Yaz Porritt: Natural Solutions for Canine Pain – Recognizing and Managing Your Dog’s Discomfort | E57

[00:00:00] We have to remember that old age isn't a disease. Osteoarthritis is a disease, you know? It's about helping facilitate a lifestyle around our dog to get the absolute best out of them. Just because they're getting old doesn't mean that they have to live in pain, but also pain can occur in young dogs.

[00:00:27] Welcome to the Pet Care Report podcast by Pet Summits. Here's your natural dog healthcare host, Alora McKinley.

[00:00:33] G'day guys, thanks for joining me again on another episode. I'm sure I'm not the only pet parent that sometimes wishes my dog could talk. It would make looking after them, their health, a fair bit easier if we could ask them how they're feeling, where it hurts, why they didn't eat that meal I so lovingly prepared, or my most common question at the moment would be why my dog chewed my shoe again.

[00:00:57] Unfortunately, we can't, but to help us understand our pet's pain a little bit better, I'm going to introduce you to Yaz Porat. Yaz is a canine massage therapist and applied herbal choices consultant. These qualifications provide the foundation for her specialism in pain management and all aspects of natural canine health. Welcome to the podcast, Yaz.

[00:01:18] Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm absolutely thrilled to be here.

[00:01:22] So when it comes to pain in dogs, what are some common signs that indicate a dog is in pain?

[00:01:28] So when I'm looking to assess whether or not a dog is painful, I refer to my four pillars of pain.

[00:01:35] I find that just nipping down these categories can make it really easy for pet parents to identify if there is a potential issue.

[00:01:42] So the first one would be changes in behavior. So research shows that 80% of changes in behavior can potentially be attributed back to pain.

[00:01:53] So behaviors like new noise sensitivity, an increase in dog reactivity, human reactivity, resource guarding is another one.

[00:02:03] So some of these issues, even lead pulling, I have seen linked to pain.

[00:02:08] So some of these behaviors, people can look at them kind of in almost like a two-dimensional aspect and they go,

[00:02:15] okay, the dog is resource guarding. I now need to get a behaviorist in to fix this issue.

[00:02:21] And of course, absolutely, we should be working with our fostering practitioners, but is there another dimension to that resource guarding?

[00:02:28] So, for example, if a dog is in pain in their lower back and they're having to lean down to enjoy that treat, for example,

[00:02:37] and the pet parent goes, oh, I'd like to do a swap with you now for whatever reason, and they go, no, I've had to work through pay,

[00:02:44] which has then increased the value of said item. So yeah, I'm on a resource guard.

[00:02:49] So it's very much, you know, it's 3D. There's lots of different aspects to it.

[00:02:53] So that's just an example of behavior. Another one would be changes in gait.

[00:03:00] So gait is basically just the way that the dog is moving.

[00:03:03] So given that we have lots of different breeds, we've got everything from a tiny little daxi up to a massive mastic,

[00:03:10] the way that they move is going to be different.

[00:03:14] So it's really important for me to understand breed differences first and then look for those gait abnormalities.

[00:03:19] So one of my most popular services would be my online gait analysis.

[00:03:25] So I have a lot of customers in Bay, Qatar, in the UK, in Europe.

[00:03:31] I have some in the States as well where basically they submit footage and I assess the biomechanics of the way that the dog is moving.

[00:03:38] When we find those abnormalities, we can potentially create a map back to where something is painful.

[00:03:45] So changes in movement is a really big one. It changes in posture.

[00:03:49] They can be a little bit trickier for pet parents to identify.

[00:03:53] But if you look at the way that a dog weight bears, so we weight bear, you know, we go 50% in one foot, 50% in the other.

[00:04:00] And we're leaning to a hip and we can shift our weight, right?

[00:04:03] With our dogs, they carry 60% of their weight in the front and 40% of their weight in the back.

[00:04:09] Like if, say for example, the left hind limbs, so the left back leg, isn't able to fully weight bear, they'll shift it over into the other side.

[00:04:18] And then the other side goes, I'm trying to do my job and your job as well.

[00:04:22] You're joking me.

[00:04:23] And they start to shift that weight forward.

[00:04:25] Then we start seeing those postural changes.

[00:04:28] So we'll see that maybe the dog's point of hip is higher than their shoulders.

[00:04:33] They're kind of like this instead of a nice top line.

[00:04:36] So those changes, though, they can take a long time to make themselves apparent.

[00:04:43] And then the final one would be changes in capabilities.

[00:04:47] Now, these ones tend to creep in really slowly.

[00:04:50] So it's not, you know, all of a sudden, oh, my dog stopped jumping on the sofa.

[00:04:55] You don't even bank it.

[00:04:56] You just go, it's something that pet parents and, you know, me, I am human as well.

[00:05:01] I don't tend to pick up those changes in capabilities as quickly as what I'd like because they take a long time to creep in.

[00:05:10] So, you know, has my dog always hesitated before getting into the car?

[00:05:14] They always hesitated going up and down the stairs.

[00:05:17] So it's those ones that tend to be the last, the bottom of the list to be noticed by pet parents.

[00:05:22] Do you find that pet parents looking back can see some early signs that have led up to maybe a big issue?

[00:05:28] Absolutely.

[00:05:29] So it's usually when it's that first initial assessment.

[00:05:33] So I've got a really busy clinic that I have in West Yorkshire and pet parents bring their dogs to me and go,

[00:05:40] hell, I think my dog's painful.

[00:05:41] We've done the imaging.

[00:05:42] We can't see anything.

[00:05:43] We've been to numerous vets.

[00:05:45] We can't find what the issue is.

[00:05:48] I think they're in pain.

[00:05:50] And I refer back to those four pillars and I go, okay, let's talk about it.

[00:05:53] And I write it down.

[00:05:54] I've got a whiteboard in clinic.

[00:05:55] I've got a right behavior, posture, gait.

[00:05:58] So those are the bits that I can talk about.

[00:06:00] And with the capabilities, I just start giving examples.

[00:06:04] So, okay, talk to me about when they get in and out of the car.

[00:06:08] Yeah, they can get in and out of the car.

