Longer lasting pain relief.

Many of our pets are on multiple different tablets that need to be taken once or even twice a day.

For some, especially dogs who do not like taking tablets, this can be a major issue.

Did you know that there are long acting medication options that don’t require daily tableting?

Pentosan Polysulphate

This is a medication injected under the skin once a week for 4 weeks then is repeated every 6 months.

Some animals that require boosters sooner than this may benefit from single injections monthly.

This medication works by reducing inflammation in the joint and promoting the production of joint fluid thus ‘lubricating’ the joint.

There should be no adverse effects with any concurrent illnesses.

Anti-nerve growth factor

Anti-nerve growth factor is a ground breaking new treatment to treat chronic pain in a completely unique way - and only once a month as an under the skin injection.

This medication uses monoclonal antibody technology to effectively block one of the major signalling molecules in chronic pain - nerve growth factor (NGF).

This treatment has been used for years with success in the UK and had only recently become available to veterinarians in Australia.

There should be no adverse effects with any concurrent illnesses.

Solensia is the injection available for cats with further information here:

https://www.zoetispetcare.com/products/solensia

Beransa is the injection available for dogs.

Ketamine

Low dose ketamine injections can be a cost effective way to manage pain that is refractory to traditional therapies or to treat chronic end stage pain such as cancer pain.

Injections are given into the muscle usually once a month, then up to once weekly for severe pain states.

Although more commonly used as an anaesthetic drug, lower doses of ketamine have been found to provide pain relief effects on chronic pain states. This is still an active field of research.

A veterinary consultation as to the pros and cons, any safety concerns and defining refractory, chronic pain is essential before ketamine injections can be prescribed for your pet.

Trocoxil

Many dogs are on once daily non steroid pain medications on common pain relief tablets including meloxicam, previcox and onsior. These are highly effective treatment options however they do need to be given daily to be effective.

Did you know that there is a pain relief in this same family of medication that provides extended pain relief?

Trocoxil is a non steroid pain medication that is given as a tablet once a month.

This treatment type is not recommended for every patient however so a through discussion as to this medications pros, cons and monitoring requirements is essential before this can be prescribed.

Joint injections

Medication that is targeted directly into the painful joint can provide pain relief for up to a year.

Steroid injections can reduce inflammation in joints with end stage osteoarthritis for weeks to months.

Artificial joint fluid (polyacrylamide hydrogel) is a newer therapy that can be injected into arthritic joints with pain relief lasting for 6-12 months.

Joint injections require a short anaesthetic procedure (about 10-30 minutes) which would be carried out at partner veterinary clinics using modern anaesthetic equipment and monitoring.

Transport from home to and from the clinic is complimentary.

Compounded formulations

Sometimes daily medication is still the best protocol for a patient. However did you know that we might be able to help make it easier?

We are able to prescribe veterinary compounded medication which can provide ease of administration including:

Flavouring of medications
Combining multiple medications into one capsule
Creating different forms including flavoured chews, liquids, powders or even transdermal (rubbed on the skin)

Book in a discussion with us to see if compounding can be a helpful option for you and your pet.