How to recognize pain in your dog
Today, I want to talk to you a bit about pain in dogs. Now most people assume “oh if my dog’s in pain I’m going to know it, I’m going to see it”. They’re going to be screaming or limping, there’s going to be some external, very visible sign of pain.
But what a lot of people don’t realize is that there’s also signs of pain that are very subtle that we can miss. A recent veterinary study found that one in every five dogs is suffering from pain. It’s not visible pain, but hidden pain that we as owners can miss. This is something that’s very near to my heart and I would like to help people find relief from.
It’s a key part of the energy healing work I do. It helps release deep pain that drugs and traditional methods can’t fix. The pain lingers under the surface. It’s like chronic aching. We can never quite figure out what’s going on. It bothers us regularly.
So today I wanted to go over a few of the more subtle signs of pain in dogs. Some of you may know all these signs already, but maybe not! I wanted to cover nine today.
Signs of pain in dogs
A reluctance to being touched is the first kind. This will be specific to your dog. Some dogs don’t like being touched. But, if your dog does and then they start to move away or show reluctance, that’s a clue. It doesn’t have to be a big movement, just a small one. They’re telling you, “I really don’t want you to touch me, that kind of bothers me”. As the condition worsens, the pain will grow, and you will see more visible signs. So, pay attention when you’re petting your dog or touching them. If you see just a tiny movement, it can be enough to indicate something is going on.
Vocalization is also another outward way of them showing pain. This is usually more obvious, and can be loud yelping. But if they lie down or stand up, and they wince. Or if they wince during an activity or when they’re trying to get comfortable. If they’re shifting around and you hear a little grunt or noise. This can indicate that something is wrong and that there’s pain.
Trembling and shaking
The next sign of pain is shaking or trembling. Sometimes we see a dog sitting and shaking. You think they’re scared or cold. But, this can also be a subtle sign of pain in dogs. Any very light trembling of the body or even just a limb can be a sign of pain. Other things can cause these tremors, like poisoning. But, if there’s nothing else and your dog hasn’t gotten into anything, and you notice these tiny tremors, they could be a sign of some hidden pain.
Any kind of issues with mobility can also be a sign of pain. You may notice that they run less or run differently. Or, they have issues jumping or lying down. Or, it takes them longer to lie down or stand up. These are all signs of some painful condition. Really watch your dogs. Become a good observer and notice any changes from their normal behavior. Pay special attention to how they move and shift when lying down, and how they get up and stand. These changes can be the first sign of an issue.
Heavy Breathing
Another symptom is heavy breathing or panting. Now, panting is normal behavior when they’re really active or if it’s really hot outside. But if your dog is sitting there and hasn’t been active or running around, and is just panting excessively for no other reason, this is a sign of pain. They are trying to deal with the pain and calm their nervous system.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is excessive grooming. Excessive grooming is really just licking one area over and over again. You might notice that the fur starts to change colors and gets a bit orange-brown. That’s because they’re licking one area repeatedly. This is instinctive, and they do this when they have a wound to help soothe themselves when something’s hurting them. It can also be anxiety. But again, if you have a dog that’s not usually anxious and lacks a visible wound, and you notice them licking one area a lot, that is a sign of pain. It tends to happen a lot on the limbs – on the paws or on and around the joints.
The pain may be in that area. But, it could be that it’s just the nerve from another area. So, the pain is displaced. So, don’t assume they’re licking their inner arm because it hurts. It could be from somewhere else, like nerves firing down that limb. Or it may be an area they can’t reach, so they do a displacement lick in another area. Don’t always assume it’s right where you see it. But, it’s definitely a sign of hidden pain that hasn’t been resolved.
A change in eating or drinking
Another thing to look for is any kind of change in eating or drinking patterns. Often, a dog that struggles to eat has dental pain. It could be related to the gums or the teeth. But it could be pain elsewhere as well. Just like when we’re in pain, you’re really focused on it, and you just don’t really want to eat or drink like you normally do. It’s the same with dogs, so keep an eye on any kind of changes in eating and drinking.
The last symptom is any kind of anti-social behavior. So just like us: if you have a headache the last thing you want to do is go to a party, well the same with them. If they’re not feeling well and there’s some sort of unresolved pain, they just want to be left alone. They’ll want to go into another room by themselves or go to the end of the yard. If you have other pets, they want to stay away from them. Or they’ll get a bit snippy and want to be alone.
I hope that this was helpful and gave you some clues as to how you can determine if your dog might be in pain. Pain that you don’t know is currently happening in your pet. I can help you on the path to resolving your dog’s pain, as this is something that is really close to my heart. I work closely with many pet parents. Their dogs have unresolved pain. I help release the blockages. This allows the dog to heal himself and get rid of their chronic aches and pains. I hope to help lower the percentage of suffering dogs. I want to reduce their chronic pain so more dogs can live fully.
Would you like a reminder, a list, of signs of pain in your dog? I created a list exactly for this reason, which you can download here.
Don’t hesitate to contact me:
Email : contact@enlightenedanimal.com
Website : https://www.enlightenedanimal.com
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