[00:06:09] And I go, okay, well, but is there a hesitation then?

[00:06:12] And they go, oh, yeah, actually.

[00:06:14] There's like a pause before they feel able to jump in.

[00:06:18] And it's just, you know, pet parents have got the puzzle pieces.

[00:06:22] They've got them all.

[00:06:23] You know, it's their dog.

[00:06:24] It's me that helps put that puzzle together for them.

[00:06:28] And they go, oh, okay.

[00:06:30] You know, we have to remember that the old age isn't a disease.

[00:06:35] Osteoarthritis is a disease, you know.

[00:06:36] And it's about helping facilitate a lifestyle around our dog to get the absolute best out of them.

[00:06:43] Just because they're getting old doesn't mean that they have to live in pain.

[00:06:46] But also pain can occur in young dogs.

[00:06:50] I don't know what it is, but there tends to be this almost like dismissive that a dog that's, say, one can be painful in their hips.

[00:06:57] And I'm like, no, like, you know, babies can feel pain.

[00:07:00] Puppies can feel pain.

[00:07:01] Of course, a dog that's one years old can feel pain, you know.

[00:07:04] It doesn't, you know, switch on when they get to six and go, oh, actually, I now feel pain.

[00:07:09] It's like, you know, that mechanism's always been there.

[00:07:11] And now in your extensive experience dealing with pain and helping pet parents, what are some natural remedies that you found really helped to manage and relieve the pain in dogs?

[00:07:21] Okay.

[00:07:21] So I love, love, love species-appropriate feeding.

[00:07:26] So that's any kind of fresh feeding.

[00:07:28] So that may be raw.

[00:07:29] That can be cooked as well.

[00:07:31] It doesn't have to just be raw.

[00:07:32] So first, you know, look at the foundations of the diet.

[00:07:36] Is this a diet that is promoting inflammation or promoting anti-inflammatory properties?

[00:07:41] With your fresh feeding, your species-appropriate diets, you know, we have a significant lower input of carbohydrates.

[00:07:48] So if you look at your dry diets, they are very carbohydrate heavy.

[00:07:52] So that would be kind of like the first thing that I'd be looking at.

[00:07:54] Before we start adding in all the fancy supplements and doing the Instagram-ready balls, what are we doing with the base of that diet?

[00:08:00] Sometimes it could be that the pet parent isn't able to feed fresh.

[00:08:04] And that's okay.

[00:08:06] I'm very much about working with what suits the pet parent.

[00:08:10] You know, I give you a buffet of options and they pick what's best.

[00:08:14] So there was research that showed this was at dog's risk in Helsinki.

[00:08:19] If we change at least 20% of what that food bowl looks like, we can start to see some of those health benefits.

[00:08:26] So fresh feeding is a big one.

[00:08:28] If you're just wanting to supercharge your food bowl, I'm always going to come at it from a pain angle.

[00:08:34] So I'm looking at, okay, one of the biggest things I deal with is joint pain.

[00:08:38] So I want omega-3 content in there.

[00:08:41] So that's your small oily fish.

[00:08:44] I'm not the biggest fan of salmon oil because it can go rancid quite quickly and be exposed.

[00:08:50] You know, when it's exposed to light and oxygen, if we can move towards whole sources of, you know,

[00:08:58] like little sprats or smell or mackerel, keep it nice and small.

[00:09:02] It means that the metal toxins aren't going to be as heavy in the fish.

[00:09:05] But if you, you know, if you don't have the freezer space or the thought of raw fish makes you want to kick,

[00:09:11] then, you know, of course there is good salmon oil out there.

[00:09:15] Just make sure that the container that it is in isn't clear plastic.

[00:09:21] And we want to ideally have a pump for it as well.

[00:09:25] Because if it's a screw top, what you're doing every time that you take that top off is you're allowing oxygen back in.

[00:09:29] So it's very much a scale of like progression.

[00:09:32] So for me, the whole food sources of omega-3 is right at the top.

[00:09:37] And then, you know, sometimes that's not achievable for people and that's okay.

[00:09:41] So we kind of run our way down.

[00:09:42] Okay, so we might have dried sprouts, we might have a fish-based food.

[00:09:46] And then we've got salmon oil.

[00:09:48] I'm just super picky when it comes to adding in stuff to the bowl.

[00:09:51] I want it to be cost-effective but also effective at the same time.

[00:09:55] So omega-3s is a big one.

[00:09:57] And my next one would be, I'm looking to target kind of another anti-inflammatory component through herbs.

[00:10:05] The easiest one, chamomile tea.

[00:10:08] Chamomile tea, you can pick it up in the supermarket.

[00:10:10] Okay, you can get organic chamomile tea at a very reasonable price as well.

[00:10:16] Because of course, how we grow the plants changes the energetic profile of that plant.

[00:10:21] So organic's my preference.

[00:10:22] But if not, that's okay.

[00:10:25] Chamomile is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory herbs that you can add into the diet.

[00:10:32] So what I say to people is, okay, you need to brew your tea for three minutes.

[00:10:36] You take your tea bag out.

[00:10:38] Keep that in the freezer or pop it in the fridge.

[00:10:41] If your dog ever needs, you know, like their eyes cleaning or anything like that, it's perfect for just cleaning their eyes.

[00:10:47] Or you know with them, like your brachy breeds and stuff, when they have like the folds in their skin,

[00:10:52] you can choose this really nice, gentle way to clean.

[00:10:56] And then with the tea, you can either add it straight into the food bowl.

[00:11:01] That's a choice.

[00:11:02] Part of me though, because I'm an applied herbal choices consultant, is all about giving choice.

[00:11:08] So with my herbal sessions, you know, we'll have like 20 different herbs out.

[00:11:14] And then we'll have hydrolats, hydrosols and all of the fun stuff.

[00:11:18] And the dog chooses what they want to interact with.

[00:11:21] When we're adding that chamomile tea into the bowl, is it taking away choice?

[00:11:25] Yes, it is.

[00:11:26] But it's just something to be thinking about, I always say.

[00:11:29] And again, every dog is individual.

[00:11:32] I always say, you know, just see if they like it.

