How can I tell if my pet is in pain?
Stiffness, restlessness, or hiding more? It could be pain
Pain is a great teacher and important for young animals learning to navigate the world; a dog that gets stung playing with a bee might think twice before trying to make friends this way again! 🐶 🐝
But sometimes pain comes from within – in the form of illness or disease – and it can’t simply be avoided. When this happens, pain stops being protective and starts affecting quality of life. It can impact mood, strain relationships, and limit physical abilities. Just like us, our pets deserve relief when pain becomes a burden rather than a warning.
They can’t tell you — but you can spot the signs
Acute pain – the sudden kind – is usually easier to detect. Your pet might:
- Cry out or whimper
- Limp or avoid putting weight on a leg
- Guard an area of their body
- Resist being touched in a painful spot
Think of a nail bed infection, a torn muscle, or a cut paw – these tend to produce clear signals.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, creeps in slowly, often from conditions like osteoarthritis. The signs can be behavioural rather than physical, such as:
- Taking longer to lie down or get up
- Reluctance to jump up or down
- Struggling to find a comfortable position, changes in sleep
- Avoiding interactions with owners or, conversely, becoming clingier
- Showing anxiety, irritability, or defensiveness – including noise phobia
- Resisting grooming or handling
- Persistent licking or biting an area
If you notice any of these changes it is important to seek veterinary advice.
In many cases, owners only realise something is wrong when they look back and notice gradual changes over months or even years.
Arthritis is a common source of pain. Questionnaires are available to help identify arthritis in dogs here and in cats here
You can read more about different types of pain and the treatments available here