A Great Dane in great pain (Warning: happy ending)
Dr. Robin Downing tells us about three exciting updates in pain management, along with her most special pain management case.
When we sat down with pain management expert Dr. Robin Downing at CVC Kansas City, she told us what she's enthusiastic about in pain control for pets right now:
The release of a long-acting buprenorphine (Simbadol-Zoetis) labeled for cats for postoperative pain. One subcutaneous injection lasts for 24 hours, and it can be give once a day for up to three days.
Gapiprant (Galliprant-Aratana/Elanco), a new NSAID for dogs that works through a different pathway than other NSAIDs.
A liposomal formulation of bupivacaine that provides local anesthetic relief in dogs after cruciate surgery.
All exciting stuff! But what really got us was her story of Payton, a 4-year-old Great Dane crippled with bilateral cranial cruciate injuries of two years' duration in addition to severe back pain. Hear about Payton's journey to a long, comfortable life with the help of some of the wonders of pain management, including pain medication, therapeutic exercise, acupuncture and laser therapy.
