If you have a dog you’ve probably asked the question “Do Dogs Feel Pain in the Same Way We Do?” more than once. If you’ve had the experience of enjoying a dog throughout his lifetime you know that they usually hide their pain. That doesn’t mean they don’t have it, it just means that their instincts tell them to hide it for protection. As humans become more civilized, we realized that animals are a lot more in tune to the environment than we gave them credit for.
Dogs don’t feel pain like humans do
There is an excellent article about this very thing in Psychology Today:
” The myth that dogs don’t feel pain like humans do, or at least, that they don’t feel as much of it as we do, is partly the result of a legacy from their evolutionary origins as hunting predators. Canines have inherited an instinct to hide any pain that is caused by injuries or infirmity. In the wild, an animal that is injured or infirm is vulnerable to attack, and there is a survival advantage to act like nothing is wrong even when something most definitely is. Thus our pet dogs still appear to act in a stoic manner. They suppress many of the more obvious signals of pain and injury to protect themselves and their social standing in their pack. They hide their pain to appear to be more in control of the situation, but unfortunately, because of this, it is often difficult for humans to recognize when our dogs are hurting. “
You can read the full article in Psychology Today.
Your pup is smarter than you think.
The more dogs I get to know, the more I realise they’re a whole lot smarter than we give them credit for. They think differently than we do and frankly we don’t have enough understanding to open real communication.
Pain is something that is experienced with the instinct of the wild predator. They behave in ways that make it hard to see their pain. The bottom line is that they are still hurting and that we need to do everything we can to minimize it and help them.
It has been discovered that decreasing pain improves the healing process.
Again, from Psychology Today we see what pain research at the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School has found.
“Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School studied the effects of controlling or managing pain from injuries, illness and surgical procedures in dogs. They concluded that the “benefits include improved respiratory functions, decreasing stress responses surrounding surgery, decreased length of hospitalization, faster recovery to normal mobility, improved rates of healing and even a decreased likelihood of infection after surgery. Almost all studies show people and animals return to normal eating and drinking habits sooner when given relief from pain.
The researchers sum up their results by suggesting that the prevention, early recognition and aggressive management of pain and anxiety should be essential to the veterinary care of dogs. They warn us that it is important to be sensitive to the subtle signs of pain in our pets, because the treatment of pain itself can be healing by reducing the stress that can prolong recovery.
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Generally speaking, dogs that are hurting:
- usually appear less alert and quieter than normal
- may hide to avoid being with other animals or people
- may have stiff body movements and show an unwillingness to move
- might lie still or assume an abnormal posture to reduce its discomfort
- can appear restless and more alert and may start pacing around
- show signs of stress, which include panting, shallow breathing, shivering, and the pupils of their eyes may be larger than usual
- may stop eating normally”.
Talk to your veterinarian.
If you suspect your dog is in pain for some reason you should see your veterinarian. Before you apply any remedy you need the input of a pro. He will have tests available along with the experience of a career that will certainly point you in the right direction. Also, you may well need your vet to prescribe medications to deal with pain. He will probably need to see your pup to get the correct diagnosis.
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