12/06/2024
Aylsham Dog Training well said! Dogs and cats are masters at hiding pain and looking fine, and it’s easy for us as owners to get used to their idiosyncrasies and think it’s normal, it may well be chronic pain and is always better to check.
Step one in working through reactivity -
Ruling out pain and ill health.
Chronic and acute pain can be massive contributing factors to behaviour decline and reactivity struggles.
Imagine living for a prolonged, or even short period, with a migraine, ear ache, toothache, joint pains or health problems. Very few of these are visible struggles, and you’ll still be able to carry out your daily tasks, but it would undoubtedly affect your mood and perhaps even your ability to make appropriate choices.
One of the first things we will advise with clients is getting a full bill of health before we invest time and money into training. This would include, but not be limited to, muscular and skeletal checks, potentially a base line blood test to check biochemistry and haematology, and definitely gastrointestinal health (the gut is the second brain, so gastrointestinal issues can have a massive impact on behavioural changes).
If your trainer suggests these checks, please don’t take offence or dismiss them because your dog still enjoys walks, running, chasing balls, etc. Adrenaline does a fantastic job at masking pain, and your dog will have tonnes of it flowing around their body when it comes to “walkies”. Studies also suggest that upto 80% of dogs will not show signs of pain at a vet visit, again due to the adrenaline flowing. Be sure to book in for perhaps a double length appointment to allow your dog time to settle, or if it’s been suggested it’s muscular/skeletal issues - it might be better practice to see a specialist such as Norfolk Animal Physiotherapy, who knows exactly what they’re looking for.
Imagine being in a constant state of pain, then imagine how you’d feel about someone coming into your personal space without invite or warning. Then imagine how apprehensive you’d become if this kept happening and it resulted in pain in time. The anticipation would start to lead to pain as you tensed everytime you saw someone just incase they invaded your space. Now imagine your dog in pain, on a lead, when it sees other dogs… imagine how quickly a perception of a situation can change!
Pain can also cause a reduction in appetite, understandably, as well as decrease the amount of sleep your dog will be getting. So if you notice your dog is more restless and/or losing weight, these could be indicators that something isn’t quite right with Fido. I know for sure that if I was hungry, tired and in pain, my mood would take a significant and abrupt nose dive!!
So, in conclusion, really for any behavioural struggle, not just reactivity, getting that clean bill of health is coming in at step one. This is not optional; I’ve known dogs with behavioural issues that have had chronic pain missed until it was too late, and unfortunately the dog then needed to be put to sleep. Make sure your dog is fit, healthy, pain free and not over weight before moving to step two!
A big thanks to Zoe over at Sintonsand Canine Services for the nitty gritty veterinary facts!
