive, but an MRI provides such detailed images that it makes the diagnostic process much more accurate. From your descriptions, my unprofessional guess is that it might be a cervical spinal issue. At least you have a plan in motion for Bailey, who really needs relief. It just takes time!