Sudden Shrieks?
 

I have a question about my female Yorkie suddenly shrieking. She's done this a few times, both times when she was, I thought, sleeping. She'd get up and just scream, usually walking towards me with her tail tucked and once I comfort her she'll stop. I don't know if this is a reaction to a nightmare on her part or a possible bad memory of mistreatment from the past (she was a shelter dog who was kept in a truck cab instead of in the house because she was supposedly attacking another dog there.)
Does anyone else's Yorkie shriek for no apparent reason? This has only happened twice so far in the year we've had her, but it's very disturbing when it happens.
Many thankies!
Mary & Jenna

Aww, that's kinda sad. Makes you wonder if it's a bad dream. Jillie has a high pitched shriek, but only when her clueless dad tries brushing tangled hair.

I'll bet her spirits will improve now that it's warming up. :)

It could be from a bad dream, but if this behavior increases in frequency I'd let the vet know about it, or at least mention it during her next appointment, if it continues.

Also, as she is a rescue, have you had the opportunity to have any bloodwork run on her? If yes, fine. If not, it may not hurt to have basic bloodwork done to make sure nothing medical is going on with her, and it would establish a baseline for comparison if she does have problems in the future.

This could also be a disc as it is common for a dog to wake up screaming or crying out from the pain or spasm.

Thanks everyone! :) Yeah it's one of those things that happens once and doesn't happen again for months in between. I am not even sure she was asleep the second time it happened.
kjc, she had a baseline blood panel done when we got her, and usually the vet repeats it before each dental once a year if she thinks it is necessary.

lillymae, I wasn't aware it could be a disc. :( I did have the vet check her kneecaps for LP during her last dental because sometimes we hear her legs make a popping noise, and the doc felt that Jenna's knees were in good shape, no sign of disease...but I hadn't thought it might be back trouble. Could this be from carrying her? She is my baby and I like to wrap her in her blanket and take her with me instead of having her follow on the ground and possibly hurt herself jumping up on and down from things to get to me. She tends to slip and slide on our linoleum too, so I try to limit how many times she could take a fall. I am always careful to support her properly. I have three house rabbits and their backs are VERY fragile, so I have some practice in carrying small animals carefully.

I'll speak with my vet again. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a bad back, she's never shown any sign of pain in it otherwise, but it's not worth dismissing without confirmation. Thanks for the advice. :)

If you can hear her knees pop, it could be that one might go out of place and thats why she crys out. Sometimes I feel Kayla's knee move out and back in while I'm holding her. She has never cryed but if it stays out even for just a minute or so that might be what is hurting her. So sorry. It scares you death when they cry out like that. Tina has dementia and she will cry out sometimes in the nite and even howl.

I'd run her to the vet for a spine series, neuro and full check-up just in case it could be one of those freak neurological problems that develop. There are some threads here with similar sounding symptoms but a vet is what she needs.

I'm just here to offer you and sweet Jenna my support.

Thanks again everyone! :)
I do notice that Jenna is a vivid dreamer. She will start flapping her ears around and her feet start twitching and her eyes even open...sometimes I don't realize she is asleep! She even begins chewing or breathing hard and barking in her sleep, most of the time it's just a little whiffling, but she really gets going. I try to wake gently her before she gets too distressed. I have thought it might be a leg either falling asleep or a knee not in quite the right place. The first time she shrieked she was actually in bed with me and it was about 5 in the morning...I was terrified I'd rolled over onto her in my sleep! The second time I was just resting with her, I thought we were both awake, she was lying a little ways from me on the bed and just got up screaming and crawling towards me. It was awful!
I'll have it looked into. Spinal series and full check-up...got it. Can anyone tell me what the neurological tests are I should be asking for? It's nothing too invasive is it? Does she have to be anesthetized? She does have reverse sneezing issues, so I really don't want them intubating her ever again.

Did you get my PM? Read the tests that were asked for in that thread just to be on the safe side. Could be a totally diffeent thing and likely is. Tibbe is a big, big dreamer, too, runs, growls, barks little barks in his sleep.

Yes I did, yorkietalkjilly, thank you. Looking up the thread now. :)
Jenna does come straight to me for comfort and seems to want to be held when these episodes happen, she doesn't just stand and cry or even seem to be in pain, she is lucid, but obviously scared...so I'm hoping she is just looking for reassurance due to some past terror, but still...what a sad thing for her. :(

Also, as far as I know, she's taken no injury to her neck/skull/back area, but every once in awhile when we first got her if I was not careful lifting her and caught the 'armpit' area of her front legs wrong she would cry out because I'd pinched it somehow. She is not a purebred Yorkie...we believe she has some Chihuahua in her also, so I don't know if that would have bearing on a congenital defect. I'll read up on AAI. Just in case. She also has no microchip that I know of. I wouldn't have any of my pets chipped, I simply don't trust those things not wandering somewhere they shouldn't be.

Yes it could sure be her spine. Let me tell you a story. My aunt called me about a month ago & said " There is something wrong with my dog". I said tell me what he's doing. After she told me his symptoms, witch were not hardly anything. I told her to take him for a check up & x-rays as I had a feeling I knew what it was. The vet found nothing wrong in the neck or spine but said his heart was enlarged. She took him to see a cardiologist who told her his heart was not enlarged but she felt it was neurological. So after she spent over $1000.oo She finally listened to me & took him to a Chiro who immediately found the problem. He pulled out the Activator & had Cody fixed in seconds. He had a disc out in his neck that more then likely he had been born with & he's about 10 yrs old at this time.
I have been rescuing dogs with back issues for years & several were totally paralyzed & All have had a FULL recovery without surgery. Some have very mild symptoms & some will yelp once in awhile but show no other signs of pain.

It could also be just a bad dream...