Companion Animal Welfare

Dog Chronic Pain Recognition and Management

Chronic pain in dogs is often underdiagnosed because dogs hide pain as an evolutionary strategy, requiring proactive assessment.

Key Facts

Dogs evolved to mask pain as vulnerability, making recognition difficult
Chronic pain signs include behaviour change, reduced activity and grumpiness
Validated pain scales like the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index aid assessment
Osteoarthritis affects an estimated 20% of adult dogs
Multimodal pain management including NSAIDs, physio and environmental changes is most effective

Welfare Considerations

Unrecognised chronic pain causes prolonged suffering in dogs. Owners and vets need to actively look for subtle behavioural signs and use validated tools rather than waiting for obvious clinical signs.

What You Can Do

Learn the subtle signs of chronic pain in dogs and monitor regularly
Discuss pain assessment with your vet using validated scales at annual check-ups
Pursue multimodal management if chronic pain is identified, including environmental modifications