[juliebythesea]

I'm very worried for my puppy. He isn't limping, appears to be walking normally although sometimes I've noticed he'll stiffly arch his back kind of like a cat. He seemed fine at first but when I went to pick him up today he yelped in pain. I sat down with him on the couch, pet him gently, and started brushing his hair (something I do everyday) but he seemed to want to slink away as if in discomfort and not be touched. He curled up in the corner of the couch away from me, but after a moment he moved back and crawled onto my lap as if looking for comfort. When I pet him sometimes he'll have no reaction but other times he'll yelp as if hurt and move away. There appear to be no outward signs of injury but clearly something is bothering him.

This isn't the first time he's yelped when touched. It's happened a few times before but he'd go right back to playing soon after so I didn't think much of it. This time his discomfort seems more prolonged. I even offered him his favorite treat but he didn't want to eat.

I do intend to take him to get checked out at a vet, but I'd appreciate if anyone could give me some idea of what to expect. I'm very worried so if anyone else has experienced something similar could you please share?