Chronic pain in pets is a complex and often overlooked issue that can significantly impact a pet's quality of life. While our furry companions cannot verbally communicate their discomfort, it's crucial for pet owners to be vigilant and proactive in identifying and addressing chronic pain. In this blog post, we'll explore the causes, signs, and effective management strategies for chronic pain in dogs.
What is Chronic pain?
Chronic pain is defined as persistent discomfort that lasts for an extended period, beyond the expected time for normal tissue healing. Unlike acute pain, which is an adaptive and temporary response to injury or illness, chronic pain persists over time and is not beneficial. This can significantly impact an individual's overall well-being, and untreated can lead to suffering. In the context of pets, recognising chronic pain can be challenging because our furry companions can't tell us their discomfort, as despite what we expect, they very rarely vocalise with chronic pain. This lack of communication makes it crucial for pet owners to be observant and attentive to subtle changes in behaviour and physical condition.
Causes of Chronic Pain:
Number one cause is due to orthopaedic conditions. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain, approximately 40% of dogs and cats, and particularly increasing in older animals of all species. Arthritis affects the joints and can lead to stiffness and significant discomfort when moving. Other orthopaedic conditions can be due to abnormal joint development such as hip and elbow dysplasia, seen commonly in some dog breeds. These animals may experience chronic pain from a very young age, so behaviour changes may never be noticed. In many cases the joint pain can lead to a change in the animal walks, putting abnormal pressure on the spine and other limbs, exacerbating the areas of pain.
Neurological issues such as Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a condition involves the deterioration or displacement of spinal discs, resulting in pain and potential nerve damage. This may lead to severe damage leading to paralysis, most commonly seen in dog breeds with long backs such as the Dachshund, but can also lead to neck and back pain in any species. Trauma to the spine, and spondylosis can also lead to long term pain.
Cancer, tumours and cancerous growths can cause pain in affected areas, depending on the site, some are not painful but can still impact a pet's overall well-being.
There are many other causes, including dental disease, skin conditions, previous trauma or injury, heart disease, and enlarged prostate to name a few.
Signs of Chronic Pain in Pets:
1. Changes in Behavior:
This is the most important sign, as there is not always any other symptoms. Behaviour changes with increased irritability or aggression is related to pain in over 70% of cases. Even in young animals, where there is aggression, pain should be looked for and ruled out. In older pets withdrawal or reluctance to interact, spending more time sleeping is often just put down to "old age", but is often a symptom of chronic pain. Reduced play, often people notice when pain is controlled that their pets want to play again.
2. Altered Movement:
Limping, lameness or favouring certain limbs is often the most obvious sign of chronic pain. Difficulty rising or lying down and stiffness is again often attributed to "old age", but is usually pain. No lameness or stiffness does not mean there is no pain.
3. Appetite and Sleep Changes:
Decreased appetite is more common, particularly with dental pain, but some pets will eat and drink more as a way of distracting themselves from discomfort. Often getting up and going tot he food and water bowls is painful, so animals will do this less often, or they may find standing with the head down uncomfortable, so spend less time eating and drinking.
Changes in sleep patterns are common, such as restlessness at night or increased sleep during the day when they would normally be wanting to interact.
4. Grooming Behavior:
Excessive licking or chewing at a specific area, indicates discomfort , often as a form of attempting to alleviate pain through self-soothing behaviours. Often a behaviour seen in cats, and in dogs with soreness in the lower limbs.
5. Posture Changes:
Pets in chronic pain may adopt a guarded posture, hunching over to protect the affected area, or they may not adopt normal positions like sitting. Instead you may notice they stand instead, or appear to lie in awkward positions.
Be Observant: Pay attention to changes in behaviour, movement, appetite, and other subtle cues. Early detection and intervention can significantly improve your pet's quality of life.
What should you do if you suspect chronic pain in your pet?
Make an appointment to see your vet. Keep a diary and make a list of symptoms to take to your veterinary appointment, which will help your vet to localise the source of the pain, and determine the best way to help your pet, and monitor progress. Regular check-ups are essential for early detection and proper management of chronic pain.
Follow Veterinary recommendations for management and treatment - this may include medications, physical therapy, weight management, and other supportive measures.
Medication
Pain-relieving medications, prescribed by a veterinarian, can help manage chronic pain. These may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other analgesics, such as monthly injections. These can give your pets a new lease of life, and prevent long term suffering.
Supplements
There are many different supplements available. Omega 3 oil is a good anti-inflammatory that is helpful for many different types of pain. It is often found in fish oils. Look for certified ingredients from sustainable sources. Many herbs are useful, such as Turmeric and Boswellia, but these can have side effects, and are not suitable for all conditions. Ideally discuss these with a qualified herbalist vet. Glucosamine and chondroitin and found in many joint supplements, and may help some cases of joint disease.
Physical Therapies
Regular, controlled, tailored exercise is beneficial to strengthen muscles and improve mental well being for almost all cases of chronic pain. As in humans, regular exercise releases natural endorphins, and improves mental well being, but the exercise should also be tailored to what the pet can manage.
Other 'formal' physical therapies include physiotherapy and hydrotherapy which focus on exercises to improve mobility, strengthen muscles, and alleviate pain due to orthopaedic conditions. Chiropractic and osteopath practitioners can be helpful for some skeletal issues too. Acupuncture must be performed by a qualified vet or veterinary nurse , and uses fine needles to stimulate the body's own endorphins and provide pain relief for multiple different conditions.
Weight Management:
This is a really important for animals with orthopaedic conditions, and arguable other inflammatory conditions too. Reducing an overweight pet by 8% can be as effective as some anti-inflammatory medications in improving lameness! Excess body weight can lead to chronic inflammation. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for reducing chronic pain, especially those with orthopaedic conditions. Diet is an important part of weight control, looking for diets that are lower in carbohydrates.
Comfortable Living Environment:
This means thinking about your pets environment and making adaptation to reduce their discomfort, further blogs coming with more details! Some examples may include providing supportive bedding and ensuring a warm and comfortable space that is quiet and away from the household for your pet to rest. Providing ramps to get in and out of the house, and car, on and off furniture. Raising food and water bowls to make them easier to reach.
Conclusion:
Understanding and addressing chronic pain is a responsibility that pet owners should not take lightly. Recognizing chronic pain in pets requires careful observation of their behavior and physical condition. Being proactive in seeking veterinary care and addressing potential pain is essential for ensuring the well-being and comfort of our beloved furry companions, and giving them long term quality of life.
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