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I S   M Y   P E T   I N   P A I N ?

Animals feel pain just like we do depending on the circumstance, this may be acute (as in post operative pain) or chronic (as in the pain that occurs with arthritis, spinal problems, dental disease, some cancers and ear disease)

Each animal needs to be treated as an individual and a pain management plan adopted for each condition or procedure. Effective pain management depends on giving the correct combination of drugs in effective doses by the appropriate route

ACUTE OR POST OPERATIVE PAIN

Preoperative injections are given at Remuera vet to prevent pain ‘wind up’ meaning they decrease the intensity and duration of post op pain and minimize the chances of chronic pain developing. Local anesthetics can provide 8 to 12 hours of local pain relief when used at the site of surgery. Pain is treated post operatively with the simultaneous use of injections/ tablets/ liquids/ skin patches that treat pain at different levels so that a balanced pain approach can be achieved and is able to be readily administered to our not always co-operative pets!

RECOGNIZING POST OPERATIVE PAIN

• Responses to pain vary with the individual and between species

• Vocalisation and attention seeking behaviour are common

• Dogs may whimper and whine while cats groom, growl or purr

• Dogs can become timid or aggressive when in pain

• Cats are more likely to try and hide

• Facial expressions and body posture can be quite revealing

• Dogs may have a fixed stare and arching while cats may squint their eyes and refuse to move

• Dogs and cats both demonstrate guarding behaviour of injured and painful tissues by biting and scratching when touched and often lick, chew or paw at the site of pain

• Some dogs become restless while cats often refuse to interact or change body positions

• Appetite may be decreased, altered toileting behaviour and reduced grooming may all indicate pain

• Animals do not need to put up with pain as we have many options of treatment for pain readily available to us so call us if you are worried

RECOGNIZING CHRONIC PAIN

Animals with chronic pain also need recognizing as the subtle differences in behaviour are  overlooked as often these animals are mistakenly considered as ‘just getting old’.

A modern multimodal approach is taken meaning we may prescribe several drugs for best results then decrease them as the pain becomes controlled. Depending on the severity and location of pain nonsteroidal  anti-inflammatories may be prescribed with other drugs that will enhance their effectiveness and get pain under control faster. However in more severe cases more modern approach of a combination of drugs that work in different ways may be the answer. Some of these drugs have other uses as well as pain control.

Check out this chronic pain check list-if you tick any of these boxes there is lots we can do for your animal to keep them free of pain:

C H R O N I C   P A I N   C H E C K   L I S T:

Does your cat:

o Have trouble jumping onto the couch or bed

o Have trouble getting up onto the table or bench

(not that they are supposed to be there anyway)

o Become reluctant to be brushed over their backs

o Become grumpy when picked up

o Keep missing the dirt box

o Eat slowly or seem hungry then walk away from food

o Only eat soft food now when they used to like biscuits

o Look disheveled due to lack of grooming

Does your dog:

o Have trouble jumping into the car

o Look stiff upon rising but warm out of it

o Become lame in one or more legs with exercise

o Have difficulty getting up stairs

o Bunny hop with the back legs

o Occasionally yelp for no reason

o Become aggressive when touched in the wrong place

o Shake their head or scratch at their ears or mouth

o Chew or lick areas such as joints