Pain Relief for Dogs, Cats and Exotic Pets
If your pet has an upcoming surgery appointment, we know you probably have many questions. “Will my pet be in pain” is one of the most common ones we get asked at our hospital. Just as with humans, any type of procedure that involves altering the body in some way can certainly result in a level of discomfort. The good news is: pain and discomfort can be easily managed with preventive measures. We believe providing pain relief for dogs and cats is more about prevention than treatment. There are many pathways to pain, and our goal is to block them all.
Pain management is a critical component of our surgery protocols at Lakeside Veterinary Center. While some veterinarians give an injection of an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and send home NSAID pills, we take a few additional steps. After all, if YOU were about to undergo a potentially painful surgery, you would want more than ibuprofen-type medication for relief. That’s why we implement a multimodal pain management strategy for all of our surgical patients.
Multimodal Pain Management Strategies
Our multimodal pain management strategies include:
- Preoperative pain blockers
- General anesthetics that help block pain
- Epidural injections
- Local anesthesia at the site of insertion of IV catheters and at the site of surgical incision
- Pain medications administered immediately after surgery, and pain medication to go home
Whether your pet is due to have surgery or a teeth cleaning, we want him to be as comfortable as possible. Ask us about our pain management strategies for your pet’s surgery or dental work by calling 301-498-8387.
Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.