01/31/2026
If your dog jumps down from a height and lands hard, it can cause nerves to become pinched in the neck.
Here are the symptoms to watch for of a pinched nerve in your dog's neck.
Pinched Nerve in a Dog's Neck
source:pethelpful and Adrienne Janet Farricelli
What Exactly are Pinched Nerved in Dogs?
So what are pinched nerves in dogs and what are the symptoms? First and foremost, let's take a lesson in basic anatomy so we can better understand how your dog may have gotten a pinched nerve in the neck in the first place. Your dog's spinal column is composed by several overlapping small bones known as vertebrae which allow smooth movement and flexibility in the neck and back area. Between one vertebrae and another, are several disks which are meant to cushion and prevent the vertebrae from rubbing against each other. These disks, commonly referred to as "intervertebral disks" are also meant to protect the spinal cord, a cable of nerves which branch off the spine and are responsible for relaying important information between your dog's brain and the rest of his body. From head to tail, your dog's spinal column is composed by 4 vertebral regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. In this article, we will be focusing on the cervical vertebrae, basically, the ones in the neck area.
Dogs have seven vertebrae in the neck region (see picture below), and the intervertrebral disks start at the second and third vertebrae. The function of these vertebrae is to support to head and protect the vital spinal cord. They are displayed in such a way as to form a curvy "S" which allows flexibility and movement. Let's take a brief look at their main functions. The first neck vertebrae is known as the "Atlas" and its main purpose is to allow your dog to raise his head up and lower it down. The second neck vertebrae is known as the "Axis". This vertebrae allows the head and neck to rotate. The remaining 5 vertebrae are quite similar in structure among each other.
When all goes well and your dog's cervical vertebrae are in good shape, your dog is happy and healthy. He flexes his neck without problems and enjoys every day activities. Problems start when the neck vertebrae for one reason or another put pressure on the nerve roots causing them to become compressed and "pinched." This can occur due to trauma, genetic predisposition (dogs with long backs such as dachshunds are predisposed), being overweight, the presence of a tumor or simply an effect of aging due to degeneration.
Cervical disk disease takes place when an intervertebral disk herniates and presses on the dog's spinal cord triggering pressure, pain and a variety of symptoms. It's the neck version of intervertebral disk disease, except for the fact that it affects the neck rather than the spine. In the next paragraph, we will take a look at the main symptoms of pinched nerves in the neck in dogs.
Symptoms of Pinched Nerves of the Neck in Dogs
Whether your dog's cervical vertebrae pinch the the nerves in the spinal cord or compress the spinal column, you may see a variety of symptoms that may not be readily recognized or are not taking seriously. Depending of how severe the condition is, your dog's symptoms may range from being mild to quite severe. It's very important to see the vet immediately should your dog show these signs.
Pain
Dogs may manifest pain in different ways than us humans. As vocal beings, humans are prone to vocalizing their pain through an "ouch!" or by complaining. Dogs, on the other hand, are less vocal and their pain manifestations aren't recognized. Yawning, panting, smacking lips, breathing fast and moving from one resting spot to another, may be signs your dog is in pain. While some dogs may yelp or whine when in pain, don't take lack of vocalizations as a necessary sign that your dog is not in pain! When my dog developed a pinch nerve in his neck, he was restless, unable to find a new position, getting up repeatedly, breathing fast, panting, lip smacking, licking and yelping when he was getting up from a sleeping position and lifting his chin. Small dogs may yelp when being picked up.
Stiff Neck
The neck is painful and quite stiff. Your dog will assume positions in an attempt to give relief to the neck area. He may arch his back or point his nose to the ground. You may notice tension and tremors in the muscles of the neck area, Your dog may be reluctant to move his head side-to-side or to turn around in tight spaces. When my Rottweiler developed a pinched nerve in his neck last week, he refused to spin around (a trick he does sometimes) and he was showing me whale eyes (the white of the eyes) because he was looking at me without turning his neck. Eating requires dogs to lower their head and this can be painful in a dog with neck pain so some dogs may back away from the food bowl or refuse to eat.
Changes in Walking
If your dog appears to walk as if he's drunk, that may be a sign of cervical problems. Some dogs may not clearly stumble but may appear slightly uncoordinated. Some dogs may simply walk slowly with their head kept low, others may even buckle over in their front legs as they walk and stumble. Some dogs may limp or hold up a leg. When my dog developed a pinched nerve in his neck, we saw him once limp on his front leg for a few seconds and for a split second it appeared as if he was limping on a back leg too.
Paralysis
As we mentioned earlier, the spinal cord is responsible for relaying important information between the brain and the rest of the dog's body. When the nerves in this area are damaged, the nerves responsible for relaying information to the limbs stop transmitting this information. While relatively minor spinal cord damage may just cause loss of coordination (ataxia) and a "drunken" gait, as mentioned before, significant damage may lead to paralysis and a loss of pain sensation in the limbs. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, depending on the length of time pain sensation was lost, affected dogs may carry a very poor prognosis for recovery.
Lack of Proprioception
Proprioception may sound like a complicated term, but all it means is your dog's ability to sense the way his body is positioned. When this ability is not present, it could be indicative of a neurological condition affecting the brain's ability to relay information to the body, and a spinal cord issue may be a cause for this. Affected dogs may be seen dragging their legs in an abnormal fashion and failing to re-position their legs as they normally would during a neurological exam.
https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Symptoms-of-a-Pinched-Nerve-in-a-Dogs-Neck
