Chronic Pain Clinic
Our pain management clinic is available to animals of all ages living with chronic pain; one of the commonest reasons for this is osteoarthritis (see below). Our vets and nurses provide advice on a multimodal approach to pain management, including medications, physiotherapy, acupuncture, Class IV laser therapy and nutraceuticals (supplements).
Osteoarthritis is the destruction of the cartilage that lines a normal joint, leaving the underlying bone exposed and allowed to grate against the opposite bone surface. This results in pain and reduction in the normal range of motion of the joint. This condition is extremely common, progressive and permanent.
Obesity, excessive exercise and underlying joint disease, e.g. hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cruciate ligament disease, and previous injury, are all risk factors.
In dogs signs that osteoarthritis is a problem can be clear, and include:
- Decreased activity levels
- Intermittent lameness and/or stiffness
- Lameness / stiffness can be worse following a lot of exercise, a long period of rest or cold weather
In cats the signs are likely to be more subtle:
- Difficulty grooming
- Not jumping onto furniture / places they would do usually
- Difficulty accessing litter box
- Grouchy behaviour
- Sleeping a lot
The goals in the management of osteoarthritis are:
- Relief of pain
- Lessen inflammation
- Prevent further cartilage degeneration
- Improve mobility
- To therefore improve your animal’s overall quality of life
Got a question about pain management clinics?
We'd love to hear from you, give us a call or send an email, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
For urgent enquiries, please call.