The posture of prayer
When a dog gets into a "prayer position" , he raises his hindquarters and puts his front legs on the ground. If this posture is very similar to the one that the dog takes when he wants to play or stretch, the prayer posture reflects significant abdominal pain in the dog. In this position, the animal is simply trying to relieve its discomfort. If your dog repeatedly places himself in this posture, quickly consult your veterinarian to identify what is causing your pet pain and to relieve him of his pain as soon as possible.
-The prayer position, a posture that evokes pain in dogs-
My dog leans his head against a wall
If your dog presses his head against a wall or any other vertical surface pretending to push it, we speak of the "push-to-the-wall" sign. When it occurs and repeats itself for no apparent reason, this attitude is unfortunately indicative of a neurological disorder in dogs. Most often, this posture is one of the signs of the presence of a brain tumor or the presence of brain metastases from a tumor located elsewhere in the animal's body. If you observe it in your dog, speak to your veterinarian without delay.
My dog is spinning topIf your dog runs in circles incessantly and/or repetitively even when he is no longer a puppy or when he is not doing his business or before going to bed, it is that he suffers from cue discomfort or pain, an obsessive compulsive disorder or a neurological disorder.Refer to your veterinarian without delay. More generally, all dog stereotypies - that is, constant and repetitive movements that occur without obvious reasons or functions - are always of concern and should encourage you to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.
The sleigh sign
The sled sign refers to the behavior in which the dog moves forward, with its hindquarters on the ground, using its front legs. By doing this, the dog seeks relief from discomfort or pain in his hindquarters. Most often, he acts this way when he has worms, an impaction of his anal sacs or even anal fistulas. If your dog's deworming is very recent but he's still sledding, go to your veterinarian quickly to find out what's wrong with your dog!
My dog licks or chews his paws all the time
When a dog licks or chews his paws all the time, sometimes even to the point of removing all his hair or inflicting wounds on himself, it is a very concerning behavior. Either your dog suffers physically from pododermatitis from which he tries to relieve himself by licking, or your dog suffers psychologically and tries to "change his mind" and calm down by adopting this behavior like someone who would gnaw his fingernails bleeding. In this second case, licking is then a substitute activity for the anxious or stressed animal.
Whether the dog's suffering is physical or psychological, it is necessary to act by consulting a veterinarian who will endeavor to immediately stop the licking (generally, with the help of a collar) in order to avoid the occurrence infectious complications. In a second step, he will look at the root causes of this behavior to provide lasting relief to your dog.
My dog swallows imaginary flies
Swallowing imaginary flies is also called "fly-biting" in dogs. There seems to be a genetic predisposition for this obsessive compulsive disorder which would have neurological causes in the Cavalier King Charles. For some authors, fly swallowing could even be a focal epileptic seizure. It is usually accompanied by other OCDs such as paw licking or spinning. If your dog has this disorder, treatment is necessary to reduce the occurrence of this disorder and its duration.
My dog tilts his head
When a dog tilts his head to the side and stays in this position, there is a high probability that he will experience pain in one of his ears. If this sign is accompanied by loss of balance, then your dog is the victim of a stroke (cerebrovascular accident) or is suffering from vestibular syndrome. In any case, go to your veterinarian urgently!