Like people, older pets often require pain management due to age and health conditions. As an example, the American College of Veterinary Surgeons estimates that osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis in dogs) affects approximately 25% of the dog population. Similarly, veterinary researchers estimate that 20% of adult dogs have osteoarthritis and that 45% of cats experience arthritic pain, according to findings by the Morris Animal Foundation.
The problem is that pets will instinctively hide pain as a survival mechanism. That means many pet owners don’t know their pets are in pain and need veterinary attention. As a result, a pet’s quality of life can be diminished, which is why a recent AVMA article emphasizes that “managing pain and preserving quality of life in small animals are now considered just as important as healing illnesses and injuries.”
Download our free Senior Pets and Pain Management Kit with tools to help educate your clients about recognizing signs of pain in their pets and the importance of veterinary assistance in managing pain.
Available for a limited time, our kit includes:
- Two educational handouts for clients that you can print or email:
- How to Recognize Pain in Aging Dogs: Synopsis of a ClientEd handout
- How to Recognize Pain in Aging Cats: Synopsis of a ClientEd handout
- A printable poster for your clinic
- Two social media images that you can post on Facebook to further remind cat owners about the importance of senior pet pain management.
