A painful topic - a blog about pain in dogs

Let’s dive into a bit of a painful topic (yes that was a terrible pun, and no I won’t apologise for it). We don’t like to see our fur babies mildly uncomfortable, let alone in pain. But despite our best efforts and intentions, pain is a fairly inevitable part of life. When our dog is in pain, we can feel helpless and guilty, but understanding what’s happening and what we can do about it can help us feel more in control of the situation. We can’t protect them from pain completely, but we can recognise the signs and take some action to alleviate it when it’s there.

What actually is pain?

In simple terms, pain is the body’s alarm system going off. Your body has sensors monitoring all the different tissues it is made up of. When the sensors detect a potential threat, they stimulate the nervous system. The message of the potential threat is sent to the brain. The brain then interprets this message, along with all the other information that is being inputted at any given moment, and constructs a reaction or sensation, such as pain. Pain is a sensation designed to protect the tissue. It is unpleasant (to say the least), so this encourages us to stop doing whatever it is that we’re doing that could potentially be damaging the tissue (and therefore us). 

What can cause pain?

Anything that can cause potential harm to the body can be perceived as pain. Sources of pain in the dog can come from anywhere that has nerve innervation… so nearly anywhere in the body. Pain could be coming from joints, muscles, internal organs, skin, nerves… I could go on but we’d be here all day. When you notice signs of pain in your dog, the first thing to do is to check in with your vet. In human care, we can get all sorts of clues as to what might be causing pain by speaking to our patients, but alas, as much as we all wish we were Eliza Thornberry, we can’t do the same for your pooches. 

Signs of pain

Dogs are often great at hiding their pain. If you notice a change in your dog, trust your gut and get them checked out. Not all these signs are going to be present, and they may not necessarily indicate pain. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but things to look out for could include:

• Limping

• Whining/vocalising

• Panting

• Restlessness

• Licking

• Decreased appetite

• Decreased motivation to walk/exercise/play

• Withdrawing socially

• Changes in posture

• Changes in facial expression

• Flinching or moving away if you touch certain areas 

• Aggression

• Stiffness

  

Vet Input

If you notice signs of pain in your dog, your first stop should be your vet. The vet’s examination will try and confirm if there’s pain, and the vet then has many tests in their tool box to try and determine the cause of pain. Pain management depends on the findings of these tests, and your individual dog and circumstances, but could include medication, laser, acupuncture, rest, or referral to physiotherapy. 

Physio Input 

So, what do we do? Once the vet has helped us narrow down the likely cause of your pet’s pain there are a number of tools in our toolbox to help manage and minimise any discomfort your four-legged pal may be experiencing. If tolerated, we’re likely to get hands on, and use tools like our laser, different electrotherapy modalities, massage or gentle joint mobilisation. Through these different techniques we are encouraging blood flow and healing, and helping to calm the nervous system. Once we have pain down to an acceptable level, it’s time to work on some strength and mobility. By slowly loading the tissues and strengthening the muscles, we support the body and make sure that it can cope with the stressors of daily activity without getting overloaded (and sore). Animals thrive with movement, and although sometimes we need to restrict that movement when managing pain, allowing and encouraging as much movement as is safe is paramount to getting a healthy, happy dog (or cat, horse, rabbit etc.). 

What you can do 

Unfortunately, there is no way that we can prevent our pet from ever experiencing pain, but there are a few things you can do so you’re as in control of the situation as possible. In terms of prevention, keep your dog strong, fit and healthy, including ensuring they are not overweight. Make sure your dog is exercising both regularly enough and intensively enough to keep their body conditioned, without overloading things. Most importantly, notice your dog’s behaviour; you should know what is normal for them and, after reading this blog, know what signs to look for that they might be in pain. While we can’t completely prevent pain, the quicker we can recognise and treat it, the better. 

If you have any questions or concerns that have been brought up by anything you’ve read in this blog, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We love to hear from you!