[00:11:35] It's quite a bitter taste, this chamomile.

[00:11:37] And it needs to be bitter, you know.

[00:11:39] For its digestive properties, anti-inflammatory properties, it needs to have that bitter taste to it.

[00:11:43] If they really don't like it, please don't put it on the food.

[00:11:46] Because, you know, you're poisoning the whole bowl and they're going to eat it because they want to eat the food.

[00:11:51] So just be mindful of that choice.

[00:11:53] So my dogs absolutely love drinking herbal teas.

[00:11:57] You know, every time I make a cup of herbal tea, there's a dog kind of lurking around going,

[00:12:00] Oh, we've got to do them both.

[00:12:01] And then my next thing would be adding in glucosamine and chondroitin.

[00:12:06] So bone broth.

[00:12:08] Bone broth is one of the absolute superheroes when it comes to joint health.

[00:12:15] If you look at the building blocks of the joint, you know, we've got glucosamine and chondroitin in there.

[00:12:21] And if we have arthritis in a joint, it slows down the production of that beautiful synovial fluid that's there to keep the joint nice and happy and moving.

[00:12:31] And bone broth, it's not just about joint health.

[00:12:34] It's about taking care of the microbiome as well.

[00:12:37] Because all inflammation, you know, as we know, starts in the gut.

[00:12:40] If we can help look after that gut with bone broth, it then, you know, it affects how inflammation is cascaded across the body as well.

[00:12:50] So yeah, omega-3s, anti-inflammatory and glucosamine and chondroitin.

[00:12:54] Those are like my three, you know, chef's kiss ingredients to add in.

[00:12:58] And are there any physical therapies that you'd like to utilize to help with pain?

[00:13:02] Yes.

[00:13:03] So obviously, I'm a massage therapist.

[00:13:06] So soft tissue-based work is my preference.

[00:13:10] So the way that I work in clinic is consent-based treatment only.

[00:13:14] So that means that the dog opts in and opts out of treatment.

[00:13:19] So I have my own clinic where I'm here now.

[00:13:25] And I basically, we shut the door and the dog has any harnesses, collars, anything taken off.

[00:13:31] And they are just free to explore the room to begin with.

[00:13:34] I really want the dog to emotionally be on board with the treatment that I'm providing.

[00:13:40] The reason for that is pain is an emotional experience as much as it is a physical experience as well.

[00:13:46] So taking the time to open up that line of communication between myself and the dog.

[00:13:52] If the dog is painful and they've come for a massage, they don't understand the concept of a massage.

[00:13:59] It's down to me to earn their trust.

[00:14:01] And one way to do that is through force-free techniques and respecting their boundaries.

[00:14:06] If they're going, I don't want you to touch me there.

[00:14:08] I need to opt out and move.

[00:14:10] I'd rather them do that than tell me with their teeth that they don't want me to touch something.

[00:14:14] You know, like, you know, as much as I love working with dogs, we have to respect that they are sentient beings.

[00:14:20] They have their own thoughts and feelings about situations.

[00:14:23] And it's down to me to make them feel safe because pain can make you feel very unsafe.

[00:14:30] You know, it's obviously there is a protective mechanism.

[00:14:34] We need to feel pain.

[00:14:36] It's a necessary evil, but it can isolate us.

[00:14:39] It's down to me to open up that line of communication.

[00:14:41] So I love, love, love, love, love massage.

[00:14:45] I do a lot of myofascial work as well.

[00:14:48] A little bit of acupressure.

[00:14:50] I wish I had the time to learn more about that.

[00:14:52] Basically, you're working on the same points that acupuncture would be.

[00:14:56] But you're using your hands instead of needles because in the UK, it's only vets that can do acupuncture.

[00:15:01] I love underwater treadmill.

[00:15:03] I think we need to be leaning more underwater treadmill, especially for strengthening.

[00:15:09] Again, it's very dog-to-dog dependent whether or not they will go on an underwater treadmill.

[00:15:14] It can be a little bit stressful.

[00:15:16] But if we can just persevere a little bit, the benefits.

[00:15:21] Oh, my days.

[00:15:21] The muscle mass that we can create in water in a controlled environment is phenomenal,

[00:15:27] which then feeds into what I'm doing, land-based and softening those tissues that are building.

[00:15:34] And in your experience, how long do you find this treatment takes to see an improvement in a dog?

[00:15:38] With massage, usually within about three sessions or something like that.

[00:15:44] The first session is talking.

[00:15:48] We do a lot of talking.

[00:15:50] So I want to know everything about this dog.

[00:15:53] How did they come into this world?

[00:15:54] Was it via a C-section or was it a natural birth?

[00:15:57] What kind of vaccination protocols are we on at the moment?

[00:16:00] Are we using chemical flea and worm treatment?

[00:16:02] It's not a case of, oh, use chemicals.

[00:16:05] There's the dog.

[00:16:06] Absolutely not that at all.

[00:16:08] It's about helping people make informed choices about the health care they provide for their dogs.

[00:16:13] So that first session is a real big deep dive.

[00:16:16] And when we do that deep dive, I'm also looking at, okay, how's the dog moving around the room?

[00:16:22] So I don't know if you're familiar with, I think she's called Sarah Fisher and she does free work.

[00:16:28] So it's basically where you set up, say, loads of snuffle mats and sniffy things and just watch the dog move around the room.

[00:16:36] So it's a little bit like that.

[00:16:37] So I'm watching them move.

[00:16:39] So I'm assessing them whilst talking to the pet parents.

[00:16:41] And then I get on the mat and see if they want to interact.

[00:16:44] And if they don't, I've got, I use Fetizo LED treatment in clinic.

[00:16:49] So using red light to promote photobiomodulation.

[00:16:54] So basically we're looking to heal on a cellular level using light.

[00:16:58] And usually if I can't get hands on with the dog, they are very receptive to the LED treatment.

[00:17:04] And then the next time they come, they're like, oh, okay.

[00:17:07] I know the layout of the room.

[00:17:09] I know it smells like dog.

[00:17:10] You didn't put a thermometer up my butt.

