Pain Management

Pets that are in pain are miserable. For this reason, we will do whatever we can to keep your pets comfortable.

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Pain or discomfort can be difficult to interpret in many pets. Cats and dogs can also have different presentations of pain.

Pain in a dog may look like:

  • Changes in behavior
  • Changes in sleeping spots in the home
  • Panting and pacing
  • Unable to rest
  • Whining or crying out
  • Difficulty or slow to rise from a lying position
  • Circling several times before sitting or lying down
  • Licking or rubbing a certain area of the body
  • Isolating from humans and other pets in the home
  • Limping or not using a limb

Pain in a cat may look like:

  • Withdrawal from others in the home and change in normal routine
  • Tucked posture with all 4 feet under body, shoulders hunched, head slightly lower than shoulders, tail curled tightly around body with eyes partially or fully closed
  • Decreased appetite
  • Hair coat is not groomed
  • Overgrooming an area on the body
  • Vocalizing by hissing or spitting or loud cries

There is also a difference in acute (very quick onset) and chronic (long insidious onset) pain. Our approach to treating your pet’s pain is determined by the source of pain and whether it is chronic or acute.

We have many different choices when it comes to treating a pet’s pain. There are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which are very helpful with mild pain. We also have stronger pain medications if the non-steroidal medications are not enough. We also offer joint supplements, fatty acid supplements, monoclonal antibody injections, joint modifying injections, opioid injections, laser, acupuncture and physical therapy to help with pain.

It is important to run blood work before starting any chronic medications to make sure your pets do not have an underlying condition that may prevent them from safely taking certain medications. Pets on some medications also need to be monitored by doing regular blood work to ensure there are no negative side effects.

It is our goal to keep your pet as comfortable as possible with the least amount of medication and fewest potential side effects.