20/12/2025
Always consider pain FIRST before trying anything else.
Luxating patellas (we see this loads)
Hip dysplasia and hip pain ( very common)
Elbow dysplasia and elbow pain (including a surgical repair that hadn’t healed properly)
Spinal stenosis
Bulging discs
Phantom pregnancy
Campylobacter
GI pain
Cancer
Arthritis in multiple joints
Deformed knees
Pannus
Wobbly teeth
🩻These are some of the painful conditions that have been revealed in reactive dogs I have worked with this year.
😖 Many of these conditions resulted in dogs being in chronic pain that has contributed towards their behaviour.
It can be really hard for some owners hearing that actually some dogs may be in pain. For some their dogs behaviour may have caused significant distress to them to the point they don’t want to enter what investigations that could be costly.
For some understandably cost of vets bills can be an issue in themselves, for some it may be that admitting their dog has a life long pain related issue and that it means shorter walks or a change of set activities they want to do is too much and I have worked with someone who threw a wobbly because it meant her daxy wouldn’t be as instagramable!
For many of us trainers, behaviourists, body workers and vets discussions surrounding pain can cause backlash and denial from some owners.
‘But my dog (insert high adrenaline activity) every day!’
‘But I know my dogs not in pain!’
‘But my dog just had his vaccination and the vet said he looked fine’
These can come from a place of not knowing and it’s ok not to know stuff but the worst I ever heard was
‘The pain assessment made me feel bad. I had vets bills with my last dog, I won’t have them with this one’.
On the whole I work with lovely owners who are dedicated and open conversations need to be had about what can be done within financial limitations with your vet.
Some people get worried about the long term effects of pain relief, which again a conversation with your vet can help with but from a behavioural point of view the long term effects of untreated chronic pain outweigh not having pain treated.
We know more now than ever about the links between pain and behaviour and for many dogs this will come with a welcome relief
