Because We Care

How do I know if my pet is in pain? 

Animals that are in pain can show a variety of signs: they tend to become depressed, might have a reduced appetite, and can might be lame, or show stiffness, and a reluctance to move (e.g. to leave their bed) or to exercise. Some will have a change in temperament: in one study fifty per cent of dogs with a behavioural problem improved when given pain relief. In addition, shivering, crying spontaneously, tensing of parts of the body e.g. neck, abdominal or back muscles, can all be signs of pain.

Stiffness is almost invariably a sign of pain in older animals, and is usually due to the joint pain caused by arthritis. Stiffness can be deceptive when it occurs in more than one leg, because then an animal slows down when walking but does not necessarily limp.

Here at the Banovallum Veterinary Group, we consider pain relief to be one of the most, if not the single most, important aspects of the way we care for animals.