Don’t Miss the Signs: How to Recognize Pain in Pets
Pets can't tell us when they're in pain. In fact, many suffer in silence and instinctively hide their discomfort. It's why it's so important to be able to spot when your pet is in pain. Early detection of pet pain helps prevent worsening conditions and keeps your pets healthy and happy.
In this blog, we'll take a look at the types of pain in pets, how to spot when your pet is in pain, and what pain management options are available. Knowing how to spot it early can make all the difference in giving pets the care they need. In tandem with a good working relationship with your veterinarian, you can ensure that your pets are as pain-free as possible.
Understanding Pain in Pets
Animals are stoic creatures. Most dogs are, but cats even more so. As prey creatures, it's not good for cats in the wild to show weakness. It can make them vulnerable to predators. Even though your cat is domesticated and not "wild," it still carries this innate instinct to hide its weakness.
This means that pain in cats often goes unnoticed and untreated, especially conditions like arthritis, which affects up to 90% of cats over the age of twelve.
Because pets mask their pain, it's helpful to understand the different types of pain they may experience.
Types of Pet Pain
There are two main types of pain in pets: acute and chronic.
Acute Pain: "This just happened now, and it hurts."
Acute pain is from injury, illness, or surgery and serves a protective function. It's your pet's body signaling that something is wrong. Examples include a cut paw, burnt whisker, or post-surgical discomfort. Acute pain is often sharp, stabbing, or aching. It is temporary and usually resolves when the underlying cause is treated. However, if left untreated, it can lead to more chronic pain.
Chronic Pain: "This has been going on for a long time, and I can't hide it anymore."
Chronic pain is from ongoing conditions such as arthritis, cancer, degenerative diseases, or nerve damage. Chronic pain tends to be dull, persistent, and harder to detect. Pets instinctively hide discomfort, and the signs are subtle until the pain becomes more intense.
Pain in pets isn’t always easy to spot. Sometimes it's paying attention to the little things.
Signs Your Pet May Be in Pain
When you bump your elbow and hurt yourself, you can say ouch and protect it. Animals are different. Their brains actually dampen pain signals, essentially turning the volume down on their pain, filtering out or suppressing it as a survival instinct. This is why you may be able to touch your pet without them showing any signs of pain.
So how will you know if your pet is in pain?
Dogs
For dogs, some of the things you may notice include:
A small hesitation to jump or climb can be their way of saying something's not right or hurts.
Cats
Cats are even trickier. Here's what you may notice:
As a pet owner, be familiar with your pet's behavior. Watch for subtle signs and changes in daily behavior. It doesn't hurt to keep a written log of things you notice if you think something is off.
When you bring your pet in for their regular wellness visits, be sure to mention any concerns, even if you think they may seem insignificant. Don't wait until your pet is showing obvious signs of pain to call your vet.
Watch our news segment on how to recognize the subtle signs of pain in your pet - Identifying signs of pain with help from Buddy's Vets.
Helping Pets in Pain
Once you know your pet is in pain, what next?
The first step is a veterinarian exam. Your veterinarian needs to examine your pet to determine the source of the pain. They may also recommend imaging or diagnostic tests, which can include X-rays, ultrasounds, or blood work to obtain a clearer picture.
At Buddy's Vets, we often ask pet owners to complete a pain questionnaire before the exam to help us understand what they are experiencing at home.
Once your veterinarian knows what's going on, they'll discuss the next steps with you. Together, you'll consider factors such as your pet's condition, the likelihood of success with different treatments, and what options fit within your budget.
Pain Management Strategies
The good news is that there are numerous options to help pets live more comfortably, ranging from medications and supplements to therapies and lifestyle modifications.
Medications and Supplements
Medications
There are many different pain medications available. Most often, your vet will start with a pet-safe NSAID, similar to human ibuprofen.
Other options include Gabapentin, which helps relieve nerve and muscle pain, especially for pets with arthritis.
Giving medications to your pet can be tricky, especially if your pet resists. Fortunately, your veterinarian can provide alternatives such as chewable or liquid forms, transdermal applications, or even compounded medications to find the correct formulation for your pet.
Giving your dog a medication or supplement in pill form can help manage their pain.
Joint Supplements
Providing your pet with a joint supplement is a great proactive measure for maintaining their joint health. Joint supplements, however, are not meant to provide pain relief. Instead, think of them as nutrition for your pet’s joints. They can help improve joint health by adding key nutrients to your pet’s diet.
One of the mainstays for joint supplements is Dasuquin with MSM. For dogs and cats with occasional limping or stiffness, this supplement helps improve joint mobility and comfort.
