How to tell if your pet is in pain: a guide for owners

Pain is a warning signal and a natural response of the body, yet dogs and cats instinctively hide their weaknesses and rarely show suffering in ways that are obvious to us. It is a survival instinct: in the wild, a sick or injured animal becomes easy prey. That is why owners need to be especially watchful and notice the subtle changes in their pet’s behaviour.

Behavioural changes: the most reliable signs

The most reliable indicators of pain in animals are rarely dramatic. They show up as changes in daily routine and temperament:

• Apathy and withdrawal: the animal keeps to itself, spends more time hiding away (cats especially) and avoids contact with the household or with other pets.
• A change in activity: reluctance to climb stairs or jump onto furniture (very typical of joint pain), shorter and slower walks, or refusing to play.
• A change in posture: holding the body unnaturally — a hunched back, a low stance with the tail tucked under, or the so-called praying position (front end down, hindquarters raised), which often points to abdominal or pancreatic pain.
• Grooming: excessive licking, chewing or worrying at one particular spot (a sore joint, for instance) or, conversely, giving up on grooming altogether and letting the coat become unkempt.

Physical and vocal signs

Alongside changes in behaviour, there are physical and vocal signs that can point to suffering:

• Reaction to touch: aggression, growling, biting or a sudden flinch when you touch a particular part of the body. A dog or cat may resent being picked up.
• Vocalising: uncommon, but possible — yelping, whining, low-pitched meowing and, in cats, the distinctive loud pain meow or intense purring (cats also purr when stressed or hurting, as a way of settling themselves).
• Vital signs: faster, often shallow breathing and a raised heart rate. With severe pain, dilated pupils.
• Appetite and sleep: refusing food or water. Disturbed sleep — waking often, struggling to settle into a comfortable position, or the opposite: excessive sleepiness and lethargy.

What to do: when should you come to the clinic?

If you notice any sudden or persistent change in your pet’s behaviour or posture that suggests pain, do not wait: suffering slows recovery and can lead to secondary problems such as muscle wastage. Before the appointment it helps to photograph or film the unnatural posture (a limp, for example) and to be ready for a detailed conversation with the vet about when the signs began and what makes them worse. The single most important rule about treating pain at home: never give an animal human painkillers such as ibuprofen, paracetamol or aspirin. They are toxic to dogs and cats and can cause fatal damage to the internal organs. Only a veterinarian can put a safe and effective pain-relief plan in place.

Managing chronic pain and quality of life

Acute pain — after an injury, say — is easy to spot. Chronic pain, the kind that comes with arthritis, spinal disease or dental disease, is usually far subtler and builds up slowly. Owners often mistake its signs for the animal simply “getting old”, putting apathy, reluctance to move and irritability down to age. Regular veterinary assessments, particularly for senior pets, and keeping a diary of changes in your dog’s or cat’s behaviour are therefore essential. Treating chronic pain does more than end the suffering: it gives an animal back its appetite for life, improves how much it eats and how well it moves, and markedly raises its comfort and the quality of its final years.