Does your pet look a little under the weather? Learn how to know if your dog is in pain by looking for signs and symptoms. Is your dog acting out of character? It’s too bad that dogs can’t tell us what’s bothering them which makes it difficult to diagnose. It’s like trying to figure out what’s going on with a crying infant. There are many different types of pain like joint pain, trauma, tooth pain, injury and some of them can’t be seen like fractured or broken bones. Dogs have different pain thresholds and while some are able to “wing it”, the pain in others is more evident. Keep in mind that a dog in pain is more likely to bite. A well-meaning dog parent may reach for the medicine cabinet but whatever happens, DO NOT be tempted to give them human painkillers! Advil and Tylenol are toxic to dogs and can be fatal!If you suspect your dog is in pain, speak to your veterinarian right away.
Signs of Pain in Dogs – Is Your Dog Acting Out Of Character?
- Did your sociable dog suddenly turn anti-social and may even tend to run away?
- Did your dog stop barking whenever someone is at the door when he used to go ballistic?
- Did your normally sweet dog suddenly turn aggressive and hostile?
- Did your dog lose interest in climbing stairs and refuse to go up even when coerced?
- Did your dog who used to like to snuggle now refuse to be held, stroked, or carried?
- Does your dog look depressed/dejected with his head lowered?
- Did your normally energetic dog suddenly lose interest in going for walks or refuses to play? Changes in energy and activity levels are indicative of pain.
- Does your dog with a healthy appetite refuse to eat or show difficulty eating? This may indicate stomach or dental pain.
How Can You Tell If Your Dog Is Feeling Pain?
- Vocalization – Whimpering/yelping or crying for no apparent reason even when lying still.
- Excessive panting
- Enlarged pupils
- Restlessness – inability to get comfortable
- Excessive licking or scratching a particular body part. Heat and redness may indicate inflammation.
- Protecting a body part
- Growling when petted
- Instinctive biting
- A tendency to lie very still
- Difficulty in relieving themselves.
- Bunny-Hopping
- Limping
- Lopsided Gait
- Difficulty getting up
- Lethargy
- Crankiness
- Falling behind during walks
- Frequently squinting/rubbing eyes with constricted pupils
- Increased heart rate with rapid shallow breathing
- Changes in stool consistency
Dogs Are Different When It Comes To Pain
Dogs are pack animals. To survive in the wild, they have to stick together as they’ve done so for millennia. Those that are weak or sick are left behind by the pack as to not slow them down and put everyone’s survival at risk. So a member of the pack has to be strong and healthy, even if they’re not, to avoid getting left behind. Dogs, as well as wolves and coyotes, still have this instinct. They have to stay strong or “compensate” to not be left behind by the pack which is you and other family members. For a dog, the worst thing that can happen is to be left behind by the pack. Being left behind, in a dog’s mind, means vulnerability, loss of companionship, and everything needed for survival. This is why dogs develop all sorts of anxiety when left at home for too long. It’s too bad that dogs don’t realize their human pack won’t abandon them even if they get sick or weak so they hide it until they can’t. At this point, they “decompensate” where they unravel quickly. This is why cancer in dogs is often discovered late.
Can CBD Help Dogs In Pain?
Generalized pain relief, deeper sleep, increased energy, better mood, and improved mobility are among the many benefits of CBD. It’s been proven to work in dogs with joint pain and Osteoarthritis.
Take Preventative Measures
Here are a few things a dog parent can do to prevent your dog from suffering unnecessary pain:
- Avoid feeding your dog fatty food to prevent Pancreatitis which is a painful condition. No Bacon!
- Control your dog’s weight to prevent joint pain and osteoarthritis. Taking frequent walks and limiting treats may help.
- Brush your dog’s teeth regularly to prevent dental pain and a painful condition called periodontal disease.
- Don’t give bones to your dog to chew on. Bones can damage teeth and cause splinters.
- Avoid walking in tall grass in warm and dry weather to prevent grass seeds and foxtails.
- In hot weather, walk your dog on the grass instead of the pavement to avoid burning their paws.
