Pain Management for a Variety of Ailments
Chronic pain issues can affect our pets just like they affect us. When you think your pet might be experiencing chronic pain, there are things our veterinary team at The Urban Pet can do to improve their symptoms.
Be aware that pets tend to be really good at hiding their symptoms and it can be hard to know that your pet is in pain. Our veterinary team is always looking for signs in physical exams, and when we think it might be an issue we ask lots of questions. We also like to take a look at your animal’s gait to see if that seems changed due to pain.
The first step is to identify that your pet might be having chronic pain issues. The following are signs of chronic pain:
- Limping
- Panting
- Sitting in one place
- Reluctance to stand
- Difficulty jumping on furniture
- Trouble climbing stairs
- Change in appetite
Chronic pain is more common in older pets, but beyond arthritis, we also see chronic pain issues with hip dysplasia and any kind of limb pain. We have a variety of ways to approach pain management in your pet. Some of the things we’ll consider are:
- Pain medication
- Joint support supplements, including fish oil
- Laser therapy
Laser Therapy Is a Pain-Free, Drug-Free Alternative for Treating Pain
We have a variety of strategies for dealing with pain issues in our pets and laser therapy is one of the best ways to deal with pain. Laser therapy can be used for arthritic pain and even wound management. Laser therapy can be integrated into your pet’s postoperative treatment.
Our veterinary team likes to integrate laser therapy because it is a wonderful drug-free alternative for chronic pain that can also help with healing. It is also a painless treatment that pets readily accept, and can find very soothing. As a pet parent, you can typically be in the room while your pet receives this laser treatment.
For animals experiencing chronic pain, we typically recommend six-to-eight sessions, in relatively close succession. We might start at twice a week and gradually increase time between sessions.
To learn more about any kind of pain management for your pet, please call us.