What this means
A dog in pain can react to touch in very different ways: some yelp or flinch, others jump away, turn their head, lick the spot, show their teeth or whine. Sometimes a dog stops allowing a particular place to be touched, such as the tail, head, hip or a joint, although it used to enjoy it. A warm, swollen or tender area of skin also shows that something is wrong there.
Pain is a sign, not a diagnosis. It can come from joints, bones, muscles, skin, the tail or a wound, and only a vet can find out which. A dog in pain should not be pressed or tested repeatedly, because that can cause more pain and even a normally gentle dog may bite. It is better to watch from a distance and note where and how your dog reacts.
Write down which part of the body hurts, when you noticed it, whether your dog is limping, whether it has trouble chewing or getting up, and whether the spot is warm, swollen or red. If possible, photograph the area so the vet can see the change. Do not guess at home and do not try to ease your dog's pain on your own judgement: a vet has to assess it.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Joint pain
When joints are inflamed or worn, a dog may react irritably to touch. Limping or difficulty getting up is often seen with it.
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Bone or bone growth problems
In some growing dogs bones or cartilage develop abnormally, and then the head, a joint or the hip hurts. The dog may limp or yelp when touched.
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A problem with the tail
The tail can hurt after an injury, inflammation or muscle strain. The dog holds the tail limp, will not let it be touched or licks it.
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Inflammation of the jaw muscles
When the chewing muscles are inflamed, a dog feels pain when the head is touched or when it tries to open its mouth. Eating may be hard.
About the condition: Masticatory muscle myositis -
A skin wound or hot spot
A wound, cut or inflamed patch of skin is warm, tender and painful. The dog pulls away or flinches when touched.
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A muscle or tendon strain
After active play or a bad jump a muscle can hurt. The dog protects the sore spot and reacts when it is touched.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Which part of the body hurts and how your dog reacts: yelps, pulls away, turns its head
- Whether the area is warm, swollen, red or has a visible wound
- Whether your dog limps, has trouble getting up or climbing stairs
- Whether it has trouble chewing or opening its mouth
- Whether it holds its tail oddly or does not want to move
- Whether appetite, behaviour or sleep have changed
When to book a routine visit
If your dog repeatedly reacts to touch as if in pain, book a vet visit. Say which spot hurts, when you noticed it and whether your dog is still limping.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Arthritis Bones and joints Arthritis is inflammation of the joints in which the cartilage gradually wears down, leaving the joint stiff and painful. It can develop with age, after an injury or because of joints that did not form properly. Ongoing pain limits how freely and comfortably a dog moves, so changes are worth showing to a vet.
- Craniomandibular osteopathy (lion jaw) Bones and joints Craniomandibular osteopathy is a disease of growing puppies in which extra bone builds up irregularly on the lower jaw and on some bones of the skull. The thickened bone is painful, and changes near the jaw joint can make it hard for the dog to open its mouth wide, chew and eat. The condition is thought to be inherited, and its course and how much it has affected the jaw are for a vet to assess.
- Happy tail syndrome Bones and joints Happy tail syndrome is an injury to the tip of the tail that happens when a dog wags so hard that it keeps hitting the tail against walls, furniture or door frames. The wound at the tip keeps reopening, so it heals poorly, hurts and can become infected. Dogs with long, thin, short-haired tails and a cheerful, energetic nature are more at risk.
- Hot spots (acute moist dermatitis) Skin and coat A hot spot, or acute moist dermatitis, is a patch of skin that suddenly turns moist, red and painful, which the dog makes worse by licking or scratching it. It can spread within hours, and it can be set off by something else, such as itching from parasites or an allergy. A vet should look at the patch and decide what to do.
- Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease Bones and joints This is a condition in which the blood supply to the head of the thigh bone is disrupted, so the bone tissue starts to break down and the head of the thigh bone loses its proper shape. The hip joint becomes painful, arthritis can develop, and the dog avoids putting weight on the leg. It affects growing puppies, so limping in a young dog shouldn't be left to sort itself out.
- Limber tail syndrome Bones and joints This is a painful condition of the muscles at the base of the tail in which the tail suddenly goes limp and the dog can no longer lift or wag it. It is linked to muscle strain, for example after a long swim, especially in cold water, hard exercise, or a long time spent in a cramped cage or travel crate. A tail injury or other problems can look similar, so a tail that has suddenly gone limp is worth showing to a vet.
- Masticatory muscle myositis Nerves and muscles Masticatory muscle myositis is an autoimmune disease in which a dog's immune system attacks the chewing muscles on the head. The inflamed muscles are painful and swollen, and over time they can waste away and stiffen, making it harder and harder for the dog to open its mouth. The sooner a vet sees the dog, the better the chance of keeping the jaw moving.
- Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) Bones and joints This is a joint disorder of growing dogs in which the cartilage lining a joint does not develop as it should: it becomes too thick, attaches poorly to the bone and can crack or flake away. A loose flap or fragment of cartilage irritates the joint, causing pain and inflammation, and over time it can contribute to arthritis in that joint. A young dog can limp for other reasons too, so what is happening in the joint is for a vet to decide.
- Skin cuts and tears Skin and coat This is an umbrella term for a range of skin wounds, from shallow scrapes to deep cuts or tears left by sharp objects, branches, fences or bites from other animals. Thin or loose skin, the paw pads and the edges of the ears are injured more easily. Even a small wound can be deeper than it looks and can become infected, so how badly the tissue is damaged is for a vet to assess.
Body systems: Bones and joints Skin and coat Nerves and muscles