Detecting Pain in Pets: Spotting the Subtle Signs

If only our pets could tell us, “Hey, this hurts,” life would be much easier. But pain in animals is rarely that obvious; more often, the quiet changes speak the loudest. A once-enthusiastic fetch game is ignored. A cat no longer curls up on their sunny windowsill. A dog that used to nap contentedly now follows you from room to room.

Animals show discomfort differently to people, but the motivation is the same: they’re reacting to feeling sore, unwell, or just not themselves. Sometimes the signs are clear: a limp, a yelp, a wound. But more often, they’re subtle shifts in behaviour or mood that you, as their person, are best placed to spot.

It might be your easy-going dog becoming snappy or less patient, or your cat disappearing to a quiet room instead of greeting you at the door. They might shy away from favourite activities, seem restless or clingy, or simply “not quite right.”

Acute pain is loud and sudden, like stepping on a thorn or twisting an ankle. You notice it instantly, it’s treated, and with the right care, it eases quickly.

Chronic pain is sneakier. It creeps in slowly, often mistaken for “just old age.” But it’s actually a long-term change in how the nervous system processes pain. It doesn’t always respond to a quick fix, it needs an ongoing, carefully tailored plan to keep your pet moving comfortably.

Dogs can be tricky to read, but cats take hiding pain to another level. A cat can be in quite significant discomfort and still look “fine” at a glance.

Over time, you might notice changes: not jumping onto favourite spots, missing the litter box because it’s hard to get in, grooming less and developing a dull coat, or withdrawing from family life.

Today, tools like the Feline Grimace Scale help us decode a cat’s facial expressions to spot pain earlier. There’s even a simple app, and soon AI will make home monitoring easier for owners.

Anaesthesia can temporarily mask some of the behaviours we use to detect discomfort. That’s why we work on the principle that if something could cause pain in a human, it could cause pain in a pet. We give pre-emptive pain relief before the procedure even starts, then adjust as they wake and we can read their responses.

If your pet has had a tough recovery before, that experience isn’t forgotten; it becomes valuable insight. Each anaesthetic tells us something: how they wake up, how they respond, what helps them settle. We use that information to refine the next plan, adjusting medications, adding extra comfort measures, and keeping a closer watch where it matters most. Every pet responds differently, and knowing their history allows us to be proactive, not reactive, in keeping them as safe and comfortable as possible.

Pain management in pets has improved enormously in the past decade. We now have more tools, better understanding, and more ways to tailor treatment than ever before. With specialist anaesthetic care, even pets with complex health issues can often have procedures safely and recover comfortably.

If you’re worried your pet might be in pain, or you’ve been told anaesthesia could be risky, The Anaesthesia Vet works with owners and local vets across Brisbane and surrounding regions to create safe, compassionate care plans. Contact us to talk through your pet’s needs and see how specialist anaesthesia can help.