Pets have pain too!

We like to think our pets are always happy and healthy. Afterall, they are usually wagging their tails or purring like happy kittens. But the reality is that sometimes our pets experience pain just like we do. Whether they hurt their paw, have a tooth infection, are recovering from surgery, or simply getting older, our pet's feel pain from the same things we do. The big difference between our pain and their pain is that they cannot tell us when they are hurting. We sometimes know because they cry or will not eat. But other times, they are stoic and mask their pain so we don't know they are hurting.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) have recently instituted new guidelines for pain management.  As an accredited practice of both organizations, and because we believe it is so important, NHAH created our own pain management protocols a number of years ago.

Managing pain is good medicine.  Uncontrolled or poorly controlled pain can cause serious medical consequences such as increased fatigue, decreased sleep and even delayed healing.  In human medicine, pain is considered the fifth vital sign and must be evaluated in every patient.

 At NHAH, we assess every patient for pain, even if they are here for a preventive visit.  We take pain in our patients seriously.  Every surgical patient receives pain medication and in some cases, acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has many uses for promoting health but one of the best benefits is that it treats and controls pain. During recovery, and throughout their hospital stay, each patient is continually monitored for pain. And when needed, our patients are sent home with pain medication.

Pain can be hard to detect in pets because they tend to hide their symptoms.  It helps if our doctors and staff  have a close relationship with patients so that we can detect even the slightest behavior changes that may indicate discomfort.

We care about making your pet comfortable and continually strive to improve pain management protocols and techniques to make sure your pet remains as happy and healthy as possible!