pet connection

For this week’s Pet Connection column appearing in newspapers across the country now, our Dr. Marty Becker and Christie Keith look at advances in pain-control medication for pets — and why it’s important to talk with your veterinarian about this important aspect of your pet’s care:

Just as with human medicine, advancements in the way we think of and treat pain for animals is improving the quality of life for pets, with veterinarians now being able to choose from a wide array of products and strategies to ease the hurt.

“Animals can feel all the same aches and pains that we can because they share the same physiologic structures,” says Dr. Robin Downing, owner of Colorado’s The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management.

Treating pain doesn’t just make the hurting stop: It also promotes healthy healing. Untreated pain slows healing time, interferes with sleep and depresses the immune system. The treatment of pain improves respiration, shortens post-surgical hospitalization times, improves mobility, and can even decrease the spread of cancer after surgery.

Most veterinarians prescribe pain medication when needed, but some still believe a pet will move around less during recovery from surgery or injury if in pain — a belief no longer supported by studies. If an animal needs to be restrained, it’s better to use a leash or a crate.

Still, many owners don’t give pets pain medications — even if they are prescribed — because of concerns about side effects. All drugs can cause unwanted effects, but those risks need to be balanced against the problems caused by untreated pain. Side effects can also be minimized by using drugs appropriately.

Read the rest, which also includes a discussion over whether a guinea pig or rabbit is a better pet for a child, a DogCars.com review of the new Scion xB and a behavior tip on why “yes” is more important than “no” when it comes to fixing a problem with your pet’s manners.

***

New blogger here: Keith Turner, the editor of our DogCars.com Web site, will be posting here when that site has a new review of a product or vehicle. Keith is a syndicated auto writer who has written for many publications. His full bio is here.

***

Around the petblogosphere: Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly offers more advice on pain-management, writing about a method of making your pet much more comfortable that’s safe, effective and free. Yes, free. (Hint: If you take “the cure,” too, you and your pet will both be healthier.) … Terrierman looks at bad science, bad science reporting and why you shouldn’t fear the microchip. … BAD RAP reports from Detroit, and on a second chance for a former fighting dog.