Please help I'm in bits, dog snapped

[ArrestedDevelopment]

Ok I'm in bits here, had rescue dog 3 months but on wed she fell down some stairs (she is small breed and struggles with stairs) I didn't know how many stairs just heard the noise but she was walking and seemed fine.
I thought she was ok but since falling she has snapped at 2 dogs and she snapped at my mum who she loves.
My mum tried to pick her up and we didn't know she was in pain but she snapped.
Took her to the vets who said she has bruised her ribs and doesn't look serious.

I'm in bits because she snapped at my mum , yes I know she is in pain and we didn't know and as my mum picked her up it was a reaction but I'm torn now as she seems different . She is nervy and its shaken me as I have a Son and now it's always going to be in my mind she will snap.
She had never snapped at dogs before either.

I know she was in pain but I feel nervous knowing she is capable of snapping .
Just any advice please as I'm struggling to know what to do.

[YesICanHearYouClemFandango]

What is your instinct telling you to do?

[NeedACleverNN]

If she is in pain and you tried to pick her up, I don't blame her for snapping.

It's her way of saying back off. I am hurting. Let her recover and see what happens then.

It could be the behaviour will stop once all the pain is gone. Give her as much distance as she needs at the moment.

[ArrestedDevelopment]

I feel like I will always be on edge now knowing she can snap like that.
I didn't know she was in pain otherwise I would have taken her to the vets sooner.
I feel I have to give her a chance as she is in pain and see how she is but its in my mind I can't trust her around my son.

Would any dog snap in pain even at someone they love?
She loves my mum more than me but snapped .

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

She snapped as a warning.

She hasn't bitten anyone.

[tabulahrasa]

"Would any dog snap in pain even at someone they love?"

That sort of pain? Yes

[NeedACleverNN]

Would any dog snap in pain even at someone they love?

Of course they would.

You fall down the stairs and hurt your rips. I come along and give you a big bear hug...you would probably hit me or swear violently.

A dog can't swear so this is their version of swearing.

Does she have a place she can take herself off to? A covered crate for example? She needs as much rest as she can manage really

[Givememorewine]

Yes they would snap at someone they love if they were in pain. Hope she feels better soon

[Roystonv]

I understand but she was responding to being hurt and trying to tell you in the only way she could she could have just bitten. ? a crate so she can recover in peace and you can be certain where she is and yet she can still be part of the family.

[Toomuch2young]

Totally normal to snap when in pain. If she had meant it she would of bitten and it would of hurt. She is an animal and was hurting. Rest and painkillers and move on.

[BlackMarigold]

She snapped and didn't hurt anyone. She could have bitten but she didn't despite being picked up when she was in pain.
Sounds like a Good Dog to me
Just give her somewhere safe and comfy to recover in peace and don't let anyone pick her up.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

She snapped because she's in pain.
If you fell down the stairs you would be hurting too.

She needs anti inflammatories and painkillers and a time to recover.
My dog's snappes at me when he's in pain, he's even shown teeth, but then he looks at me and licks my hand.

I snap at people when I'm in pain.
She's not snapping out of fun, you know.

[ArrestedDevelopment]

We are leaving her alone and she is on painkillers ,
I'm just really upset about the whole thing.
She seemed fine after I heard the noise of the falling so I'm guilty that it's nearly 2 days after but I didn't know she was in pain.
If she meant to bite would she have done? My mum moved her hand away quickly and her mouth brushed her skin but no bite.

[NeedACleverNN]

If she had meant to bite then yes she would have done

I still wouldn't have blamed her if she had bitten though tbh. It must bloody hurt to be picked up with bruised ribs.

[tabulahrasa]

Unless your mum is from krypton then there's no way she'd have moved fast enough to avoid being bitten.

Honestly rib pain is really really bad and I'd hit someone to stop them who was trying to pick me up, that doesn't make me a violent person, it's just the sort of pain that you absolutely would try and stop someone from doing.

[gamerchick]

Ribs hurt like a bitch. She hasn't bitten but she doesn't want to be picked up. Just leave her alone.

[BlackMarigold]

My lab snaps at me sometimes when I cut his nails, I've never been worried that he'd actually bite me. He's just got sensitive paws and is a big wuss.
If I give him a piece of sausage he lets me carry on clipping.

[ArrestedDevelopment]

I am leaving her alone now we know, just making clear my mum didn't pick her up knowing she was hurt. We didn't know.

[NeedACleverNN]

It's easy to not know

Animals don't show pain unless it's really bad. She was probably coping until you tried to pick her up and it just pushed her limit over.

My dog once bit through my finger. He didn't do it on purpose. He had a chicken bone he found on the street and I stupidly tried to remove it from his mouth. He panicked about losing this precious bone and clamped down. Unfortunately my finger was in his mouth when he did it. That bloody hurt and it got infected so hurt even more! Couldn't bend it for a week

[takeaturn]

My dog snarled at my son unprovoked. Turns out he was in pain (unknown to us)

Took me ages to trust him again. It's been over a year and nothing has happened since. however it has been a really good education for us all about respecting dogs space. Not hassling them. No sneaking up on them etc.

Honestly don't worry.

Oh and I think there are a few schools of thought that state dogs should never be picked up. I think it's because they are 'nowhere in space' and they are completely out of control. Not sure how true this is though.

[ArrestedDevelopment]

I'm just so fed up . This year every thing has gone wrong.
I got her because my son and I both wanted a dog . We have been through so much and this was a way of bonding and enjoying life again . It sounds deep but trust me we have have been through it.
I'm a single parent so I'm panicking thinking what if I can't trust her around my son ever again.

[TheoriginalLEM]

my dd accidentally trod on my dogs leg - he bit through her foot! turned out he had bone cancer.

of course ANY dog would snap if it was hurt, especially if taken by surprise.

[ArrestedDevelopment]

Takeaturn
That's comforting to hear that no further snaps and you managed to trust again
I have to pick her up to get in the car as she couldn't jump in. We don't pick her up every 2 mins like a toy dog it's only when we have to.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

It's not her fault she was hurt.

Don't let her upstairs when you know she can't manage stairs.

Let her heal and she won't have to snap again. Besides, she didn't actually bite anyone, did she?

[ShmooBooMoo]

Every dog is capable of snapping given the right circumstances. The fact she didn't bite, even when in pain, shows restraint. She can't tell you how much pain she's in, can she? How would you react - even with someone you love - if you had a broken toe and someone - a family member, friend etc - accidentally stamped on it? You might shriek, lose your temper etc but you probably wouldn't launch into a physical assault! Same here!
The uncharacteristic behavior with the other dogs is because she is in pain, therefore feels vulnerable and is telling them to back off! In other words she feels threatened/ unable to defend herself!
You don't need to do anything other than give her plenty of reassurance...and some time. Did the vet give you painkillers?

[ArrestedDevelopment]

Yes she is on meta cam. I'm feeling a bit better now it's just been a shock