In 2021 my own dog literally severed her paw pad from her paw. A piece of it was literally hanging off and I'm not ashamed to say I freaked out a little bit. I didn't freak out because of the blood or anything but I freaked out because she kept on moving around like nothing really happened. I had to follow the blood spots to figure out she was even bleeding.
When I did follow the trail of blood to my dog she was licking her paws and that is when I saw that she'd torn her pad. But what if it hadn't been so severe that I didn't notice the blood? What if she'd been outside longer and the blood didn't make it inside? Would I know? I'd like to think so but all the possible "what if's" had me baffled.
So, I want you to know some tried and true signs and symptoms of a dog in pain.
1.) Loss of Appetite
If you have a fatty patty like me and they're not eating their food within a reasonable amount of time it's time to pay attention.
2.) Excessive Grooming
Although our pets of course groom themselves, if they're paying a lot of attention to a specific area it's a safe bet that you should take a look.
3.) Awkward/Weird Postures
Have you ever seen an animal with a hurt paw? They usually hold it off the ground as to not put weight on that area. This is av more obvious sign that something is wrong.
4.) Distressing Noises
Another, more obvious sign is if your pet is making whimpering, yelping and even growling noises something may really be bothering your pet and its time to pay some attention.
5.) Antisocial Behavior
Being antisocial especially if you have a "big lap dog" is another sign that something might be very wrong.
All of these signs are just some of the ways to know if it's time to give your pet a good once over to see if you can find any bruises, cuts, etc. If you do find that there is something wrong with your pet do remember to be Calm, Attentive, Effective, and Cautious. Our pets are very aware and intuitive to our emotions and body language. You don't want to cause your pet to panic and put them in a position where they can hurt themselves more or even hurt you and your family out of pain and fear.
Also, just know and remember that things happen. No one is perfect and just because your pet might be hurting does not make you a bad person or owner. As long as you handle the immediate problem, take your pet to the vet if needed, and try to make things safer you're doing an awesome job.
