• What is Pain?
• Recognizing Pain
• Treating Pain
• Preventing Post-Surgical Pain
• Warning Signs

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Recognizing Pain
Your dog cannot tell you what type of pain he experiences, and in some cases, he might be trying to “hide” his pain. Pain is a subjective experience that varies from person to person and, we assume, from dog to dog. Some dogs seem to have a higher tolerance for pain than others.

Most pain research suggests that anything that causes us pain -- from a nagging chronic condition to a surgical procedure -- causes a dog pain. While pain is often obvious, sometimes it is not. The dog owner therefore plays a key role in identifying pain. Owners are the people most familiar with their pet’s normal behavior so they are the ones most likely to sense when something is wrong.

Because pain is subjective and dogs can’t talk about it, owners often find it quite a challenge to recognize pain in their dogs. A dog lying quietly in the corner is not necessarily pain-free, nor is a whining dog necessarily in pain. Differentiating between pain and anxiety is also difficult.

Not only are there individual variations in pain tolerance, there are also different types of pain. Ongoing pain caused by a joint disease such as arthritis is referred to as chronic. A specific injury often causes pain with a distinct beginning and end -- referred to as acute. Orthopedic surgery (such as limb amputation) and any surgery involving the chest generally causes the highest levels of pain and certain anatomical sites such as your dog’s face, ear canals, and paws have a higher concentration of pain-sensitive nerve endings and are therefore especially sensitive to pain.

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Treating Pain
The first step in managing pain is to identify the cause. If you suspect or can see that your dog is in pain, take him for a veterinary examination and ask the vet about his or her approach to pain management.

To treat pain, the veterinarian will probably prescribe a course of pain-relieving analgesics. For severe pain, the strongest are sleep-inducing (narcotic) substances such as morphine, codeine, and butorphanol, which activate pain-suppression systems in the central nervous system. For less intense pain, milder non-narcotic analgesics such as aspirin and acetaminophen may be prescribed. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen can relieve pain by reducing inflammation.

Never take it upon yourself to medicate your dog with any over the counter human drugs without first consulting your veterinarian.

While aspirin can be an effective pain reliever, repeated use can cause stomach bleeding in dogs - even in its buffered or coated forms. Ibuprofen can also produce potentially harmful gastrointestinal side-effects in dogs and can even cause kidney and liver damage.

A recent addition to the pain management line up is the fentanyl patch. Fentanyl is a narcotic drug which, in its injectable form, has a shorter pain-relieving effect than morphine. But, attached to the skin, the fentanyl patch can deliver a constant dosage of fentanyl over a 3- to 4-day period, making repeated injections unnecessary. Establishing the right initial dosage of fentanyl can be challenging however.

Veterinarians may also use tranquilizers as part of pain management. Tranquilizers don’t suppress the pain but they do relieve anxiety and anxiety heightens a dog’s experience of pain. The sedative properties of tranquilizers facilitate rest and recovery.

Alternative therapies can also help to manage pain. Acupuncture produces an analgesic effect by stimulating the dog’s own pain-relieving neurotransmitters. Gentle massage, administered by a trained owner or professional animal masseuse, is often helpful in stimulating circulation in damaged tissues. Trigger-point therapy relieves nerve inflammation by applying pressure to specific trigger points on muscles. A veterinary chiropractor can adjust the spine and joints to their intended alignment. Two nutritional supplements - glucosamine and chondroitin - have proven useful in relieving joint pain and inflammation without side effects.

Remember though, it is essential to find out what is causing your dog’s pain before deciding on a specific therapy.

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Preventing Postsurgical Pain
Veterinarians now know that all pain can be hazardous to an animal’s health. Whether the pain is acute or chronic, it can harm the animal’s well being and, in some cases, even block recovery. That’s because pain causes the body to mount a metabolic, neurologic, and hormonal stress response. And that can produce decreased appetite, inability to sleep, tissue breakdown, muscle fatigue, and general organ dysfunction. The animal becomes exhausted, distressed and less able to heal.

Unfortunately this new knowledge has not reached all veterinary practitioners. A recent survey found that only half of veterinarians routinely prescribe analgesics after surgery. Those found most likely to give painkillers were the more recent graduates of veterinary school or those who have themselves experienced severe pain. That’s why owners must look out for signs of pain in their pets and broach the subject with their veterinarian.

New pain research in people has shown that there is greater relief if drugs are given before the pain begins, so at top animal hospitals, most surgical patients are now getting some kind of analgesic before, as well as after, procedures. As his guardian, it’s up to you to demand the same treatment for your dog.

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Warning Signs

Close observation and a dash of intuition will help you pick up the signals when you dog is in pain. Signs a dog may be hurt include:

• Whimpering, crying, or yelping
• Excessive panting at rest
• Limping
• Pulling away when touched
• Guarding a body part
• Uncharacteristic aggression
• Restlessness
• Reluctance to change body position
• Loss of appetite
• Localized muscle tenseness
• Dilated pupils
• Fever
• Elevated heart of respiratory rate

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