09/01/2026
September is Animal Pain Awareness Month 🐾
Pets can’t tell us where it hurts and sometimes the signs of pain are much more subtle than we expect. Changes in behavior, movement, appetite, or even facial expression can give us important clues.
Signs of pain may include:
🐾 Limping, stiffness, or difficulty getting up
🛋️ Hesitating to jump, climb stairs, or play
🍽️ Changes in appetite
😴 Sleeping more or becoming less active
🐱 Hiding or changes in grooming habits
🐶 Restlessness, irritability, or sensitivity to touch
There are also structured tools veterinarians use to help recognize and assess pain.
🐱 Feline Grimace Scale – Looks at subtle changes in a cat’s facial expression, including ear position, eye tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers, and head position. There’s even a free Feline Grimace Scale app that pet owners can use to learn what to look for.
🐶🐱 Colorado State University Pain Scales – These veterinary pain-assessment tools use observations such as behavior, posture, movement, response to touch, and body tension to help evaluate pain in dogs and cats.
These tools can help us recognize pain, but they don’t replace a veterinary examination. Pain can have many causes, and the best treatment depends on the individual pet and underlying condition.
Most importantly, you know what’s normal for your pet. If something seems different even if you can’t quite put your finger on what change then give us a call. 🩺❤️
Feline Grimace Scale:
https://www.felinegrimacescale.com/
Colorado State University Veterinary Pain Scales:
https://vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu/vth/animal-health/pain-management/
📍 Friendship Animal Hospital – Richmond, TX
📞 (281) 239-6500 | friendshipah.com
