Old or painful? This is the question…
Tooth Ache? Bladder Pain? Arthritis? This needs to be checked out. (Part2)
Many times owners come to my vet hospital believing that their pet is just getting old and is slowing down a bit. And many times they have a painful condition (tooth ache ranks on the top, followed by arthritis, bladder pain, and others). Once we control the condition the pooch is suddenly acting young like a puppy again. I can recall a lot of instances when veterinarians here have relieved a painful pet condition, such as extracting an infected tooth and the dog started playing with its toys again. In hindsight it’s easy to know that this is simply because your dog’s pain is gone.
The greatest satisfaction comes to us when an owner reports when their pet is no longer in pain. Many owners literally call me up and tell me that their dog is “acting like a young dog again”.
So please, pay extra attention to your dog’s subtle changes in behaviour and understand his or her instinctive masking of it.
Look for either of these signs:
- Increased sleeping
- Less interest in the family
- Limping
- Bad breath
- Getting “old”
- Frequent urination (small amounts a lot of times)
- Reduced appetite (if you have a Retriever, you won’t see this sign until it is very late)
- Whining
- Heavy breathing
- Ears being pulled back more often
I know, it’s not easy to identify what is caused by pain in dogs. The listed signs could be normal but if you see them you have to start looking for reasons of pain. Chances are your dog is deceiving you for fear of being abandoned by you.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Ernst Marsig and Your Careteam
Practicing Veterinary Medicine in Markham for a Long and Happy Life of ALL Your Pets.
Animal Hospital of Unionville, a veterinary clinic on the north side of Hwy 7, serving all pets in Markham, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, and North York since 1966. We are your family vets for dogs, cats, pocket pets (rabbits, chinchillas, gerbils, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, skinny pigs, etc.), ferrets, and birds (budgies, cockatiel, parrots, amazon, cockatoo, love birds, conures, African greys, finches, canaries, etc.).
Disclaimer: No part of this website constitutes medical advice. Readers are advised to consult with their veterinarian.
