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The Doctors of Big Creek Pet Hospital are the only Cleveland, OH veterinarians that have infrared camera technology available to help identify pain in a way that is completely safe and requires no drugs for your pet. By analyzing these images, they can use their extensive experience to zero in on specific pain points and show the cause to owners with a clear visual aid in a concise manner. Continue reading
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Aug 19, 2015 /prREACH/ -- How to tell when a pet is in pain is a huge issue for pet parents who want the best for furry family members. The veterinarians at Big Creek Pet Hospital in Cleveland Ohio are passionate about offering as many ways as possible to identify and manage the pain that pets will experience.
The trouble is, animals aren’t all that good at speaking about what is troubling them or how much it hurts. Consider these stats: 20% of adult dogs are estimated to experience pain from arthritis, rising to 40% for senior dogs. (Dogs and cats are considered senior when the pass eight years old.) 30% of adult cats have arthritis. While up to 60% of senior cats could suffer from arthritic pain as they age. 60% of the dogs treated at BCPH and 50% of the cats have some form of pain associated with dental disease.
Most people spend so much time with their pets that even a small change in behavior doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s the reaction to such changes and knowing what to look for at home that helps to show when it’s time to visit the vet. Even when a furry family member comes to Big Creek Pet Hospital, there’s still a lot of work to be done isolating where pain exists, its potential causes, and working out a treatment plan that works for both patient and pet parent. That’s where some technology often overlooked by other Cleveland, OH veterinarians comes in.
Buddy’s Story: Laser Therapy Saves the Day
Buddy Dunger isn’t just one of the most adorable senior Golden Retrievers ever. He’s also a prime example of how using emerging technology to alleviate pain in pets has been successful for the BCPH medical team. Buddy is 13 years young and glowing in golden years. That wasn’t the case when the pet owner came to BCPH earlier this summer. The family noticed Buddy slowing down and sometimes dragging his hind legs instead of walking normally. They brought Buddy to BCPH to see why this was happening and learn what kind of pain Buddy was experiencing.
Dr. Fegan identified areas of inflammation around Buddy’s hips and was able to diagnose arthritis without needing any X-rays. Here’s the thoughts about Buddy’s case and the technology that was used for the diagnosis. “Often owners will assume that slowing down is a normal part of the pet aging process, but sometimes it’s more a case of a pet being in pain and unable to move so well. Some slowdown is natural, but in this dog’s case, there was a silent health problem that needed to be treated. Unlike people, pets can’t speak as to how much it hurts, so luckily this dogs human mom brought the dog in to 'see the problem' with the infrared imaging and laser therapy equipment.”
Infrared imaging – also known as Digital Thermal Imaging – measures radiated energy and clearly presents pain points with vivid color images. Doctors Fegan, Souders, and Zabik of Big Creek Pet Hospital, are the only Cleveland, OH veterinarians to have this infrared camera available to identify pain in a way that is completely safe and requires no drugs. By analyzing these images, the veterinarians are able to zero in on specific pain points and explain the cause to owners with a clear visual aid.
Because Buddy's mom didn't want drugs or any invasive treatment to be used, the medical team was able to turn to technology again and suggested Buddy receive laser treatment. This new service uses targeted light on the surface of a pet’s skin to stimulate cell regeneration and increase the circulation of blood. Laser therapy has proven to be a very popular service. BCPH veterinarians and clients like it for three main reasons: It reduces inflammation, it visibly reduces pain levels for pets, it promotes quicker healing so that the furry friend is pain-free for longer. To put it simply, in the human mom’s words: “Buddy has the pep back in every step.”
There’s no doubt that technology significantly shapes the protecting strategy for pets. Although it is no substitute for pure veterinary experience and getting to know the dogs, cats, and pocket pets personally, new technology like thermal imaging and laser therapy helps to identify the origins of pain in pets more quickly, then create an effective healing plan with more tools in the tool belt.
What makes this even more exciting is that Big Creek Pet Hospital is the first veterinarian in Cleveland to offer pet parents this technology for pain identification and treatment. For more information, call BCPH at 440-234-5831, or stop by and see this technology live- 16949 Bagley Rd. Cleveland OH 44130.
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