15/09/2025
🐾 Is Your Dog in Pain? The Signs May Be Subtle 🐾
I’ve had many thoughtful conversations with owners recently about pain and pain management in dogs. Questions often come up like:
💭 “Do you think my dog is in pain?”
💭 “What do you think about pain medications?”
💭 “Most importantly, what can I do to help my dog?”
The truth is, dogs are masters at hiding pain. Unlike us, they can’t tell us when something hurts and often the signs are so subtle they’re easy to miss. This is especially true with chronic pain, which develops gradually and can quietly affect your dog’s comfort, movement, and quality of life over time.
Some things to watch for:
👉 Changes in posture or the way they move
👉 Reluctance to jump, climb stairs, or play like they used to
👉 Licking or chewing at a specific spot
👉 Changes in behaviour like becoming quieter, grumpier, or more withdrawn
👉 Stiffness after rest, or slowing down on walks
💡 If you notice any of these, don’t dismiss them as “just getting older.” Pain is not a normal part of aging, and there are things we can do to help.
How physiotherapy can help?
✅ Help localise areas of discomfort in your dog
✅ Manage pain
✅ Improve mobility, strength, and comfort through tailored exercises and therapies
✅ Give you practical strategies to make daily life easier and more enjoyable for your dog
🐶 Our dogs give us so much, helping them live as comfortably and happily as possible is one of the best ways we can give back.
If you’d like to learn more about how physio can help your dog, feel free to reach out. 💙
