Just like people, pets can suffer lingering effects and discomfort from injury or a surgical procedure. Four Corners Veterinary Clinic takes pet pain management seriously and offers a range of options to help pets feel better, including medication and alternative therapies. We will develop a customized pain management program tailored to your pet’s specific condition and needs.
Pharmaceutical Therapy
There are a wide variety of pharmaceutical options available for managing your pet’s pain, and we will tailor a plan that is customized to the specific needs of your pet’s health and lifestyle.
Pain Medications
Our veterinarians may prescribe several types of pain medications depending on your pet’s condition:
- NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs): Help reduce inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain in dogs and cats.
- Opioid: Provide effective relief of pain, especially after surgery or trauma.
- Adjunctive medications: Including gabapentin, amantadine, and amitriptyline, which can help manage chronic and neuropathic pain.
Innovative Treatments for Osteoarthritis Pain
For pets suffering from osteoarthritis pain, we offer cutting-edge monoclonal antibody therapies:
- Solensia for cats: A once-monthly injection that targets a key pain driver (Nerve Growth Factor) to provide effective, sustained relief for feline osteoarthritis pain.
- Librela for dogs: A monthly injection that helps improve mobility and quality of life by targeting pain at its source, allowing many dogs to return to their normal activities.
These revolutionary treatments work differently than traditional pain medications, with minimal impact on internal organs and no daily pill administration required.
Our team will work closely with you to monitor your pet’s response to the medication and adjust the treatment plan as needed to ensure optimal comfort and quality of life.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a painless, non-invasive, and drug-free therapy used to treat a variety of injuries, wounds, fractures, neurological conditions, numerous dermatological problems, and pain. Whether your pet is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, your companion will benefit from this revolutionary new approach to pain management.
How It Works
Laser therapy focuses red and infrared light on tissue at and below the skin’s surface. The light energizes the cells, prompting the production of a structural protein called collagen, which is used to repair tissue. Lasers continue to promote healing by supporting vascular dilation and synthesis, increasing blood circulation to the affected region. The stimulation also releases the body’s own pain-relieving hormones and enhances the body’s ability to heal itself.
Treatments are a safe and relaxing experience for pets, and many actually fall asleep during the session! The process generally takes between 5 and 10 minutes, with most patients seeing positive effects after 3-5 uses. However, the exact number of uses your pet may need will depend on the type and severity of the condition being treated. The treatment continues to relieve pain and fight inflammation for up to 24 hours following the session.
Conditions improved with laser therapy:
- Hip dysplasia
- Post-surgical incisions and soft-tissue trauma
- Arthritis and degenerative joint disease
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Neuromuscular disease
Laser therapy is frequently combined with other types of therapies, including pharmaceutical regimens and alternative treatments.
To learn more about our pain management services and how they can benefit your pet, please contact us at (541) 688-5521.