Mary Allen
So you can recognize the first signs of pain in the dog. Unfortunately, dogs don’t tell us when something hurts them, but they show us through their behavior.
Signs of Pain
The following behavior can be the first sign of pain:
- Heavier panting with less exertion
- relieving postures,
- Doesn’t want to climb stairs, jump, etc.
- Unusual movements
- Frequent morning stiffness of the whole body
- Short scream
- restlessness
- loss of appetite
- Strong licking
- Biting a specific part of the body
- Violent scratching
However, if you observe your dog repeatedly and inexplicably exhibiting one or more of the symptoms listed above, e.g. B. “screams out of nowhere” could indicate internal pain, such as a stomach ulcer. Ask your vet. Because acute pain should be treated early so that it does not become chronic pain.
The pain memory is resentful
Not only do people know the problem, but dogs also suffer from it: the body’s pain memory allows animal patients whose original cause of the disease has been successfully eliminated to continue to feel pain. Over time, the body has simply gotten used to the fact that a certain area hurts. The area around this spot is also becoming more sensitive overall. And so your dog can still feel a very real pain even if there is no longer a real cause for it. As a result, he continues to look for avoidance strategies in order not to burden this area. And as a result, there can be a new, real cause of even more pain elsewhere in the body – a vicious circle!
So be alert when you see a change in behavior. Watch out for swollen joints, gradual tiredness, or an overall reduced level of exercise in your dog.