February 17, 2011

What Your Dog Can't Tell You


I wish my dogs could talk. I am genuinely interested in their opinions, and have consulted them on all kinds of topics. Which dress should I wear? Is it too cold to go outside? Are you as hungry as I am? Do these pants make my butt look big?

One area for which the gift of language would be a huge plus, is with regard to our dogs' health issues. Most importantly,

How do you know when your dog is in pain?



Dogs are known to mask their pain voluntarily, particularly when the pain is caused by something they enjoy, including playing/running/catching/chasing/eating. Dogs with burned pads have been known to continue to run alongside their oblivious owners, in their comfy running shoes, for miles past the point of pain. Veterinarians see it all the time.

But what about internal pain? Stomach issues, ear aches, sore throats and headaches are all conditions that dogs can and do get, but we humans generally miss these painful problems until and unless theres' an external manifestation of internal pain. Throwing up, scratching at the ear or rubbing it on surfaces, coughing or choking are usually what we see when the pain has reached a point of being unbearable.

My dog Katie has allergies that have affected her skin, ears and eyes. I can only imagine that she has stomach or other internal discomfort related to allergic reactions, but I never know anything until the skin erupts, the ear is infected, the eye begins to tear.

Our job then is to be looking for behaviors that could indicate that something "lies beneath."  If i could just ask her, "How are you feeling?"  I would feel a heck of alot better.