Pain Management

We believe controlling our patient's pain is important.

Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals.  Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don't whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it.  

As they age, some pets begin to slow down due to the aches and pains of arthritis. Using anti-inflamatory medications specifically formulated for pets, we can often make them more comfortable - offering a good quality of life throughout their golden years.

All of our surgical patients receive pre-operative pain medication. By giving pain medication prior to starting a procedure, we are able to avoid activating much of the body's pain response, making it easier to keep them comfortable after surgery. The pain medications needed will depend on the surgery performed.  Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.

For dogs, we administer a non-steroidal anti-inflamatory medication upon admission to the hospital. We then administer an additional dose before the pet is released from our care. In most instances, this is adequate to control pain after surgery. Should you feel your pet is in continued discomfort, we will gladly dispense a few days' worth of medication to be given at home. The cost of the medication will depend on the size of your dog and which medication is needed. We use newer medications, which are less likely to cause stomach upset and are tailored specifically for dogs. We do not recommend giving asprin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, or any other over-the-counter pain medication. 

Because cats do not tolerate standard over-the-counter pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited in what we can give them.  Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before.  We administer a pain injection 10 minutes prior to surgery.  After surgery, pain medication is given in an injectable form. 

Any animal that appears painful following our normal protocol will receive additional pain medication.

We use narcotic patches for some surgeries in dogs and cats as well.  The cost will depend on the size of the dog or cat.  Injectable pain medications may also be used after surgery on both dogs and cats. 

Providing whatever pain relief is appropriate is a humane and caring thing to do for your pet.