We all like to think that we would know when our dog was experiencing pain/discomfort but can we ever confidently state that? We usually believe that it would be obvious if our dog was experiencing pain but its often not the case at all as dogs are predisposed to hide or mask pain so often the only clue is in their behaviour. The onset of pain/discomfort can be insidious so can often go unnoticed for months.
In 2020 a study was published by Dr Daniel Mills, a RCVS, European and ASAB recognised specialist in clinical animal behaviour at Lincoln University, that stated that up to 80% of any behavioural problems in dogs and cats has the potential for the cause, and/or contributing factor to be pain/discomfort and that resolving the cause of that pain/discomfort can reduce or even eliminate the behavioural issue.
With this in mind, what type of behaviours could be suggestive that a dog is in pain/discomfort? The word ‘behaviour’ often conjures up negative images of issues such as lunging and barking, guarding and growling type behaviours but ‘behaviour’ can include small changes that you’ve noticed such as slowing down on walks, no longer jumping on sofas or beds, increased anxiety or noise sensitivity or a feeling that something isn’t just right.
A Dynamic Dog Assessment provides additional information to your vet which supports them in their physical examination of your dog and their subsequent diagnosis and treatment. A Dynamic Dog Assessment is a functional assessment of your dog, this means we want to know how they manage their day-to-day life, how they move, how they eat, their likes and dislikes, how they sleep, how they navigate through your house and garden and even how they toilet! The outcome of the assessment is summarised in a report with accompanying evidence and relayed to your vet who you may choose to work with to treat any diagnosed conditions.
What’s Involved
- A 15 min free discovery call
- A 90 min Deep Dive discussion either in your home or via Zoom where we will be exploring every aspect of your dog’s life
- Evidence gathering – the really important part where you take videos and photos of your dog so I can observe them in their day to day life. You will be provided with a detailed explanation about how to go about providing this evidence.
- Analysis – all the evidence given to me during the deep dive along with relevant videos and photos are used to create the detailed report.
- Report – a comprehensive veterinary report is compiled to document my observations and I can liaise with your vet to discuss my findings
- A short term plan to support your dog whilst your vet carries out any required investigations