If you’re looking into joint supplements for your pet, please consult with your veterinarian. It’s essential to use dog or cat-approved products over human ones, as sourcing and dosing are crucial when it comes to pet supplements.
Laser and Spinal Therapy
Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy (photobiomodulation) is a noninvasive procedure that treats the surface of the skin. When light energy reaches the target tissue, it stimulates cell regeneration, reduces pain and inflammation, improves circulation, and promotes faster healing.
Cold laser therapy is beneficial for conditions that cause inflammation. It can be invaluable for pets after surgery to reduce pain and swelling, including orthopedic procedures, spays, neuters, and dental treatments. It can also aid in healing wounds and soothing hot spots from allergies. For chronic pain, laser therapy provides added relief since medications alone are often not enough.
Cold laser therapy is performed at your veterinarian's office with a technician. The number of cold laser treatments depends on the reason for treatment. They may only require one or two treatments, or possibly more for a chronic condition.
Getting ready for cold laser therapy.
Applying cold laser therapy.
Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy (VSMT)
Veterinary Spinal Manipulation (VSMT) is a specialized form of manual therapy tailored for animals, particularly pets. It involves gentle and precise adjustments to your pet's spine and joints to restore normal motion. Improving mobility and alignment can help reduce stiffness, relieve pain, and support the nervous system.
VSMT helps pets with arthritis, chronic pain, mobility problems, or after injuries.
At Buddy's Vets, we provide VSMT for your pet, performed by Dr. Jalessa Harper, who is certified through the Healing Oasis.
Clinic-Based Treatments
Joint Injections
There are two common types of joint injections: steroid and Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP). Both inject substances directly into or near the joint that's causing pain. These injections work to reduce pain, calm inflammation, and slow down the progression of degeneration.
Steroid injections provide fast-acting relief by reducing inflammation inside the joint. They're helpful for acute pain or short-term management, such as after an injury or when arthritis pain suddenly worsens.
Platelet-rich Plasma is also injected into the joints. Currently, PRP is used for dogs, but not cats. A small sample of the dog's blood is taken and spun at high speeds to concentrate the platelets. These platelets are then injected into the dog's joints to treat pain and inflammation.
PRP for Canines
PRP Injection
Monoclonal Antibody Therapies
Monoclonal antibody therapies, although technically still considered an injection, are administered subcutaneously, under the skin, rather than directly into the joint. Their primary use is for managing chronic pain in pets, particularly in cases of arthritis. Arthritis is a painful and chronic condition that affects the joints, severely impacting your pet's well-being.
There are two types of monoclonal antibody therapies:
Dogs: Librela
Cats: Solensia
Both work to block nerve growth factors. The nerve growth factor goes to the nerve when it's angry and constantly fires off signals, which is how pets perceive pain, especially chronic pain. These therapies are for chronic arthritis pain in an effort to stop the chronic overstimulating signals so that the body is not constantly getting pain signals.
Both are monthly injections administered at your veterinary clinic. They can help reduce or remove daily oral pain meds from your pet's treatment.
Home-Based Approaches
Using mobility aids, structured exercise, and rehabilitation can help pets maintain movement, improve comfort, and minimize pain. You’ll want to have a rehabilitation consultation with your veterinarian to create a tailored plan specific to your pet’s needs, ensuring the right combination of exercises, therapies, and supports for optimal mobility and quality of life.
Rehab exercises with mobility aids.
Surgery
In pets, pain can sometimes be from something more severe than acute or chronic pain. When structural problems require correction, surgery may be the most effective option. Sometimes, things tear, joints get broken, or development is incorrect, and a surgical fix is needed. After your veterinarian performs an examination and possibly x-rays, they may recommend surgery.
Sometimes surgery is the best or only way to relieve pain, such as repairing torn ligaments, replacing a joint, or removing a tumor. If you'd like to learn more about what orthopedic surgery involves for your pet, visit our blog on orthopedic surgery.
While surgery doesn't directly manage pain, it addresses the root cause, allowing your pet to be more comfortable in the long term.
The Impact of Pain on Your Pet
Pain should never be something your pet puts up with. Pain in pets can reduce the enjoyment of their favorite activities, increase stress, and even lead to depression, significantly affecting their overall well-being. Managing the pain is a vital part of helping them live longer, happier lives.
Remember, you know your pet best. If you suspect your pet is experiencing any signs of pain, don't wait; contact your veterinarian immediately. If your pet is in pain, finding the right course of action can make all the difference in their quality of life.
At Buddy's Vets, we are here to make that journey easier for both you and your pet. We are dedicated to guiding pet owners through the pain management process with care and expertise. Whether your pet is dealing with mild discomfort or more severe pain, our team will work with you to find the right solution. We want your pets to experience as little pain as possible.