Is it easy to recognise symptoms of pain in animals?
Doyle Conroy
2025-08-02 12:08:38
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Dogs are notoriously good at hiding signs of pain, which is great as a survival tactic in the wild but not so good for the owners of domesticated dogs wanting to ensure their dog’s quality of life and wellbeing. As a descendant of wild wolves, our domesticated dog breeds are practised at hiding signs of pain and discomfort, but there are still some important clues you can look for. Will these signs always be noticeable? Not necessarily. It’s important to consider that often only a few of these behaviours are seen when an animal is in pain, and whilst they may be noticeable in an acutely painful condition, in more progressive or chronically painful conditions, these behaviours may be much subtler. What’s important to look for is any pattern to changes in your dog’s behaviour. You can monitor your pet to see: Do certain behaviours become common after exercise? Are behaviours more pronounced in the morning or evening? Are you more likely to see these behaviours after a longer walk at the weekend rather than a shorter one during the week?
Hoyt Franecki
2025-08-02 11:44:57
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But most people don’t actually know the signs of discomfort in animals. And the other tricky thing is that dogs and cats tend to hide their pain. They are wired to do so because out in the wild, if they show weakness, they could be targeted as an easy kill by a predator. While it can be a little easier to identify a dog in pain than a cat, many pets try to put on a strong face for their humans. They may try to hide limps, and so on. So, with both cats and dogs, it is important to be attentive to very subtle changes. Changes in their behavior are the main indicators of pain in both cats and dogs. Changes in behavior also tell us about improvement or progression.
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