[00:17:13] So I know that you're not a vet, I think.

[00:17:15] I think because I've got a lot of dogs that are very shy around the bums because obviously when they come to see me,

[00:17:20] they're like, it smells like dogs in here.

[00:17:22] You might be a vet, but I'm not sure.

[00:17:26] She's evil.

[00:17:27] She's evil.

[00:17:28] I'm not quite sure yet.

[00:17:29] So that's why I'm so hands off.

[00:17:31] I'm really, really hands off.

[00:17:32] Unless the dog really wants to be, you know, touched, then I'm like, oh, okay, okay.

[00:17:37] I just tend to vibe with them.

[00:17:39] Whatever the dogs, you know, I'll just go with the flow.

[00:17:41] And then it's usually like the second session we can really kind of get into it with the massage.

[00:17:48] And then by the third session, they'll go, oh, I could tell that they were due an appointment.

[00:17:53] I go, okay, let's unpick that.

[00:17:55] How could you tell?

[00:17:56] Well, they started pacing a little bit at the end of the walk.

[00:17:59] And before, you know, when they just had the previous session, we hadn't seen any pacing.

[00:18:05] Or, oh, that hesitation came back before they got onto the sofa.

[00:18:08] And I'm like, this is important for you to notice.

[00:18:12] Because as the pet parent, they're the ones driving the ship.

[00:18:15] They're the ones that are taking the dogs to all these appointments.

[00:18:17] And so finding the specialists.

[00:18:19] So if we can teach people how to recognize this earlier, it's just going to be so much better for the dog and their overall health.

[00:18:26] So, yeah, it's usually three sessions.

[00:18:29] It depends.

[00:18:30] And I know we can do so much, as you mentioned.

[00:18:33] We've got so many tools we can use to help our pets.

[00:18:36] But at what stage should a parent consult a veterinarian about their dog's pain?

[00:18:40] Okay, so before you bring your dog to see me in clinic, you have to gain vet consent.

[00:18:47] So I work under the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

[00:18:50] So part of that act is that a vet is the only person that can provide treatment.

[00:18:55] But then a subclause of that is that a paraprofessional can provide treatment with permission from the vet.

[00:19:02] So no dog comes into my clinic without paperwork from the vet to say, yes, I consent to them having massage.

[00:19:09] If a dog comes to me with a, you know, say I've been treating that dog for six months and then they come in and they've got a new lameness that the vet's not aware about.

[00:19:20] I am not allowed to treat that dog.

[00:19:22] I have to send them straight back to the vet.

[00:19:24] The reason for that is lameness is complicated.

[00:19:28] It's not just a case of, oh, they're really sore on their paw today.

[00:19:32] Lameness can occur due to neurological issues.

[00:19:36] So, you know, potentially have we got a neurological condition going on at the moment?

[00:19:40] Also, you know, bone cancer, you know, is one that can cause lameness.

[00:19:45] And I ain't massaging bone cancer away.

[00:19:47] It's and, you know, we can't tell what a new lameness is caused by.

[00:19:53] If it's a new lameness, you've got to go to the vet.

[00:19:55] So what I say to pet parents is if your dog has gotten lame, first of all, send me a video.

[00:20:00] Let me have a little look.

[00:20:02] If it's really significant, I know you need to send them to the vets today.

[00:20:07] If it's a case of, oh, they just don't look right.

[00:20:11] They just look a bit uncomfortable.

[00:20:13] I would say, you know, what kind of what have we got at home as a natural kind of protocol?

[00:20:18] You know, are we resting?

[00:20:20] You know, are we still taking them out on, you know, a five mile hike?

[00:20:23] You know, let's stop that if we think we've got a lameness.

[00:20:26] Are we utilizing our anti-inflammatories and meek threes?

[00:20:30] Obviously, that's not the same as pain relief.

[00:20:33] But are we doing the basics?

[00:20:34] You know, a lavender wheat bag.

[00:20:36] Everyone's got one of those knocking about in a cupboard somewhere.

[00:20:39] Are we utilizing heat?

[00:20:41] Are we utilizing cold?

[00:20:43] You know, a bag of peas or something like that.

[00:20:45] If that lameness doesn't clear up within two to three days, you've got to go to the vet.

[00:20:52] There's, you know, it's not ethical to leave any animal in pay.

[00:20:57] You know, if we're in pay, we know that we can, you know,

[00:21:00] nip to the supermarket and we can pick up some paracetamol, you know,

[00:21:04] whereas dogs don't know that they have that choice.

[00:21:07] It's down to us to advocate.

[00:21:08] So, I think for me, like two to three days.

[00:21:12] But again, it's so case-to-case dependent.

[00:21:15] You know, what other pathologies have we got going on?

[00:21:17] I mean, there's some insurance companies now where you can have a video call

[00:21:23] with a vet as part of your insurance policy.

[00:21:26] For the sake of, what, 30 quid?

[00:21:28] Like, I mean, for me, I'd just ring.

[00:21:30] I'm a traditional helicopter mum.

[00:21:33] So, if there's anything wrong with my dogs, I'm like,

[00:21:36] okay, right, okay, we need to do a full body scan.

[00:21:38] You know what's going on.

[00:21:39] Do we need an MRI?

[00:21:40] And the vet's like, no.

[00:21:41] Like, just some pain relief will do.

[00:21:44] I don't know everything, but I know just enough to be very aggravating

[00:21:48] at the vets when it comes to my own dogs.

[00:21:51] But you know your dog better than anyone else, any professional.

[00:21:56] For me, if I suspected that my dog was painful

[00:22:00] and I didn't, say, have pharmaceutical intervention in the house

[00:22:05] that had previously, you know, been prescribed for them,

[00:22:07] say, like a paracetamol dosage that a vet has previously given my dog,

[00:22:11] if I didn't have that, I'd be going to the vets.

[00:22:15] You know, the vets, they are not the enemy.

[00:22:17] I think they have a lot on their plate.

[00:22:21] They've got 10 minutes to make an assessment,

[00:22:23] which includes, you know, neurological signs, heart, lung, everything,

[00:22:28] and then they can deal with the issue that you've brought your dog to them for.

