ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Behav. Neurosci.
Sec. Individual and Social Behaviors
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1569351
This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing companion animal welfare through advanced behavioral management strategiesView all 3 articles
Detection of maladaptive pain in dogs referred for behavioral complaints: challenges and opportunities
Provisionally accepted
- 1Dierenartsenpraktijk Vigor, Antwerpen, Belgium
- 2Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium
- 3AUW REVOIR – Center for pain expertise, Oosterzele, Belgium
- 4Veterinary Specialist Behavioral Referrals, Lovendegem, Belgium
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Introduction: Diagnosing maladaptive pain in dogs with behavioral complaints is challenging, as clinical signs are often non-specific and may be absent during examination. This paper supports veterinary teams in distinguishing behavioral changes that stem from a behavioral disorder, maladaptive pain, or both. Methods: The medical records of ten client-owned dogs referred to the authors' behavioral practice were selected to identify challenges in recognizing maladaptive pain and to highlight diagnostic tools. A Toolbox approach was used for assessment, integrating caregiver questionnaires, medical history, home video analysis, clinical observation, and a timeline. Behavioral signs were categorized as green (adaptive) or red (maladaptive) flags to facilitate differential diagnosis and guide treatment decisions. Results: All dogs (n=10) were diagnosed with altered socioemotional functioning. In 7/10 cases, the Toolbox approach indicated maladaptive pain, confirmed by medical imaging in 3/7 cases. Multimodal treatment led to recovery in 6/7 dogs. In 3/10 dogs with behavioral histories, an acute worsening of signs suggested maladaptive pain, confirmed by imaging in all cases. Treatment led to partial recovery in 2/3 dogs, while one was euthanized due to neoplasia. Diagnostic challenges fell into three categories: bias in observation, clinical examination, and interpretation of behavioral signs. Conclusion: Diagnosing maladaptive pain in dogs with behavioral problems requires a comprehensive approach. Recognizing red flags, using targeted diagnostic tools, and implementing multimodal treatment strategies can improve quality of life, reduce suffering, and enhance case management.
Keywords: dog behavior, Behavioral signs, Maladaptive Pain, Home video, Time Line, differential diagnosis, Physical signs, Red flags
Received: 31 Jan 2025; Accepted: 18 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kwik, Bosmans, Mottet and De Keuster. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tiny De Keuster, Veterinary Specialist Behavioral Referrals, Lovendegem, Belgium
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