Since 1974

Chesterfield Veterinary Center

Advanced Pain Control

We all know that pain hurts, but many people don’t know that pain has many other detrimental effects on the body.

It slows healing, decreases activity, causes behavior changes (such as aggression, anxiety, and depression), worsens diseases like arthritis and potentially some cancers, and it interferes with the bond between you and your pet.

In order to combat those effects, we use an advanced, multimodal protocol to prevent and treat pain in out patients.  Whenever possible, we use a combination of local anesthetics, NSAIDs, and narcotic pain relievers.  We also try to include nondrug methods like exercise and physical therapy when appropriate.

Local anesthetics (the most widely known is Novocain^®) numb sensation to a particular area—they may seem feeble, as anesthetics go, but they are actually the only type of anesthetic that completely blocks pain perception.  They are particularly useful in epidural anesthesia, which we use often in procedures affecting the hindlimbs (e.g., knee surgery).

NSAIDs are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.  Examples of this type of drug are aspirin, ibuprofen, and Celebrex.  In general, NSAIDs for human use are not considered safe for dogs and cats.  We use several different veterinary NSAIDs for pain control (Rimadyl, Deramaxx, and Metacam are the most commonly used).

Narcotics are the morphine-like drugs.  Because they are often abused by human patients, they sometimes carry a stigma, but in reality they are very safe and effective pain relievers.

Nondrug therapies such as exercise and physical therapy maintain strength and flexibility, and help reduce the amount of drugs needed to control pain.

Pain Hurts.