Pain in Silence: How to Tell If Your Pet Is Hurting (Even If They Act Fine)🐶✨

By Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc

As a vet, I’ve seen it a thousand times. A dog comes in wagging its tail. A cat purrs and rubs against the carrier door. The owner says, “They seem totally fine.”

But they’re not.

Animals are wired to hide pain—it’s a survival instinct. In the wild, showing weakness can make them vulnerable. So even when they’re hurting, they mask it. That’s why we miss the early signs—and end up seeing things only when they’re bad.

This article is about the subtle signs your pet may be in pain—and how you can detect it early, before it becomes an emergency. I’ll also share how I use Ask A Vet—the app I created—to help pet owners track symptoms and behaviors that often go unnoticed until it’s too late.

🚩 Why Pets Hide Pain

Whether it’s a cat, dog, or farm animal, they all share one biological truth: showing pain is risky. So instead of crying or limping dramatically, pets show discomfort in quiet, subtle ways like:

• Changes in posture
• Reduced activity
• Avoiding touch
• Licking or chewing at a specific area

These signs are often misread as “lazy,” “moody,” or “just getting older.” But as a veterinarian, I can tell you—those are often pain red flags.

🧠 What Pain Looks Like in Dogs

• 🐕 Hesitating before going up stairs or jumping into the car
• 🐾 Licking paws constantly (even with no wounds)
• 😴 Sleeping more—or sleeping in odd positions
• 🍽️ Eating slower or dropping food while chewing
• 🐕🦺 Less enthusiasm for walks, play, or greeting you

Many of my canine patients have lived with chronic joint or dental pain for years before the owner realized it—because their tail still wagged. But the tail doesn't always tell the truth.

😿 What Pain Looks Like in Cats

• 🐈 Not jumping to high places anymore
• 🧼 Grooming less—or overgrooming in one spot
• 🛏️ Hiding more, especially in quiet, dark areas
• 📉 Subtle weight loss or poor coat condition
• 😾 Becoming grumpy or avoiding people

Older cats with arthritis rarely limp. Instead, they stop climbing or sleeping in elevated areas. If your cat suddenly prefers the floor to the bed, that’s a red flag.

Log these behavior changes in the Ask A Vet app—you’ll often see a pattern emerge when it’s written down.

🐐 What About Farm Animals?

Livestock and production animals hide pain even more effectively than pets. That’s why I included farm animal tracking in Ask A Vet. Watch for:

• 🐄 Decreased movement or lameness
• 🐑 Poor appetite or slow chewing
• 🐖 Isolating from the herd
• 🐓 Change in posture or vocalization

Farmers using Ask A Vet can track these behaviors, log outbreaks, and consult a vet remotely—something I’ve found incredibly helpful for preventing larger herd issues.

🔍 What Conditions Commonly Cause Chronic Pain?

Many pets live with pain from conditions like:

• Osteoarthritis – especially in older pets and large-breed dogs
• Dental disease – a huge source of pain, especially in cats
• Ear infections – often chronic and misdiagnosed
• Spinal or disc issues – seen in Dachshunds, Corgis, Bulldogs, etc.
• Undiagnosed injuries – especially after rough play or a fall

Ask A Vet can help you track behavior changes, mobility, and eating patterns—all of which help us identify pain sources faster and more accurately.

🛠️ Tools I Designed to Detect Pain Early

📲 Ask A Vet App

• Track daily behavior, appetite, and energy
• Log symptoms like limping, stiffness, or shaking
• Upload photos or videos of unusual movements
• Speak with a vet directly to get advice and options

🔗 Ask A Vet Smart Tags

My QR pet ID tags connect your pet’s data to their profile—so if someone else is caring for them, they can scan and see meds, allergies, or vet contact instantly.

📈 How to Know If Your Pet Is Improving

The Ask A Vet app lets you track progress too—not just symptoms. If you’ve started pain medication or supplements, you can log:

• How quickly your pet climbs stairs again
• How much playtime returns
• When appetite improves

These data points help me, as your vet, adjust treatment in real-time—not just based on memory or guesswork.

👨⚕️ Final Thoughts from Me, Dr Duncan

One of the hardest parts of my job is seeing animals arrive in pain that could’ve been caught sooner—if only the signs were clearer.

But now they are. Because with tools like the Ask A Vet app, you can log what you see, track changes, and reach out before things spiral. You don’t have to be a vet—but you can track like one.

If you ever think “They’re not acting like themselves,”—you’re probably right. Trust that instinct. I built Ask A Vet to help you act on it.

Let’s stop pain before it becomes suffering—together.