What is Acute Pain?

Acute pain is sudden onset of pain and has only been present for a short period of time.  It is typically associate with injury like a cut, bruise, sprain, broken bone which are generally easier to see.  You can also see acute pain in illness, like an infection, abdominal pain, urinary problems.  Acute pain associated with illness can be more difficult to evaluate as dogs and especially cats will mask their pain, part of their survival instincts.
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Signs of Pain

Our Pets are very good a masking Pain as they have very strong survival instincts "only the strong will survive".  What we can look for is change in animals demeanor or you will see discomfort in their mobility.   
​Remember they cannot communicate with us so it can be difficult to see and understand where the pain is.
Look for signs like:
  • Whimpering/Whining
  • Quiet submissive behavior
  • Loss of appetite
  • Excessive grooming, licking,  biting self
  •  Increased aggression
  • Restlessness
  • Limping, change in gait
 ​Cat Pain - yes they are special
  • Hiding - they don't want to be bothered and also hide their vulnerability to predators (survival instinct)
  • Crying, growling, hissing
  • Limping, difficulty jumping or change in gait
  • Does not want to be touched
  • Change in litter box habits 
  • Squinty eyes, ears down and whiskers up - Grimace Scale 
  • They may not sleep in their favorite spot anymore like the Cat Tree or High Window as they cannot jump

When to see the Vet

If you see obvious trauma please call us immediately so we can access the injury and manage any pain. 
If it is after hours please call Emergency Clinic of Waterloo Region 
If you are unsure or your pet could be showing any of the signs above please call us and we can have a quick chat to see if it is necessary to bring your pet in.  It can be very difficult to determine the issue over the phone, but we can certainly tell by the signs whether or not to bring your pet in.  A physical exam from our vets, they will be able to determine if your pet is in pain, possible causes and immediately be able to offer some pain relief.