How to Tell If Your Pet Is in Pain: Subtle Signs Owners Miss

Dogs and cats have evolved to hide weakness. In the wild, showing pain makes an animal a target. That instinct does not disappear in a domestic setting, which means the animals we love most are often silently uncomfortable while we go about our day not noticing.

Learning to spot the early, subtle signs of pain can make a real difference to how quickly your pet gets help.

Why Pets Hide Pain

Cats are especially good at masking discomfort. Dogs are more expressive but will still power through a surprising amount of pain, particularly if there is something exciting happening. Older animals are often dismissed as "slowing down with age" when they are actually managing chronic pain.

Behavioural Changes to Watch For

These are often the first signs and the ones most commonly attributed to "just getting older" or "being moody":

• Withdrawal or hiding: A social dog suddenly spending time alone, or a cat retreating to unusual spots.
• Reduced interaction: No longer greeting you at the door, less interest in play, not seeking contact they normally enjoy.
• Irritability or aggression: Snapping, hissing, or growling when touched in a specific area — especially in an animal that is usually calm.
• Changes in sleep: Restlessness at night, difficulty settling, getting up and lying down repeatedly.
• Reduced appetite: Not finishing meals, hesitating before eating, losing interest in food or treats they normally love.

Physical Signs

• Limping or favouring a limb: Even subtle favouring — a slight weight shift, placing one paw down more gently — is worth noting.
• Changes in posture: Hunching, a rounded back, a tucked tail, or a head held lower than usual.
• Licking, chewing, or pawing at one area: Constant attention to a single spot often points to pain, injury, or irritation there.
• Squinting or half-closed eyes: Particularly in cats — this can signal headache, dental pain, or systemic discomfort.
• Changes in coat: A cat that stops grooming may be in too much discomfort to reach certain areas. A dog with a dull, unkempt coat may be redirecting energy.

Changes in Everyday Habits

These are easy to miss if you are not looking:

• Difficulty getting up from lying down, especially in the morning
• Hesitating before stairs, refusing to jump onto furniture they normally use
• Going to the toilet in unusual spots (particularly cats — urinating outside the litter box is often pain-related)
• Drinking more or less water than usual
• Breathing faster than normal while at rest
• Panting in dogs when it is not hot and they have not exercised

How to Check at Home

Run your hands gently over your pet's whole body once a week. Feel for:

• Swelling or lumps
• Heat in one area compared to another
• Flinching or tensing when you touch a certain spot
• Muscle loss in one limb compared to the other

This regular check makes it much easier to notice when something has changed.

When to Call Your Vet

Any significant change in behaviour or routine that lasts more than a day or two is worth a call. Trust your gut — you know your animal better than anyone. If something feels off, it often is.

Do not wait for limping to become severe or for eating to stop entirely. Catching pain early almost always means simpler and less expensive treatment.

Tracking Changes

The most useful thing you can take to a vet appointment is a clear record of what you have observed and when. When did you first notice the change? Has it been getting worse? Is there a particular time of day when it seems worse?

A daily care tracker or health record where you log food intake, activity level, and any observations makes this easy — and gives your vet the context they need to make a faster, more accurate assessment.