How do I know my pet is in pain?
What if you couldn’t tell your doctor that you were in pain? Animals suffer from pain just as we do. Pain comes in many forms: surgical pain, arthritis, and cancer, just to name a few. Acute pain is obvious and distressing. Chronic pain can be subtle, and masked as “getting old” or “slowing down.” Age is not a disease, but the pain is. There are many options to treat the various causes of pain in animals including pain medications, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, laser therapy, and therapeutic massage.
The obscure cat
Cats are good at hiding their pain. So, if you notice your cat acting grouchy, flattening his ears back, really crouching up his body position, or—especially—hiding, it may be a good indication that your pet is experiencing pain.
Here are some other indicators:
- Not being able to jump up on a bed or counter
- Any issues with the litter box
- Not grooming or not wanting to be groomed
- A decrease in appetite
- Aggressive behavior when touched
The sad dog
Don’t think that a dog whining or crying is the only indicator that a dog might be in pain. In fact, dogs will rarely whine or cry unless they are in severe pain. So, look for these other signs to recognize when your dog may be experiencing pain:
- A decrease in appetite
- Trembling
- Has a sad or tense “look” on his face like he is in pain
- Not using a leg
- Avoiding stairs
- Not greeting you as usual
- Crouching
- Taking a long time to urinate or defecate
- Excessively panting
