I am often confounded by folks when they tell me their animal is not in pain, and yet the animal in question won’t put weight on a leg or takes 5 minutes to get up from a down position and walk like their joints are frozen in place. If this was you or your mother or your grandfather, it would be called what it is, Pain. I want to help others recognize what the signs of pain are in our animals.
First thing we need to consider is animals have not lost their natural survival instincts. These instincts are what keep animals alive in a dangerouw world where predators are hoping to make them their next meal. If an animal cries out in distress, shows weakness in any way, they will be picked off by the larger, stronger animal. So they have learned to hide signs of discomfort, but that does not mean they don’t show it at all.
As I have learned, these are the typical signs an animal will show when they are painful.
Restless: pacing, panting, unwilling to lay down
Stiff after laying down or having difficulty laying or sitting down. Reluctance to jump when they used to, or jumping but missing their target. Avoiding being touched, flinching from your touch when they never have before.
Hiding can be a sign of pain or simply not feeling well. You often see this in cats, but in dogs as well. If your pet is no where to be found and they are typically a social butterfly, then find them and get them seen. It can be a life threatening situation.
It is important we recognize the signs of discomfort in a pet. They depend on us to help them and we can only do that if we know they are hurting. So I encourage you to not discount what you see. If they are struggling to get up, or walking stiff, it indicates a problem and one we can usually help.
