Pain Management

We are Ireland’s only member practice of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. Lisa our vet, is also a qualified Fear Free professional practitioner and has a Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh in anaesthesia and analgesia and is very experienced in the area of pain management.
We offer pain assessment consultations to help you decide upon a plan, to give your pet the best quality and quantity of life that is as pain free as possible.
Old age and arthritis particularly, can creep up on us and before we know it, our companion may be slowing down, finding it difficult to rise and be as mobile as before.
Many pets benefit greatly from combinations of treatments, and we offer multimodal drug treatments and non drug treatments that will benefit a huge variety of common conditions such as

• Sore joints (hips and knees in particular) and muscles
• Trapped nerves (e.g. Chiari-like malformation and intervertebral disc prolapse)
• Pain associated with cancer
• Pain associated with chronic gastrointestinal disease e.g. inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis.

If any of the following signs are symptoms you have seen in your pet, please don’t hesitate to contact the clinic for an assessment. Both cats and dogs differ with their manifestations of discomfort, indeed cats are the more difficult to species to spot pain in.

Common signs of pain or discomfort in cats include:

• Reduced activity, lethargy
• Previously friendly cats try to claw or bite
• Aggression, moodiness, resentment at being handled
• Attacking the tail or back legs
• Excessive licking one part of the body
• Over-grooming or reduced grooming – poor coat condition
• Changes in temperament – wanting lots of attention or avoiding human contact
• Howling or constantly meowing
• Changed facial expression: droopy ears, slanted half closed eyes
• Inappropriate toileting
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Abnormal gait/lameness
• Reluctance to jump or climb
• Hiding
• Not shedding nails appropriately

And in dogs we see common behavioural changes that may indicate discomfort such as

• Being unusually inactive, quiet or unresponsive
• Restlessness/inability to get comfortable
• Excessive/inappropriate panting
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Avoiding interaction with other pets or family members
• Seeking a lot more affection than usual
• Whining, whimpering, yelping or howling
• Constantly licking or chewing at a particular part of the body
• Acting oddly and out of character, either aggressively or submissively
• Difficulty eating
• Flattening ears against the head, changed facial expression
• Lameness
• Hunched back posture
• Reluctance to climb stairs/jump up
• Difficulty rising from a lying/sitting position
• Negative reaction to being handled/picked up