When Does Pet Behavior Hint at Something More?
Help your clients recognize the signs of pain and understand the underlying change in pet behavior.
It can be difficult for pet owners to understand that the reason they are seeing pet behavior changes is due to an underlying medical issue that results in pain. Obtaining a thorough patient history will help us as veterinary professionals as well as the owner to see which behavior patterns can be related to pain.
In the 2015 AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines,1 there are 3 key indicators to consider when evaluating an animal for pain:
- Consistency of normal behavior
- Loss of normal behavior
- Exhibition of new behaviors
