How to Tell If Your Dog Is in Pain (and What to Do)

Why dogs hide pain\n\nIt's an evolutionary holdover — visible weakness in the wild meant predation. Modern dogs still mask pain, often until it's severe.\n\n## The subtle signs\n\n- Reluctance to climb stairs, jump on furniture\n- Slower to rise from rest\n- Reduced appetite\n- Restlessness at night\n- Panting at rest (not from heat or exercise)\n- Licking a specific area repeatedly\n- Withdrawn behaviour, hiding\n- Trembling\n- Aggression when touched in a particular spot\n\n## What pain looks like by location\n\n- Back/hip: roached topline, stiffness after rest, struggling on slick floors\n- Abdominal: hunched posture, tucked belly, restlessness, crying when picked up\n- Dental: dropping food, chewing on one side, head shy, smelly breath\n- Joint: limping, weight-shifting, sensitive to touch\n\n## What to do\n\nNever give human painkillers. Paracetamol is fatal in cats and toxic in dogs. Ibuprofen causes ulcers. Aspirin has limited use and risks.\n\nBook a pain assessment. We can identify the source and prescribe veterinary-specific analgesics that are safe and effective.\n\nFor older dogs, regular wellness checks catch chronic pain earlier than you'd notice it at home.