These are the telltale ear and tail positions that indicate a dog has hurt themselves

It’s a heartbreaking truth that because our dogs can’t tell us when they’re in pain, it’s hard to know when to see a vet.

But researchers have found they have different ways of showing us when something is wrong, and owners are developing a sixth sense for them.

A team from Ankara University in Turkey surveyed 124 dog owners and asked them if they thought their dog was in pain and if there were any pain-related behaviors.

It found that 13 of the 35 behavioral indicators were noticed significantly more by owners of dogs thought to be suffering from chronic pain.

Certain poses were also demonstrated more by the poor pups, who lowered their tails and ears when they jumped on or off the couch.

The authors wrote: ‘This study shows that owners can recognize some pain-related behaviors and attitudes in their dogs.

It may be suggested that simple pain scales that can be completed by owners and that include basic parameters such as movement-based behaviors and ear-tail positions in everyday contexts could be developed to evaluate chronic pain in dogs.

“Understanding the pain in an earlier period will protect the well-being of dogs and their caregivers by increasing dogs’ quality of life and reducing the financial costs associated with delayed treatment.”

It’s not easy to tell when your pet is in pain, especially since dogs and cats have been found to have a tendency to try mask their pain as a protection mechanism.

Indeed, research has shown that because owners can see changes in their pet’s behavior at home, their observations may be key to early diagnosis of certain conditions.

Despite this, the team found that there is limited research on how dogs experience chronic pain.

For this study, published in Elsevier journal Journal of Veterinary Behaviorthe team wanted to better understand which pain-related gestures and behavioral changes owners notice most.

After collecting the study results, the researchers divided the study dogs into two groups; one with chronic pain, and the second without.

Most of the first group suffered from orthopedic pain, but other types included neurological pain, gastrointestinal pain, and excessive itching.

Most owners of the dogs in pain reported reduced general activity and excessive licking of body parts, 70.3 percent and 64 percent, respectively.

A decrease in some social behaviors, such as tail wagging and delay in welcoming the owner to the door, was also noted in the dogs in pain.

“This finding was not expected, as dogs tend to mask their pain in the face of social benefits or threats,” the authors wrote.

Certain behaviors were exhibited much more frequently in older dogs than in young and mature adults in this group.

These were resistance when walking and standing up, difficulty turning on both sides when lying down, and stiffness when walking.

Some were also seen more in adult dogs than older dogs, such as excessive itching and excessive biting of body parts.

In fact, behavioral changes were mostly noticed in young adult dogs, which the studies say is because “difficulties come most unexpectedly at this age.”

On the other hand, only four behavioral changes were found to be more significant in older dogs with chronic pain.

“This is likely because distinguishing normal aging behavior from pain behavior is challenging for owners,” the authors wrote.

There were also significant differences between the dogs with pain and those without pain in the changes in their ear and tail positions when they performed certain activities.

The researchers wrote: ‘Ear and tail positions can provide clues to predict emotions and symptoms such as pain, stress and anxiety experienced by the dog.’

Dogs in pain tended to partially or partially lower their ears when standing up, going up or down stairs, jumping on or off the couch, and during or after exercise.

While dogs thought to be pain free kept their ears in a neutral position during these activities.

Similarly, dogs in pain were more likely to point their tails down while jumping on or off the couch and while walking up and down stairs than those who were not in pain.

But the healthy dogs were most likely to keep him in a relaxed position or facing upwards.

The researchers wrote: ‘This study shows for the first time that owners can notice some of the pain-related behavioral changes in their dogs.’

They add that since owners need to describe to their vet why they think their pet is in pain, it’s important they have a good understanding of pain-related behaviors.

So they hope their results can be used to create a chronic pain scale for dogs, with a focus on behavioral indicators.

This can be understood and used by owners to help them communicate with their vet.