Pain Management

Pain management for both acute (injury, surgery) and chronic pain (arthritis) is another important part of veterinary medicine.  Here at the clinic, many different drugs are employed for pain management.  The drug selection depends on the type and intensity of discomfort.  Most surgeries and dentistries are performed in conjunction with both narcotic pain medication and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) which are specifically made for pets.  These may be given short term or for several days depending on the pain assessment.  More chronic pain usually requires a very specific NSAID.

Before long term (sometimes life long) pain management for arthritis is employed, blood work up is recommended.  With these new pet specific arthritic drugs, some animals respond very well while others show little benefit.  This all depends on what appears to be the underlying cause (lameness, stiffness, etc.).  Feel free to talk to the vet and staff to see if a pain management program would be beneficial for your pet.