Canine study explores connection between pain and behaviour

Recently undertaken research has revealed that many dog owners are unable to detect signs of pain in their pets.

It highlighted that several behaviours that indicate pain are mistakenly being read as behavioural issues.

Utrecht University in the Netherlands’ Animal Behaviour Group at its Faculty of Veterinary Medicine stressed how this gap in understanding could potentially compromise canine wellbeing.

The report stated that bidirectional links exist between pain and behavioural disorders. The authors of the study said owners may have erroneously learned to associate specific behaviours, like freezing or turning their heads away, with fear and stress, leaving the potential signs of pain unseen.

Commenting professionally, veterinarian Dr Thierry Poitte said that chronic pain can cause behavioural issues. Animals become irritable, anxious, sleep poorly and self-isolate. He added that behavioural disorders can also cause a pet pain.

The vet used aggression as an example. He stated that when a dog becomes suddenly aggressive in a different way at age seven or eight, the initial question is “could the animal be experiencing pain”? Dogs in pain can lose their typical signals and may not warn before they snap or bite. He referred to this as the instrumentalisation of pain.

Dog aggression can manifest in many forms, like snapping, growling, snarling, barking or biting. As a dog aggression behaviourist in Oxfordshire, Azz Rainey provides tailored support in the county and surrounding areas for owners whose canine companions are experiencing behavioural issues. Reach out to him for support today.