Bad Behaviour? Your Pet May Be In Pain

Pain must always be considered for diagnosis of behavioural problems. Unfortunately, pain can be difficult to assess clinically in a hospital setting, especially when your pet is experiencing fear, anxiety or stress. Our scared pets will make every attempt to suppress signs of vulnerability, including pain. This leads to some people shrugging their shoulders and assuming their pet is “fine.” Pain has been underdiagnosed and underestimated. Choose our pet doctor near me and schedule a routine check-up with us. Our general care will keep your pet healthy and satisfied throughout its life.

Elimination, grooming and aggression

Behaviour changes associated with pain may appear seemingly unrelated to the untrained eye. In cats, common behaviour changes associated with pain are elimination outside of the litterbox, changes in appropriate grooming behaviour, aggression and sudden onset of any new behaviour or exacerbation of a previously stable behaviour. In dogs, we can see house soiling, aggression and the sudden onset of a new behaviour or exacerbation of a previously stable behaviour as well.

Cats: Looking at litterboxes.

A litterbox can become inaccessible to a cat experiencing pain. This can be because the box is located up- or downstairs from the cat’s preferred part of the home. It could be because the box is located behind a baby gate or other barrier. A litterbox designed to keep other pets out or one with moderately high sides can prevent access to painful cats. Even in homes with multiple boxes, another cat in the household may block access to the nearest box. This leads to a painful cat choosing an alternate location rather than walking to another box. A dog may also make it difficult for a cat to quickly and safely get to the litterbox.

Dogs: Home hassles that lead to house soiling.

Dogs will house soil as a result of pain for similar reasons as cats. If access to the outdoors is down a set of stairs, the dog may choose to soil indoors. A painful dog in a multidog household may hang try to avoid being jostled while other dogs race to the door to be let out. If city dogs on a leash are in pain and don’t want to walk far, they may not be outside long enough to eliminate before they start limping and need to go back inside to rest.

Cats: Signs of pain in grooming.

Feline patients are fastidious creatures, spending a significant portion of their day grooming. Cats experiencing pain, however, especially in their spine, may not want to bend around to groom harder-to-reach areas. Fur may take on a dull appearance in ungroomed areas, and mats may develop on long-haired cats. Alternatively, if a cat is painful in a particular location, it may begin to groom that area either more often or more vigorously trying to soothe the pain. This can potentially lead to hair loss.If you want a different environment for your cat to relax and feel comfortable, then search for the cat boarding near me to choose our luxurious services.

Dogs and cats: An eye on aggression.

Dogs and cats experiencing pain will be more irritable in general. This leaves them much more likely to act aggressively when triggered. Aggression can be seen when people pet them, especially when they’re resting comfortably. Another common scenario happens when another animal tries to play with the painful pet, who relies on aggressive strategies to stop the interaction. Even something as common as aggression toward unfamiliar dogs when on leash can be worsened by pain. This is because the dog is more likely to be aggressive to keep other dogs away. Aggression during veterinary visits can be a key indicator that pain should be high on the differential list.

If you believe your pet is showing some of these symptoms, or have any questions, please call us on 9547 2750, or Visit our best Sutherland Shire vet for your pets’ examination. We look forward to seeing you and your pet soon and providing the love, care, and attention that your pet deserves.