Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, this study by Rachel M. P. Caddiell, Rachael M. Cunningham, Philip White, B. Lascelles, and M. Gruen examined the accuracy of veterinarians’ widely held assumptions about breed-specific pain sensitivity. Although veterinarians display strong and consistent beliefs about which breeds are “sensitive” or “stoic,” empirical evidence for biological differences has been limited.
The researchers recruited 149 healthy adult dogs from 10 breeds categorized by veterinarians as having high, average, or low pain sensitivity, including chihuahuas, German shepherds, border collies, pitbulls, golden retrievers, and others. Dogs underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST) to measure objective pain thresholds, alongside behavioral assessments and owner questionnaires.
The study revealed that veterinarians’ pain-sensitivity ratings did not meaningfully predict measured pain thresholds. Instead, the data showed that breeds do differ biologically in pain sensitivity, but these differences do not align with entrenched professional beliefs.
Some behavioral traits, particularly how dogs approached a “disgruntled stranger,” were associated with veterinarians’ ratings, suggesting that observable social behaviors—not pain biology—may influence professional assumptions. However, emotional reactivity did not explain the measured differences in pain sensitivity, indicating that other biological mechanisms require investigation.
These findings highlight a crucial gap between clinical perception and objective physiology. The authors emphasize the need for more research into the mechanisms driving breed-specific pain sensitivity, as well as reflection on how and when veterinarians develop these beliefs. Such insights may improve pain recognition, management, and welfare for canine patients across diverse breeds.
Source: Caddiell, R. M. P., 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. Published June 26, 2023.
