Pain Management for Pets
Pets experience pain for many of the same reasons as their owners – and just as intensely! A variety of conditions, from dental troubles to serious internal issues that require surgery can be a cause of acute or chronic pain.
Surgery itself, even routine procedures such as tooth extractions, spaying and neutering, creates its own pain temporarily even if the successful procedure ultimately eliminates another kind of discomfort.
It’s a difficult situation for owners and pets alike, which is why our team at Republic Veterinary Hospital in Kyle, Texas, provides pain control for dogs and cats. From pain medication for pets to surgical procedures that bring long-term pain relief and improved health, we take pain management as seriously as every other aspect of our work.
Pain may be acute or chronic.
Acute pain occurs in immediate response to a specific event, such as a fracture from a car accident or labor pains during delivery. Chronic pain may progress slowly over a period of months or years; examples include joint pain from osteoarthritis or a slipped vertebral disc that pinches a nerve.
Common Pain Signals in Pets
Decreased mobility and coordination in pets is often blamed on age, but this is not always true. In many cases, lack of activity, limping, and difficulty jumping onto or down from higher surfaces are signs that your pet is experiencing pain.
Dr. Stephanie Murphree works very closely with pet owners to understand every facet of their pet’s condition. This includes their pet’s breed, size, age, personality, condition, and comprehensive health history. Our goal is to find the treatments that are safest and most effective for every individual pet.
Pet owners are more likely to be alerted to changes in their pets’ behavior when acute pain strikes, though chronic pain can also produce telltale signals if it grows intense enough. You may find that your pet has grown strangely aggressive or seeks unusual amounts of comfort from the humans in the household. Pain from skin problems may result in your pet constantly biting, licking or chewing at the trouble site. Pets in severe pain may grow very still and reserved, their ears may flatten back against their heads, and they may cry, whimper or make other sounds of distress. Cats pose more of a puzzle than dogs, because they instinctively hide their pain whenever possible. Cats will sometimes even purr as a sign of pain. We urge owners to bring their pets in for an examination if they show any signs of pain or if owners suspect their beloved pets may be in pain.