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Recognising When Your Pet is in Pain |
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Pain is probably the
most significant symptom of illness or injury and it is important to
understand the ways that dogs indicate that they are suffering from
pain in a particular area or organ. By observing your dog and noting
how the movement, the sensory perception, and the cognitive elements
are affected you can gauge gow much pain your dog is feeling.
Two general signs of pain that are frequently shown by dogs are:
Crying
Dogs do not cry by means of tears, but they will utter a vocal cry at a sudden injury (such as being stepped on) or when an external injury or a painful internal organ is touched. Unprovoked crying or vocalisation may indicate internal pain. Some dogs are more stoical than others and will endure considerable pain without any vocalisation.
Aggression
Any radical change in temperament may be a reaction to pain. A sudden tendancy to aggression may be reversable when the pain is alleviated, so give the veterinary surgeon a full history before concluding that the dog has become vicious.
source: Doglopaedia A Complete Guide to Dog Care J.M. Evans & Kay White
Two general signs of pain that are frequently shown by dogs are:
Crying
Dogs do not cry by means of tears, but they will utter a vocal cry at a sudden injury (such as being stepped on) or when an external injury or a painful internal organ is touched. Unprovoked crying or vocalisation may indicate internal pain. Some dogs are more stoical than others and will endure considerable pain without any vocalisation.
Aggression
Any radical change in temperament may be a reaction to pain. A sudden tendancy to aggression may be reversable when the pain is alleviated, so give the veterinary surgeon a full history before concluding that the dog has become vicious.
| Symptoms
of Pain in Specific Areas as indicated by "Tell-Tale" Signs |
|
| Area
of Pain |
Signs
That Indicate Pain is Felt |
| Head |
Half
closed eyes coupled with persistent pressing of the top of the head
into furniture, owners lap or the flank of other dogs; gentle shaking
of the head or vacant staring |
| Eye |
Pawing
at eyes; rubbing eyes on furniture or on the carpet |
| Ear/Mouth |
It
is not always easy to distinguish between the two as the nerve pathways
are very close. One ear may be carried low and the head inclined
to the affected side. There may be drooling or excess saliva,
reluctance to eat hard food or to take food from the hand. Dogs
with mouth pain may yawn frequently and ear pain is usually accompanied
by head shaking or gentle scratching at the ear |
| Throat |
Retching,
drooling, stretching neck towards the ceiling (sore throat) and
difficulty in swallowing shown by gulping |
| Abdomen |
Continual
glancing round at the site of pain, biting and licking the area.
Lying in a curled up position when standing, or may take up the "prayer
position" (down on forelegs with hindlegs standing). In some
cases dogs with abdominal pain will show persistent straining to pass a
bowel movement |
| Limb/Joint |
Dogs
quickly adapt to carrying a limb which is giving them pain when weight
is put on it. When the problem is on the foot or, in case of
severe injury, the limb is usually carried high, but sometimes it is
only partially elevated and the toes will be dragged on the
ground. In other cases the dog will put the foot of the affected
leg to the ground but will not put full weight on it. In such
cases the dog's movement should be watched carefully, paying particular
attention to the head and pelvis. A nodding action of the head or
rump will be seen when the sound foreleg is put to the ground Lameness associated with foot dragging is often indicative of nerve damage. A dog with arthritic pain in the joints will sometimes give a grunt or cry when settling into or rising from its bed. It is a useful diagnostic measure to know if the dog's pain eases when it has been moving about for some while, or whether exercise makes the pain worse. It is not always easy to decide which limb is lame, especially if more than one leg is affected. Bilateral hind leg lameness from severe hip dysplasia may not show on movement. |
| Spine |
Sometimes
a dog will appear lame when the actual site of pain is in the spinal
column. Other signs of back pain are a resentment to touch or
accidental knocks, trembling while standing, wasting of upper thighs,
humping of the centre back, difficulty in assuming normal defecation
position, a staggering gait, collapse of hind quarters and incontinence |
| Anal
Gland |
Dragging
the anus on carpet or grass is the dogs reaction ot pain around the
rectum. The dog may also turn round to inspect its back end
frequently and suddenly, often accompanied by a yelp |
| General
Internal |
Being
unable to settle down when all normal wants have been fulfilled may
indicate internal pain or mental trauma |
| Hind
End |
Frequent
whirling round is the dog's response to "hind end" discomfort from a
burr or matt of fur in the region, or from blades of grass which have
not been passed properly with a bowel movement and which are still
protruding from the anus. As with anal gland pain the dog will
also turn round suddenly and frequently to inspect the affected area,
often with a cry |
source: Doglopaedia A Complete Guide to Dog Care J.M. Evans & Kay White