Feel No Pain
Recently, we found ourselves thinking and talking about pain and dogs. More specifically, what is it that makes us think our dogs are OK when they are not. We humans tend to block negative thoughts and of course we do not want to think that our friends may be in pain.
We've all heard stories of sporting dogs that get injuries and recover only to go back to sporting events and get injured again. This becomes a never-ending cycle. Or the elderly dogs with arthritis that are living a quiet but painful life. Or the puppies that need time to grow and fully develop, just like any being that is growing. If we do things too quickly, or for too long, we risk pain.It is not easy to talk about these facts. And it is also difficult to know when our dogs are in pain. Unless it is very obvious, like a clear limp, we may not understand the subtle signs that a dog may give us.
Going through water can become difficult if your dog is in pain
And even in these cases where we have a dog limping, we shouldn't concentrate only on repairing the damage quickly and having our dog back to normal again. This is often a sign to investigate further, to discover the underlying problem and learn what we can change to make our dog's life more comfortable.
So, is it that us humans don’t care? Absolutely not. But we are still not particularly good at reading our dogs. Getting better at it is not difficult. Start observing your dog's calming signals. One at a time. Dedicate some time to studying each of them individually.
Small challenges could be difficult for a dog in pain
One week, for example, you could only observe yawns. When does your dog yawn? Is it always in the same situations? How many times? Are other dogs the cause of it? Is it when she jumps or comes down the stairs?
The week after this you could study for example shaking off and go through the same process again. Is your dog shaking just before taking on a challenging task? Maybe jumping over a stream? Or after toileting?
The next week could be licking the lips. Does it happen during play time? Maybe young playful dogs are engaging in rough play and your dog does not want to get involved?
Of course, the use of calming signals does not always indicate pain, but they can help you start to put the bigger picture together.
All these calming signals are not a coincidence. They are a unique body language and dogs use them all the time to express different things. Often they will show calming signals when faced with difficult situations. Knowing that they are going to suffer pain, or not going to be able to do what is asked of them, is as difficult as it comes.
However calming signals are not the only sign of pain. Your dog's mood may change, Maybe she is more grumpy and she might growl in certain situations she was fine with before. You might notice that she now avoids jumping on the sofa or has trouble getting in and out of the car. Her posture and gait could be different than before.
Changes in posture and calming signals could indicate pain
Below we describe some situations that have happened to the Smiling Leash Team recently, they may help you identify pain or discomfort:
A dog starts being "picky" with her chews - she no longer chews some of the natural dry chews she used to enjoy. She is eating her meals as usual and her carer hasn't noticed any other changes. Some people might think that the dog is simply a little spoilt. But someone suggested a dental check. She actually had a very serious and painful dental problem. The vets ended up removing 12 teeth!
Someone noticed that their dog was drinking more than normal. They visited the vet, just to be sure. Interestingly, they found a problem with the dog's back.
A dog refuses to get in the car to go home. Her carer thinks the dog is having such a good time she doesn't want to leave. The vet discovers the dog has elbow osteoarthritis.
There are many great resources out there for these topics from great professionals that dedicate their careers to make the dogs and their family’s life better. Here are two great sources:
Understand Animals and Canine Arthritis Management, two amazing organizations, are running an event on the topic of "Abnormal behaviour and pain" soon. If you want to know more follow the link:
Massage can in some cases help with pain
Our dogs, are not super dogs with super powers. Yes, they have amazing physical capabilities. But their muscles and bones are made of exactly the same stuff as ours. They suffer from cramps and muscle stiffness, sprains, their neck hurts, they grow old, and their systems deteriorate, just like ours. When these things happen, please remember that the motivation for your dog to be with you is extraordinarily strong , and they will go through a lot of pain or discomfort just to be in your company. We are the responsible ones. We make the decisions. Make the right decision for your dog.
In case of injuries or suspicion of pain we advise you consult with your health practitioners first. They have the training to guide you and should be your first port of call.
