Chronic Pain - why it's so vital to understand in relation to canine behaviour

Chronic pain means pain that lasts for a long time — typically longer than three months, or beyond the normal time it takes for an injury or illness to heal.

Key points:
    •    It can be continuous (always there) or intermittent (comes and goes).
    •    It can result from an initial injury, such as a back strain or surgery, or occur without any clear cause (like in some nerve or inflammatory conditions).
    •    The pain may affect any part of the body and often impacts sleep, mood, and daily activities.
    •    It’s different from acute pain, which is a normal, short-term response to injury that goes away as the body heals.
Examples:

• Gut, intestinal pain
• Ongoing back or neck pain
• Arthritis pain 
• Nerve pain (neuropathy, sciatica)
• Migraine or tension headaches
• Post-surgical pain that doesn’t resolve
  
  

How Chronic Pain Develops
1. Acute pain vs. chronic pain
    •    Acute pain is your body’s warning system — it tells you something is wrong (like a cut, sprain, or burn).
    •  Chronic pain happens when that warning system keeps firing even after the tissue has healed, or when nerves and the brain start misfiring pain messages.
Essentially, the pain signal becomes a habit in your nervous system.

The Science Behind It
2. Sensitisation of the nervous system
When pain persists, your nerves and spinal cord can become sensitised, meaning:
    •    They react more easily to stimuli that wouldn’t normally hurt.
    •    They send stronger signals to the brain.
    •    The threshold for pain lowers — even light touch or movement can feel painful.
This is sometimes called central sensitisation.

3. Changes in the brain
Chronic pain can cause structural and chemical changes in the brain areas that process pain (like the thalamus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex).
These changes can:
    •    Heighten pain perception
    •    Interfere with mood, sleep, and memory
    •    Create a “pain loop,” where the brain expects pain and keeps the signal alive
This is why chronic pain can continue even with no ongoing injury.
Emotional & Biological Factors
4. Stress and mood
Stress, anxiety, and depression can intensify pain perception.
The brain’s pain-control systems use the same neurotransmitters (like serotonin and norepinephrine) involved in mood regulation — so emotional distress can amplify physical pain.
5. Inflammation and immune response

In some dogs, ongoing low-level inflammation or immune dysregulation keeps pain pathways active. This is common in conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or nerve damage.

🔄 The Pain Cycle
Chronic pain often creates a self-reinforcing loop:
Pain → stress → poor sleep → fatigue → more pain sensitivity → less movement → stiffness → even more pain

Breaking that cycle often requires multidisciplinary approaches — not just medication, but also movement, physiotherapy and behavioural /emotional support

It is vital you consult with a Veterinary Behaviourist or Veterinary Rehab Specialist to truly understand if chronic pain is present in any dog and influencing their behaviour. It is not always obvious as the dog may appear fit and active. As a Dog Trainer and Behaviour Consultant it is important we work in collaboration with these professionals with any cases for the best outcome for the dog and client.