We all love our dogs and the fact that they are still the most commonly kept pet type where the majority of our readers live means that we see many questions from people who have pet dogs each month.
These questions can be about a large number of things and we have already published articles answering many of them.
That said though, there have been a number of people reaching out with various questions about why their dog wakes up yelping recently so we decided that we wanted to publish this article going over the topic.
Our hope is that we will be able to help as many of our readers as possible who are having problems with their dog waking up yelping but there are a number of different potential causes of this in dogs.
This means that you will often need to do a little bit of investigating to try and work out why your dog is yelping when it wakes up before you are able to work on actually treating the problem.
Why Your Dog Wakes Up Yelping!
Here are the main reasons that your pet dog wakes up yelping:-
- Pain!
- Stress!
- Fear!
- Joint Or Muscle Issues!
- Neurological Problems!
- Separation Anxiety!
Some dogs can have multiple problems from that list in the dog at the same time causing it to yelp when it takes up.
Many people think they have found the cause of the yelping and focus on fixing it but in actual fact, there may be multiple problems with their dog all at the same time.
Pain!
One of the most common reasons that your dog wakes up yelping is because it is in pain.
There are a number of different types of pain that your dog could be experiencing and it can come on suddenly or gradually over time.
A Vet Checkup
The first thing you should do if you think your dog is waking up in pain is to take it to the vet so they can check it over and rule out any underlying health problems.
There are a number of different conditions that could be causing your dog pain and the only way to know for sure is to have a vet check it out.
Once you have ruled out any underlying health issues, you can then start to look at other potential causes of pain such as joint or muscle issues that we will cover in more detail later in the article.
Obvious Injury
Dogs can hurt themselves when playing or out for their walk with some dogs being surprisingly good at hiding cuts or other injuries to them.
These can end up getting infected making the pain worse resulting in your dog waking up yelping.
In many cases, you will usually be able to easily see these injuries in your dog as they are open wounds or sometimes scabbed up wounds that are healing on your dog.
If you see anything like this then there is a good chance that this is the reason that your dog is waking up yelping so much.
If you do see the signs of infection in your dog then you really should be getting your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
Stress!
Another common reason that your dog wakes up yelping is because it is stressed out.
Dogs can get stressed for a number of different reasons and it can often be hard to identify the exact cause of stress in your dog.
If you think that stress may be the reason that your dog is yelping then you should look at any changes in its environment or routine that may have occurred recently.
Dogs can also get stressed if there are other dogs around that they don’t like or they feel threatened by.
In many cases, it is important to try and identify the cause of stress in your dog so you can work on alleviating it.
Fear!
Another potential reason that your dog wakes up yelping is because it is afraid of something.
Dogs can be afraid of a number of different things but one of the most common fears in dogs is a fear of loud, unexpected noises.
This means that things like fireworks or even just thunder can cause your dog to yelp in fear when it wakes up.
If your dog has been adopted from a rescue home then it may have mental trauma from its past causing it to be scared and yelp when it wakes up prior to remembering that it is in a safe location.
Joint Or Muscle Issues!
One of the most common reasons that older dogs wake up yelping is because they are experiencing joint or muscle pain.
As dog’s age, their joints and muscles can start to deteriorate causing them pain when they move around.
This is often worse first thing in the morning when they have been lying in the same position all night.
If you think that joint or muscle pain may be the reason that your dog is yelping then you should look out for any signs of stiffness in their movements or a reluctance to move around.
You should also feel around their joints and muscles to see if there are any areas that are particularly tender or inflamed.
If you think that your dog may be experiencing joint or muscle pain then you should take them to the vet so they can rule out any other potential causes and provide you with some treatment options.
Arthritis!
One of the most common joint problems that older dogs experience is arthritis.
Arthritis is a degenerative condition that affects the joints causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
It is a very common condition in older dogs and can often be the reason that they wake up yelping.
If you think that arthritis may be the reason that your dog is yelping then you should look out for any signs of stiffness or pain in their joints.
Neurological Problems!
In some rare cases, dogs may wake up yelping because of a neurological problem.
Dogs with neurological problems may experience seizures or muscle spasms that can cause them to yelp in pain.
If you think that your dog may have a neurological problem then you should take them to the vet for a professional check up and scan.
Some neurological problems in dogs can sometimes be treat with something as simple as a change in their diet.
Other neurological problems may need medication but there are a small number of neurological problems that can’t be treat.
Separation Anxiety!
One final potential reason that your dog wakes up yelping is because it suffers from separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is a condition where dogs become anxious when they are away from their owner.
This can often manifest itself in the form of yelping, howling, or barking when the dog is left alone.
If you think that your dog may have separation anxiety then you should look for any signs of distress when you leave them alone.
You may also want to consider getting a pet cam so you can check in on them while you are away.
