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Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly  Here are some words on dogs in pain and just my own opinion but it's based on years of reading about and observing canine pain, dog pack dynamics, canine instincts and behavior, etc., and years and years of working with dogs in foster and my own dogs and hundreds of vet visits with hurting dogs.
I'd give my dog half doses of pain Rx if I were very fearful of it but I'd want any baby in my guardianship not to be in pain when I knew they had it, despite how well he or she is masking the pain. But a limping dog is no doubt feeling pain or the dog would use the leg normally. Pain medicine won't mask their pain to the point they are going to injure themselves unless they are over-medicated. I hate the idea of a dog suffering simply because they won't cry out or whine or talk and tell us how they ache and hurt, which they never can do.
I hurt but still walk on my painful hip and leg when I have to - so do dogs. But I have medication to ease that pain - cannot imagine living in pain with sleep being my only outlet from it. Either pain Rx or anti-inflammatories could keep a little one far more comfortable for the next weeks and relieve the stress of pain and if far better than hurting.
All dogs are stoic to some degree and hide their discomfort to every extent possible instinctively in order to try to stay safe and keep themselves from being shunned/left behind by their pack or attacked by other animals because they are weak. That instinct often requires they needlessly suffer in domestication now that we know they feel pain but are usually masters at hiding all but sudden or shocking type pain. Dogs with traumatic amputations on one leg will still act friendly, wag their tail and even try to play once a little time has passed after the initial trauma. But sentient animals like canines hurt when they have painful medical conditions, injuries or surgery and need human intervention and help when they do. |
Thanks for the input! As I recall, the vet said that since Bella showed no signs of arthritis, her luxating patella is not painful or inflamed at this point in time. I did a quick internet search, and found the same information. Here is a quote from
Kneecap Dislocation in Dogs | petMD :
"Typically, a dog with a dislocated kneecap will exhibit prolonged abnormal hindlimb movement, occasional skipping or hindlimb lameness, and sudden lameness.
The dog will rarely feel
pain or discomfort once the kneecap is out of position, only feeling pain at the moment the kneecap slides out of the thigh bone's ridges."
I think that this standpoint is where my vet is coming from--she (the diagnosing vet) didn't want to overmedicate. But now that you have me thinking about it, I'll put in a call to the vet, just to be sure.