You just brought home a happy and healthy pet. They look great. There are no clues that would indicate any problems. You can’t tell that anything is wrong. However, take a moment to pause and consider some things that are common to most animals.
Most animals, by nature, try to conceal any pain they have in order to protect themselves against attack by other animals. Any animal whose nature is to attack will go first for another animal that appears weak or injured. So, your pet may not be as healthy as he seems. You must make it a point to carefully watch your pet’s actions because this is vital to protecting their health.There are a number of things you can observe in your pet’s behavior that will give you warning signs that its health isn’t quite right. Pain management has become an integral part of your pet’s overall personal health care, and they will often go to great lengths to conceal the fact that they are hurting.If your pet shows abnormal chewing habits, he may have a dental disorder or a mouth tumor. Additional signs include weight loss, bad breath, or excessive face rubbing. A loss or thinning of hair could be another sign of internal distress. A normal, healthy pet should not show any of these signs.Routine dental checkups are important to treat dental disorders and related mouth pain. Most pet owners neglect their pet’s teeth, but doing so can cause your pet to experience unnecessary pain, especially as they get older.How well you feel and function is related to your weight and dining habits. Humans who are overweight have a greater chance of getting diseases and illnesses, and the same thing applies to animals. If your pet is gaining weight, this could be dietary related. If they are showing a reduced level of activity that isn’t obviously due to age, this could be a result of pain from arthritis. Any type of joint disease will make your pet reluctant to play around and function normally.Shedding extra weight will help your pet reduce pain from joint disease by decreasing the pressure on the inflamed joints. There are several good lines of low-calorie pet foods that are designed to help overweight and sedentary pets lose extra pounds.The lack of verbal expression does not mean that your pet is not experiencing pain. Minor behavioral changes can be cause for alarm. Being aware of normal healthy pet habits can help you and your veterinarian assess and treat your pet’s pain. Your veterinarian will be able to diagnose, treat, and manage pain. If you observe any change in your pet’s behavior, be safe and make an appointment with your veterinarian.