17d • Insights & Learning 🧠
Malkani R et al. How does chronic pain impact the lives of dogs
Hi all, I hope you found the live useful😁
Here's a quick overview. I've attached a PDF with a more thorough review of the study.
This study looked at how chronic musculoskeletal pain affects dogs’ overall quality of life, not just movement, but emotional wellbeing, behaviour, sleep, and daily enjoyment.
The key takeaway is that chronic pain doesn’t only show up as limping or stiffness. Many of the biggest impacts were emotional and behavioural: increased anxiety, lower tolerance, slower recovery from stress, withdrawal from play, and reduced engagement with the world.
Importantly, dogs with pain didn’t always “look unwell.” Body weight and outward appearance were poor indicators, meaning pain can be easily missed if we only look for obvious physical signs.
The study reinforces something many of us suspect:
👉 behaviour change is often an early clue, not a separate problem
👉 pain reduces resilience, choice, and enjoyment
👉 wellbeing declines can happen long before pain is clearly recognised
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Malkani R et al. How does chronic pain impact the lives of dogs
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