Just like humans, dogs can experience pain. This might be from an injury or a health condition, but either way, pain can have a real impact on our pups, and affect their behavior.
However, pain may not stop your dog from doing the things they love, like playing with the best dog toys, so it can be difficult to know if your dog is in pain rather than displaying undesirable behavior for another reason, or simply being the happy pup you love so much.
This is why Ella Camps-Linney and Alistair Mackenzie, professional trainers and the owners of Kirby Dog Training, have shared the key signs that your dog is experiencing pain – keep these in mind or note them down to help your four-legged friend out the next time they’re not feeling their best.
The signs a dog is in pain can differ slightly from canine to canine, but Camps-Linney and Mackenzie begin by explaining that their own dog, Byron, who sadly died in May, had changes in the fur pattern around his hips. “His hair was usually straight,” they say, “But along his hips and down his leg, the hair was sitting in lots of different directions which wasn’t usual for him, and led us to think he might have some myofascial/tension issues.”
Another symptom they noticed was that he was nibbling his feet, and would turn his head around to nibble his rear end, while he also became more reactive to other dogs – he had been attacked by one in the past. “We’re sure he associated interacting with dogs with feeling pain in his body, and so started having more extreme reactions to prevent feeling that pain,” they explain.
Other signs of pain included his skin flickering and shuddering when touched gently, as well as restlessness and difficulty finding a comfortable position.
However, “Byron displayed all of these signs but still wanted to go for his walks, play, and do everything he loved because he was driven to do so,” say Camps-Linney and Mackenzie. After they conducted a six-week pain trial, they found that his behavior improved, and he was diagnosed with arthritis – joint pain in dogs can be quite common.
If you’re concerned about your own pup, and you notice any subtle signs that they could be in pain, it’s best to consult your vet as they may be able to offer a solution such as pain meds for dogs. Your pooch might still be doing everything they love doing – we all know how happy dogs often seem simply to be alive and spend time with their humans – even if something isn’t quite right.
