06/11/2025
I posted a video of Jack a few days ago asking if you could identify which leg he was struggling to walk on and if you could spot specific signs of pain.
If you guessed all 4, you'd be correct. He is on a lot of pain meds, and he's managing OK on short walks, but you can see he's still a wibbly wobbly wonder 💙
Other signs of pain that aren't so obvious:
- Panting: it wasn't particularly warm that day, so it isn't because he's too hot. It's from the exertion of moving and how hard it is for him.
-Lip licking: If you notice this when your dog isn't eating, it could be a sign that they are uncomfortable, either from pain or from stress. It's a very subtle one, but once you see it, you can't unsee it!
-Hip swaying: he's overcompensating by shifting his weight from one hip to the other. Again, it is a sign of pain.
-Stiff gait: You can see he's not moving freely, and his stride is quite stilted.
-Limb swinging: You can also see his right foreleg swinging out rather than forward. Limbs swinging out in John Wayne style suggests joint pain.
- Moving positions: he's very guarded when getting into a sit and into a stand from a sit and then into a down position. If you notice your dog is hesitant to sit/lie down, it could be a sign of pain.
-Knuckling: this is where a dog drags their paw on the ground and you can see Jack doing it with his right hind leg. This again suggests joint issues.
Watching Jack walk, it's obvious he's in pain, but there are so many dogs out there who are in pain, and the signs are missed because they aren't as exaggerated. About 90% of my caseload has an element of pain involved - this ranges from dogs who can't walk on a loose lead because it's painful for them to keep pace with their guardians to a dog growling when disturbed during sleep because the startle response triggered something painful.
My advice - get to know your dog and how they move. If you notice something amiss, video it and bring it to your vet. Pain can be really tricky to pick up on during consultations because the dog is usually so adrenalised from just being there, and adrenaline is nature's painkiller. That's why your dog might be experiencing musculoskeletal pain and still want to chase a ball. But videoing them during walks can really give your vet more information on what could be wrong.
If you think your dog is experiencing pain and its impacting their behaviour and mood, you can book in for an in-depth consultation with me and together we can help them 🙏
