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Your dog may tell you about discomfort through a slower rise, a restless evening or moving away from a familiar touch. Cornell's veterinary guidance describes pain signs across movement, sleep, appetite and social behaviour. Crying and limping are only part of the picture1.
You do not need to prove pain before contacting the practice. PDSA advises a veterinary conversation whenever a pet appears painful; severe pain can be an emergency even when the cause is unclear. Describe what has changed and let the team help judge the next step2.
Look at the whole day, not a single signal
Cornell lists stiffness, altered posture, reluctance to exercise, inability to settle, licking one area and excessive panting at rest among possible signs. Changes in appetite, sleep or interactions can also matter. None identifies a cause alone, so mention the combination and the circumstances in which you see it1.
Make the example specific. “She used to get up when the lead appeared; now she stays down until I go over” gives the vet a starting point. Add when you first noticed it, whether it happens consistently and anything else that changed around the same time.
PDSA warns that even a normally friendly animal may bite or scratch when painful. Keep yourself safe and ask the practice how to move or handle your dog if needed. Trying to locate the sore spot by repeatedly pressing it can make an already difficult moment harder for everyone2.
A behaviour change can have a medical contribution
Dogs Trust explains that pain and illness can affect mood, sleep and willingness to interact. A dog may avoid stroking or react defensively during harnessing because contact is uncomfortable. A new behavioural concern therefore deserves a vet check alongside consideration of learning, environment and emotional wellbeing3.
This is a helpful change in the question you ask: “What might make this difficult?” It leaves room to investigate discomfort without deciding that every growl has the same cause. Tell the vet when contact seems unwelcome, including whether the dog was resting, being lifted or preparing for an outing.
A 2020 review of pain and behaviour examined authors' referral caseloads alongside research and clinical examples. The authors suggested a conservative estimate of around a third of referred dogs involving a painful condition, with large differences between clinics. Their table distinguishes suspected pain from cases with some diagnostic confirmation4.
These were selected behaviour-referral populations, not a representative survey of all household dogs. The paper also includes case reports and professional experience, which help identify questions but cannot prove every proposed link. Its useful message is to consider pain carefully, rather than assume an unusual behaviour is purely a training issue4.
Dogs Trust also notes that painful experiences can create learned fear of handling, movements or places. Treating a physical problem may therefore be only one part of support. A dog who has learned that a harness hurts may need gentle behavioural help as well as medical care3.
New noise fears are another reason to mention health
An exploratory study compared the records of ten noise-sensitive dogs with identified musculoskeletal pain and ten without an identified pain focus. Noise sensitivity began, on average, nearly four years later in the pain group. Those dogs also showed broader avoidance of associated places and problems around other dogs5.
The sample was small and the analysis qualitative, so these patterns were intended to generate further investigation, not a diagnostic rule. The comparison dogs were not all given additional investigations or pain-relief trials; hidden pain could have been missed. A late-onset noise fear does not by itself diagnose painful joints5.
The researchers advise careful assessment for pain-related problems where these features occur. They also note that learned associations can persist after pain is managed. Mention a new fireworks fear or expanding avoidance to your vet, particularly when movement, rest or handling has changed too5.
You can give that history without recreating the frightening event. Explain which sounds or situations matter, what the dog does and how long it takes to settle. If you already have a behaviour plan, bring it so the veterinary and behaviour conversations can work from the same account.
Why there is no single home test for pain
A 2025 review of pain assessment in canine internal medicine explains that there is no gold-standard measurement for a dog's subjective experience. Behaviour, physiological measurements and pain scales all have limits. Age, breed, illness, fear and individual variation can change how pain is expressed and how people interpret it6.
Heart rate, breathing or blood pressure cannot identify pain specifically because other conditions and anxiety can alter them. The review also notes that dogs may greet someone or wag their tail despite significant pain. One reassuring-looking moment should not erase a consistent history of difficulty6.
American Animal Hospital Association guidance brings together clinical examination, observation, owner reports and, where indicated, imaging. For joint pain, the appearance of an X-ray and the amount of discomfort do not always match closely. Tests help answer particular questions; they are part of an assessment rather than a universal pain detector7.
Ask the team what they have found, what remains uncertain and how they plan to judge response. An explanation can acknowledge uncertainty while still giving you a useful care plan. You should know what improvement would look like and what should prompt another call.
Bring ordinary-life evidence to the appointment
AAHA recommends using owner observations and appropriate questionnaires to capture changes over time. Home videos can help when a movement or behaviour does not appear during the consultation. The vet can suggest which activities to record and whether a condition-specific tool would help monitor the dog7.
A useful note for your vet
- What did the dog usually do, and what happens now?
- When did the change start, and is it becoming more frequent?
- Does it follow rest, activity, meals or handling?
- What medicines and other treatments are currently being used?
- Which ordinary activity would you most like to see become comfortable again?
Choose an example you can capture during normal life. A short account is enough to begin: you do not need a montage, a pain score from an unrelated website or a dramatic episode. If recording would delay urgent care, make the call first.
AAHA's monitoring approach emphasises follow-up and reassessment, including activities important to that dog and owner. Use the same agreed questions at review. “Can he settle after our usual short outing?” may be more informative than asking only whether he seems happier overall7.
Seek relief through an individual veterinary plan
PDSA advises never giving human medicines unless directed by your vet. Human anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and naproxen can be highly toxic to animals. Paracetamol is also a veterinary prescribing decision, not a household remedy to try while waiting. Contact the practice immediately after accidental human-painkiller ingestion8.
If your dog already has prescribed pain relief, tell the team about any other medicines before adding or changing anything. PDSA cautions that combining anti-inflammatory drugs, or giving them with steroids, increases risks. A plan should account for the dog's health and current treatment, with clear instructions for concerns8.
Ask what to do today, what signs require urgent help and when the team wants an update. Share the instructions with anyone giving care. A good next step can be small and concrete: a booked assessment, a safer handling plan or a review of the treatment already in place.
You know the ordinary details of your dog's life. Bringing a change to the vet's attention is useful even when the explanation is not obvious. The aim is to understand what your companion is finding difficult and make the next part of daily life more comfortable.
Sources and further reading8 sources
The small numbers in the article link to the source behind each fact. Sources open on their own websites.
- Recognizing pain in dogs
- Severe pain in pets
- Why dogs get scared or frustrated and how to help them
- Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs
- Noise Sensitivities in Dogs: An Exploration of Signs in Dogs with and without Musculoskeletal Pain Using Qualitative Content Analysis
- Assessment of acute and chronic pain in canine internal medicine-what is missing in our diagnostic toolbox?
- 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
- Anti-inflammatory pain relief (NSAIDs)