For the last 6 months my dog has had intermittent episodes of whining and being in distress. They seem to occur at night. He can't get comfortable; he'll try and lay down, only to jump back up again repeatedly. It comes in waves, starting with panting, then heavy panting and culminating in a high whine. Then it slowly subsides and he'll lie down for 10 to 15 minutes before it happens again. He's spent a full day at the vet under observation after one terribly bad evening, and the vet found nothing. He seems to want to go potty, but will run to his spot and then run right back. Sometimes, at the height of his pain, he'll buckle his hind legs as if he wants to drag his rump on the ground and then straighten and repeat the steps again before the pain subsides. He is 3 years old, has a reasonably stable diet of dry food with cheese. We have given him meat scraps in the past with no bones, but are going to stop this and haven't found it to coincide with the attacks. He gets rawhide bones for chewing, though occasionally he gets a real cow bone that is about 8 inches long and hollow and is purchased from the pet store. There has been no Diarrhea or vomiting although he did burp a few times after the vet recommended Pepto Bismol. He stays in a large kennel during the daytime and he jumps excitedly when we come home, often getting airborne in his vertical leap. I've wondered if that might be causing stomach problems as well and wondered if I should not allow the jumping. Hoping for any ideas that may help, the next step will be an expensive house call so the vet can witness the behavior.

Hello guest
Sorry to read about your dogs discomfort,if you join the board which is free you can post this on the health topic,which you will hopfully get some good advice.

Hi guest - that sounds awfully worrying. Your poor dog :(- I hope you can find out what is causing it. Why don't you either borrow or if you own a camcorder make a video recording of your dog when he is in this kind of distress. You can drop it in at the vets so he can have a look at it.
I don't know about yours but my dogs always act a bit differently if there is a stranger in the place! And my old GSD just tries to 'get' the vet (the pest!) in the surgery which makes an accurate diagnosis of him extremely difficult as he will resist any examination.
Lara

Hi Guest

I see he has rawhide bones to chew - does he eat these *nicely* or does he ever chew large chunks off and swallow them? Do these bouts occur when he has had one or is there no link at all between the episodes and them?

It sounds very distressing for you and him :( - I hope you can get it sorted

SaraW :)