​In November 2011, I fell and sprained my ankle real bad. I was frustrated and sore. I sat and watched TV at home and got friends and family to walk my dogs while I recovered.



Today, 9 months later, I still feel pain in my ankle and I wake up stiff every morning. When I’m in pain I am extra annoyed by everything and everyone, especially if family members keep calling me from different parts of the house and I have to run between them. For somebody that doesn’t know me that well, I might seem to be in perfect health. I go to the gym and take my dogs out for a jog every day.



But still, I am in pain. Sometimes I get frustrated and snap at my kids or the dogs, simply because I feel pain. But I do have the privilege of being able to reach into the medicine cabinet and get myself some painkillers, take them and tell my husband to take care of the house because I need to rest my foot.



Pain in the life of a dog​​​​​​



Pain plays a big role in our behavior. If we are in pain, inevitability our fuses get shorter. We can be in pain one day and fine the next day. We snap at one person but are sweet to the next one. These privileges, to be able to express our pain or relieve it with painkillers are something dogs don’t have. Buddy can’t tell us if he’s in pain or if he is tired, has sore muscles or pain in his hip. Some dogs even do so well at hiding their pain that we don’t realize until too late.



Most of the time dogs do show some kind of change in their body posture or behavior that indicates the dog is in pain. Carrying the head lower than usual, sleeping more than usual, taking longer to get up or lie down, or even a decrease in standing up/getting down, chewing or licking different body parts, and walking around with their back either up (in a hump) or down (in a “U”).



It is very important for owners to know their dogs so it is easier to notice any pain in the body posture or difference in their behavior and make appropriate arrangements.

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But what can we do so we don't cause our dog unnecessary pain?​

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There are many things we can do to strengthen our dog and prevent any unnecessary pain.

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We can:​

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• Stop the use of choke chains (or never start using them!) and therefore preventing both pain and discomfort. One might even say that choke chains are the dog’s worst enemy. Long term studies have shown that dogs that are forced to wear choke chains suffer:

                 ~    Injured ocular vessels                

                 ~    Tracheal and esophageal damage                

                 ~    Severely sprained  necks                

                 ~    Cases of fainting                
                 ~    Transient foreleg paralysis                
                 ~    Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis                
                 ~    Hind leg ataxia

 

• Use a body-harness instead of a collar when you are out for a walk. Body-harnesses should be well made and support the dog’s whole body. It is important for show dogs to have well made, comfortable show leads when in the ring.

• Stop pulling the lead (or the collar!) and teach the dog, using positive reinforcement to walk nicely on a loose lead. Use longer leads so the dog is able to sniff around and turn his head without pulling your arms off. Please do not use Flexi-leads mainly because they teach the dog to pull, wear down easily and can be harmful for both you and the dog.

• Be sure to cool down after walks. Slow down from your brisk pace and take it slowly the last 3-5 minutes of your walk. This is extremely important for those of you that take your dogs for a run with a bike! Cooling down does just as much for their muscles as it does for ours.

• Make sure you are using the correct size crate (if you are using one). The dog should be able to stretch and lay in any type of posture he wants to.

• Make regular visits to the vet, especially if you’re dog is more then 5-6 years old. The vet should be able to provide the dog with appropriate pain-treatment, especially if the dog shows any signs of arthritis.

• Make it possible for the dog to take many naps during the day in a quiet area.

• Learn to recognize, understand and react to your dog’s body language. By doing that you are more capable of handling changes in his body posture or behavior.

 

If your dog shows any behavioral changes, please take it to the vet for a thorough check before you contact a behaviorist or a dog trainer. In the UK, all professional dog trainers and behaviorists do not take new clients without vet-referrals. It is so very important that the dog’s health is okay before you try to work with the behavioral side. In my work as a veterinary assistant, I saw many cases of bad behavior being the result of pain somewhere in the dog’s body.



Therefore, if I suspect thatan ache or pain could possibly be a reason for dog’s behavior, I do not hesitate to send the dog to the vet and get a vet referral before I start to work with the dog and its owners just to make sure nothing physical is affecting the dog’s behavior.

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Other nations also have many contemporary treatments for dogs such as chiropractors, physical therapist, hydro-therapists, massage for dogs and many other “unusual” ways to treat pain. There are also nutritionists for dogs that even go so far as using hair analysis to find out which supplements and vitamins the dog is missing and could affect its behavior.

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Don‘t downplay your dogs pain and try to make sure that your dog feels good every day of his life.  If you notice any signs of pain, please do not hesitate to talk to your vet and make sure you are doing the best you can for your dog. WARNING! Do NOT, under any circumstances, give your dog a human-pain killer. Some painkillers are highly toxic for dogs and could easily make them sick or even kill them.

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A few examples of dogs behavior being effected by pain

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There are many examples of pain that lead to problems with other dogs. This happens because the dog makes a negative connection (the pain) with other dogs; especially if they are taken to obedience classes, fly ball, agility classes or a big day at the dog park. In those situations, stress rises and the dog is using its muscles in different ways than normal (or is even forced to move its body in painful ways). The dog can easily decide that any situation with other dogs means that pain is on its way!



By dealing with the real problem, pain, what causes it, and relieving it, it is much easier for both dog and owner to change the connection the dog has made about other dogs and pain. This is also what happens if a dog is wearing a choke chain (or gets kicked in the stomach for “inappropriate” behavior) and gets constantly pulled at /kicked when communicating with other dogs. The dog starts to connect the pain caused by the choke-chain/kicks with other dogs and therefore it develops behavior problems around other dogs.



Like many of you know, Schaeffer (German Shepherd) is a vocal breed. This particular Schaeffer had the tendency to be a bit too vocal which had increased lately and he was also reluctant to jump into the back of the car. After a visit to the vet, the owners found out he had a really bad knee and there was not much to do for the poor dog. He was euthanized the day he went for the check. It is unlikely that there would have been anything to do for the dog even if they had noticed things earlier. But this is a good example of dogs that don’t speak up until too late.



The grumpy Pomeranian had started to growl and snap at its owner. He also refused to be held. At the vets they discovered soreness when his tummy was touched so they decided to take an X-ray of his mid area. The X-ray revealed gastritis and colitis that caused the dog so much pain that his behavior changed. He was put on appropriate medication to treat the illness and was back to his normal self in one week.

 

Everything had been going great with the Border Collie mix that had separation problems. He was starting to be able to be home alone for 2 hours without any problems and had also stopped following the owner around the house. Suddenly he took many steps backwards and started to chew on doorframes and show the same stress symptoms as before. When the owner took the dog to the vet’s office they found a urinary infection that was treated with anti-biotics. When the urinary infection was out of the way, he did a great job at being home alone and his behavior program took a big jump in the right direction.



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