Our pets communicate with us all the time; we just need to know what to listen for. Because cats and dogs can be very stoic about when they hurt, pet owners need to pay attention to any changes in behavior. In the blog post below, we've shared 15 signs of pain in cats and dogs that you should have on your radar.

Let’s face it—the idea of dogs being in pain is something that none of us like to think about. The vast majority of dog owners are conscientious people who want nothing but the best for their precious pooches. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many of our dogs can experience pain without us even realizing it, which is why it’s something we need to educate ourselves on in order to keep our hounds as healthy as possible.

Acupuncture is a popular pain relief method used by millions of people. You may be familiar with it as a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Like the name implies, Traditional Chinese Medicine is a series of healing modalities that originated in China with roots that pre-date modern Western medicine.

Pain is a clinically significant symptom that can adversely affect an animal’s quality of life—and the first step in treating it is recognizing and acknowledging it.

Our pets share the same anatomical and biochemical pain pathways that we do; therefore, we can expect their level of discomfort with certain conditions to be similar to ours. Unfortunately, they cannot tell us with words how they feel or where they hurt, but they can give us clues about their level of discomfort.

When your pet suddenly loses his appetite, it can be concerning—particularly if you’ve got a regular chowhound on your hands.

If the thought of your pet sitting calmly while several tiny needles are inserted into various points on his body makes you scoff, think again. Veterinary acupuncture is an increasingly common treatment for a variety of canine and feline ailments, from chronic pain and inflammation to metabolic conditions like kidney disease.

In Western medicine, pain is defined as a complex phenomenon that includes both the sensation and the subsequent behaviors that occur as a response. In Eastern medicine, pain is the manifestation of stagnant Qi or blood. Essentially, it is energy that is caught in one area creating pain and loss of function. Longstanding stagnant energy eventually leads to permanent structural changes, such as arthritis.

You recognize the signs. The slow hobble to greet you at the door where once your dog practically leaped at the chance to put his paws on you. The laborious clamber from a resting position to standing.

These are clear signs of arthritis pain and it affects between 60 – 70% of dogs.

Other signs include limping, reluctance to go up and down stairs and generally, a lethargy where you once had an active pooch.