10 Signs Your Dog Is in Pain (And When to Call the Vet)

Signs your dog is in pain can appear during ordinary activities: getting off a bed, chewing dinner or turning to greet you. A dog may still wag, eat or enjoy company while something hurts.

Look for a change from your dog's usual movement and behaviour, then contact the vet. You can make the surroundings easier without pressing a sore area or asking the dog to repeat a difficult task.

Ten signs your dog is in pain

1. Limping or moving with a different gait

Your dog may favour a leg, shorten a stride or move differently on a familiar walk. Stop the demanding activity and give them a calm place to rest. Ask the vet about the change rather than continuing the walk to see if they loosen up.

If you already have a short clip of natural walking, share it. Do not exercise the dog again solely to get a clearer recording.

2. Difficulty getting up, sitting or lying down

A dog may make repeated attempts to stand or lower themselves more carefully than before. Notice the ordinary transition from their bed without calling them up again. Keep the resting area easy to reach and avoid slippery routes.

Tell the vet which transition has changed. If the dog cannot support their weight or seems severely distressed, seek urgent advice about assessment and transport.

3. Reluctance to use stairs or jump

A dog who normally joins you upstairs may wait at the bottom, or stop jumping into the car. Give access to essential care on one level while arranging advice. Keep them away from a jump they are struggling to make.

Do not pull on a lead to force the climb. Ask the veterinary team about safe assistance, including how to load the dog for the appointment.

4. A changed resting or standing posture

You might see a hunched back, lowered head or an unfamiliar position while lying down. Give the dog room to choose a comfortable position and describe the change to the vet.

A photograph from a distance may help. Avoid repositioning the dog to make the posture easier to compare or pushing on the abdomen to check for a reaction.

5. Yelping, whining or groaning

Sounds during movement, resting or ordinary contact can signal discomfort. Stop the action that prompted the sound and make space. Mention both the sound and what the dog was doing at the time.

Some painful dogs remain quiet. Continue paying attention to movement and habits even if your dog has never cried out.

6. Repeated licking or chewing of one area

A dog may return to the same paw, joint or patch of skin. Look without forcing contact, and tell the vet if there is swelling, skin damage or another visible change. Licking can have several causes that need assessment.

Do not apply a household cream or leftover medicine. Prevent further damage using advice from the veterinary team rather than improvising a tight bandage.

7. Pulling away, growling or snapping when touched

A normally comfortable dog may resist brushing, lifting or a familiar stroke. Stop touching and keep children or visitors from trying again. A warning deserves space, even when the interaction used to be welcome.

Tell the practice before the visit so it can plan handling. Avoid punishment and do not keep touching the area to locate the exact sore point.

8. Restlessness, panting at rest or disrupted sleep

The dog may change positions repeatedly, pace or struggle to settle in their usual quiet place. Keep the room calm and check whether heat or activity explains part of the situation. Report persistent or unexplained changes to the vet.

Breathing difficulty is different from ordinary panting and needs emergency care. Follow the urgent guidance below when the dog appears unable to breathe comfortably.

9. Less interest in food or changed chewing

A dog may approach a meal but leave it, drop food or chew differently. Give the vet the details, including any visible drooling or difficulty swallowing. Do not pry the mouth open to search for a problem.

Keep the usual food information available. Ask the team before changing texture or using food to give unprescribed medicine.

10. Withdrawal or less interest in familiar activities

Your dog may stop following you around, decline a game or seek more quiet time. Offer company without demanding interaction and arrange a health discussion about the change.

Do not write it off as age or stubbornness. A small loss of everyday activity can be the change that brings a problem to veterinary attention.

What to do now if you suspect pain

Contact a vet or emergency clinic immediately for breathing difficulty, collapse, suspected poisoning, seizures, severe bleeding, repeated retching without producing vomit, or straining to pass urine. For suspected heatstroke, move the pet out of heat and begin cooling immediately while arranging urgent veterinary care.

For other signs, contact your vet and describe the change so the team can advise on urgency. Mention injuries, current medicines and any sudden loss of function. Do not wait for a dog to show several signs before asking.

Never give human pain medicines or use another pet's prescription. Give only treatment prescribed for this dog as directed. If you think a current pain plan is no longer helping, call the prescribing team before altering it.

Make everyday access easier while arranging care

Difficulty	Household adjustment	Avoid
Slippery route to the bed	Provide a stable, clear surface and a nearby rest area	Repeatedly making the dog cross it to demonstrate the problem
Stairs between the dog and water	Put accessible resources on the same level	Pulling the dog upstairs
Visitors reaching towards a resting dog	Give the dog a quiet area and explain the boundary	Testing whether another person gets the same response
A difficult transfer to the car	Ask the clinic how to assist or arrange transport	Improvised lifting that frightens or hurts the dog

Keep adjustments modest and easy to reverse when the vet gives a plan. Bedding should be reachable without a jump. Other animals should not have to pass close enough to disturb the resting dog.

Give the vet a short, useful description

Write when you first noticed the change, which ordinary activity is affected and any accompanying changes in eating, toileting or sleep. Add a naturally captured photo or clip if you have one. Bring the current medicine list and prior instructions.

Example call: “Bram usually gets into his bed easily. Since yesterday he has lowered himself slowly and yelped once when turning. We have stopped the long walk and kept him downstairs. He is eating, but his sleep has been disturbed. What should we do about assessment and getting him to you?”

After assessment, ask which activities to limit, how to give prescribed care and what should prompt another call. Share those instructions with every carer so the dog is not invited into a game or jump that the plan excludes.

Avoid the mistakes that hide a change

• Assuming wagging means comfort: consider movement, rest and other habits too.
• Calling stiffness normal ageing: ask about changes that affect daily life.
• Prodding to find the painful spot: leave examination to the veterinary team.
• Increasing exercise to work it out: pause demanding activity and ask for guidance.
• Using a leftover pain prescription: contact the vet before giving an unapproved medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my dog be in pain without limping?

Yes. Pain can show through sleep, posture, chewing, touch sensitivity or changes in interaction. A normal-looking walk does not resolve concerns about another activity.

Should I touch each leg to work out which one hurts?

No. Observe natural movement and let the vet examine the dog. Repeated touching can hurt, worry the animal or trigger a bite.

Is a new refusal to jump into the car worth mentioning?

Yes, especially when jumping used to be easy. Describe when it changed and ask about safe transport. Do not insist on another jump to test the dog.

Can I use a pain medicine previously prescribed for this dog?

Ask the vet first unless it is part of the dog's current instructions. An old prescription may not fit the new problem or current health and medicines.

Resources & Links

These sources explain canine pain signs and how to arrange assessment safely.

• Cornell: Recognising Pain in Dogs — Check changes in mobility, behaviour and daily habits that warrant veterinary assessment.
• PDSA: Home Health Checks — Notice comfort, skin, mouth and movement changes without forcing a painful examination.
• PDSA: Emergency Care for Pets — Prepare urgent veterinary access when signs require more than a routine appointment.

Log symptoms, changes in behaviour, and vet appointments so you can see patterns over time and give your vet the most accurate picture of what has changed and when. Get the Pet Health Record Binder →