Pain level linked to respiration?

[BrindleBoy]

We (my friend and I) were talking to a greyhound expert the other day... I don't want mention the name, but I'm sure many here have likely heard of them... anyway...

We were discussing her (my friend's) GH, who was just diagnosed with osteo.  He's 10, so she's going to do palliative care.  And the expert said the way to really know how much pain they are in is to watch their breathing as they sleep.  That while this stoic breed can hide their pain from us, they can't hide it from their autonomic nervous system.  That if you observe them while in a deep sleep, you should count their breaths at only 8-12 per minute.  If it gets up to 20, they are in moderate pain.

Has anyone else heard of this theory/method?  I'm actually asking because MY guy has a permanent limp (broken leg, with appliance and now tendonitis), and I keep an eye on his limp, and rest him when needed....  but I also keep an eye out for a limp that doesn't get better...  having a dog with a permanent limp and altered gait can make watching for osteo tricky...   so I was wondering if anyone else had been told this "respiration method" of detecting pain levels?

[cleptogrey]

if your dog is breathing/panting it's a sure sign of pain. have you checked to see if it's osteo or just arthritis- due to past history. stop counting and call your vet if you can't get in to see him/her. and yes, a dog on palliative care will be panting due to both pain and drugs. been there- i learned the first time the most loving thing i could do was NOT let them experience pain. it's most difficult on us owners.

[BrindleBoy]

no no... don't misunderstand.  MY dog is not showing signs of pain.  As I said, these dogs are stoic.  When they have osteo, they could be IN PAIN and you wouldn't even know it... until a bone breaks.  Trying to avoid that scenario, when treating an osteo dog with palliative care, when to know when to increase pain meds is a question...  and this person said respiratory rate while sleeping was a "tell" as to how much pain they were in.  I've never heard that before, altho it does make sense to me, re: autonomic nervous system reaction, and I was wondering if anyone else had heard this.

[greysmom]

I have not, but it does make sense.  Though I would think that you would need to watch your dog for a time when you think s/he isn't in pain to get a baseline reading to compare to at a later date.  Maybe like keeping a daily or weekly log - particularly for your dog where his pain level may fluctuate given his past injuries.