When a dog experiences long-term pain it can have a serious impact on their quality of life. Luckily there are ways that you can help improve their condition. Here, our Hoquiam vets talk about the effects of chronic pain on dogs and what you can do to help manage their symptoms.
How Does Chronic Pain Affect Our Canine Companions?
While every pet parent aims to keep their dog happy and healthy, there may be conditions that arise that cause ongoing discomfort. When a dog suffers from chronic pain, you will notice changes in their behavior and movement. The first step will be to have your dog examined and diagnosed so that you can begin to manage their symptoms.
Diagnosing Chronic Pain in Dogs
If you think that your dog is experiencing repeat concerns affecting their health and causing them pain, you will want to bring them in for a full examination in order to rule out any other possible causes.
Some of the methods of diagnosing your dog's condition may include:
- Veterinary examination
- Physiologic biomarkers
- Objective measurements of gait and movement
- Multifactorial clinical measurement instruments
- Owner assessment of activities of daily living (ADL)
Causes Behind Chronic Pain in Dogs
When dogs experience chronic pain, the most common cause is osteoarthritis affecting approximately 40% of dogs. Some of the contributing factors for osteoarthritis include hereditary and other congenital factors that can affect dogs of all ages and breeds.
Treating Pain With Cold Laser Therapy
Veterinary laser therapy is a fairly new method of treatment for symptoms related to various disorders and is most commonly used to help manage pain, inflammation, and wound healing for your pet.
Therapeutic lasers use light waves of a specific wavelength to alter the physiology of the affected tissues. The light emitted by these lasers throughout treatment will help to stimulate the cells within the tissues and allow for faster cellular regeneration.
Speak to your vet if you would like to learn more about how your dog may benefit from veterinary laser therapy.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.