How do you comfort a dog in pain
How To Tell If a Dog Is in Pain and What You Can Do To Help
No pet parent wants their dog to be in pain. But because they instinctively try to hide their pain and they cant tell us when they are hurting, its up to us to recognize the subtle signs and to get them the help they need.
Many behaviors and physical changes can indicate that a dog is in pain. Learn how to recognize the signs of pain in dogs, what causes it, what you can do to help, and how to discuss your concerns with your vet.
Signs a Dog Is in Pain
Dogs feel pain just like humans do, but they dont always show it in the same ways. A dogs pain can become evident through physical symptoms, behavioral changes, and/or mobility issues. These might be subtle, so stay vigilant and never be afraid to ask your vet about anything that might signal that your dog is in pain.
Physical Symptoms
When a dog is experiencing pain, you might notice subtle physical signs or changes in how they carry their body. Here are a few physical signs of pain in dogs:
Behavioral Changes
A dog in pain tends to behave differently than whats usual for them. Just like us, dogs tend to be crankier when they are experiencing pain. Here are a few behavioral signs that might indicate that your pet is experiencing pain:
Mobility Issues
If a dog has sustained an injury or is dealing with arthritis, you may notice changes in their mobility. Here are common signs of pain in dogs that affect how they get around:
Some of these signs of pain can be seen with serious medical or behavioral problems, so always discuss changes in behavior or normal activity with your veterinarian.
What Causes Pain in Dogs?
There are two types of pain: acute andchronic. Something that just happened, like an injury or illness, causes acute pain. Things that have been going on longer, likearthritisordental disease, cause chronic pain.
Anything that damages cells or creates inflammation can cause pain in dogs including:
How to Help a Dog Thats in Pain
If you think your dog is suffering, know that there are a lot of different things you can do to help them start to feel better. Here are some steps you can take to help your dog cope with pain and work towards relief.
Make an Appointment With Your Veterinarian
First, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to figure out what the problem is. If your dog is in severe pain or has other scary symptoms, get them to a veterinarian immediately.
Your veterinarian will need to perform a physical exam and run some diagnostic tests. To pinpoint the problem, your vet may need to do X-rays, blood tests, or an ultrasound.
Stop or Modify Physical Activities With Your Pet
If your pet is only showing signs of pain during an activity, avoid it until you can talk to your veterinarian.
Your veterinarian will be able to help you figure out how to best help your pet, whether it is stopping that activity altogether or establishing modifications that will minimize pain.
Simple pain-reducing modifications to common activities can include:
For some instances of acute pain, these changes might be temporary, but for some chronic pain conditions, they may be long-term, or at least until other treatments have a chance to take full effect.
Keep a Record of the Signs Youre Seeing
Weve all been through the scenario where we see certain signs at home, but by the time we get to the vet, everything looks fine.
Thats why it can be helpful to take pictures or a video of your pet when they are showing signs of pain or discomfort, which theyre more likely to do at home than when they are stressed out at the veterinary clinic. Write down when they occur and what your pet was doing at the time.
This helps your vet understand the scenarios in which your dog is experiencing pain as well as the types of symptoms and signs of pain they are displaying.
Having video and pictures of your dog can also help your veterinarian to make the proper modifications to your routine and recommend other treatment options to help minimize the pain.
Explore All of the Treatment Options
There are many veterinary treatments that can eliminate or reduce both acute and chronic pain. Talk with your veterinarian to understand what your dogs treatment options are.
The most common treatments for pain include:
Surgery
Physical rehabilitation
Laser therapy
Acupuncture
Chiropractic treatment
Ask Questions and Dont Be Afraid to Get a Second Opinion
Here are some questions you might ask your vet:
How will you manage my pets pain before, during, and after surgery?
How will a specific treatment help their pain?
Can a supplement help reduce pain?
What modifications can I make at home to help them?
You can also always contact another general practitioner vet; integrative vet; veterinary pain practitioner; or veterinary specialists like a behaviorist, surgeon, oncologist, or neurologist for a second opinion and additional treatment options.
Be Your Dogs Advocate
Your dog depends on you to be her voice to get her the help she needs.
So if you think your dog is showing any signs of pain, including any changes in routine, preferences, and behaviors, set up an appointment with your vet as soon as you can.
Even if the signs resolve, youll want to keep the appointment to be sure whatever was causing the pain does not become a long-term problem.
If your pet is injured, ill, or showing multiple or severe signs of pain, dont hesitate to take them to an emergency vet clinic to get their pain treated as soon as possible.
You are your dogs best health advocate.
Featured Image: iStock.com/xijian
How To Comfort A Dog In Pain: Tips And Tricks From Experienced Vets
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It can be a terrible feeling to suspect that your furry best friend is going through pain. While dogs cant express their feelings in words, they often look towards their trusted humans for support. Knowing how to comfort a dog in pain can be an asset to owners with aging, injured, or sickly dogs.
Identifying when a dog is in pain and providing them real comfort is possible. You can watch closely for symptoms like decreased appetite and mobility to determine when your dog might be suffering. If your dog seems to be struggling, you can use home remedies and veterinarian-recommended pain management options to improve their well-being.
