Hunching his back

[Zuiun]

So this is a weird one.

Every once in awhile, Brody will hunch his back when he walks. Really, the only way to describe it is that it's a similar back arch as when he's going "number 2" except that he's not squatting. He'll walk around like this for maybe a minute at the most and then be fine.

The first couple of times this happened I thought maybe he just REALLY had to go to the bathroom, but that's not it.

He does it a little too long to seem like he's just stretching his back, but not really long enough to make me think there's anything wrong with him. And he doesn't ACT like he's in any discomfort or anything and acts normal before and after. He doesn't do it very often, nor have there been any common situations that I've noticed that preceded it.

Any ideas? Or is he just a bigger goon than I thought?

[CLARKE-DUNCAN]

Nero will hunch his back if I pat him on his rump.. He doesn't walk around like it though.

Someone else may have the answer you are looking for..

[1sttimeforgsd]

Have no idea, I first thought that maybe he was stretching. Sometimes when they stretch they look like a halloween cat with their back all arched up, but I don't know about the walking around that way part.

Hope all is ok with Brody, and that he is just being goofy.

[jdh520]

Mine does this too but very rarely. Sometimes he will arch his back and start humping the air but look all confused after about 3 seconds. I've heard it called the "dominance dance" before its kinda funny. It only happens when he gets real excited though.

[Freddy]

One of my males that has passed used to do something like this. It would appear he was taking a nap, then he would get up hunched and sometimes walk around, sometimes stand still and stare into space. After one incident in the house, we figured out what it was. To give you the "g" rated version, for one reason or another he became "excited". When it occured we would put him on the deck or in the yard depending on the time of year. Occasionally, he would "finish", most of the time not. No humping, just hunched.
Get the gist of what I'm saying? If not, pm me and I'll give you the pg version.

He did have a "literally" shamed look on his face after those events.

[Zuiun]

Ha! Well, I won't rule out a possibility like that, although I've not seen any other obvious sign of *ahem* excitement... and he's very fixed.

[carmspack]

any suspicion of pancreas problem?

[Zuiun]

Originally Posted by carmspack

any suspicion of pancreas problem?

No. He's been thoroughly tested. When I got him (2 years ago), he had issues that I suspected might be a pancreas problem and it was determined to be IBS.

Took some effort to find a proper diet for him (the vet wanted him on prescription crap), but it's paid off. He's shown zero symptoms of IBS for a year now.

So it's occurred to me that his "hunching" behavior might be some kind of discomfort with his digestion, but he doesn't act like there's anything wrong and his bathroom habits are 100% normal (which has historically been the very first sign of an issue).

So I dunno. Maybe it is some kind of residual behavior associated with "excitement."

[carmspack]

you sort of came full circle with the pancreas though -- at one time suspecting this , yet irritable bowel is digestive also , needing digestive enzymes and probiotics (Gut Solution -- among other reference material too numerous to mention) but let's include this one , which by the way does recommend omega 3 , Canine Pancreatitis - Whole Dog Journal Article .

Look more closely at digestion. Have the vet examine for a herniation.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

[Zuiun]

Originally Posted by carmspack

Look more closely at digestion. Have the vet examine for a herniation.

Well, I won't rule out looking more closely for something digestion related, although he is watched much more closely than normal due to the IBS anyway. (I've worked pretty hard to find a diet that works for him -- he was 70 pounds when I got him and the vet said he may never gain significant weight... today he's a healthy 105 pounds.)

I keep pretty close tabs on his bathroom habits to watch for softening (an early sign of trouble in him) and he has no history of vomiting (another sign of pancreas and IBS problems) -- unless you count the rare times he drinks some water too fast and hacks it up.

But he does go in fairly regularly to the vet and they do more than just the standard temp and weight on him.

The trouble with this behavior is that it's not frequent enough to really seem alarming. It's a once in a great while kind of thing, and impossible to predict. He's due at the vet in a few weeks anyway, so maybe I'll run him in a bit early and check the hernia angle.