Dogs that are in pain often sleep more – they may be trying to heal, or it might even be difficult for them to move around and be active. A loss of appetite and noticeable differences in the amount of water they're drinking are often common symptoms.
If your dog is in pain it can make it difficult for them to sit or lie down. They may lie in an unusual position or seem to have trouble staying in the one position. For example, they may sit or lie down but then get up and move around almost immediately.
Being over-affectionate is one characteristic that is commonly seen in dogs when they're sensing injuries. They may show their affection by cuddling and placing their head into your lap.
What are the typical signs of pain in dogs? General behaviour: Shaking, flattened ears, low posture, aggression, grumpy temperament, panting or crying, excessive licking or scratching a specific area, reluctant to play, interact or exercise, lameness (limping), stiffness after rest, loss of appetite.
Wincing, Whining or Crying
All three of these actions indicate an injury or some kind of pain your dog is experiencing. If you start to pet your dog and they shy away from your hand or whine, you know there is something wrong. Your pet might need x-rays and a full examination to determine the cause.
Dogs will hide their pain for as long as possible until symptoms appear and their humans notice. Being skilled at concealing signs of disease, injury, and pain in wild species can keep animals from being perceived as weak by predators - and thus an easy target.
It is a dog's instinct to hide or mask its pain, making pain difficult to diagnose. No one is in a better position to identify the subtle changes in behavior that may signal pain than human family members.
Believe it or not, dogs feel pain to a similar extent that humans do. In fact, dogs can handle similar intensities of all types of pain to humans.
Stiffness and limping are two of the more obvious signs of pain in dogs and are likely a result of injury, sore paws, or even arthritis. Your dog might be reluctant to climb stairs or is noticeably slow when getting up. This can also manifest itself as reduced interest in exercise, or not being as active as usual.
Scientists have developed “grimace scales,” initially used for children, for mice, rabbits, rats, and horses. Each animal displays certain physical changes that are reliable indicators of pain; hurt rabbits, for instance, will stiffen their whiskers, narrow their eyes, and pin back their ears.
Formation of new distraction behaviours
A dog might also attempt to alleviate or cope with physical or emotional pain by performing specific distracting behaviours, for example, licking/nibbling an area of their body or tail-chasing, even if these areas are not the source of pain.
Dogs experiencing pain may have a faster and more shallow breathing pattern than normal. They may also pant. You may even notice a change in the movement of the abdominal muscles and/or those of the chest. Both sets of muscles are involved in the breathing process.
Simply put, animals, like humans, like to be alone when they aren't feeling well. Moreover, this action is a natural instinct. Animals, including domesticated dogs and cats, are hardwired to hide when they are feeling sick and/or weak because they understand that weak animals are easier targets for predators.
Your dog's SOS signals
Generally, there are three primary ways that you can tell when a dog needs your help: physiological changes, behavioral changes, and signs of pain or discomfort.
There are several reasons that could be causing your dog to appear tired and listless. The most common causes of lethargy in dogs are: Infection, including parvovirus, distemper, kennel cough and leptospirosis. Metabolic diseases, such as heart problems, liver problems, diabetes, and hypoglycaemia.
Paracetamol, while safe for humans, can be extremely toxic for your dog (particularly if the wrong dosage is given), and can result in serious liver damage or problems with their red blood cells.
Silent pain is often invisible to dog guardians
Playing with their friends, chasing the ball, running on the beach, even regular walking cause silent pain and tension to build up in the soft tissues of the body over time. Silent pain - soft tissue pain - is found especially in the fascia (connective tissues).
Dogs feel pain for many of the same reasons as humans: infections, dental problems, arthritis, bone disease and cancer. They also feel discomfort following surgical procedures. Unfortunately, unlike humans, they are unable to speak to us about when and where they hurt.
Behavior Changes
Some dogs will become restless, wandering the house and seeming unable to settle or get comfortable. Others will be abnormally still and may even be unresponsive. Your dog's sleeping patterns may change. He may become cranky and difficult to handle, either due to pain or disorientation.