unexplained Pain attacks

Hi, I just discovered your your website and it looks so good.
We have a 7 year old Dalmatian male (Buddy) and every so
often he has these attacks. He crys in pain and bows down on his front legs with his rear end still up. It must relieve the pain somewhat. And he seems to have a problem going up; as in climbing the stairs or climbing into the car. This many times lasts for a few days. The last time we took him to the vet for this, when he came out, he was just like new . The only thing we can imagine that had any effect was that the vet picked him up and she said she heard his back crack. (maybe some sort of joint/spine problem?)This only happens once in a great while (like 9 to 12 months). This has happened many times while we're on vacation. He doesn't seem to have problems with bowel movements every time or urinating. When he pees he lifts his leg way in the air. To me that seems to rule out spinal problems (maybe I'm wrong). We've taken him to a number of vets (even while on vacations) but after the xrays and probing, they don't seem to know what the problem is.
We thought maybe he was having an allergic reaction to peanuts. (as many of our vacations involve camping and many adults & children have peanuts around) No thats not it. I'm thinking maybe he has some sort of gastrointestinal attack. He is a fairly sensitive (nervous) dog, like loud noises, thunder storms, fireworks, and people yelling. Has anyone got a clue as to what this might be?

Hi and welcome! Gosh, that's a hard one! With xrays ruling out so many orthopedic conditions, I'm hard pressed to come up with any idea of what it might be. Did Buddy start having these problems recently? Have the vets done basic blood work in addition to the xrays? I can't imagine how G.I. symptoms would make him hesitant to climb stairs and such, and as you say, he's eliminating well and I'm thinkig he's eating ok. I do know of people whose dogs have exhibited similar type symptoms that went undiagnosed. They went the route of doggie chiropractor for adjustments, therapeutic massage and utilized other holisitc treatments. Buddy's still a young pup! I hope you can find someone who can give you some answers!! Wish I could offer more help. Get well soon, Buddy!:)

Thank you for your information,
We are considering seeking chiropractic help. We recently learned that this is available not far from our area. Buddy is doing fine since he accidently got treated in a chiropractic manner at the vet's office.
Thanks so much for your reply.
Pam & Tom

It may be a back problem...my friend's boxer, Cindy, was perfectly healthy, until one day, her back went out :( So now we have to be really careful around her :(