10 Tips for Pet Pain Management

Seeing a beloved pet in pain can be a hard thing to witness. Pets can experience pain for a number of reasons: post-surgery or wound recovery, pain due to injury, diseases that cause pain, toothaches, and more. The Comer Vet team compiled its top tips for pet parents to keep in mind when it comes to pain management for a variety of diseases and conditions:

Weight Management —

Keeping your pet at a healthy weight reduces their risk of developing other health conditions, which also reduces the risk of costly vet bills in the future.

Osteoarthritis —

For pets with osteoarthritis, or OA, maintaining a healthy weight after diagnosis reduces stress on sore joints and can help improve comfort and mobility.

Joint supplements with MSM are shown to reduce inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis. There are also benefits in incorporating omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine chondroitin to help keeps joints lubricated.

Keep moving! Movement helps maintain muscle strength that helps support the joints. Movement also helps with joint lubrication.

Consult with your veterinarian about proper orthopedic bedding for pets that have OA.

Dental Pain —

Preventative dental care is key to maintaining your pet’s oral health and preventing painful dental disease. Annual oral exams and professional dental cleanings under anesthesia help identify problems early, remove harmful tartar buildup, and keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy and comfortable.

General Pain —

Laser therapy uses red light to help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and promote healing, which can help decrease pain and improve comfort.

Depending on a condition or procedure, your vet may recommend prescription or over-the-counter medication intended to reduce pain. Using these appropriately under veterinary supervision can help aid in pain-free recovery or pain management.

Acupuncture and veterinary spinal manipulation, commonly referred to as “chiro”, can provide pain relief and ease mobility. Dr. Caitlin Quinn, DVM, is certified to provide veterinary spinal manipulation in certain species of patients.

Multimodal Pain Management —

Sometimes, one approach isn’t enough to provide pain relief in pets. Multimodal pain management is the combination of therapies to target an issue. Using pharmaceuticals with other options like acupuncture and laser therapy can complement each other. Vets can target pain from different angles, providing a more comprehensive treatment plan.

Thank you to Dr. Mandy Adams, DVM, Dr. Preston Russell, DVM, vet techs Jessica and Erin, and vet assistants Lexi and Elvie for their insight on this topic.

Have you noticed your pet appears to be in pain, or do they have an upcoming procedure where pain management might be part of the at-home care during recovery? Your hometown vet team would love to answer any questions you have! Please give us a call at 706-783-5111 or request an appointment through our online form.