Pain Management

At Ingersoll Animal Hospital, we believe that every animal deserves to enjoy a pain-free existence. That’s why we are pleased to offer comprehensive pain management services to help our cherished patients enjoy happier, more comfortable lives.

Many of the things your companion will experience throughout his or her lifetime may result in pain, whether it’s an injury, a surgery, a chronic medical condition or simply part of the natural aging process. Fortunately, there are a number of things that we can do to help relieve much of this discomfort and improve your pet’s quality of life. We will tailor our approach to best suit your loved one’s specific needs so that we achieve the best possible results.

Arthritis, Comprehensive Pain Management & Therapeutic Laser Treatment for Pets

Pets feel pain just like people do. Our approach to managing pain for our patients is based in our philosophy for compassionate care. Because we understand how difficult it is to watch a beloved pet suffer, we make it our priority to minimize or eliminate pain and discomfort in all of our patients.

The key to effective pain management in pets is the ability to recognize the signs of pain wherever it may exist. Animals don’t express pain like we do. Our first priority is to detect the subtle signs your pet may display that indicate he or she may not be feeling well, and accurately assess the level of pain your pet may be experiencing.

How do you manage and relieve my pet’s pain?

• Preventing pain whenever possible – We use pain medication prior to surgeries and other procedures and incorporate multimodal pain management, which combines different pain-control methods that work together most effectively. This significantly lowers side effects and results in better management and reduction of pain in your pet. We consider nerve blocks, constant rate infusion or CRI, local anesthetic, injectable and oral pain medications when we formulate an individual pain management program for your pet.
• Traditional pain medications – There are many safe and effective pet pain medications available through our in-house pharmacy that can help alleviate pain in countless situations. These may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, and pain-fighting steroids.
• Alternative pain-relief strategies – Dietary supplements, prescription diets, and other therapeutic remedies also can help relieve your pet’s pain. We use these in conjunction with other pain management strategies to provide the most comprehensive treatment possible.
• Acupuncture and physical therapy – Acupuncture and physical therapy can be valuable tools in the management of post-injury and post-surgical patients. They are also very useful in helping control arthritis pain.

How does Pet Laser Therapy work?

Using nothing more than harmless flashes of infrared light, veterinary laser therapy facilitates recovery and speeds healing by sparking activity in the blood, nerves, and tissue in a specific area of the body. The result is a positive impact on inflammation of all sorts, even arthritis. Restored mobility to stiff limbs, shorter recovery following a surgery or injury, and general analgesic pain relief are all proven outcomes of therapeutic laser treatment sessions for pets. It can also be used very successfully in conjunction with acupuncture therapy.

What is Veterinary Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is based on the belief that the body naturally wants to achieve balance.

When the body goes out of balance, disease, injury and pain may result. Acupuncture is defined as the insertion of needles into specific areas of the body in an attempt to stimulate the body to heal itself and regain natural balance therefore creating a healing effect. Acupuncture is a relatively pain free process that can also be very relaxing to many patients. It can be used in conjunction with Western medicine in an integrated approach.

Acupuncture has been found to be most helpful with functional problems such as those involving paralysis, noninfectious inflammation (such as allergies) and pain. Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but can work very well when indicated. Call us today to schedule a consultation to see if acupuncture is right for your pet.

What should I do if I’m worried that my pet may be in pain?

Ingersoll Animal Hospital is pleased to offer your animal companion a diverse range of options when it comes to keeping pain at bay. We invite you to contact us if you’d like to speak with a staff member about the many ways we can help make sure pain is never something that you and your pet will have to deal with. Don’t let your companion suffer another moment – let us help provide the relief he or she deserves.