By Suzi Walsh BSc (Hons) MSc for the Veterinary Ireland Journal
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience typically caused by, or resembling that caused by, actual or potential tissue injury”. This definition highlights that pain involves both physical sensations and emotional distress, making it an important factor to consider in behavioural assessments and treatment.
Pain is frequently overlooked as a contributing factor in canine behavioural problems, despite its profound prevalence and impact. Professor Daniel Mills, a leading veterinary researcher and behaviourist at the University of Lincoln, emphasises that many behavioural issues in dogs are either directly linked to, or exacerbated by, physical pain. Effective management of this pain often leads to a significant reduction or in many cases complete resolution of associated behavioural problems. There is a tendency to view behaviour problems as distinct from medical issues. Behavioural changes are often the first, and sometimes the only, indication of an underlying medical problem, including pain (Denenberg, 2018).
