How can you tell when your dog or cat is in pain? Because animals tend to hide pain as a protective mechanism, it’s important to learn the signs that they’re hurting so they can be treated quickly. AAHA and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) worked together to create the AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats to help pet owners and veterinarians help our four-legged friends. Read on for highlights of the report.
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Palliative care focuses on managing the pain, lack of appetite, fatigue, nausea or other symptoms your pet may be experiencing from a chronic disease or its treatment. Hospice care, too, looks first to the comfort of the pet—those with a terminal diagnosis and for whom a cure is no longer possible.
Pain management, in particular, is a science that is rapidly evolving. Sometimes just a few small changes in medication can return a pet to being more like its old self. It is still an animal with a fatal disease—but that extra time can be very meaningful.
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Thinking about giving your pet an aspirin to ease its pain? Think again! Human painkillers including ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen can be dangerous and even deadly to animals. Though acetaminophen can ease a human tension headache, one tablet of 500 mg extra strength acetaminophen can kill a 7-pound cat. Human medications are not designed for the animal body, and can have deadly effects when given to pets. Veterinarians can help prescribe the right dose and type of medication for your pet when it is in pain. Visit HealthyPet.com to find an accredited veterinarian near you.
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