Pain Management
There’s nothing more stressful for your pet or for you, as a pet parent, than having a furry friend suffer from any kind of pain. At Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital, we believe that no patient should have to suffer with pain. We strive to minimize pain and painful symptoms, making sure we address pain — no matter the cause — as effectively as possible.
Managing Chronic Pain and Arthritis
We provide pets with several modern medicines and modalities to relieve the crippling nature of arthritis and other chronic pain in our pets. Relief often restores significant function and comfort to pets previously limited by pain. Glucosamine supplements have been shown to slow the degeneration of the joints, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID analgesics) reduce pets’ daily discomfort more potently than ever. In certain circumstances, our veterinarians might also recommend the use of additional medications, such as some classified narcotics, which were developed to address neuropathic pain. More recently, we have employed Class IV-B laser therapy, and it is proving very effective at decreasing pain and inflammation associated with debilitating, chronic diseases such as arthritis.
Managing Post-Surgical Pain
No animal should wake up from surgery in pain.
We provide a variety of analgesic alternatives based on the individual procedure and your pet’s likelihood of pain. Although not every animal outwardly expresses symptoms of pain, we believe animals who don’t show pain might still be experiencing it. We assume all pets experience pain following surgery, and we provide them with appropriate pain management treatments and therapies accordingly.
We have numerous agents designed to alleviate post-surgical pain, including opioid medications, alpha-2 agonists, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), and local analgesics (like Lidocaine). We also utilize pain management therapies, such as post-operative Class IV-B laser therapy and ice-packing of incisions.
Managing Trauma-Induced Pain
When a pet is involved in an accident, the trauma alone causes enough anxiety. Pain, however, can lead accident victims deeper into shock. To prevent excessive, unnecessary stress on already traumatized patients, we work quickly to provide pets with pain relief while assessing the nature of the wounds or damage. Addressing pain is one of our highest priorities of treating pet trauma during our initial approach and throughout treatment, until comfort can be maintained.
Pet Pain Management at Sleep Hollow Animal Hospital
At Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital, we provide pets relief and ongoing management of both acute and chronic issues that cause pain. When treating a pet, our first priority is to provide relief. We will then try to determine the underlying cause of your pet’s pain, with the hope of treating the medical condition to prevent future suffering.
Depending on each pet’s unique symptoms, response to treatment, and underlying conditions causing pain, we create pain management plans, tailored to address each pet’s individual needs. Pain management might include a combination of treatments to resolve the underlying cause, pain medications, nutritional adjustments and supplements, lifestyle recommendations and changes, and holistic therapies, such as cold laser therapy treatments.
If your pet is in pain, schedule a pain management appointment with a veterinarian at Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital. The sooner we assess your pet’s health, the sooner your pet will find relief.
