Putting your dog down...

[Trickster]

I recently have lost my dog because the vet said he was in real pain. He was bleeding from the anus and had a disease. I didnt see him act differently, or act all that different. He was 9 years old. He is an inside dog so he is like a dog you cuddle alot and pet most of the time and mess with. So he was usually not REALLY active but still active.
Im wondering why do animals not show pain, why do they hide it when we couldve helped sooner. WHY IS THIS!
God in heaven, Allah, Abraham, higher power or nobody at all. Why is this so!

[lamboman43]

Well when you show sickness you show weakness. If a dog was to do that in the wild, they would be practically asking to be attacked. So it's instinct to not show pain.

I am really sorry your dog had to be put down. I know how pets can affect you. When you lose your best friend, well it's really really bad.

[byee]

Oh, i'm so sorry for you, I really do know how bad you feel. I'm a dogaholic, and unfortunately have been in the situation of having to put them down. It's just indescribably awful, it's like having an organ ripped out. Without anesthesia.

I think dogs don't show pain b/c that's a weakness which would leave them vulnerable to the stronger animals. It's self protective. But, I also think it's their way of protecting us, from knowing their hurting and thereby sparing us that grief until that last moment. They're here to take care of us and watch out for us, afterall. Right to the end.

It takes some time to get over a loss of this magnitude, make sure you take really good care of yourself and get the support you need to get thru this. And remember, that when you love something, really love it, they never really leave you.

[INFERNO]

I recently have lost my dog because the vet said he was in real pain. He was bleeding from the anus and had a disease. I didnt see him act differently, or act all that different. He was 9 years old. He is an inside dog so he is like a dog you cuddle alot and pet most of the time and mess with. So he was usually not REALLY active but still active.
Im wondering why do animals not show pain, why do they hide it when we couldve helped sooner. WHY IS THIS!
God in heaven, Allah, Abraham, higher power or nobody at all. Why is this so!

Animals do show pain, however, they show it differently than humans do. In order to begin to understand it, you must understand that dogs have a pack-like mentality. Your dog would consider you and your family as part of its pack. In a pack, you act strong because it's either life or death. If you're weak due to injury, then you don't show it or else you are deemed weak and the pack may leave you. After all, a dog cannot easily carry another dog on its shoulders in the wild. That would strain the healthier dog and require more energy than necessary. Also, not showing pain allows the remaining pack members to continue on with less emotional strain or without noticing the severity of the injury. So it's both a method to protect themselves and the pack.

Dogs may not understand that humans have such sophisticated technology or medicine. To us, it is obvious that we do but to a dog, it would be random objects that have differently smells, shades (colourblindness), touches, shapes, feels and possibly tastes and/or sounds. If they did understand the technology we have and they had a different mentality, then they probably would show us that they are hurt and need to see a vet for stitches, medications, etc... . A dog may show that they are hurt, such as with a broken bone and we then typically think that they need to see a vet.

[Death]

XxNejixX, I am sorry to hear about your dog and that you didn't know that it was in pain. Remember not to blame it though for the very reasons that INFERNO has posted.