Dog Symptoms Guide

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Pain
Pain is a difficult subject to discuss. There are many possible reasons for a dog to have pain. It can be the result of trauma, infections, inflammations, tumours, fractures and dislocations, abscesses, haematomas, parasites etc. The most important thing to remember is that dogs do not show pain like we, as humans, do! They will hardly ever ‘cry’ in pain as we might expect. Dogs may show symptoms such as loss of appetite, growling, lethargy, reluctance to exercise, arched stance, increased aggression etc. Just because dogs do not tell us they are in pain, this does not mean that they are not in pain!

One of the more common types of pain is when a dog has arthritis (see also ‘stiffness’). Most older dogs will have some level of arthritis, due to wear and tear of the joints. This invariably leads to some pain in the joint, but many people do not think that their dog is in pain. The stiffness and reluctance to exercise is nearly always the consequence of pain though!

Another common type of pain is abdominal pain, often caused by gastro-enteritis. This can be caused by a sudden change of diet, ingestion of unsuitable objects or infectious causes. The dog will often vomit, sometimes with diarrhoea as well, and will often have an arched stance. The abdominal muscles may appear hard and some dogs will pant heavily.

If you think your dog may be in pain, please seek veterinary advice.

Paralysis
Paralysis is the inability to move or feel. It may affect a part of the body or the whole body. Most cases involve only a part of the body. This can be for instance one leg, or both hind legs, or both left legs etc. Paralysis is often the result of a problem with the nervous system. This consists of the brain, the brain stem, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Anywhere along these parts of the nervous system can we encounter problems. These include infections, tumours, trauma and pressure on the nerves, for instance by a prolapsed vertebral disc (often called ‘hernia’).

One of the more common types of paralysis is that caused by the prolapse of an inter vertebral disc. These are the discs in between the parts of the spine. They can sometimes move upwards into the spinal canal and put pressure on the spinal cord. This often leads to pain, as well as paralysis behind this point on the body. The dog may be unable to stand or walk, have a paralysed tail or be incontinent. Your vet may want to take radiographs (X-Rays) of the spine to find out what the cause of the paralysis is. Sometimes it requires more sophisticated techniques to diagnose the reason for the paralysis, such as a CT scan or an MRI scan.

Paralysis is always a reason to consult your vet straightaway! It may only be possible to treat your dog successfully if it is seen soon after the onset of the paralysis!