Spokane Veterinarian Offers Pain Management for Dogs and Cats

Pets can be masters at masking pain, but there are still surefire signs that your canine or feline may be suffering. A-1 Animal Care Veterinary Services can help. Our Spokane veterinarian has long been serving the needs of pets in the Airway Heights, Deer Park, Rathdrum and Spokane Valley areas with various methods of effective pain management for both dogs and cats. Signs of pain can be obvious, such as limping or favoring a leg, or they can be less notable, such as stiffness or intolerance to exercise. Chronic pain can also change your pet's personality and the way your pet interacts with people.

Pain Management for Dogs and Cats Often Part of Pet Senior Wellness Care

The causes of pain in dogs and cats vary widely. Injuries to the bones, muscles and ligaments can lead to pain, as can dental issues such as periodontal disease that leads to infection. Diseases can be to blame, such as the life-threatening and bacteria-caused Leptospirosis or the congenital disease of hip dysplasia, a condition that can lead to lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. Arthritis itself is a common cause of pain in dogs as well as cats, especially in older animals, and pain management techniques are often part of our pet senior wellness care. To decide the most effective method of managing the pain, our Spokane veterinarian first performs a thorough physical exam. We can also run a series of tests to help determine the exact cause of your pet's pain.

Arthritis, which is an inflammation of a joint, is a common cause of pain that can affect any joint in the body and stem from a number of causes. Wear and tear on the joints from aging, injury, an unstable joint or overuse, can result in a form of the condition known as osteoarthritis. Degenerative joint disease, or DJD, is the chronic form of arthritis that can start in canines as young as 1 year old. Arthritic swelling can also stem from infections. A fungal or bacterial infection may cause septic arthritis, with other forms of arthritis caused by Lupus, Lyme disease, and, in rare cases, tumors.

In certain cases, surgery may be required to correct the underlying issue behind your pet's pain. Our veterinary clinic may suggest surgery to correct a ruptured ligament or an out-of-place or unstable joint. In other cases, our veterinary clinic may provide medications to treat the infection behind the pain. Once we treat the underlying issue, we can then implement an effective pain management program.  

Our Spokane veterinarian can provide a number of prescription medications as part of a pain management for dogs and cats program. Options from our veterinary clinic include pain medications for all conditions as well as medications for arthritis that include cartilage protective agents, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs, and steriods if absolutely necessary. The most effective pain management for dogs and cats depends on the specific condition as well as your pet's age, overall health, and lifestyle. Please contact our clinic to discuss a pain management plan that will work best for your pet.