Protecting Your Pets

Possible Reasons For Your Dog's Apparent Stomach Tenderness

27 January 2017

Deanna Vasquez

When you adopt a dog and bring him or her into your home, you likely automatically feel a sense of parental protectiveness over that dog. Just like a parent, you want to always keep your dog healthy and safe and feel concerned and unhappy anytime they seem to be uncomfortable or in pain. As such, when your dog begins to exhibit signs that their stomach or abdominal area is tender, either by crying or yelping when it is touched or being unable or unwilling to lie down on their stomach, you may wonder what you should do to help them feel better. Get to know some of the possible reasons for your dog's apparent stomach tenderness so that you can better determine what you should do and whether or not a trip to the veterinarian should be on your agenda.

Gas Bubbles

Dogs can experience many of the same health issues that humans do when it comes to digestion. As many dog owners know, this can most definitely include gas. However, sometimes the gas that your dog experiences is not immediately relieved through flatulence but stays in the abdomen in the form of gas bubbles.

Gas bubbles that are trapped in a dog's abdomen or stomach can cause your dog's abdomen to appear distended (enlarged) and can cause them to experience pain when the stomach or abdomen is touched. Sometimes, these gas bubbles will dissipate and pass on their own. However, they can also be part of a bloating condition known as gastric dilation volvulus (GDV). GDV is a potentially life-threatening condition in which large bubbles or pockets of air get trapped in your dog's body and cause the stomach to bloat, cutting off proper circulation and blood flow.

If you notice that your dog's stomach tenderness is accompanied with bloating and they do not feel better within a short period of time (a few hours or overnight, for example), you should take them to the veterinarian as soon as possible. They can take an x-ray of your dog's abdomen and determine if the stomach has become twisted (which causes gas bubbles). If so, emergency surgery will be performed to fix the problem. If not, they can prescribe medications and special diets to help the gas bubbles pass naturally and to prevent uncomfortable gas in the future. 

Kidney or Bladder Stones

Another possible reason that your dog may have stomach or abdominal tenderness is that they may have a kidney or bladder stone. Kidney or bladder stones are hardened masses that form in either the bladder or kidney and can cause severe pain.

Other symptoms often accompany kidney and bladder stones including more frequent urination which may result in accidents in the house, blood in the urine, and difficulty or straining when trying to urinate. Your veterinarian can diagnose a kidney or bladder stone through a physical examination of your dog as well as through the use of x-rays to locate the stone. If stones are found, smaller stones may be allowed to pass on their own while your dog is being monitored while larger stones will likely require surgical removal. 

Now that you know a few of the possible reasons for your dog's apparent stomach tenderness, you can be sure that you are doing everything that you can to relieve your dogs discomfort and keep them as comfortable and healthy as possible. For more information, contact local professionals like Gulfport Veterinarian.

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