Happy Hounds & Horses, LLC

08/04/2026

There are many things that can be done to help our companion animals go through their senior years as comfortable as possible. A multi modal approach that includes bodywork, appropriately tailored pain relief, home and environment adaptations, will go a long way to make that happen.

Palliative approaches to chronic pain ❤️‍🩹
Palliative care is delivered with realistic expectations, grounded in honest conversation with caregivers, and oriented toward daily living rather than curative endpoints.
📖 Read the article: https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/palliative-approaches-chronic-pain/

07/15/2026

07/07/2026

Have you noticed changes in your dog’s toileting habits?

One question I ask many of my clients is: how does your dog go to the toilet?

It might sound like an odd question, but the way a dog poos or wees can tell us a huge amount about how comfortable they are physically. Toileting is an essential daily activity, and if your dog’s toileting habits or posture change, it can sometimes be a sign that they are struggling with discomfort, pain, stiffness, or reduced mobility.

And yes… some of my clients do send me photos and videos, and I genuinely appreciate them! It may seem a little unusual, but these details can be incredibly useful.

I’m not talking here about the appearance of the poo itself, things like colour, consistency, mucus, and so on. Those things can absolutely matter, but in this case I’m talking about how your dog physically goes to the toilet.

What should you look out for?

Try to notice whether your dog looks comfortable and at ease when toileting. Changes in posture, balance, or confidence can be very revealing. For example:

* Do they struggle to squat fully?
* Do they appear stiff, uncomfortable, or reluctant to lower themselves?
* Do they circle repeatedly as if they can’t get comfortable?
* Do they seem to strain or take much longer than usual?
* Are they avoiding toileting for longer than normal because they don’t want to get into position?
* Are they no longer squatting to poo, but instead staying standing and walking as they go, leaving a trail of poo behind them because they do not want to lower themselves into a full squat?

These changes can sometimes be associated with spinal discomfort, pelvic or hindlimb pain, weakness, reduced mobility, or general pain through the body. I have even seen some dogs do almost a “handstand” posture to avoid putting themselves into a position that feels uncomfortable when toileting.

Some dogs will also begin to hold their poo in because toileting has become difficult or painful. Others may change how often they go, seem unsettled, or repeatedly reposition themselves because they cannot get comfortable.

Why does this matter?

Dogs have to toilet every day, so it’s an important functional movement to pay attention to. If your dog is finding it difficult, that can affect not only their comfort but also their confidence and quality of life.

The photo of Bella is a good example. You may not be able to see it clearly in a still image, but she is very braced and tense here following one of her spinal flare-ups. Her posture, facial expression, and overall body language all suggest that she is struggling.

My advice to owners

Keep an eye on your dog’s toileting habits and, just as importantly, their toileting posture. Small changes can sometimes be one of the first signs that something isn’t quite right.

So next time your dog goes to the toilet, have a little look — not at the poo itself this time, but at how they do it. Are they squatting normally? Are they bracing? Are they circling? Are they standing and leaving a trail rather than lowering into a squat?

These little details can tell us far more than people realise.

Have your dog’s toileting habits changed? Let us know — these small changes can sometimes tell us a great deal about how they’re feeling physically.

07/05/2026

To complement yesterday's Facebook live, our new blog explores joint dysplasia in dogs https://petpainrelief.co.uk/2026/07/01/hip-and-elbow-dysplasia-in-dogs/

07/04/2026

It sure does! 🐾💗🐾

07/02/2026

06/24/2026

This is brilliant!
Thank you to Ruff Day Veterinary Acupuncture and Rehab!

We wrote this last October, in the thick of our own dog Chloe's recovery from surgery. We're publishing it now, months later and with the benefit of hindsight, because those first 24 hours taught us things no discharge sheet ever covered. Chloe has fully recovered — more on that at the end. If y

06/23/2026

This!
Behavior changes that don’t have an obvious reason can be caused by discomfort.

PAIN: THE USUAL SUSPECT

I think many people believe behaviourists go on and on about pain.

I do understand why. But I’ve been doing this a very long time and I cannot tell you how many times I’ve strongly suspected pain and then, sometimes years later, discovered that dog had been in pain all along.

I completely understand why people don’t always want to do a pain trial. Often they don’t think their dog “looks like they’re in pain”.

The problem is that dogs in pain often don’t look how we expect them to. They still run, they still play and they still want to go for walks. What we often see instead is behavioural change.

There are certain behavioural changes that make me immediately wonder about pain. This isn’t an exhaustive list but examples include:

• Sudden onset noise sensitivities or phobias�• Reluctance to continue on walks or wanting to turn back�• Increased sensitivity to being touched, especially when resting�• Anxiety spreading to more and more situations�• “Guarding” of space, beds or their own body�• Anxiety about car travel�• Sudden difficulties with dog interactions when there is a history of previously good social behaviour

This is especially important when nothing else has changed. There hasn’t been a frightening incident, there aren’t obvious new stressors and yet the dog’s behaviour has changed significantly.

Of course these issues are not always caused by pain. But pain is a very common contributor and one that is easy to underestimate.

Many people understandably feel reassured if their dog has had a veterinary examination. I work with some amazing vets and this isn’t a criticism of veterinary care at all. The reality is that it can be extremely difficult, often impossible, to completely rule out pain from a physical examination alone.

Pain trials can be incredibly useful but they aren’t always straightforward either.
I regularly see dogs who have already had a short pain trial before I meet them.

Sometimes that trial has only lasted a week or so. In many cases behavioural change takes much longer. We may need several weeks before we see meaningful improvement.

We also need to quantity what is happening. It’s not enough to simply ask whether the dog seems better. We need to score behaviours before, during and after the trial. We need detailed notes so we can look objectively at whether things have changed.
Sometimes we also need to explore different pain medications as part of the process.

Alongside this, imaging, physiotherapy and other investigations can all be hugely helpful.

Most of my work comes through personal recommendation, which means I often meet friends and relatives of clients I worked with years ago. It also means I hear updates about many dogs long after our work together has finished.

I cannot tell you how many times I hear that a dog I saw years earlier, where I strongly suspected pain but it was discounted at the time, was later found to have a significant pain issue.

None of us have a crystal ball and unfortunately we can’t ask dogs what hurts.

What we can do is listen carefully to what their behaviour is telling us.

Very often, pain is the usual suspect.

Laura McAuliffe, 2026, Dog Communication

06/09/2026

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