[00:22:33] So I think just be really clear and concise when you go to the vets,

[00:22:37] like understanding, this sounds really daft, but people get it wrong,

[00:22:40] understanding your dog's left and right.

[00:22:43] If you're saying to the vet that I think they look off on their right,

[00:22:48] is it your right or the dog's right?

[00:22:50] It's always the dog's right.

[00:22:52] So I had a customer say that their dog was lame on the passenger side on the left

[00:22:58] and I was like, hilarious, absolutely.

[00:23:03] So, okay, that's fine, that's fine.

[00:23:05] But again, that's going to change depending on what country you're in,

[00:23:07] depending on what side you drive on the road.

[00:23:08] But I was like, that is genius.

[00:23:10] I'm going to pinch that, so thank you.

[00:23:13] Yeah, that is good.

[00:23:14] And I thought that's a really interesting point you made,

[00:23:16] that in the UK you need a vet certificate,

[00:23:19] because that's different to an Australia, you know, we can just go.

[00:23:22] Ah, can you just take your dog to, yep.

[00:23:25] Really?

[00:23:26] Wowzers.

[00:23:27] Yeah, so no, I have to get, Beckton said,

[00:23:30] there is what you'd call maybe like a loophole in that if a dog has been brought

[00:23:35] to you as a maintenance case, so, you know, say they're an agility dog

[00:23:40] and they haven't got any ailments as such,

[00:23:43] they just need a massage because they've got a competition coming up.

[00:23:47] Technically, you don't need Beckton said,

[00:23:49] but that is such a grey area.

[00:23:52] I'm like, no, not the one for me.

[00:23:54] But to be honest, I don't, I don't,

[00:23:56] I think I've maybe got two sporting dogs.

[00:23:59] I've got working gun dog and a canny cross dog.

[00:24:02] And that's it.

[00:24:02] Everything else is pain management.

[00:24:05] Very interesting.

[00:24:06] And now, how does aging affect pain levels in dogs?

[00:24:10] Oh, okay.

[00:24:10] This is a really interesting one.

[00:24:16] Messing about and you're trying to, you're walking around the kitchen

[00:24:19] and you accidentally stand on that puppy's paw.

[00:24:22] What happens is potentially what some people would deem a very dramatic reaction

[00:24:26] and it's, oh my days, I can't believe I just stood on this puppy.

[00:24:30] Oh, this must have been agony for them.

[00:24:32] Yes, it is a painful experience,

[00:24:35] but also it's their first time coming into contact with that stimuli.

[00:24:39] So it's the same when humans say get like piercings or tattoos.

[00:24:44] If you've never experienced that pain stimuli,

[00:24:48] you don't know what to expect.

[00:24:50] And sometimes you can make it quite big in your head

[00:24:53] and then you go, oh, actually that wasn't too bad.

[00:24:55] So then you compare that to standing on the paw of a five-year-old Labrador.

[00:25:01] Do they scream the same?

[00:25:02] No, it's still a pain experience,

[00:25:04] but they've come across that stimuli before.

[00:25:07] So they're able to go, oh, okay, I recognize that.

[00:25:10] Ah, that's painful, but maybe I don't need to scream.

[00:25:12] It doesn't mean it's not painful.

[00:25:14] But pain as an experience can be hugely altered

[00:25:19] by emotional history and medical history.

[00:25:23] So as a dog ages, the same with people,

[00:25:27] we start to collect different pathologies.

[00:25:29] You know, we might get a little heart murmur.

[00:25:31] We might start with kidney disease.

[00:25:33] We might start with joint disease.

[00:25:35] We start to have muscle atrophy.

[00:25:39] So that's where we start to lose that muscle mass.

[00:25:41] And what happens is we start to creep up in chronic pain levels.

[00:25:46] Things like digestive upset.

[00:25:49] If you've had a dog that's, you know,

[00:25:51] their whole life has been on and off with upset tummy,

[00:25:54] you've never quite found the right diet for them

[00:25:57] or managed to nail down the protein that upsets them.

[00:26:00] Having digestive upset is painful.

[00:26:03] Having an ear infection or chronic ear issues

[00:26:08] or seasonal allergies, whatever it is,

[00:26:10] there's the potential for that to be painful.

[00:26:12] I mean, with an ear infection,

[00:26:13] I used to get loads when I was a kid.

[00:26:15] It is painful.

[00:26:16] So it's very common that you'd get your antibiotics

[00:26:18] and your pain relief.

[00:26:20] But what I find is that when dogs go to the vets

[00:26:23] for their ear infection, they get the antibiotics.

[00:26:27] Where's the pain relief?

[00:26:28] They're not getting that pain relief.

[00:26:30] So things like this all add up to a pain experience.

[00:26:34] So if a dog is, you know,

[00:26:37] has suffered with lots of different types of pain

[00:26:40] throughout their life,

[00:26:42] it means that when they get older,

[00:26:44] they potentially become something,

[00:26:45] well, I call it stoic.

[00:26:47] They just exist in a painful condition.

[00:26:50] Dogs very much live in the present

[00:26:52] and they go, okay, this is my life now.

[00:26:54] They don't have the, I mean, maybe they do,

[00:26:56] but from my understanding,

[00:26:57] they don't have the ability to know that,

[00:26:59] oh, tomorrow it's going to be better.

[00:27:01] They don't understand like the consequences

[00:27:03] of if they're running around

[00:27:05] like an absolute silly goose on a Monday,

[00:27:07] they're going to be really sore and painful on a Tuesday.

[00:27:11] So when people go, my dog can't be in pain

[00:27:13] because look, they chase after this ball

[00:27:16] or they chase after this squirrel.

[00:27:18] They, no, they don't have the,

[00:27:21] in my understanding,

[00:27:21] they don't have the cognitive ability

[00:27:23] to understand that what they do in that moment

[00:27:25] because adrenaline and cortisol,

[00:27:28] so that dampens pain,

[00:27:31] that dampens a pain experience.

[00:27:33] So they don't understand

[00:27:34] and they won't feel the pain as much then

[00:27:36] until the next day and they go,

[00:27:38] oh, okay, I'm in, I'm in a lot of pain now.