Is My Dog in Pain?
It can sometimes feel challenging to tell if your dog is in pain or if youre just overthinking it. Most of the signs that would indicate a dog is in pain are incredibly subtle. Knowing the signs to look for can make determining whether your dog is in pain much easier. Here are some of the most significant signs you should look for.
- Physical symptoms. Symptoms like limping, slowness, and fatigue can indicate that your dog finds it painful to move around. You may also see signs like pacing, over-grooming or under-grooming, and inappropriate urination or defecation.
- Behavioral symptoms. Symptoms like aggression, barking, whimpering, and recoiling can indicate that your dog is struggling to cope with the pain. You may also observe that your dog has a reduced appetite or is unwilling to do things they usually enjoy.
- Reduced mobility. If your dog can no longer do things like jumping on the couch or running and playing, their pain has likely severely reduced their mobility. You may observe that your dog has trouble resting comfortably.
How to Comfort a Dog in Pain: Tips and Tricks
Provide Hot and Cold Therapy
One of the best ways that you can provide relief to your dog at home is by using hot and cold therapy. If you know the source of the pain, all you need to do is look at the issue to decide which treatment is best.
Heat relieves stiffness and painful joints, while ice helps ease pain from swollen and inflamed injuries. Make sure that you place a towel between the ice pack or heat pack and your dog or you can cause skin burns to their skin.
Use Turmeric for Anti-Inflammatory Relief
Adding turmeric to their food is one of the most surprising ways you can provide a bit of inflammation relief to your dog at home. Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin, which is known to have incredible anti-inflammatory benefits.
Vet Virtue Turmeric for Dogs- Turmeric has shown significant anti-inflammatory properties in dogs
- Contains turmeric, curcumin, collagen, and BioPerine
- Users rerport better movement and less joint pain
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When you offer turmeric in addition to other veterinarian-recommended treatments, you may find that your dog is quickly relieved from their pain.
Improve the Quality of Your Dogs Lifestyle
Youve probably dealt with the consequences of sleeping wrong or eating wrong at least once in your life. Unfortunately, dogs can suffer significant consequences to the quality of their life from many of the same lifestyle factors.
If you believe your dog might be in pain due to an improper diet or lack of exercise, one of the most important things you can do is make a gradual shift to help your dog improve their health.
Consider Visiting the Veterinarian
While there are plenty of ways to provide your dog pain relief at home, its impossible to offer the best therapies and address the underlying cause without the help of a veterinarian. If you visit the veterinarian, you can rest assured knowing that the cause of your dogs pain is diagnosed and that the best treatments have been made available.
Long-Term Pain Management Strategies
Pain Medication
One of the most effective methods used for pain in pets is using pain-relieving medications like NSAIDs and corticosteroids. While dogs dont tolerate pain medication used for humans, many pet-friendly alternatives can bring your dog significant relief.
Alternative Treatments
Alternative healthcare has been controversial in veterinary practice for a long time, but many veterinarians now incorporate certain alternative pain management treatments into their offerings. Some techniques, like acupuncture and aqua therapy, can provide genuine relief to pets.
Its also worth noting that plenty of supplements are offered as a part of pain management strategies that dont directly provide pain relief benefits. Instead, these medications are meant to address the underlying issue causing the pain. Here are some common examples.
- Joint supplements. If your dog is suffering from severe joint pain, your veterinarian may recommend that you offer your dog a joint supplement made of glucosamine and chondroitin. These supplements nourish the joints and prevent the cartilage from breaking down.
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Because omega-3 fatty acids contain EPA and DHA, they can confer many health benefits to your dog. Many joint supplements already contain Omega-3 fatty acids, but you should find one that does.
Lifestyle and Dietary Adjustments
Its not uncommon for health conditions that cause dogs pain to result from lifestyle or dietary factors. As a result, lifestyle and nutritional adjustments are commonly recommended as a method of pain management.
For example, if a dog is overweight and begins to suffer joint pain, adjusting the dogs diet and lifestyle to bring their weight to a healthy level is one of the most effective methods of reducing the pain. These changes are recommended on a case-by-case basis.
Additional Treatments
In some cases, other treatments may be necessary to provide your dog with the essential levels of pain relief. Some dogs may require surgical intervention to address the cause of their pain, while others might require extensive physical therapy to help them recover from it. While theres no shortage of injuries and conditions that can cause dogs pain, there are also hundreds of strategies that veterinarians use to ensure dogs can fully recover.
Improve Your Dogs Wellbeing with Veterinary Assistance
If your dog is suffering from pain, providing relief is essential. Luckily, visiting your veterinarian and finding effective pain management strategies is often an affordable and worthwhile thing to do. When you combine veterinary assistance with at-home remedies, you can make a real difference and provide your dog with genuine comfort.
Sara is an experienced veterinarian with a history of working in Veterinary Medicine, Client Education, Dogs, Pet Care, and Surgery. She is a strong healthcare services professional with a graduate degree from St. George's University. You can connect with her onLinkedIn.
