Eschborn. Become a pain expert for your animal! With this message, the animal protection organization TASSO, which operates Europe's largest free pet registry, informs pet owners about the topic of pain detection in pets. By looking closely, even the smallest signs of pain in your four-legged friend can be recognized and the cause can be treated early by veterinary medicine.
“Unfortunately, pain in dogs, cats and small pets is often only discovered late and can often be associated with years of suffering for the animals,” says Dr. Laura Witting, veterinarian and animal welfare officer at TASSO. She points out that many animals – especially cats and small pets – are masters at hiding their pain. “It's not always clear with dogs either. During the course of domestication, they have learned that it can be useful not to hide pain from us, but we also have to look closely at them,” says Witting.
This attention is worth it: In many cases, medical help can be provided, for example if dental problems are identified and treated early. The follow-up costs that arise when diseases remain undetected for a long time can also be reduced through early intervention.
Recognizing pain means taking responsibility seriously
“In addition, it is both our moral and legal responsibility to keep our animals free from pain and suffering,” emphasizes Witting. If you know what to look out for, you can easily recognize changes in your own animal and react accordingly, which motivates the veterinarian to take a closer look: “Signs of pain vary slightly depending on the animal species, but some are similar for all animals. The most important thing is to pay attention to changes.” These can affect behavior, posture, facial expression, gait, movement, digestion or even vocalization.
A particularly quick reaction is important for small pets, as pain can lead to reduced food intake, which can quickly become life-threatening for these animals. But the same applies to dogs and cats: To be on the safe side, go to the vet's practice to find out what's going on if abnormalities either appear suddenly and very severely or if signs of pain are observed over a longer period of time.