Ambassador Long Beach Veterinary Hospital is here to keep your pet comfortable throughout his or her entire life.

Did you know
…there are some people that don’t think animals feel real pain.

We know that pain in pets is real and important. For this reason, we will do everything that we can to keep your pet comfortable throughout his or her life. We will help them through any injuries, surgeries, chronic issues, and any other painful time. We are also here to help your pet with any arthritis pain that they may have.

Ambassador Long Beach Veterinary Hospital is proud to offer many different choices when it comes to managing your pet’s pain level. Our veterinarians create a customized pain management plan for your pet.

Arthritis

Arthritis pain can be difficult to manage. We start with glucosamine tablets. There are also some foods that have extra glucosamine in them. Glucosamine can be very helpful for dogs with arthritis. We also offer injectable glucosamine. The results can be amazing. Unfortunately many people don’t wish to spend the money since it is expensive to start.

Medications

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are usually our first choice. They are effective although they sometimes can have side effects.
  • Steroids are often a good choice for pets who have pain due to a bad back. They have good anti-inflammatory effects which help with the pain. However, long-term use of steroids can do more harm than good so we use them with caution.

Sometimes, these medications are not enough. We do have stronger medications, although some of them are controlled substances. This means we have to use some caution when prescribing these medications. Many pets require several of these medications to keep their pain at a manageable level.

Our goal is to keep your pet on as little medication as possible. We also don’t want him or her to suffer from side effects on the medications.

Blood Work

Blood work is important before you start your pet on any medications. We need to know whether or not your pet’s kidneys and liver can handle any additional medications. Once your pet has been on the medications for a while, we usually like to see routine blood work to monitor any potential side effects.

Our first goal is to keep your pet as comfortable as possible.

If you would like to set up an appointment to discuss your pet’s pain with one of our veterinarians, don’t hesitate to contact us at (562) 427-2889.