Chronic Pain: Effective Relief Strategies for Geriatric Pets.

Abstract

The treatment of chronic pain in geriatric dogs and cats needs special consideration about what might be employed for a younger and more robust population of animals. Careful consideration of possible comorbidities will determine what treatments might cause a higher degree of adverse events. Chronic pain, left untreated, often leads to a decision to euthanize by the caregiver, so it is important to perform careful orthopedic and neurologic examinations on this patient population so that reasonable therapeutic options can be discussed.