Pain Management for Dogs

Let's discuss pain management for dogs. You've most likely experience pain in your life so you know that it's not fun. When a human experiences pain they can tell a doctor about it or try different things to help. If your dog is in pain they can't talk to someone and they can't take medications or do exercises to help. This article will discuss how to recognize pain and how you can help your dog to manage its pain.

How can you tell if a dog is in pain? If they have a visible injury then you can probably assume they have a least a little bit of pain. If your dogs just had surgery then they some pain. Another way to tell if your dog is in pain is if your pooch is acting strange. Changes in behavior should be a red flag that something is wrong. Also, if your dog is being less active, won't climb stairs, or whines or whimpers when doing an activity then it is probably in pain.

If you don't know the cause of your dogs pain take them to the veterinarian for a diagnosis. Once you know what is wrong you can properly treat it. A healthy diet can often help with pain. Make sure your dog's food is high quality and not full of fillers and by-products. You can also talk to your veterinarian about medication for treating pain. Depending on the cause of the pain your dog may need to take steroids, opioids or anti-inflammatory medicine. Make sure you know the proper dosage to give to your dog and you should also ask about possible side effects of medication.

Exercising and physical therapy may also help your dog manage its pain. For example, arthritis can be a great exercise for dogs with arthritis. You can help your dog with exercises yourself or hire a trainer to help.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.