Many owners can’t believe that their dog is in pain when it leaps in excitement before a walk or is desperate to chase a ball. Kathy Murphy joins Hannah Capon to explain what is happening in a dog’s brain before and during exercise. Chemicals are released, even in anticipation of exercise, that act to suppress pain signals and provide mood-enhancement and motivation. This means that the dog doesn’t listen to its own body and carries on doing activities that are jeopardising joint structures and soft tissue. Kathy provides a fascinating explanation of how dogs can get addicted to activities such as ball-chasing and suggests ways to modify this without causing distress. She recommends that dogs are encouraged and helped to maintain their sensory integration through scentwork and enrichment. (October 2020 FULL VIDEO: You can find the full video in the Member Zone https://caninearthritis.co.uk/member-zone)

Guest info:

Kathy Murphy qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal Veterinary College in 1999. After spending several years in mixed practice she moved to the University of Oxford where she completed two specialised clinical qualifications and was awarded a Wellcome Trust Fellowship for her PhD in behavioural neuroscience. She is the director of the Comparative Biology Centre and recently started Barking Brains (https://www.facebook.com/neuroscienceisawesome/) a project which aims to share information about neuroscience with trainers, behaviourists and interested dog owners.

Key takehomes:

1. Exercise releases natural painkillers: Chemicals like endorphins and endocannabinoids can mask pain during exercise, making dogs less likely to listen to internal signals that tell them to stop the activity.

2. Pain perception is complex: Pain is processed at multiple levels and is influenced by emotional state, past experiences, and external context.

3. Exercise must be carefully managed: Over-exercise can worsen chronic pain conditions like arthritis, even if dogs don’t show immediate signs of discomfort.

4. Motivation can overshadow pain: Dogs may continue activities despite being in pain because of the positive feelings exercise generates.

5. Alternative approaches: Mental stimulation and controlled exercise can provide the benefits of exercise without worsening physical pain.

6. Dogs don’t catastrophize pain: Unlike humans, dogs live in the moment and don’t anticipate future pain, which can delay behavioral signs of discomfort.

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Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.