Pain Management

Pain management has become an important issue in veterinary medicine. It reduces stress and increases a sense of well being, pain management may even help your furry friend live longer.


Different kinds of pain

Acute pain comes on suddenly as a result of an injury, surgery, inflammation or infection. It can be extremely uncomfortable for your pet and it may limit his or her mobility. The good news is that it's usually temporary. It generally goes away when the condition that causes it is treated. 

Chronic pain is long lasting and usually slow to develop. Some of the more common sources of chronic pain are age-related disorders such as arthritis, but it can also result from illnesses such as cancer or bone disease. This pain may be the hardest to deal with because it can go on for years, or for an animal's entire lifetime. Also, because it develops slowly, some animals may gradually learn to tolerate the pain and live with it. This can make chronic pain difficult to detect.



How to know when your pet is hurting?

When we have pain, we complain. However, animals instinctually hide pain so we generally don't hear a peep out of our pets until the pain is so bad they cannot hide it anymore. So how do you know when your pet's in pain? Because our furry friends aren't able to tell us when something is wrong, it's important for you, the owner, to take note of any change in their behavior. Look for any of the following signs they may be your pet's way of saying "I hurt."

  •     Being unusually quiet, listless, restless, or unresponsive
  •     Whining, whimpering, howling, or constantly meowing
  •     Biting
  •     Constantly licking or chewing at a particular part of the body
  •     Acting funny and out of character, either aggressively or submissively
  •     Flattening ears against the head
  •     Having trouble sleeping or eating
  •     Seeking a lot more affection than usual
  •     Unable to get comfortable (constantly changes positions to find the most comfortable position)

Many animals, especially cats, naturally disguise signs of pain to protect themselves from predators. However, the lack of obvious signs does not mean they aren't experiencing pain. If the injury, illness or experience is one that sounds painful to you, go with the assumption that it may also hurt your pet. If concerned, please phone the office so we can book an appointment.




FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE LOOK AT PET HEALTH NETWORK