Dogs

Is your pet dog in pain?

What are signs of pain in dogs?

What causes pain in dogs?

What are some treatments for pain in dogs?

NSAID information for the dog owner

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What are signs of pain in the dog?

A dog’s behavior and interactions can be unique to the type of pain it is experiencing. A dog’s reaction to pain is dependent upon its personality and the degree of pain it is experiencing. The characteristics listed below do not include everything that you may see, but the list gives you a general idea of what to look for if you think a dog is in pain. Some of these characteristics (marked with an asterisk *) are also things you will see when a dog is anxious or nervous or in poor health. Remember that there is no substitute for being familiar with an individual dog in order to recognize how it shows pain.

Posture

  • Hunched back
  • Guarding (protecting) the painful area
  • “Praying” position (front legs and head on floor, hindquarters in the air)
  • Sitting or laying abnormally
  • Attempting to rest in an abnormal position
  • Head hanging down *

Movement

  • Stiff
  • Bearing no or partial weight on affected limb
  • Any degree of limp
  • Thrashing Restless *
  • Trembling or shaking *
  • Weak tail wag or low carriage of tail *
  • Limited or no movement when awake *
  • Slow to rise *

Vocalization

  • Screaming
  • Whining
  • Crying
  • Barking or growling *
  • Lack of vocalization (no greeting bark or noise) *

Behavior

  • Agitated *
  • Poor or no grooming *
  • Decreased or absent appetite *
  • Dull *
  • Inappropriate urination or defecation, or not moving away from it *
  • Acts out of character (gentle dogs may bite or become aggressive) *
  • Licking wound or surgical site *

Adapted from: Mathews KA. Pain Assessment and General Approach to Management. In: Vet. Clin. Of N. Amer. Sm. Anim. Pract. Ed: Mathews KA. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, July 2000. Dobromylskyj P et al. Pain assessment. In: Pain Management in Animals. Eds: Flecknell P and Waterman-Pearson A, WB Saunders, London, 2000.

What causes pain in the dog?

Just like in people, different kinds of stimuli or injury can cause different levels of pain in the dog. Below are some examples of things that may cause pain. These items are listed according to what level of pain characterizes them. This list does not include all things that cause pain, but it will give you an idea of what to look for when you are working with dogs. Remember that not every dog reacts the same way, and these categories are not concrete separations of how pain is felt. We can only try to anticipate, based on clinical experience, what the dog is feeling.

Irritating or mild pain

  • Dried blood or urine scald
  • Clipper burns or cuts
  • Intravenous (IV) catheterization
  • Full bladder, needing to urinate or defecate
  • Minor cuts or scrapes
  • Anal gland evacuation
  • Surgery or other procedures on the eyelid (eyelash removal, entropion)

Mild to moderate pain

  • Endoscopy with biopsy
  • Dental cleaning with or without tooth extraction
  • Arterial catheterization (A-line)
  • Muscle biopsies
  • Stabilized fractures of smaller leg bones (tibia/fibula, radius/ulna)
  • Surgeries of the lower abdomen (castration, spay, cystotomy)

Moderate to severe pain

  • Small areas of burns or ulcerations
  • Corneal ulcers
  • Eye removal
  • Surgery of the mid and lower spine, including disc surgery
  • Declawing procedures (dewclaw removal)
  • Stabilized fractures of larger leg bones (femur, humerus) or pelvis
  • Mastectomy (breast tissue removal)
  • Surgeries of the upper abdomen (diaphragmatic hernia, abdominal exploratory)

Severe pain

  • Large areas of burns or ulcerations
  • Infections within the abdomen (peritonitis, pancreatitis)
  • Surgeries of the neck, including disc surgery
  • Procedures in the nose (endoscopy)
  • Leg amputations
  • Surgery of the chest (opening the chest cavity)

Adapted from Carroll GL. Small Animal Pain Management. AAHA Press, 1998.

What are some treatments for pain in dogs?

Treatments can vary from simple physical therapy to complicated drug regimens. Working together with your research or health care team will be important in determining the most appropriate treatment plan for the dogs in your care. Remember that there are two major categories of pain that you will encounter: acute and chronic. Acute pain occurs with trauma and surgery while chronic pain is associated with things like arthritis and cancer. The types of therapy you can use will often depend on whether the dog is experiencing acute or chronic pain as well as the level or degree of pain. Listed below are some of the treatments available. Drug classes are followed by examples of specific drug names in parentheses.

Acute pain treatments (associated with surgery or trauma)

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS (Carprofen, Meloxicam, Etodolac, Firocoxib, Zubrin, Deracoxxib, Ketoprofen)
  • Steroids (dexamethasone, prednisone)
  • Local anesthetics (lidocaine)
  • Opiates and their derivatives (morphine, Torbugesic®, fentanyl patches)
  • Alpha-2 agonists (Rompun®, medetomidine)
  • Dissociatives (ketamine)
  • Acupuncture
  • Heated cage or warm blankets to prevent trembling and muscle tension
  • Plenty of comfortable bedding and quiet area for recovery

Bandaging or padding for protection of traumatized tissue

  • Splinting or support of fractured legs
  • Urinary catheterization for animals unable to move or urinate normally
  • General nursing care including cleaning, grooming, and petting

Chronic pain treatments (associated with arthritis, cancer, etc.)

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS
  • Steroids (prednisone)
  • Opiates and their derivatives (morphine, Torbugesic®)

Tricyclic antidepressants (amitryptiline, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, benzodiazepines)

  • Neurectomy or therapeutic surgery
  • Radiation therapy (cancer)
  • Acupuncture
  • Physical therapy (massage, range-of-motion exercises, etc.)

Nutriceuticals (food supplements that protect bone and cartilage like glucosamine, etc.)

  • Heat or cold packs
  • Limited low-impact exercise when appropriate
  • Comfortable bedding with plenty of support
  • General nursing care including cleaning, grooming, and petting
  • Weight management for obese animals with arthritis

Adapted from: Dobromylskyj P. et al. Management of postoperative and other acute pain. And Brearly JC and Brearley MJ. Chronic pain in animals. In: Pain Management in Animals. Eds: Flecknell P. and Waterman-Pearson A. WB Saunders, London, 2000.