Helping Your Dog With Pain

Let's talk about helping your dog with pain. Just like people, dogs can experience pain due to various reasons. If your dog is suffering from pain you would probably love to help and you can. After reading this article you may have a better understanding of how you can help alleviate some of your canine's pain.

First of all you have to notice that your dog is in pain before you can do anything about it. Dogs can't verbalize their pain with words, but a dog owner does have other ways to detect pain in their pooch. When dogs are experiencing pain and discomfort they will probably not be as active as they normally are, they may not want to run or play. Some dogs will have noticeable difficulty going up stairs and some dogs may even have trouble just standing up. If your dog has severe pain they may cry or whimper. For example, if all of a sudden your dog makes a noise every time it eats, it may be experiencing in its mouth. If your dog is limping and whimper when it puts weight on its leg then its leg is probably injured.

When you notice that your canine friend is in pain you should take them to the veterinarian to get a proper diagnosis of exactly what is wrong. A physical examination, x-rays, and different tests may need to be performed. Your veterinarian is also the best person to help you decide on treatment and pain management.

Your dog may be prescribed steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, there are also holistic alternatives for managing pain. Even diet changes may help alleviate your dog's pain. If a dog is obese it may have back problems or the extra weight can cause arthritis pain to be worse. A healthy diet and weight loss could make dogs with those problems have less pain.

Also ask your veterinarian about specific exercises that you can do with your dog that can actually help pain or ask about local places that offer dog physical therapy or rehab. Nobody wants to live in pain so do what you can to help your dog.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.