Chronic Pain and Behaviour in Dogs: Understanding Central Sensitisation and Neuroplasticity
What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is defined as the physical or emotional experience of pain that persists for 3-6 months or more. Unlike acute pain, which is a natural response to injury and typically resolves over time, chronic pain lingers long after the initial injury or illness has healed. For dogs, this type of pain can be both physical (e.g., from joint issues like arthritis or muscle strain) and emotional (e.g., linked to anxiety or fear stemming from painful experiences).
This ongoing pain can significantly affect a dog’s behaviour, leading to changes in how they interact with their environment, other animals, and even their owners.
The Impact of Chronic Pain on Behaviour
When dogs experience chronic pain, their behaviour can change in response. Some common signs include:
Increased irritability or aggression (due to constant discomfort)
Reluctance to move or engage in activities (fear of pain)
Withdrawal or isolation from family members
Increased anxiety or stress responses (pain may cause fear of certain movements or situations)
These behavioural changes often result from how the brain processes and reacts to persistent pain. Understanding how the nervous system responds to this prolonged pain is key in managing and treating it.
Central Sensitisation: When Pain Gets Amplified
Central sensitisation is a condition where the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord, becomes hyper-sensitive to pain. This means that chronic pain leads to an amplified pain response, even if the original injury or cause of pain has healed or stabilised.
How It Works:
Pain Transduction – When an injury occurs, pain receptors (nociceptors) send electrical signals to the brain, alerting it to the damage.
Chronic Pain Changes the System – In chronic pain, the nervous system becomes over-responsive. The brain begins to amplify the pain signals, making the body perceive pain even from gentle movements or mild pressure.
Increased Sensitivity – This means that the dog’s body is not only feeling more pain than necessary but is also more sensitive to touch, movement, and other stimuli that wouldn’t typically cause discomfort.
What This Means for Your Dog:
Dogs experiencing central sensitisation may feel constant pain, even when no clear injury exists. They may become more reactive to touch, movement, or other dogs, and it can cause significant behaviour changes, like increased aggression, avoidance, or fear-based responses.
Neuroplasticity: How Chronic Pain Rewires the Brain
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to re-organise itself by creating new neural pathways. In the context of chronic pain, the brain can adapt to ongoing discomfort by re-wiring how it perceives and processes pain signals. While neuroplasticity is typically a helpful, adaptive process, in chronic pain, it can make pain sensations more persistent and intense.
How It Works:
When pain is ongoing, the brain forms new pain pathways, leading it to perceive pain more easily or for longer periods.
These changes make the dog more sensitive to discomfort, even if the original cause of pain has been treated or alleviated.
Chronic pain can lead to long-term behavioural changes, as the brain begins to associate certain movements or environments with pain, creating a cycle of avoidance, fear, or reactivity.
What This Means for Your Dog:
In dogs with chronic pain, neuroplasticity can lead to a maladaptive response. This means that over time, your dog may experience heightened pain levels or discomfort, even after the initial injury is healed, causing them to become increasingly anxious, agitated, or less active.
Managing Chronic Pain in Dogs: A Multimodal Approach
Given the complex relationship between pain and behaviour, addressing chronic pain in dogs requires a holistic approach that targets both the physical and emotional aspects of pain. Here’s what that might look like:
1. Pain Relief Medications
Medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can help reduce inflammation and manage pain at the source. In more severe cases, opioids or other pain relievers may be used under veterinary supervision.
2. Physiotherapy and Hydrotherapy
Exercise and rehabilitation therapies, such as physiotherapy or hydrotherapy, allow dogs to maintain mobility and strengthen muscles without overloading painful joints, improving their overall movement and comfort.
3. Laser Therapy (PBM)
Photobiomodulation (PBM) or laser therapy helps reduce inflammation and stimulates tissue healing, easing discomfort and accelerating recovery.
4. Environmental Adjustments
Provide your dog with appropriate bedding, ramp access, and slippery floor prevention. Modifying their environment can prevent further stress on painful joints and help them move with greater ease.
5. Emotional Decompression
Addressing the emotional component of chronic pain is just as important as physical treatment. Stress and anxiety can amplify pain, so providing your dog with a safe and predictable environment can help manage their emotional response. This may involve gentle handling, providing predictable routines, and limiting exposure to stressful situations.
Final Thoughts
Chronic pain in dogs is not just a physical experience—it’s also an emotional one. Understanding how central sensitisation and neuroplasticity can amplify pain and alter behaviour is key to helping your dog. By implementing a multimodal treatment approach that targets both the physical and emotional aspects of pain, you can improve your dog’s quality of life and support them through the healing process.
