Pets feel pain for the same reasons that people do: injury, arthritis, illness, etc. Though pets are much more subtle about expressing their pain than we are. Animals rarely whine and cry with pain . Rather, it is in their nature to hide pain for survival reasons. The signs of pain can be subtle, from sleeping more to decreased appetite to very discreet lameness. It is important to discuss changes like these with your veterinarian because the earlier a diagnosis is made and intervention is started, the better the results will be.
At Broadmoor East Veterinary Clinic we practice pain management everyday. We use many different medications and methods to alleviate pain.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Steroids and NSAIDS (Prednisone, Rimadyl. etc.)
- Local anesthetics
- Narcotics
- NMDA inhibitors
- Alpha-2 inhibitors
- Laser therapy
- Hot and cold pack therapy
- Epidurals
- Extended release narcotics
- Multiple combination local infusions
- Continuous rate infusions of pain relieving medications
This area of veterinary medicine is a an ever-growing, exciting area that we embrace as a practice. We strive to stay up to date with the newest pain management techniques, procedures, medications and information to keep your pets as happy and comfortable as possible.