Is my dog depressed? If you’ve asked this question, the behavior changes you are seeing may indicate that your dog has chronic pain.
We know that humans who endure chronic pain often also experience anxiety and depression. So what about our dogs?
Vet Tech Specialist Tasha McNerney explains some of the behavioral changes you might see if your dog is experiencing chronic pain, as well as a variety of the different medications and therapies that can be used to help relieve or prevent that pain from occurring.
And while we don’t know for sure yet, it is also possible that dogs who are constantly stressed out become more sensitive to pain and experience discomfort, just like people do.
Listen in to learn how to recognize possible chronic pain versus acute pain, what conditions might cause chronic pain, and when to seek veterinary help if your dog just doesn’t seem right.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:
- Pain Scoring Systems from North Carolina State University: https://cvm.ncsu.edu/research/labs/clinical-sciences/comparative-pain-research/clinical-metrology-instruments/
Related Links:
- Pain Management PLUS: Natural Pain Relief for Dogs article - https://www.dogcancer.com/perspectives/drugs/pain-management-plus-natural-pain-relief-for-dogs/
- Pain Control for Dogs After Surgery podcast episode - https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/side-effects/pain-control-for-dogs-after-surgery-tasha-mcnerney-cvt/
- Stress in Dogs article - https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/causes-and-prevention/stress-in-dogs/
About Today’s Guest, Tasha McNerney VTS:
Tasha is a Certified Veterinary Technician from Glenside, PA. She is also a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and works closely with the IVAPM to educate the public about animal pain awareness. Tasha became a Veterinary Technician Specialist in anesthesia in 2015. Tasha loves to lecture on various anesthesia and pain management topics around the globe and was recently named the VMX 2020 Speaker of the Year for veterinary technicians. Tasha travels across the U.S. to consult with veterinary hospitals on best anesthesia practices. Tasha has authored numerous articles on anesthesia and analgesia topics for veterinary professionals and pet parents. In her spare time Tasha enjoys reading, spending time with her husband and son, and recording the Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds Podcast.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasha-mcnerney-ba8bba1b7/
https://www.tiktok.com/@vettektasha
0:00 Start
3:06 Behavior Changes Matter
7:30 Don’t Let Pain Wait
9:12 Pain Scoring
11:49 Multimodal Pain Control
15:16 Signs of Distress
19:51 Chronic Pain and Depression
22:18 Emotion and Stress
27:48 Changes in Appetite
28:43 Lack of Joy
29:53 Windup Pain
33:55 Gabapentin
40:34 Distress Causing Pain or Pain Causing Distress?
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