Pain in dogs: the signs you cannot see

Dogs hide pain: showing it in the wild makes them vulnerable, so they tend to fall silent. Recognition is not in the cry but in the small changes of posture, appetite and character.

The signs you can read in the body

• Arched back and tucked abdomen, with the four paws together: often abdominal pain or back pain.
• Lowered head and fixed stare, or standing with the front paws up and not wanting to sit.
• Panting without heat or exercise, and licking its lips repeatedly.
• Shaking or trembling, especially in the back legs, in an animal that does not usually shake.
• Sudden reluctance to climb stairs, get into the car or jump on the sofa: the earliest sign of joint pain.

What changes in its character

A dog in pain does not always whine: it stops doing what it used to. It may not come to greet you, hide in another room, growl when you touch its ear or its back, eat more slowly or leave the bowl half full. In older dogs, limping is often called «old age» for months when it is really osteoarthritis that can be treated.

What you can measure at home

Write down for two or three days: how much it eats, how long the walks last, whether it gets up quickly, how it sleeps and whether it lets you touch it. With that record, the vet has something objective to work with, and you will notice changes that in isolation you would have missed.

What not to do

Never give human painkillers: ibuprofen and paracetamol are toxic to dogs. Do not force activity «so it does not stiffen up», and do not stop its walks either: in chronic pain the goal is to keep moving, in short and frequent doses.