Veterinarians often hold strong, shared beliefs about breed-specific pain sensitivity. For example, some breeds are thought to be “stoic,” while others are perceived as “sensitive.” However, until recently, there was no scientific evidence supporting biological differences in pain sensitivity across dog breeds.
Caddiell et al. (2023) tested this assumption using quantitative sensory testing (QST) to measure pain thresholds in 149 healthy dogs from 10 breeds. Breeds were chosen based on veterinarians’ typical ratings of high (e.g., Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Maltese, Husky), average (e.g., Border Collie, Boston Terrier), or low (e.g., Golden Retriever, Pitbull, Labrador Retriever) sensitivity.
The findings showed that breeds did differ in pain sensitivity thresholds, but not in ways that aligned with veterinarians’ beliefs. In fact, veterinarians’ ratings explained only a minimal amount of the variation. Instead, factors such as dogs’ behavior in social interactions—like how they approached strangers—appeared to influence veterinarians’ perceptions of sensitivity.
This mismatch between beliefs and biological evidence has important clinical implications. If veterinarians rely too heavily on breed stereotypes, they may under- or overestimate a dog’s pain, potentially leading to inadequate treatment. The authors stress the need for further research into biological mechanisms of breed-specific pain differences and a critical review of how veterinary beliefs about pain sensitivity are formed.
Source: Caddiell, R. M., Cunningham, R. M., White, P., Lascelles, B., & Gruen, M. (2023). Pain sensitivity differs between dog breeds but not in the way veterinarians believe. Frontiers in Pain Research, 4. Published June 26, 2023.
