08/05/2024
Since animals can’t talk to us, you might be wondering how to tell if your animal is in pain. Here is a list of some of the signs; however, there are many more signs that aren’t listed!
❗️Personality + Behavior Changes:
Signs could include becoming more clingy, detaching, or more irritated. They may start crying or making other noises that aren’t their normal.
❕Increased Licking + Grooming:
Animals will take care of themselves by licking the injury or sore spot, so watching what spots your animal is trying to tend to will be important to note.
❗️Gait + Posture Changes:
Just like if your leg was in pain, you would want to use it less. Animals will limp or shift their weight. You can observe this during movement or you could see more of their body on the left/right vs the other side.
❕Respiratory + Heart Rate are High:
When vitals are higher than normal, they can be experiencing a variety of things, including pain. We want their body to be using their parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest) over their sympathetic nervous system (running from a bear). If vitals are off, it’s always important to discuss it with your veterinarian first to rule out any further complications.
❗️Shaking, Nervous, Uneasy:
When people are nervous or stressed, they’re most likely unable to sit still and try to move to stay calm. Animals do the same thing to help relieve their stress or get themselves into a more comfortable position.
If you’re noticing that your animal is experiencing any of these stresses or changes, these are reasons to get your animal checked to see if they could benefit from a chiropractic adjustment!
