04/08/2026
⚕️ PAIN, BEHAVIOUR + OVERALL HEALTH
Recently Eevee has appeared more stiff, is spending more time sleeping/resting, is overall less active, has had some irregular incidents of abnormal gait and yelping when getting up.
She has also had intermittent gut issues and increased anxiety...
Pain, behaviour and GI health are all closely linked.
It can feel like the chicken or the egg. Is the pain causing the anxiety? Is the anxiety causing the gut issues? Is the anxiety causing pain and gut issues?
Often the answer is that they are all contributing to each other.
Importantly it is also crucial to remember that dogs will hide pain and discomfort and so increases in anxiety, other behaviour changes or GI upset could be the only signs your dog is uncomfortable.
This morning Eevee and I headed to Dr Steve Denley BVSc CVA Grad Dip ABM for an initial assessment and treatment. The vet identified issues with her lumbar sacral region, her iliopsoas and likely soft tissue injury to her right shoulder (I'm sure attempting to yeet herself off a garden bag did not help with this! 😅).
Eevee had her first treatment, has come home on rest + some anti-inflammatories and we will be back next week for her next session.
We should always look at the whole dog. Even when a change appears to be just behavioural/physical/digestive, it may be one part of a much bigger picture. Behaviour does not exist separately from the body, and our dogs deserve for us to keep asking what else might be going on.
