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Pain Management

Managing your pet’s pain is one of our highest priorities. At Animal Medical Center of Deer Valley, our veterinarians use a multi-modal approach to pain management.

Managing your pet’s pain is one of our highest priorities. Notions that pets don’t feel pain or “need” the discomfort to keep them quiet are fairly universally accepted as outdated and incorrect. It has been shown again and again that pain impairs healing and, more importantly, is inhumane. We place the utmost importance on your pet’s comfort and well-being. Allowing an animal to suffer pain is, in our view, unethical.

At Animal Medical Center of Deer Valley, our veterinarians use a multi-modal approach to pain management that includes anti-inflammatories, opiod drugs, local anesthetics, general anesthetics, oral medications, injections, constant infusions, nerve blocks, and sustained release pain patches. Many of these methods are included in the cost for routine surgical procedures.

All of these methods are considered for every case, every time. Although these methods are, generally, very safe and very beneficial to our patients, some of these medications do carry risks for some patients. Your doctor will weigh these risks when indicated and be sure to discuss them with you.

If your pet is dealing with acute pain, our goal is to prevent the nerves from perceiving and remembering this pain so that it does not become chronic pain. For this reason, pain-management protocols are a part of the treatment plan for all invasive procedures, such as surgeries. If your pet is already dealing with chronic pain, our veterinarians can create a customized pain management plan based on your pet’s individual needs and medical issues.