Pain Management
Pain is the unpleasant sensation that develops with the stimulation of specialized sensory nerve endings, called pain receptors. Pain most often develops from damage, irritation or inflammation of tissues or structures of the body. Pain is a protective mechanism. It causes the animal to react and to move away from the source of the stimulus.
Manifestations of pain are highly variable in animals. Some signs are obviously related to pain, while others are more subtle. The individual personality of the animal and its tolerance for pain also affect the clinical manifestations of pain. Animals in pain often present with a wide variety of signs. Some signs that are associated with pain include the following:
- Altered behavior – quieter than normal, avoidance of other animals or people, hiding, aggressive behavior, fear biting, mental dullness and depression, agitation, restlessness, pacing.
- Altered movement or gait – lameness, reluctance to move, reluctance to get up, wobbliness, abnormal carriage or use of one or more legs, stiffness.
- Vocalization – growling, howling, yipping, moaning.
- Decreased or lack of appetite (anorexia).
- Increased respiratory rate or increased heart rate
The purpose of pain management is not only to decrease the discomfort your pet feels, but to provide maintenance of quality of life. Pain management is directed at the source of the pain to control it, or used to change how the dog perceives the pain. There are both medicinal and non-medicinal methods of achieving pain control, and often times both modalities are combined in some way to attain the best result possible.
From BoneCancerDogs.com
Deciding to Euthanize your Pet
A Guide for Euthanasia Decision-Making
Making a decision to help your companion animal die can be one of the most difficult and painful decisions you will ever make in your life. We have developed this guide to help you with this difficult decision.
Once you realize the time for your pet's euthanasia is near, it is helpful to do as much planning and preparing ahead of time as possible. The purpose of this list is to make you aware of the many choices you have about your pet's death. Please discuss any decisions you are uncertain about with your veterinarian.
When preparing for your pet's euthanasia, it is helpful to:
- Ask your veterinarian to describe the methods and details of the euthanasia procedure.
- Decide whether or not to be present during your pet's euthanasia.
- Decide who else (if anyone) you would like to have present during the euthanasia. If you wish to be alone during the procedure, you may still want to ask a friend or family member to accompany you to the appointment so you will have support before and afterward.
- Plan the logistical details of your pet's euthanasia.
- When should it take place?
- Where should it take place?
- How will you care for your pet's body?
- What will you transport/bury your pet's body in if you take it with you?
- Consider a post-mortem examination. Post-mortems can potentially answer the questions you may have regarding your pet's illness or injury.
- Think about how you want to say goodbye and/or memorialize your pet.
From Argus Institute for Families and Veterinary Medicine
Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital