Pet Tips

Pain aggression in dogs – Pet tip 257

Pain aggression in dogs – Pet tip 257

Unfortunately the following two scenarios occur from time to time: You’re innocently petting your cat or dog when all of a sudden your pet bites you. The same reaction can happen when you pick up your cat or dog the way you always do, when all of a sudden it bites you. What is going on here? Your pet NEVER bites you, and now that you are trying to show it some love, it bites you. Has your pet gone mad? What might be going on here is pain induced aggression.

It seems so obvious after you bring your pet to a veterinarian to figure out what is going on, but it may be as simple as pain induced aggression. Pain induced aggression means that your pet has exhibited an aggressive behaviour because it is in pain.  This is especially common in older pets that may be suffering from arthritis or perhaps one of their internal organs is bruised or diseased. Accidently putting too much pressure on the ailing part of your pet can cause it great pain, and it can instinctively bite you to stop the pain. Although this is more common in older pets, it frequently happens to outdoor cats of any age. Outdoor cats commonly get into fights with other cats and during these fights cats get bitten and scratched. These bites and scratches are often hidden under the cat’s fur and they can get seriously inflamed or develop into infections if they are not treated. All it takes is some pressure on this painful area by an unsuspecting owner and the cat can instinctively bite.

A great way to avoid situations like this is to have your pet frequently massaged and groomed. Almost all dogs and cats love a good gentle massage. By regularly running your hands up and down your pet’s body you can feel for abnormalities without putting too much pressure on your pet. You get to know what is normal for your particular pet. With regard to cat scratches and bites, if your cat is frequently getting into fights it might be time to turn your outdoor cat into an indoor cat.

Obviously if your pet is biting you, you’ll need to bring your pet into see the veterinarian to accurately diagnose what is going on. If it is an infection, it’s usually easily treated with antibiotics and your pet’s pain will subside quickly. If it’s something more serious than an infection, early treatment is usually the speediest way to recovery.

Leave a Comment

(Additional questions? Ask them for free in our dog - cat - pet forum)