The abdomen of the pet is smaller than usual due to its position. Often accompanied by rounding its back into an arch. Abdominal cramping can have different causes, varying from indigestion problems and infections, to kidney disease. By ongoing abdominal cramping is it advised to consult a veterinarian.
How to Recognize
If you see your dog walking with arched back or tucked up abdomen, he is probably suffering from pain or other discomforts. Such posture is in response to pain and may be your dog's way of finding an alternative position that relieves his aches. The sight of an arched back dog or tucked-up abdomen dogs should be a warning sign to pet owners that veterinary evaluation is needed to determine the cause of discomfort so that relief can be implemented. You can easily recognize an arched back dog simply because his back appears as a rounded hump instead of the usual straight line from shoulder to tail. Tucked-up abdomen dogs are also easy to spot because their abdomen is carried tightly upward, evidenced by a noticeable indent when viewing the dog in profile.</br></br> <img src="https://www.i-10b32.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/PP_Post_signs-final.jpg" alt="Signs of Arched Back or Tucked-Up Abdomen in Pets" title="Signs of Arched Back or Tucked-Up Abdomen in Pets">
Causes of Arched Back Or Tucked Up Abdomen
The cause of an arched back dog or tucked-up abdomen dogs is usually pain. The discomfort may be abdominal pain or cramping, <a href="https://www.i-10b32.kxcdn.com/pet-health-center/symptoms/nausea/"><strong>nausea</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.i-10b32.kxcdn.com/pet-health-center/symptoms/pain-in-neck/"><strong>pain in the neck</strong></a> or <a href="https://www.i-10b32.kxcdn.com/pet-health-center/symptoms/pain-in-back/"><strong>pain in the back</strong></a>. Touching the painful area may cause the dog's abdominal muscles to recoil and tuck even more tightly while his back arches more as well. This response is known as guarding, and it is the dog's attempt to guard his body from further painful probing. Very often, a dog walking with arched back also appears to have a sunken or tucked up look in his abdomen, which leads to confused owners who are uncertain of what is painful.
Diagnosis
The veterinarian will begin by examining your dog thoroughly from head to tail, palpating the abdomen and the vertebral column and performing a series of manual manipulations to try to pinpoint the source of pain. He will also ask you a series of questions regarding the dog's physical activities prior to the appearance of the symptoms. Once he pinpoints the source of pain, diagnostic imaging may be used to rule out injury, trauma, and illness. Blood panels may be run to rule out potential diseases and <a title="Pet Conditions and Allergies" href="https://www.i-10b32.kxcdn.com/pet-health-center/diseases-and-allergies/"><strong>conditions</strong></a>.
Similar Symptoms
A dog that is unable to express his anal glands on his own may present as a dog walking with arched back and lowered hind end. This posture is in response to the uncomfortable feeling of full anal sacs that need to be expressed. Another symptom that may appear similar to an arched back is a head that hangs downward instead of being carried in its usual upright position, which is a posture that may suggest neck pain. A similar <a href="https://www.i-10b32.kxcdn.com/pet-health-center/symptoms/"><strong>symptom</strong></a> that may appear in tucked up abdomen dogs is a tail that hangs downward and curls inward between the hind legs.
Possible Conditions
Some of the following potential conditions may result in abdominal pain, evidenced by an arched back or a tucked up abdomen. Additional symptoms, such as <strong>diarrhea</strong>, can accompany a tucked up abdomen: Pancreatitis, Parvovirus, and Peritonitis. Some of the following potential conditions may result in back or neck pain, also evidenced by an arched back or tucked up abdomen. Additional symptoms, such as difficulty with mobility, can accompany an arched back: Slipped disk, Herniated disk, and Spinal injury due to trauma.
Treatment for Arched Back Or Tucked Up Abdomen
Once the cause of your dog's pain is determined, treatment will be implemented to treat the condition as well as the pain. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause, ranging from a period of strict rest and pain management medications to hospitalization to surgical intervention by a board-certified veterinary neurologist.
Pet Insurance
When adding a dog or cat to your family you want to make sure your pet is happy, healthy and protected. During its lifetime your pet is exposed to many illnesses and diseases and some breeds are affected by a congenital disease which is a condition existing at birth. At these moments when your pet is ill or maybe needs surgery, you want to be protected for the unexpected and high veterinarian costs.