Perhaps the most complex area for any animal caregiver to practice is pain management. Animals have a natural instinct to hide any pain, due to the prey/predator relationship that stems from their wild heritage. Some signs of pain are very subtle, such as not wanting a treat, or eating their food slowly to even just sleeping more. In cases of severe pain, your pet may show unusual aggressiveness which includes barking, snarling and even snapping at you.
Appalachian Animal Clinic categorizes pain in two ways: acute and chronic. Acute pain is almost always due to trauma or post-surgical care. Our staff will treat your pet in the short term with a higher dose of pain medication in order to keep your pet comfortable while healing. Chronic pain is usually due to joint disease or displacement, arthritis, chronic skin conditions and even chronic internal issues. Our staff uses low dosage pain medications as well as proper food choices to help your pet stay healthy and active as long as possible.
