If your dog is experiencing pain, a very important step for relieving it is to keep a pain diary once your veterinarian has put a treatment plan in place. It can be as simple as jotting down a few words on a calendar each day (“stiff upon rising,” “lameness,” “doesn’t want to play”). Once you chart progress, or lack of it, the doctor can assess the daily pattern and tweak the protocol if things are not working. Solutions include adding more medications, working with you to adjust your pet’s daily routine, or, in some cases, recommending a more aggressive approach like therapeutic massage or even surgery.
