When it comes to managing your pet’s pain, our practice offers the highest quality of care utilizing compassion and the most effective medical treatments available. We develop a unique pain management plan to best serve the individual needs of your pet. This plan may include pain medication, complementary treatment or a combination of both.
Pets often share traits in common with their humans, like a love of popcorn or an achy hip. Research has shown animals also share the way they experience pain. Therefore, you may recognize some medications, techniques and care for animal pain that your own doctor similarly prescribed for you. Common medications that we prescribe for pets include analgesics (pain medications), non-steroidal anti-inflamatories (NSAIDs), anti-anxiety medications or topical anesthetics. However, it is very important to note that you should never give your pet medication designed for a human without first consulting with us. Many medications designed for humans can cause life-threatening and irreversible reactions in animals. As with small children, medications should be kept out of reach of your pet.
We may also prescribe lifestyle changes for your pet. Weight loss, a specific diet, soft bedding, a few more rounds of fetch, raised food and water dishes are just some of the things that may help your pet’s pain at home.
Many pets experience successful pain relief through complementary medicine. Nutritional support and therapeutic laser therapy often assist our practice to better manage your pet’s pain. “Laser therapy” sounds a little like something from your favorite sci-fi movie. However, tested by doctors for many decades, it became a common therapy in both human and animal medicine about 10 years ago. You may hear laser therapy termed “cold laser” therapy or “low level laser” therapy (LLLT). Mostly commonly used for pain or inflammatory related issues, laser therapy can help with a wide variety of ailments.
Determining whether your pet’s pain is acute or chronic is the first step to identifying the cause. Acute pain is often sudden and triggered by a specific event. For example, if your pet receives a recent injury, they may experience acute pain. However, chronic pain persists over the long term and causes may include conditions such as joint inflammation, arthritis, or unattended tooth decay.
Early intervention is important when it comes to managing your pet’s pain. Some common signs of pain in your pet may include:
Notify our practice right away if you notice any of the above signs so we can take action to assist your pet.