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Recognising Suffering In Dogs
A state of suffering is defined as enduring pain, misery and loss and is common to all mammalian species.
As a dog owner it is important to be able to recognise the signs of suffering in dogs and to have a basic knowledge and understanding of this state in order to take the most responsible action.
Pain.
Pain is an unpleasant sensory experience but one that is essential to survival. Pain teaches an animal to avoid harmful stimuli and to recognise it in the future. A sense of pain will also inhibit action that might cause further harm or delay the healing process.
Dogs have a neuroanatomy similar to ours and therefore feel a comparable degree of pain. Obviously dogs cannot speak and tell us when they are suffering but by observing their behaviour and their physical responses we can get a good indication of how they feel.
There are the vocal signs of pain such as squealing, yelping, growling or groaning but as dogs tend to be more stoical than humans, they often suffer pain without vocalisation.
Other signs to look for are:
a) Lack of appetite
b) Restlessness or pacing
c) An alteration in posture – eg: crouching or hunching, abdomen tucked up, head down or recumbent
d) Protective responses – eg: guarding a painful area, aversion to be touched, limping.
e) Changes in personality – eg: becoming more docile, aggressive, depressed, anxious, isolated or fearful
f) Changes in facial expression
g) Self-mutilation – biting, licking or scratching persistently
h) Unwillingness to exercise and sleeping more.
Physiological responses include weight loss and dehydration, fluctuations in body temperature and positive response to either analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs. A typical example of the latter is the arthritic dog with impaired mobility that shows improvement after being prescribed a drug such as ‘Metacam’ or ‘Rimadyl’.
Misery
Dogs can suffer distress or misery through frustration, fear, lack of mental or physical activity or lack of company. Some dogs living in a restricted environment become apathetic and appear to ‘give up’ completely. This condition is described by psychologists as ‘learned helplessness’. Other dogs develop habitual behaviour patterns known as stereotypies. These can present as excessive grooming and licking, self mutilation, compulsive water drinking, circling, tail chasing, or repetitive barking. Stereotypies and learned helplessness, most commonly seen in rescue dogs or dogs in research laboratories, can remain long after the noxious stimuli have been removed. It should be made clear at this point that stereotypies are due to chronic stress through poor welfare and are not the same as anti-social behaviour resulting from poor training. In either case, the problems need to be addressed and unless the owner is highly experienced in training and behaviour, advice should be sort from a reputable behaviourist for the health and safety of the dog and others.
Loss
Just as humans suffer the pain of loss, so do dogs, and their feelings are not just confined to members of their own species. They can pine for the loss of humans and for the loss of other pets. In most cases this is not a permanent condition and dogs will come to terms with their loss after 2 or 3 weeks, although there are the odd exceptions, famously Greyfriar’s Bobby and Hachi the Akita. Bereavement is possibly the most heartbreaking cause of this type of suffering and, as with humans dogs should be allowed space to grieve. They may be unwilling to exercise or to play, want to be left alone in a quiet room or lose their appetite. However, anorexia over long periods or physical reactions to stress such as chronic diarrhoea can be worrying and it may be necessary to seek veterinary advice.
Just as humans suffer the pain of loss, so do dogs, and their feelings are not just confined to members of their own species. They can pine for the loss of humans and for the loss of other pets. In most cases this is not a permanent condition and dogs will come to terms with their loss after 2 or 3 weeks, although there are the odd exceptions, famously Greyfriar’s Bobby and Hachi the Akita. Bereavement is possibly the most heartbreaking cause of this type of suffering and, as with humans dogs should be allowed space to grieve. They may be unwilling to exercise or to play, want to be left alone in a quiet room or lose their appetite. However, anorexia over long periods or physical reactions to stress such as chronic diarrhoea can be worrying and it may be necessary to seek veterinary advice.
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