# He doesn't react to pain ...



## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

So my dog has never been much of a talker about pain ... but now I am concerned ... At only 9 weeks he got his microchip, not a peep, 3 months, he jumped off a 5 ft deck ... nothing. But 2 days ago I accidentally cut his quick ... he didnt say ANYTHING, I looked down to see blood pooling on his foot ( He had moved and I couldnt see). He only yelps when I step directly on him ( like his paw when he is right under me) 

Is something wrong? Is there anything special I should be doing?


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

Some dogs don't react much to pain, and some have a really high pain threshold. I don't know what kind of dog Ryli is, but there are types that are known for this, like pits.

My terrier mutt doesn't even seems to notice her jabs at the vet.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

What kind of dog?

When my Lab mix was about 1 - 2 yo, he didn't yelp, if I stepped on him. 

It is very possible to cut a nail to make it bleed, w/o hurting the dog much... May have it wrong, but I think the nerve is behind the blood vessels?

If you want to hear him yelp, we have methods that will make him talk 

But, dogs are fairly tough, and especially if you are Not trying to hurt them, and you don't surprise them, pain is not that big a deal ... Now thunder, that's something else


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

he is half toy fox terrier and half shih tsu poodle. he is only about 10 lbs. 

Not reacting to shots at the vet is fine... But seeing blood pour out of his foot and him reacting more to me holding it still than to bleeding really scared me.


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## Eenypup (Mar 21, 2014)

I cut one of my guinea pigs' quicks once while clipping his nails. He started bleeding (scary when he's so small!) but didn't seem bothered except for that I kept handling his foot. That leads me to think that it doesn't hurt as much as it seems it does?


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

Elliriyanna said:


> he is half toy fox terrier and half shih tsu poodle. he is only about 10 lbs.
> 
> Not reacting to shots at the vet is fine... But seeing blood pour out of his foot and him reacting more to me holding it still than to bleeding really scared me.


Some dogs will scream their brains if you attempt to cut their nails at all. Some dogs get quicked (cut too short, and it bleeds like crazy even if you barely cut the quick fyi) and don't make a peep. There's nothing wrong with your dog. You've just got a very tolerant dog. Enjoy it while it lasts! Vets and groomers love these dogs.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

Well I have worked on him since he came home to be tolerant , Fingers in ears, tugging tail, tugging ears, fingers in mouth ... Anything a vet or child would ever do to him. I need to know that I can trust my dog. Do you think that had anything to do with this? 

He more practices avoidance lol ... If he doesnt like it he goes away. This includes his claws ... I feel like I have to wrestle him down.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

None of those strike me as odd. Lots of puppies don't react to microchipping, and the jump may not have hurt him, and some dogs don't react to the quick being cut. Some dogs will only yelp when there is sudden pain, not when they anticipate pain, and some dogs yelp when they are not in pain but anticipate that there might be pain.

Some dogs just don't yelp much, others yelp a lot. Pixie is a yelper (or screamer, rather), and Obi hardly ever yelps. He will yelp if there is sudden pain, say from being stepped on. But my hubby has stood on his tail with shoes on, and rather than yelp Obi just scrambled to get away (and he couldn't because hubby was *standing on* his tail). Not a peep. (Hubby didn't notice, so it's not like he was being cruel).


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

just high pain threshold  Happy got her toe caught in a Flyball box years ago while turning, this yanked out her toenail almost totally out and twisted it upside down, she didn't react at all, she finished the coarse as if nothing had happened, lined herself up to go again, I looked down as I was holding her and revving her up and suddenly noticed a giant pool of blood around her foot! we used pliers to pull the nail the rest of the way out and she didn't even flinch lol


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Dogs just vary. And so do circumstance.

Kylie's a screamer. If it hurts, if it MIGHT hurt, if she thinks it SHOULD hurt, she screams - and not just a single yelp, she just keeps yelping. I'm lucky the neighbors haven't called the cops for me beating her yet. Surprisingly (or not), I stepped on her in agility pretty good and she yelped and skittered off sideways but recovered quickly. She likes agility (most of the time) and wanted to play so she forgot it. I step on a paw or tail or tail FUR at home and she screams like she's being skinned alive. So, circumstance matters.

Thud has yelped ONCE and that was last summer and he tried to jump a fallen log, failed and landed on his face. One loud yelp, got up, shook himself off and kept going.

I have never heard the other three yelp about anything. I found Jack with a toenail mostly torn OUT. I only noticed when we got home from the hike and he was licking his foot. But they're terriers and their pain tolerance is crazy.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

Well pretty sure he broke a rib when he jumped off the deck. One points the wrong way. 

I just worry about him. I am glad its just a terrier thing. I have never had a terrier before. 

I am guessing this means just keep an eye on him because he won't tell me when he s hurt?


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

Yup and you just gotta keep in mind that if he does show signs of pain, even mildly, it could potentially be more serious.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

I have noticed he will cry if his ears are messed with. Took him for a play date, puppy grabbed his ear, we cried then turned around and tackled him lol.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

You're "pretty sure" he broke a rib? If you think he broke a rib and it's pointing the "wrong way", it needs to be checked. Broken ribs can puncture the lungs.


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## Sarah~ (Oct 12, 2013)

Elliriyanna said:


> Well pretty sure he broke a rib when he jumped off the deck. One points the wrong way.


Am I the only one who was slightly horrified by this?? Vet, ASAP!


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

You misunderstand .... he did that when he was 12 weeks old ... I discovered it last month. Its long healed. And its very subtle the tip just points toward the surface of his skin. If it was a new injury or I had discovered it when it happened then I would have taken him. My dog is just fine. 

Well he may have been 16 weeks ... shots were all done. Point is it was discovered nearly 8 months later. Its that subtle.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

Honestly he could have been born like that. Its the last rib its in line with the rest the tip just is different ... which is why I am pretty sure... there is no way to be sure. We could do xrays now but since its healed and he is fine I don't see the need.


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Elliriyanna said:


> He more practices avoidance lol ... If he doesnt like it he goes away. This includes his claws ... I feel like I have to wrestle him down.


So he does react then to some degree, just isn't a drama queen. Caeda is like that, the few times I've heard her yelp I'm pretty much positive it was out of surprise rather than actual pain, I've seen her do some things that scared the pants off of me to the point I took her in and checked her over nose to tail (once or twice she was bleeding....minor though...but not a peep). Some dogs do that, others act like their world is ending if a piece of fur gets tugged during grooming (Dexter was a princess with that!). 

Despite the fact that you just discovered the possibility of an old fractured rib, you might want to at least mention it to the vet next time you are in.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

Greater Swiss said:


> Despite the fact that you just discovered the possibility of an old fractured rib, you might want to at least mention it to the vet next time you are in.


I will when he goes in for his physical. Luckily its facing out towards his skin and is VERY subtle ... i only noticed because its a bit sharp. it sits flush with where its suppose to be. 

I guess you are right ... he does react ... he just does not say anything.


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## Elliriyanna (Nov 11, 2011)

At the vet yesterday I brought up his rib and before I could even explain what happened she dismissed it, just saying that sometimes happens, she didnt even feel it. This was not my normal vet. Next time he see's my normal vet I will bring it up again. I will not take a dog back to that vet, They have several vets, the exotics one is great, he is who I usually go to see.


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