How to Tell If Your Dog Is in Pain

By Dr Duncan Houston

Your dog may still eat, wag their tail and greet you while something hurts. Pain often becomes apparent through a change in an ordinary task: hesitating at the steps, sleeping in a different position or avoiding a hand near an ear.

You do not need to prove the pain at home. Notice the change, protect your dog from further discomfort and ask your vet to assess it.

Quick Answer

Pain in dogs can cause limping, stiffness, altered posture, restlessness, panting at rest, reduced activity, appetite changes or irritability. Silence and a normal appetite do not rule it out, and no single behaviour reliably grades pain severity. Seek urgent care for severe or sudden pain, inability to walk, breathing difficulty, collapse, a swollen abdomen or repeated unsuccessful attempts to urinate.

Watch everyday movement and behaviour

• Movement: slower rising, shortened walks, reluctance to jump, a changed sitting position or shifting weight off a limb.
• Rest: repeated repositioning, pacing, disturbed sleep or difficulty getting comfortable.
• Interaction: withdrawal, clinginess, reduced play, flinching or new growling when approached.
• Eating and grooming: dropping food, chewing on one side, licking one area or reduced willingness to groom.
• Posture: a lowered head, tense abdomen, hunched back or guarded movement.

The AAHA pain-assessment principles emphasise observation as well as examination. What changed from your dog's own usual pattern is more informative than comparing them with a different dog.

Acute and chronic pain can look different

Acute pain may follow injury, surgery or sudden illness. Chronic pain can develop gradually with conditions such as osteoarthritis, dental disease or persistent inflammation. Neither must be loud or dramatic. A dog who has slowly stopped playing may have adapted their behaviour to remain comfortable.

Age changes the list of possibilities, not whether pain deserves treatment. A puppy's limp may involve injury or developmental disease; an older dog's slowing may involve arthritis, but also neurological, cardiac or other illness. Do not label it “just ageing”.

How urgently should you act?

This is an action guide, not a validated pain score. A quiet dog can be severely painful, and panting or shaking can also reflect fear, heat or another illness.

When is this an emergency?

Sudden paralysis, severe back pain with weakness, suspected fracture, major trauma, a painful swollen abdomen or repeated straining without urine needs immediate help. Collapse, pale or blue gums and difficult breathing are also emergency signs. Call ahead and minimise handling. Do not force the dog to walk to demonstrate the problem.

What should you do now?

1. Keep the environment calm. Stop strenuous activity and prevent jumping or stairs until you have advice.
2. Avoid provoking pain. Do not repeatedly squeeze, stretch or massage a sore area. Pain can make even a familiar dog bite.
3. Record safe observations. If the dog can move comfortably, video their normal walking or rising. Note onset, appetite, toileting, sleep and medication.
4. Contact your vet. Explain the change and red flags clearly. Follow transport and activity instructions.
5. Use only the prescribed treatment. Do not give human painkillers or another animal's medication. Tell the clinic if anything has already been given.

How does a vet assess pain?

The vet combines history, observation and physical examination, with orthopaedic, neurological, dental or abdominal assessment as indicated. Imaging and laboratory tests may help identify the cause. An X-ray finding does not by itself measure how much the dog hurts.

For ongoing musculoskeletal pain, the AAHA chronic-pain guidance discusses tools such as the Canine Brief Pain Inventory and Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs questionnaire. Repeated assessment of the same activities helps judge response. Acute and postoperative pain assessment uses a different clinical context.

What can improve comfort?

Treatment may combine cause-specific care, appropriate pain medicines, surgery where needed, rehabilitation and practical home changes. Comfortable bedding, non-slip routes, accessible resources and suitable weight management can support function. The AAHA non-drug pain guidance places these measures within a broader treatment plan.

Exercise should match the diagnosis. Neither pushing through pain nor indefinite inactivity is a universal answer. Preserve low-stress enrichment and social contact while following restrictions.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for crying before believing the dog hurts.
• Punishing a dog for growling during painful handling.
• Assuming a wagging tail or appetite means adequate pain control.
• Using leftover anti-inflammatory medicine alongside another drug without checking interactions.

Frequently asked questions

Can dogs be painful without limping?

Yes. Mouth, ear, abdominal and spinal pain may alter behaviour or posture without an obvious limp.

Does panting mean pain?

It can, but heat, stress and other illness also cause panting. Context and accompanying signs matter.

Should pain improve after surgery?

Recovery should follow the expected plan. Increasing pain, new swelling, discharge or poor recovery needs a call to the treating clinic.

Can chronic pain be helped?

Often substantially, although the cause and response vary. Regular reassessment is essential.

Small changes can be meaningful without telling you the diagnosis. Your observations give the veterinary team a starting point for making your dog more comfortable.

For help understanding pain-related changes and preparing useful questions for your vet, explore ASK A VET™. Severe or sudden symptoms need direct veterinary care.