Most of us expect our pets to be less active as they age, but when should they start to slow down? Should we worry about 7 year old dog that is no longer excited about his walk, or the cat who at 8 years old suddenly “learned” not to jump on the kitchen counter? Absolutely – a lot of this early reduction in activity can be attributed to pain and can be eased with medication and environmental tweaks.
The two most common sources of pain in our pets are dental disease (“periodontal disease”) and joint pain (“arthritis”). It is estimated that 80% of dogs over the age of 3 suffer from periodontal disease. It is common to hear about pet’s being much more affectionate, with activity levels owner’s haven’t seen in years following a dental cleaning with extractions of the diseased and painful teeth. It’s a huge, positive change.
So why does pain go unnoticed, and undiagnosed?
Many years ago, people thought that animals didn’t experience pain. This is false, they experience it exactly as we do, but they express it very differently. For example, prey animals in the wild might as well paint a target on themselves if they show lameness, so they hide it at all costs. Predators too may face abandonment if they are painful and can’t keep up. They hide pain too, at times only showing muscle twitches when the affected area is extended or pushed. This is why physical exams are so important, even when the reason is only that the pet “isn’t acting quite right.”
There are many ways to ease pain in our pets. For periodontal disease often extraction of the affected tooth is curative. For arthritis, however, there is no cure, and we have to work together, pet, vet, and owner, to manage their pain and keep them moving. We can do this with medications, supplements, physical therapy, acupuncture, and sometimes even surgery if problems are found quick enough.
What’s the bottom line?
Animals show pain very differently from humans, and we need to key into behavior changes more than appetite changes or waiting for them to “cry out.” They will often keep eating despite pain, and might only show the subtlest of hints such as not playing with hard toys, or tilting their head. Routine examinations as well as exams when there is a change in your pet’s normal daily pattern.