Limping = Pain: Recognizing and Treating Discomfort in Animals

"Spot the Signs" is a brief YouTube video for cat
owners on how to identify feline pain symptoms.

Veterinarians hear variations on the following incongruous statement every day from clients so concerned about their pets' recent behavior they have brought them in for an examination: "He's been limping badly on that leg for two weeks," then as an afterthought, "but he's not in pain."

Not in pain? When you twist your ankle and hobble around awkwardly afterwards, isn't it because of pain? Animals are outwardly very stoic for a reason. Instinctively they know that whimpering and whining is an effective dinner bell for larger predators. It doesn't matter that your city pooch is in no real danger of being devoured by a pack of wild dogs. Instinct is a powerful motivator.

For many years even veterinary professional doubted whether animals experienced pain. The automatic use of pain relievers following routine elective procedures such as spays and neuters is a rather recent development. Veterinary schools spend a good deal of time nowadays instructing students on how to identify discomfort in different species of animals so they can prevent and treat it in future practice. It is widely accepted that pain relief leads to faster healing and happier patients.

Observing an animal from a distance often gives the best indication of how the animal is truly feeling. Rapid breathing (when inappropriate in the face of rest and cool temperature), restlessness or trembling are signs of discomfort in many species. Other signs your dog or cat is experiencing pain include:

• decreased to absent appetite
• reluctance to chew or play with toys (especially in the case of dental disease)
• unusually quiet behavior, hiding (especially cats), decreased sociability or increased sleeping
• repeated licking, chewing or looking at a certain area on the body
• decreased grooming and unkempt appearance in cats
• dilated pupils
• abnormal body position (e.g., hunched posture, tense abdomen)
• limping and changes in gait such "bunny hopping" while running
• difficulty climbing onto the bed/couch or into vehicles, inability of cat to jump onto counters, etc.
• vomiting
• urinating or defecating where they lie
• vocalizing or snapping when approached or handled

Purring in cats and tail wagging in dogs does not prove the absence of pain. In veterinary practice I have met cats horribly mangled in vehicular trauma purring like crazy. Purring can be a self-soothing technique similar  to Lamaze breathing used by women in childbirth to handle intense levels of pain.

Prey species such as rabbits, sheep, horses, cattle and birds are even more stoic than dogs and cats. The weakest member of a herd or flock is the most likely to be picked off by a predator, so these animals classically hide illness and discomfort until they absolutely can't stand it anymore. By the time caregivers  recognize a problem it may be too late, so the minute a problem is noted veterinary care should be sought.

Some owners fret that their pet will become "addicted" to pain medications or the medicine will falsely "cover up" pain prolonging the pet's life beyond quality. First, pets do not become addicted to pain medications because they do not have opposable thumbs! They cannot open vials and pop pills to get a high. Once the discomfort has been treated and the body has healed, dogs and cats are not dependent on the medicine and they do not seek it out inappropriately. (Unless it is a beef flavored anti-inflammatory. I've had more than one Labrador Retriever patient devour an entire bottle off the counter. But that was because it tasted good, not because the dog needed to feel good.)

As for "covering up" pain, I ask people to think of human arthritis sufferers. If Grandma can take an anti-inflammatory that allows her to get off the sofa and into her garden, shouldn't she use it as needed to lead a comfortable and enriched life? The same is true of our pets. Many of my canine patients are given anti-inflammatory medicine for years and enjoy very normal doggie lives. Yes, there often comes a day when osteoarthritis is so severe in these guys that we run out of effect pain relieving options (joint supplements, pharmaceuticals, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc.). This type of quality-of-life robbing pain cannot be "covered up" and pet owners can see the obvious difference.

Inability to recognize the subtle signs of pain in our pets does result in decreased quality of life. Animal lovers do not like to see other creatures in pain, so teaching them to recognize it allows them to better care for their animals. When a client worries they won't know when to give their pet its pain medicine my advice is "it is better to give a pain medication when it is not needed than to withhold it when it is needed." If in doubt, give the medicine.