Pain Management

Pets experience pain just like humans do, and we believe it is critically important to identify, prevent, and minimize pain in all dogs and cats. Animal pain and suffering are clinically important conditions that adversely affect an animal's quality of life. Fortunately the issue of pain management in pets has been a topic of high priority within the veterinary profession and significant advances have occurred in the treatment of animal pain during the last decade.

Pain in animals can arise from a variety of causes and conditions. Acute pain comes on suddenly as a result of an injury (such as fractures, strains, etc), surgery, or infections. Chronic pain, which is long-lasting and usually develops slowly, is typical for conditions such as hip dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease, dental disease or cancer. Since a pet cannot verbally describe pain intensity or location, we use the pet's medical history and physical examinations to determine the pain's characteristics. In that way, we assess each animal's needs in order to tailor a specific plan to treat your pet's pain, whether it is for pain management before and after a surgical procedure, or for long-term management of arthritis.