Pain is the last thing you want your pet to experience. When your pets hurt, you feel it along with them because they can’t tell you what’s going on, where the pain is, and how bad it is. Sometimes you don’t know if you have a pet in pain because animals tend to be stoic about showing their discomfort. It’s a survival instinct that can make it harder for you to identify a pain issue. Following are signs and symptoms that your pet hurts and you know that it’s time for a visit to the veterinarian in Bend.

Signs That Your Pet Is in Pain

Cats and dogs both exhibit similar signs of pain, but they can and do act very differently when it comes to their behavior when they hurt. You also need to apply your knowledge of your pet’s normal behavior when evaluating pain symptoms. Pain symptoms in pet will make them act differently, and you’ll know how bad their pain is when you notice that they’re not acting normally. Knowing your pet’s behavior along with understanding pain symptoms in pet will help when you call the veterinarian in Bend and describe what you’re seeing.

Common signs of pain for most pets

• Lack of appetite
• Excessive vocalization
• Limping
• Dilated pupils
• Rapid breathing and/or shallow heart rate
• Low energy levels and resting more than normal
• Won’t allow normal handling
• Excessive grooming

Signs of pain in dogs

Dogs who hurt may exhibit behaviors such as:

• Biting and/or snapping
• Hopping on three legs
• Restlessness
• Hunched posture with raised hindquarters and front legs stretched out
• Lying on their side

Signs of pain in cats

Pain in cats can be more difficult to determine due to their low-energy nature. Their pain signs include:

• Constant purring
• Lack of grooming or excessive grooming
• Won’t use the litter box properly or at all
• Hides constantly
• Sitting in a hunched position without much movement
• Lack of interest in their surroundings, activities or housemates

When you notice one or more of these pet-in-pain signs, you should take action as soon as possible to get help for your pet.

Steps to Take When You Recognize Pain Symptoms in Your Pet

The first step is to call us and make an appointment as soon as possible. The veterinary clinic can give you advice on how to keep your pet comfortable until you can bring in your pet. Do not, under any circumstances, give your pets over the counter medication as this can be detrimental to your pet. The urge to give your pet a pill for pain relief is understandable, but pets can’t always metabolize human pain relievers.

In the meantime, keep your pet quiet. Leave them alone as much as possible while keeping an eye on their condition. If a pet wants to hide, let them go where they find comfort. Increase the cushioning in their bedding and make it easy on them to access food, water and the litter box for cats. It’s not always possible to pinpoint the source of pain without a veterinary exam and you don’t want to aggravate the condition that’s causing them pain. Allowing a pet to find their own level of comfort is the best possible thing you can do until you get to the vet clinic.