Signs Your Dog Is in Pain (They Hide It Well)

Dogs in chronic pain rarely yelp. Whining and crying are acute-pain signals — the long-term stuff shows up as changes in behaviour that are easy to read as personality, or as age.

What it actually looks like

Slowing down. Lagging on walks, reluctance to go at all, stopping to sit.
Stairs and jumping. Hesitating at the bottom of steps, no longer getting on the couch, needing a run-up to the bakkie.
Sleeping position changes. A dog that always curled up now lies flat, or vice versa. Struggling to settle, changing position often.
Getting up differently. Front end first, back legs dragged under, a pause before the last push.
Grumpiness. Snapping when touched in one place, not wanting to be groomed, avoiding the children.
Licking one spot repeatedly — often over a sore joint.
Panting at rest in a cool room, which is a genuinely underrated pain signal.
Toileting accidents from a dog that cannot get outside fast enough or cannot hold the posture.

"He's just old" is not a diagnosis

Age is not a disease. Arthritis is, and it is treatable — often dramatically so. The most common thing vets hear from owners after starting pain relief for an arthritic dog is that they got their dog back, and that they had not realised how much had been lost gradually.

What to bring to the appointment

Film a video on your phone of your dog getting up from lying down and walking away, on a non-slip surface, in good light. Thirty seconds of that is worth more than a paragraph of description, because dogs perform beautifully in the consulting room and then struggle in your kitchen. Note when it is worst — first thing, after rest, in cold weather, after exercise.

Never medicate from your own cupboard

Human anti-inflammatories cause stomach ulcers and kidney damage in dogs at doses that seem small, and paracetamol kills cats. Veterinary pain medication is safe, effective and generally not expensive. There is no reason to guess.