Pain Management

Pain management for an animal takes patience, knowledge and experience on a veterinarian’s part, to be diagnosed correctly and treated effectively. The doctors at Mancos Valley Veterinary Hospital understand that pets feel pain in much the same way as people. Left untreated, pain reduces quality of life and can delay recovery from surgery, injury, or illness. Our goal at Mancos Valley Veterinary Hospital is to provide the most effective medication and pain management strategy for each individual pet that is having issues with pain.

Many animals will not show obvious signs of pain or sickness due to the ingrained “survival of the fittest” instinct. Many people do not realize the most common sign of pain is change in behavior. “Old age” or “slowing down” are not diseases, yet these terms are often used to brush off signs of pain in pets. If you notice your pet exhibiting any of the following symptoms, chances are that your pet is experiencing pain, and should be examined by a qualified veterinarian.

Common Signs of Pain:

  • Stiffness
  • Decreased Activity
  • Lagging behind on walks
  • Difficulty standing up
  • Pacing, Restlessness, Biting
  • Slow to Sit or Lay Down
  • Limping
  • Avoidance of Stairs
  • Muscle Atrophy (loss)
  • Hesitation to Move
  • Neck Weakness
  • Trembling
  • Depressed Appetite
  • Running with “Bunny Hops”
  • Unusual Crying or Whining - or yelping when touched
  • Hiding
  • Arched Back, Head Lowered or Tilted
  • Panting (Increase in respiration)

In addition to treating pets for chronic pain or pain from injury, we focus on all of our surgical cases to ensure that they are as pain free as possible. If pain medication is given before a surgery is performed, your pet will hurt much less after the surgery, will require less anesthesia and post-operative pain medicine, and will recover more quickly from the procedure performed.

If you live in Mancos, Colorado or the Four Corners area, and you find that your pet is exhibiting signs of pain, please call our clinic today and schedule an examination by one of our capable veterinarians.