The Animal Emergency Care veterinary hospital in Bellingham, WA has created an informative guide to help pet owners understand the different categories of pain their animals can experience.

You can read the full article on their blog, here’s a quick overview.

Acute Pain: A noticeable response to a recent sudden event. Your pet can experience acute pain from cuts, burns, or other types of trauma such as being hit by a car. Pain after surgery is also classified as acute.

Signs of acute pain include reluctance to be touched or held; limping; licking, biting, or guarding the affected body part; and hiding in a secluded area.

Chronic Pain: This kind of pain can be less severe than acute pain, but it is ongoing. Chronic pain can be experienced by older pets, and pets with certain conditions like periodontal disease and arthritis.

Pets with chronic pain may show signs of decreased appetite and interest in play; changes in how they walk, sit, or even breathe; and irritability.

Cancer Pain: AEC notes that cancer pain can unfortunately be both acute and chronic. Bone tumors tend to be one of the most painful cancers. Cancer treatment can also cause pain in pets.

Signs of cancer-related pain include decreased appetite and weight loss, lack of energy, swelling of the joints or abdomen, abnormal bleeding, and wounds that don’t heal.

Neuropathic Pain: This type of pain occurs when a pet’s brain, nerves, or spinal cord are affected. Causes of neuropathic pain include conditions like intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and phantom limb pain after an amputation.

Look for signs of lameness or limping, twitchy skin (from a pins and needles sensation), incontinence, and muscle weakening.

If your pet is showing signs of pain, see your vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.