Pain in pets, recognising it.
Pain in pets or discomfort can sometimes go unnoticed because they are cannot communicate verbally and can’t tell us how they are feeling. Often owners think that their pet needs to be yelping to show they are in pain. Signs of pain can be quite subtle and can go unnoticed for months or even years due to pets being what we describe as ‘stoic’, meaning because of their natural survival instincts, they will hide their pain in order to not show any sign of physical weakness. This can be common in cats.
Types of pain
Pain is classified into different categories depending on:
- How long is the pain present?
- Acute: Pain that lasts for only a short amount of time and then goes away such as an acute injury when you may accidentally step on your pet’s foot.
- Chronic: Pain is ongoing such as with severe dental disease.
- Intermittent: Pain occurs in irregular intervals as occurs in arthritis.
- How severe is the pain?
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
- Excruciating
Signs of chronic pain can be very subtle and may not always be seen or noticed by the owner or caregiver. Signs of chronic pain in your pet could be:
- Reduced activity.
- Withdrawn behaviour, being less social or playful with family members or other pets.
- Change in posture such as walking with an arched back or stiffness when walking. Your pet may also be lame and not putting much weight on a particular leg.
- Changes in either urination or defecation habits such as urinating outside the litter tray if they are having trouble climbing into the litter tray or if it is painful to walk outside to the toilet.
Common presentations of pain
Below are some common presentations of pain in dogs and cats:
| Dog | Cat |
|---|---|
| Acting scared or submissive behaviour | Withdrawn |
| Loss of appetite | Decreased grooming or stopping grooming |
| Mobility issues, stiffness, lamness, difficulty standing, walking, taking stairs, jumping, or getting up, sleeping more | Lack of movement; remains confined to a small area in the same position or sleeping more than before |
| Trembling or flinching | Trembling or flinching |
| Tense expression, furrowed brows, grimacing, rigid, hunched | Hunched, head lowered, sitting or lying abnormally, squinting facial expression |
| Flattened ears or dilated pupils | Loss of appetite or droolling if dental pain is present |
| Aggressive behaviour; biting, snapping, growling when approached or touched in a particular area | Aggressive behaviour; hissing, swatting, scratching, biting |
| Crying, whining, whimpering | Meowing mournfully, purring, crying, growling, groaning |
Continuous management is required for chronically painful conditions, and for acute conditions until the pain is resolved. This may involve pain medication or other physical therapy or exercise modification depending on your pet’s condition.
Quality of Life
Chronic pain in pets can severely affect their quality of life. Sometimes under-recognised and undermanaged chronic pain can result in a poor quality of life or even premature death. If you are concerned that your pet may have signs of pain or reduced quality of life you can make an appointment to speak to one of your vets today.