- In winter, avoid walking your dog on the sidewalk when there is road salt as this hurts their paws.
- Familiarize yourself with toxic plants to prevent unnecessary trips to the vet.
Conclusion
It’s no fun to see your dog suffering in pain especially when you see a sweet dog change in character. When you notice any of the symptoms, don’t wait! Call your veterinarian immediately.
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Disclaimer
All information in the article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to replace your veterinarian’s advice.
As a fellow dog lover, I read your post with great interest. I am quite able to read dog behavior but not everyone is. Your article should help guide others. I like that you mention that each dog has his/her own behavior and reactions to pain, just as people do. Some of our dogs have been very sensitive and we adjust for that. The more challenging ones are the ones that don’t want to show any pain. Not everyone can decipher their movements and reactions. Thank you for bringing this to the attention of pet lovers! I’ll be linking one of my sites (pet-counsel) to this article as a good reference for others.
Thanks, Diane. I really appreciate it! And thanks for commenting.
I remember my dog in his later years was slowing down. The first time I saw him in discomfort was after a walk. We got home where here are 14 steps to climb to get up to the landing. I walked him without a leash and as I was climbing the steps halfway up I didn’t hear his collar bouncing off his neck. I looked back and he was laying in a prone position on the steps. I went down to help him and as I grabbed his chest he nipped at me. So I told him, It’s alright. I’ll just sit with you until you get your strength back. I sat with him and stroked his head. After 10 minutes he got himself up and walked to the front door. When we went to the vet he just said that my dog developed arthritis. So after each walk we just took the back alley where there no steps. He really appreciated that.
Courtney-
Courtney, yous dog was definitely showing signs of pain. Instinctive biting being one of them.
Awesome post Sonny.
Funny I come across this post, I’ve been looking for a new puppy to bring home since we’ve been stuck in quarantine.
It’s been about 3 year since we last had a dog and I still remember when he would be in pain. You always know because he looks depressed and start growling slowly.
I have personally taken CBD for my own pain and have never heard of animals taking it, but I think that sounds like an amazing idea. It’s all natural anyways you know.
I’ll definitely bookmark your site.
Thanks for commenting, Lorenz and also for bookmarking
My five year old dog has been having some mood changes for the last 2 years. She went from being a sweet dog to being overprotective and trying to bite whenever someone pets her when she’s not aware of them. I don’t think it’s pain because it’s been a couple of years, but you mentioned joint pain and I’m wondering, how do I know if that may be a possibility for the actions that my dog has been taking? She barely gets up nowadays, except when she has to eat or go outside but other than that she’s sleeping all day and after reading this article I’m now a little concerned.
You may want to investigate further, Stephanie. Hope your dog feels better.
Sonny
Nice article I must say, as a dog owner I could testify to you that I have known quite a lot of signs that my Dog exhibits when he’s in pain and trust me I do easily detect most times…I do find your tips here useful and I really do look into them henceforth…
Thanks for the awesome review and I look forward to seeing more…
Good for you, Evans. Thanks for commenting
This write up reminds me of a friend that has two 18 years old twins and a 20 years old dog. These twins began there lives with this dog in the house, so they were like siblings. They treated this dog as the third sibling, and i remember vividly how they were always going to see a veterinarian at the time when this dog came so sick, the twins where all sick. When eventually they lost this dog, believe me they didn’t recover for almost 3 months. Though they did all to save the dog. But For them it was one of their siblings. Pets like dogs are the most friendly companions one can keep other than human being. And it worth it taking care of them both in health and in sickness. These pets could sometimes act like humans, and if one is very careful, some of these sicknesses could be avoided. Preventive measures is necessary. They give signs but sometimes it is only the veterinarian who can determine the actual problem. It is not right to self medicate the pets, and they must really be vaccinated periodically.
I love your write up, it is really informative on the treatments our dogs should be getting.
Dogs are definitely considered family especially if it grew alongside your children. Some say it is harder to lose a dog than it is to lose a relative or someone close