[00:27:41] Obviously they can start putting things together.

[00:27:44] So for example, with sleepy flaws,

[00:27:47] you'll find that maybe older dogs

[00:27:49] start to avoid flaws with minimal traction.

[00:27:52] Whereas when they were younger,

[00:27:54] they do, you know, the Scooby-Doo impression

[00:27:55] when they're like running

[00:27:56] and they're not actually going anywhere

[00:27:59] because they haven't got that traction.

[00:28:01] So they've done a lot of that when they were younger

[00:28:03] and we've had those, you know,

[00:28:04] slips, trips and falls,

[00:28:05] you know, when the person comes to the door,

[00:28:07] but then when you look at them when they're older,

[00:28:11] they go, oh, okay, I'm not,

[00:28:12] I'm not going to do that.

[00:28:13] I'm going to avoid that.

[00:28:14] That's painful when I can't,

[00:28:17] I can't quite get my balance on it.

[00:28:18] Then the postman knocks at the door,

[00:28:20] let's do Scooby-Doo again.

[00:28:22] But this time when we have those slip,

[00:28:24] strips and falls,

[00:28:24] it can be massively detrimental

[00:28:26] for an older body

[00:28:28] that can't recover as quickly.

[00:28:31] And if you already have chronic pain levels here,

[00:28:34] all we're doing with these tiny acute pain level flares

[00:28:38] is just adding to that chronic pain level

[00:28:40] to the point it gets so high.

[00:28:42] What we have to remember is,

[00:28:43] and the reason why I'm so passionate about pain,

[00:28:46] in the UK,

[00:28:47] the leading cause of elective euthanasia

[00:28:50] is loss of mobility.

[00:28:52] We have got to start earlier

[00:28:56] looking after these dog's joints,

[00:28:58] understanding what pain can look like

[00:29:01] and how it can present.

[00:29:02] There's a big difference between the signs of pain

[00:29:05] and the symptoms of pain.

[00:29:08] So the way I explain to people,

[00:29:09] if I have a cold,

[00:29:11] my symptom of my pain is the headache.

[00:29:15] I've got, you can't see it,

[00:29:16] but that's my symptom.

[00:29:17] The sign that I have a cold

[00:29:19] is I have a runny nose.

[00:29:21] So you have to remember that pain

[00:29:23] is not only the signs,

[00:29:26] but it's the symptoms as well.

[00:29:28] So it's never, it's never TD.

[00:29:30] Pain is so, so complex.

[00:29:32] I did a seminar called

[00:29:34] You Can't Train Away Pain.

[00:29:35] And I went digging through some research

[00:29:38] and I wanted to have a look

[00:29:39] at behavioral euthanasia figures

[00:29:42] of dogs that were under three years old.

[00:29:46] And the statistics was absolutely shocking

[00:29:50] for dogs that just had undesirable behaviors.

[00:29:56] And I think out,

[00:29:58] I think it was about something like,

[00:30:00] I can't remember the size of the research group.

[00:30:02] It was really big though.

[00:30:04] And I think of out of this big research group,

[00:30:07] there's only 2% of that big research group.

[00:30:10] It was a very, very small portion

[00:30:12] that had a pain trial.

[00:30:13] Again, it's that understanding

[00:30:15] that pain can occur in young dogs.

[00:30:17] It's not just an old dog thing either.

[00:30:20] Sorry, I went off on a tangent.

[00:30:21] I don't know if you could tell

[00:30:22] that's what I tend to do.

[00:30:23] No, no, it was so interesting.

[00:30:25] I was going to ask,

[00:30:26] what are some practical things?

[00:30:27] Because obviously we're trying

[00:30:28] to prevent issues long-term.

[00:30:31] I guess that's everyone's goal.

[00:30:32] What are some practical things

[00:30:34] that pet parents can do?

[00:30:35] Do not use ball flingers.

[00:30:38] You know, the ones where you put

[00:30:40] the tennis ball in and yeah,

[00:30:42] absolutely, oh my days,

[00:30:44] they are the being of my life.

[00:30:46] That is pretty much a prescription

[00:30:47] for arthritis and, you know,

[00:30:50] soft tissue damage.

[00:30:51] If you look at,

[00:30:53] it's not the throwing the ball

[00:30:55] that's the issue.

[00:30:56] It's how far they go

[00:30:57] and the speed that it goes at.

[00:31:00] If your dog has further to go,

[00:31:01] they can build up speed quicker.

[00:31:03] And what do they do?

[00:31:04] They slam on to get that ball.

[00:31:07] I've seen dogs do rooly-poolys.

[00:31:09] I've seen dogs fall over

[00:31:11] and they're like,

[00:31:12] oh, this is really great.

[00:31:13] And I think sometimes people

[00:31:14] use ball flingers

[00:31:15] because they think,

[00:31:15] oh, it'll tire my dog out.

[00:31:17] You're not tiring your dog out.

[00:31:18] You're actually making

[00:31:19] a very badly conditioned athlete

[00:31:21] because their drive

[00:31:23] for that amount of high energy exercise

[00:31:25] will just keep increasing.

[00:31:28] So there's not much

[00:31:29] that I'm strict on

[00:31:31] apart from ball flingers.

[00:31:32] Just put it in the bin.

[00:31:34] You know,

[00:31:35] I don't sit here on my house

[00:31:36] saying, you know,

[00:31:37] I knew it all when I started.

[00:31:38] I didn't.

[00:31:39] I really didn't.

[00:31:40] You know,

[00:31:40] and I used to use a ball flinger

[00:31:41] because I was like,

[00:31:42] of course,

[00:31:48] to enjoy together.

[00:31:50] It's not a chore.

[00:31:51] You know,

[00:31:52] if they want to sit

[00:31:53] and sniff a lamp post

[00:31:54] for five minutes,

[00:31:55] you know,

[00:31:56] let them.

[00:31:57] They don't have to be

[00:31:58] physically exhausted

[00:32:00] for it to be a decent walk.

