Blog — nociception
Nociception, Stress-Induced Analgesia, and Pain: Why Dogs in Pain Often Look “Fine”… Until They Don’t
Many dogs who struggle with reactivity, behavioral changes, or sudden “attitude shifts” are quietly carrying something we don’t always see: pain that’s being filtered through the nervous system. To understand why pain can hide during activity, show up during rest, and dramatically increase reactivity, we need to talk about three related—but often confused—concepts: Nociception, Stress-Induced Analgesia, and Pain. Nociception is not pain Nociception is the nervous system’s process of detecting potential tissue damage or threat—things like excessive pressure, inflammation, chemical irritation, or joint strain—and sending that information to the brain. Importantly: Nociception is the signal Pain is the experience...