Pain relief for dogs should not be viewed in the same way you view your own pain. Dogs feel pain in the same way you do, but they deal with it in a very different way. When you understand this concept, you are in a better position to help your dog.
When humans suffer with pain, they mostly deal with it in one of two ways; either they want to keep going, or they want to get more sympathy. Either way, they reach for pain relief, normally in the form of medication.
However, animals are not as complicated as we are. They know that when they are in pain, it means they must rest. They don’t need to go to work, or take the children to school. They curl up in a ball, in a safe place and sleep.
Our desire to keep going compounds the problem, as it denies our body its innate ability to heal itself. If we could simply let go of our responsibilities and do what dogs do, we would be much healthier. Excessive or prolonged sympathy can also keep us locked in the pain.
Compassion, rather than sympathy, is a better placed emotion to really help.
Dogs suffer far more from psychological pain than from physical pain. For example, a grieving dog is likely to stop eating and become depressed, whereas a dog in physical pain (depending on the severity) usually keeps eating.
Being the funny species we are, we don’t really provide the best pain relief for dogs. When we give them pain medication, it has several problems. All veterinary medication is toxic to the liver, pulling down your dog’s health. All veterinary medication suppresses the immune system, making future problems more likely.
But the main problem with veterinary medication is that it gives your dog a false feeling that there is no problem. This means he is likely to overuse the problem part, making the situation worse, rather than allowing it time to heal naturally.
So what are the alternatives?
One of the best therapies for any situation, including pain relief, is homeopathy. Homeopathic treatment deals with the cause of the problem, rather than suppressing the symptoms. Homeopathy is natural, effective, economical, is not invasive and has no side effects. Dogs love it. You will never have a problem dosing a dog with a well selected homeopathic remedy.
Just to illustrate the point, let’s look at two different scenarios.
Consider a dog with a serious cruciate ligament tear, causing him to limp and a reluctance for his normal physical activities.
Scenario One. The dog has an operation (invasive, expensive). The vet tells you to crate the dog to keep him from moving too much. He is prescribed pain medication, along with various other drugs.
Dogs being the active animals they are, can become frustrated, anxious and disconnected as he slowly goes crazy in the crate.
Scenario Two. The dog is treated homeopathically. Normal walks and any stimulation is not advised, but apart from that, the dog is allowed his normal lifestyle of freedom. The successful treatment deals with the pain at the same time it repairs the tear. Your dog will know exactly what he can get away with in terms of movement. He will rest and sleep a lot.
Any ligament damage takes a long time to repair, but under good homeopathic care, it is much faster. The results are normally permanent too, whereas an operation tends to be a temporary measure.
Look at pain relief for dogs in a new light. Think outside the square. Do your best for your dog in real terms, rather than how you would be in a similar circumstance.
