Pain Management

Pets experience pain just as humans can. The biggest difference is that pets are very good at hiding their pain so it often goes undiagnosed and treated. Pain can significantly affect their quality of life. Pain can be seen with arthritis, neck/back disc disease with nerve root pain, dental disease, internal disease, trauma, and cancer. Our pain management appointments include a complete patient assessment with short and long term analgesia planning. We have a lot of ways we can treat pain including acupuncture, cold laser, physical therapy, supplements and medications. Each patient is unique and our pain management plans are tailored to fit your pet.

Signs of Pain in Pets
Loss of normal behaviors:
  • Decreased activity and movement
  • Lethargic attitude
  • Decreased appetite
  • Decreased grooming (cats)
Expression of abnormal behaviors:
  • Inappropriate elimination
  • Vocalization
  • Aggression or decreased interaction with other pets or family members
  • Altered facial expression
  • Altered posture
  • Restlessness
  • Hiding (especially cats)
Reaction to touch:
  • Increased body tension or flinching in response to gentle touching of injured area and palpation of areas likely to be painful: neck, back, hips, elbows
Physiologic parameters:
  • Elevations in heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and blood pressure
  • Pupils dilated