[00:32:03] So I think sometimes

[00:32:04] that's a little bit

[00:32:05] of a cultural thing

[00:32:05] and I have to unpick

[00:32:06] that a lot with people.

[00:32:09] So yeah,

[00:32:09] no ball flingers.

[00:32:11] If you can incorporate

[00:32:13] fresh feeding

[00:32:14] or some aspects of fresh

[00:32:16] into your dog's ball,

[00:32:18] that is one of the,

[00:32:20] I mean,

[00:32:20] I could talk for another

[00:32:21] three hours about that

[00:32:22] but that is seriously

[00:32:23] like one of the best

[00:32:24] things you can do.

[00:32:26] I always say,

[00:32:26] like massage

[00:32:27] isn't rocket science.

[00:32:29] We know that this has worked

[00:32:31] for hundreds of thousands

[00:32:32] of years with humans

[00:32:33] and I've said,

[00:32:34] do you know what?

[00:32:34] It's just structured stroking.

[00:32:37] If you sit and stroke

[00:32:38] your dog on a night

[00:32:39] on the sofa,

[00:32:40] you can incorporate

[00:32:41] massage really,

[00:32:43] really easily.

[00:32:44] One of the base techniques

[00:32:45] is something called efflourage.

[00:32:47] Make sure,

[00:32:48] you know,

[00:32:48] obviously I'm covered

[00:32:49] in rings at the moment

[00:32:49] but don't have any rings on.

[00:32:51] Ladies,

[00:32:51] make sure that your nails

[00:32:53] aren't too long

[00:32:53] and just use

[00:32:55] the flat of your hand

[00:32:56] with your fingers apart

[00:32:58] and just slowly

[00:32:59] kind of move

[00:33:00] over your dog

[00:33:01] and you'll find

[00:33:02] that your dog goes,

[00:33:03] actually,

[00:33:04] can you do the other side

[00:33:05] or actually,

[00:33:06] I want you to work

[00:33:07] in my neck.

[00:33:07] Another really good one

[00:33:08] that I like to use

[00:33:10] is raindrops.

[00:33:12] So imagine you're

[00:33:13] drumming your fingers

[00:33:14] on a desk

[00:33:15] stoityping

[00:33:16] and just do that

[00:33:17] in the side

[00:33:18] of their neck

[00:33:19] and they'll go,

[00:33:20] oh,

[00:33:20] it makes them go all,

[00:33:21] it makes them go all funny.

[00:33:22] To Portman is one of,

[00:33:23] again,

[00:33:24] another really,

[00:33:25] really easy way

[00:33:26] that we can incorporate

[00:33:27] massage into our dog's lives.

[00:33:30] So,

[00:33:30] yeah,

[00:33:31] that's the,

[00:33:31] I'd say,

[00:33:32] no ball flingers,

[00:33:33] get some fresh in there

[00:33:34] and start

[00:33:35] just smushing your dog.

[00:33:37] I always say,

[00:33:37] if it's something soft,

[00:33:39] like,

[00:33:39] you know,

[00:33:39] the back of a leg

[00:33:40] or,

[00:33:41] you know,

[00:33:41] something like that,

[00:33:42] you know,

[00:33:43] just work with it.

[00:33:44] Just be mindful

[00:33:45] of the pressure

[00:33:45] that you're using.

[00:33:47] So light pressure

[00:33:48] is imagine

[00:33:49] you're running

[00:33:50] your hand

[00:33:51] over your arm

[00:33:52] and you're not moving

[00:33:53] the skin.

[00:33:54] Medium pressure,

[00:33:55] imagine that you're

[00:33:57] rubbing in moisturizer

[00:33:58] or sun cream.

[00:33:59] That's medium pressure.

[00:34:01] And then firm pressure

[00:34:02] is,

[00:34:03] you know,

[00:34:03] if you walk into

[00:34:04] the corner of a desk

[00:34:05] and you go,

[00:34:05] ah,

[00:34:06] my leg

[00:34:06] and you like

[00:34:06] rub your leg,

[00:34:08] that's firm pressure.

[00:34:09] So I,

[00:34:09] I would be sticking

[00:34:10] with light

[00:34:11] and medium pressure

[00:34:12] but be guided

[00:34:13] by your dog.

[00:34:13] Sometimes they like

[00:34:14] lean into it

[00:34:15] when you work with them.

[00:34:16] They're like,

[00:34:16] oh,

[00:34:17] you want more pressure?

[00:34:18] Like,

[00:34:18] I've got some really

[00:34:20] muscly dogs

[00:34:20] that come to see me

[00:34:21] and the pressure

[00:34:22] that I use with them,

[00:34:23] I'm like,

[00:34:23] are you okay?

[00:34:24] And they're like,

[00:34:24] yes,

[00:34:24] I need more.

[00:34:25] Okay.

[00:34:27] That's hilarious.

[00:34:28] I know my vet

[00:34:28] always says,

[00:34:30] table scraps

[00:34:31] that can just like

[00:34:31] goes in the bin otherwise,

[00:34:33] but if we can give it

[00:34:34] to our dogs,

[00:34:34] if it's safe,

[00:34:35] obviously,

[00:34:36] you know,

[00:34:36] little things like that,

[00:34:38] it all helps.

[00:34:39] Now,

[00:34:39] if there is one thing

[00:34:40] that our listeners

[00:34:41] should take away

[00:34:42] from this episode,

[00:34:43] what do you think

[00:34:43] it should be?

[00:34:44] Pain is a physical,

[00:34:48] emotional,

[00:34:49] and personal experience.

[00:34:51] Just because you

[00:34:52] don't deem

[00:34:53] something painful

[00:34:54] doesn't mean

[00:34:54] that it wasn't

[00:34:55] a pain experience

[00:34:56] for your dog.

[00:34:57] That's my biggest thing.

