We know the issue of pain management is of great concern to pet owners today. As in human medicine, we have a variety of medications available to manage your pet’s pain both before and after surgery and in the event of trauma. We would be pleased to discuss the options available to you and your pet under any of the above circumstances.
Our animals certainly experience pain in much the same way we do; however, pets are unable to tell us about their discomfort. While some will vocalize when in pain, most will just lie quietly and suffer. To be a humane and compassionate doctor and owner we must be aware of the degree of pain likely associated with a procedure or injury and use sufficient drugs to alleviate this discomfort. We use injectable medications post-surgically and for trauma patients. The day following we usually change to oral pain relievers. For mild to moderate pain, we find the non-narcotic drugs to be very effective. Events causing this type pain would be minor surgical procedures, dental work, arthritis, tendon and ligament strain and post-partum discomfort. For major surgeries and trauma we often use narcotic pain relievers to control this more intense pain.