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Pain Relief
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How can I tell if my
dog is in
Pain?
Animals naturally hide
their pain. Pets may be
suffering even though they
don’t show obvious signs.
AAHA/AAFP Pain Management
Guidelines have decoded
signs of animal suffering
and ways to relieve it.
To protect themselves from
predators, animals
naturally hide their pain.
Your pet may be suffering
even though he isn’t
showing obvious signs.
Advancements in veterinary
science have decoded subtle
telltale signs of animal
distress. Observing your
pet’s behavior is vital to
managing his or her pain.
How well do you know your
pet? Use these five clues
from the American Animal
Hospital Association (AAHA)
to help you understand your
pet’s body language.
1—
chewing
habits
If
your pet is showing
abnormal chewing habits,
such as dropping its food
or chewing on one side of
the mouth, it may have a
dental disorder or a mouth
tumor. Additional signs may
include weight loss, bad
breath or excessive face
rubbing. Routine dental
checkups are important to
prevent and treat dental
disorders and related
pain.
2—
weight gain or
loss
Pain
directly influences your
pet’s weight and eating
habits. Animals carrying
excess weight have an
increased chance of tearing
ligaments and damaging
joints. Pets with arthritis
or muscle soreness may not
want to access their food
because bending over is
uncomfortable. Arthritis
pain may also cause pets to
gain weight while their
eating habits remain the
same due to lack of
exercise. Pain can also
cause animals to loose
their appetites which will
lead to weight loss.
3—Avoids
affection or
handling
Did Fluffy used to be
active and energetic, but
now sits quietly around the
house? Avoiding affection
or handling may be a sign
of a progressive disease
such as osteoarthritis or
intervertebral disc
disease. Although your pet
may appear to be normal
before petting or handling
it, the added pressure
applied to its body may
expose sensitive and
painful areas. Hiding is
also a sign of pain.
Because the animal is
hurting, she will hide to
avoid a vulnerable position
(this allows the pet to
prevent painful
interactions).
4—Decreased
movement and
exercise
Osteoarthritis or
joint disease is the most
common cause of pain. Pets
that limp may be reluctant
to go up or down stairs,
exercise, or play. Weight
and joint injuries can also
go hand-in-hand. Losing
unnecessary pounds will
help overweight pets
decrease pressure on sore
joints and reduce pain.
Consult your veterinarian
about exercises, diets and
medical therapies that can
help improve your pet’s
health.
5—
“Accidents”
Pet
owners often believe that
“accidents” are a result of
behavioral issues. Although
behavioral issues may cause
unwanted surprises, going
to the bathroom in
inappropriate places may be
caused by pain. Pets with
sore joints or arthritis
may not make it to a
convenient location due to
painful obstacles like
stairs.
Urinary tract
infections also may cause a
messy situation. In
addition to having
“accidents,” symptoms of a
urinary tract infection may
include, lethargy, fever,
tender lower abdomen and
difficulty urinating. Even
after the urinary tract
infection is dealt with it
may be necessary to get a
new litter box because the
cat makes painful
associations with the old
litter box.
The lack of verbal
expression does not mean
that your pet is not
experiencing pain. Minor
behavioral change can be
cause for alarm. Being
aware of your pet’s habits
can help you and your
veterinarian assess and
treat your pet’s pain. Pain
management has become an
integral part of your pet’s
overall healthcare.
Diagnosing and managing
pain is among the 900
standards an animal
hospital is evaluated on in
order to become accredited
through AAHA. For more
information about the
advancement of pain
management, check out the
AAHA/AAFP Pain Management
Guidelines for Dogs and
Cats.
My
Buddy
Buddy
is a pure
bred yellow
Labrador
Retriever.
I bought
Buddy as a
puppy from
a breeder
down in
Miami. He
was the
most
destructive
dog I have
ever owned
but my
favorite.
AT 6 months
of age he
tore the
back off of
our brand
new leather
couch that
we had only
owned for 2
weeks. My
wife was
able to
move the
backside of
the couch
against the
wall to
hide the
atrocity.
Buddy
chewed
nearly
every pair
of my
wife's
shoes but
never once
did he chew
my shoes. I
remember
coming home
from work
on evening
to be
greeted by
my sobbing
wife. She
was
standing
there with
a new pair
of shoes in
her hands,
tears
rolling
down her
face, and
telling me
that the
puppy has
to go. We
managed to
get through
the
terrible
twos
without my
wife
evicting
him.
Buddy would
go
everywhere
with me. He
would ride
in the back
of my
pickup
truck and
would stay
there even
when I went
into a
store. I
would come
out to
usually
find
someone had
made a
friend with
my dog. My
other older
lab at the
time was
Dixie, a
female
reddish
colored lab
mix that
died when
buddy was
about 4
years old.
Dixie rode
along with
me until
she became
too old to
jump up
into the
back of the
pickup.
Buddy to
this day at
the age of
12 still
goes out in
the boat
fishing
with me. He
still plays
fetch in
the yard
with the
kids. He
still
guards the
house from
strangers,
ready to
lick them
to death if
the come on
to our
property.
Lately I
have
noticed
that he
doesn't
jump up
from a nap
anymore. He
gets up
slowly and
walks stiff
legged for
a few
minutes. If
he over
exerts
himself he
gets very
sore and
limps for a
few days
after. The
pain is
obvious.
I
didn't want
to medicate
him with
drugs
because he
has been a
healthy dog
his whole
life never
needing
anything
other than
the regular
required
shots. I
fear the
side
effects of
the
medication
the
veterinarian
recommends.
I
discovered
an all
natural
product
which helps
with his
pain safely
without any
side
effects.
The best is
that
Pet
Bounce offers
a free
trial to
test out. I
paid for
the
shipping
and pet
bounce sent
me the free
samples to
try out on
Buddy. The
stuff makes
a
difference.
I wish I
had
something
like this
for when
Dixie went
through her
senior
years. I
now partner
with them
and
advertise
the product
here on
this
website
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be able to
take our dogs over to
their house and let
them swim in the pool
for exercise.