[00:34:58] We have to

[00:34:59] start these interventions

[00:35:01] so much earlier

[00:35:02] and in clinic,

[00:35:04] I'm starting to see

[00:35:05] a lot more

[00:35:06] young dogs

[00:35:07] coming through the door,

[00:35:08] mixture of older ones,

[00:35:10] but the youngest one

[00:35:11] that I had

[00:35:12] was nine months old

[00:35:13] being diagnosed

[00:35:14] with hip dysplasia

[00:35:15] and it just,

[00:35:16] oh,

[00:35:17] it breaks my heart,

[00:35:18] but I always say

[00:35:19] if you get a diagnosis,

[00:35:20] it's the start

[00:35:22] of a new journey.

[00:35:23] It's the start

[00:35:24] of a new journey.

[00:35:25] It's not a case of,

[00:35:26] right,

[00:35:26] well,

[00:35:26] that's it then.

[00:35:27] You know,

[00:35:27] it's normal to grieve

[00:35:29] for the dog

[00:35:29] that you thought

[00:35:30] you were getting,

[00:35:31] but when you get

[00:35:33] that diagnosis,

[00:35:33] know that you're

[00:35:34] doing your absolute

[00:35:35] utmost to manage

[00:35:36] their pain.

[00:35:37] The earlier we start

[00:35:38] intervention,

[00:35:39] it protects joint

[00:35:40] health and pain levels

[00:35:42] for the rest

[00:35:42] of their life

[00:35:43] and who doesn't

[00:35:45] want that

[00:35:46] for their dog,

[00:35:47] you know?

[00:35:47] Pain is really

[00:35:48] emotive for us

[00:35:49] to talk about

[00:35:50] and I sometimes find

[00:35:51] that people go,

[00:35:52] la, la, la, la, la,

[00:35:53] I'm not listening

[00:35:53] because actually

[00:35:54] I'm not ready

[00:35:55] to talk about it yet.

[00:35:56] I mean,

[00:35:56] that's not the people

[00:35:57] that come to see me

[00:35:58] but sometimes on,

[00:35:59] you know,

[00:36:00] social media

[00:36:00] and things like that

[00:36:01] people can go,

[00:36:02] I'm not ready

[00:36:02] to talk about it

[00:36:03] and that's okay,

[00:36:03] that's all right

[00:36:05] but when you're

[00:36:06] ready to talk,

[00:36:07] I'm here.

[00:36:07] Thank you so much,

[00:36:08] Yaz.

[00:36:09] It's such a delight

[00:36:09] to talk to you

[00:36:10] and I've no doubt

[00:36:11] we could double

[00:36:12] the length of this episode

[00:36:14] if we weren't

[00:36:14] on time constraints.

[00:36:16] Where can our listeners

[00:36:17] find you

[00:36:17] if they want

[00:36:18] to get in touch?

[00:36:18] Yes.

[00:36:19] So,

[00:36:20] my business

[00:36:21] is Yorkshire

[00:36:22] Pooches Therapies

[00:36:22] so my website's

[00:36:23] yorkshirepooches.co.uk

[00:36:25] You can find me

[00:36:26] on Instagram,

[00:36:27] you can find me

[00:36:27] on Facebook,

[00:36:28] you can find me

[00:36:28] on TikTok,

[00:36:29] that's yorkshire.pooches.

[00:36:31] It's a,

[00:36:32] the logo's

[00:36:33] a little blue hand

[00:36:35] with a paw print

[00:36:35] in it

[00:36:36] but I'm pretty easy

[00:36:38] to find on socials.

[00:36:39] I'm very loud

[00:36:40] and outspoken

[00:36:40] on socials.

[00:36:42] Lovely.

[00:36:43] Thank you so much

[00:36:44] and you mentioned

[00:36:45] that you also do

[00:36:46] like online consults,

[00:36:47] is that correct?

[00:36:48] Yeah,

[00:36:49] absolutely.

[00:36:49] So,

[00:36:50] I do online

[00:36:51] gait analysis

[00:36:52] so that's available

[00:36:53] to anyone

[00:36:53] in the world

[00:36:55] as long as you

[00:36:56] can film your dog

[00:36:57] moving,

[00:36:57] I can do an analysis

[00:36:59] on the way

[00:37:00] that your dog

[00:37:00] is moving

[00:37:01] and,

[00:37:01] you know,

[00:37:02] give you that

[00:37:02] roadmap

[00:37:03] to then go

[00:37:03] and continue

[00:37:04] that conversation

[00:37:05] with your vet.

[00:37:06] So,

[00:37:07] yeah,

[00:37:07] those are my

[00:37:08] online ones

[00:37:08] and then I've

[00:37:09] got my

[00:37:09] West Yorkshire

[00:37:10] clinic as well.

[00:37:11] I've also written

[00:37:11] a book as well

[00:37:12] which I always

[00:37:12] forget to tell

[00:37:13] people about.

[00:37:14] It's called

[00:37:14] Your Dog's Pain Diary

[00:37:15] so if you suspect

[00:37:17] that your dog

[00:37:17] is painful,

[00:37:19] you're not sure

[00:37:19] where to start

[00:37:20] or maybe your vet

[00:37:21] has put you

[00:37:22] on a pain trial,

[00:37:23] my book is like

[00:37:24] having me there

[00:37:26] with you

[00:37:26] in that vet appointment

[00:37:27] to guide you

[00:37:28] through those

[00:37:28] conversations

[00:37:29] and talk through

[00:37:30] those four pillars

[00:37:31] of pain.

[00:37:32] Awesome,

[00:37:32] that's so wonderful.

[00:37:33] Thank you so much,

[00:37:34] Yas,

[00:37:34] I'll put some links

[00:37:35] to your website

[00:37:36] and the book

[00:37:37] and everything else

[00:37:38] in our show notes

[00:37:38] so all our listeners

[00:37:39] can easily find you.

[00:37:41] Perfect,

[00:37:41] thank you so much

[00:37:42] for having me.

[00:37:43] It's been a pleasure

[00:37:44] and if our listeners

[00:37:45] love this podcast

[00:37:46] which I have no doubt

[00:37:48] you have,

[00:37:49] I'm sure you'll love

[00:37:50] our upcoming podcast

[00:37:51] so don't forget

[00:37:52] to hit the subscribe

[00:37:52] button so you don't

[00:37:53] miss out

[00:37:54] and I'll see you

[00:37:55] next time.