In this day and age, it isn’t a big secret – animals feel pain! From our companion animals to a recent study showing that even invertebrates such as octopuses display signs of pain, the ability to feel pain seems to have developed, not only very early on in evolution, but also in multiple ways. It is an evolutionary advantage to stay off of that broken leg, or to eat on the opposite side of that painful tooth. While it may seem obvious to say it out loud, actually identifying pain in our companions can be a little more difficult.
When discussing pain, we typically differentiate two types. The first is acute pain and it is by far the easiest type to identify – people describe acute pain as sharp, throbbing or burning. In our animals, we will often hear yelping/crying, groaning or even growling or biting due to misplaced aggression. A broken bone, a bite wound or post-operative pain are easy examples of acute pain. Pain medication is called for in all of these conditions to help our animals get through the acute period.
As acute pain fades and improves, some injuries or conditions lead to our second type, which is chronic pain – and this is where things more complex. Research into pain and analgesia is an intensive area. We know that when pain becomes chronic, the nervous system adapts to feel even MORE pain in a process called sensitization. This also means that the longer it goes on, the more difficult it is to get ahead of it.
It is this chronic pain that is the most difficult to both identify and assess in animals. It is slow to develop, and of course, they can’t tell us they are hurting. We will often hear that our animals hide their pain, especially our feline friends. Signs that are suggestive of chronic pain are subtle – they include decreased activity, lower appetite, lack of grooming. But of course, none of these are specific to chronic pain. The same is true of signs that be noted in a clinic environment, such as elevated heart rate, blood pressure or elevated temperature.
In a general practice setting, there are two specific types of chronic pain that we see every day and aren’t always identified in the home environment
1) Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is more than just an animal “aging”, and slowing down. It’s painful! Any human will tell you so. So why do we allow our animals to suffer? That limp you noticed? The slowness you see when your pal tries to get up or tackle stairs? That’s PAIN. Yes. An animal will often continue to eat and drink and go about their daily business. But a limp is a compensatory mechanism for some sort of discomfort. A limp = pain. Period.
2) Dental pain. Again, ask anyone who has had any dental work and they will tell you just how horrible it is. But we allow our animals to develop horrendous dental disease, complete with gingiva that is so inflamed it is recessing and teeth that are so rotten then are literally falling out on their own. And yes, even in these cases, they will continue to eat and drink. Such is the instinct to survive. That doesn’t mean it isn’t painful.
Tackling pain is a team effort between you, the owner keeping a close eye on your companions, and your veterinary team. That might mean going in to consult with your veterinary team more than once a year, and it might mean seeing more than one veterinarian. Such is the nature of aging. But there are a myriad of options – from classic to holistic – to help tackle pain in our friends, and even options such as rehabilitation, massage and chiropractic. So many ways we can help ease their pain.
And don’t we owe it to them to help ease their pain?
Until next time fellow paw-print loving friends
Silver Heights Veterinary Hospital is proud to serve the Winnipeg region, and is located on Ness Avenue in St. James. Contact them at 204-504-5600 or visit their website at silverheightsvethospital.ca.
