More to a smile than meets the eye

Don’t always take your pet’s smile at face value

There’s simply nothing better than a pet smile. When your companion is happy and showing off those pearly whites, it brings joy to you and everyone around you. But sometimes, hiding right behind a joyful exterior is a serious medical issue.

Pets can sometimes appear to be happy and playful despite being in pain. This can happen due to excitement and adrenaline, an instinct to hide weakness, or simply wanting to please and play with their people.

To explore the nuances of what may be going on behind a pet’s smile, here are some past Hambone Award nominees whose tails kept wagging before, during and—amazingly enough—after their nominated incidents.

When smiles are a sign that everything is going to be ok

A lovely beach day turned scary when Dublin, a mini Australian shepherd, received a sting from a Portuguese man o’ war. Despite her obvious discomfort, this pup did her best to put on a brave face at the veterinarian. “All the people were coming in with their dogs, and she wanted to say, ‘Hi’ to everyone,” says dog mom Kelly R. “So, I was like, ‘Well, that's a good sign that it's going in the right direction!’”

If your pet perks up after treatment, shows interest in people or surroundings and has normal breathing and posture, that’s a good sign recovery is underway. In Dublin’s case, her calm demeanor and happy post-care vibe were a signal that her discomfort had subsided, and she was quickly returning to her normal, gregarious self.

When smiles are a sign something’s up

Other times, a pet that's too excited could be a tell that something is amiss. Dog mom Molly H. discovered just that when her normally happy Labrador retriever, Sunny, was even happier than usual when she returned home—happy enough to warrant suspicion.

“The look on his face was not one of guilt, it was pure joy,” Molly remembers. “He was excited about something. And I'm like, ‘Oh, no.’” Upon further examination, Molly discovered that Sunny had moved his crate 5 feet across a room to eat power cords sitting next to a nearby outlet. His guilty smile was concealing a mass of ingested cables in his belly that required emergency surgery.

A big smile can mean a lot of things—and not all of them are good. If your pet is acting suspiciously smiley, look around for something that is missing or out of place.

When smiles don’t offer any insight at all

Sometimes, a smile can conceal a very serious health concern. When a goldendoodle named Aurora got her leg stuck in a snow-covered sewer grate, not even a broken limb could dim her joy and enthusiasm. “The thing that shocked me was she didn't wince,” says dog mom Taylor Y. “She didn't whine. There was no reaction of pain that you would expect from the X-ray that we saw. She was licking my face; she was taking treats. She was trying to play with [her toys] and we're like, ‘Girl. You need to relax.’”

Smiles can be a way of hiding how your pet feels. A cheerful demeanor after treatment is a good sign, but if a dog seems unusually happy after an accident or while showing odd behavior, it's worth paying closer attention. A happy grin shouldn't distract from other symptoms of illness or trauma, such as limping, weakness or swelling.

Don’t take your pet’s health at face value

Pets often hide discomfort with a smile. If something feels amiss, watch for posture changes, mobility issues or environmental clues that may signal a larger health concern. Luckily, all three of these Hambone nominees got the veterinary care they needed, and Nationwide covered their eligible vet expenses.

If you feel unsure about anything pet health related, Nationwide® pet insurance members get 24/7 access to veterinary telehealth services via Nationwide VetHelpline® at no additional cost.* Members can download the app for free on Google Play or the App Store.

Not a member? Get a customizable quote at petinsurance.com today.

*Except where prohibited by state law. VetHelpline is not a substitute for a visit to your primary veterinarian.