We calculate the dose, usually by body weight, and then we figure out how long the pet needs it. Is it more of an acute injury or more of a chronic, old-age type of deal where we're treating some osteoarthritis or something like that? Your veterinarian will calculate that dose based on those factors.

There are lots of NSAIDs out there. I would say that we stay away from human medications for dogs. We have a lot of veterinary-appropriate medications, so no Tylenol, no Advil, or ibuprofen. I would speak with your vet, and then we can formulate a good plan and discuss those options. NSAIDs in dogs can be tricky sometimes, and we want to make sure that it's safe for your pet. It might not be a good option for those with liver or kidney disease, but there are other options for those guys if they need it.

So, typically what we're going to have you guys do is consult with your veterinarian because there are many different types of pain medications out there, and not every one medication is going to be appropriate for the things that we're treating. So, you want to sit down with your veterinarian, have a good head-to-tail exam on your little pet there, and then they can identify exactly where the pain is, how severe it is, and what would a good plan treatment-wise moving forward.

Every time you bring your cat to the veterinarian for a well visit, we'll always look at their teeth and we grade them on a score of one to four, so we can follow the progress. One is the best they can be, four is the worst. So we'll always examine them, examine their teeth with an oral exam, and write a comment on there. So we'll follow that along as we go.

Well, that's the funny thing. They might seem healthy on the outside. When a veterinarian starts to examine them, however, and really gets out the otoscope and an ophthalmoscope and looks in the eye all the way back to the retina, and down the ears, opens up your cat's mouth, looks for dental tartar, dental disease, feels all the lymph nodes, puts on a stethoscope and listens for heart murmurs and arrhythmias, weighs your cat, you could be surprised that we could find and uncover some things that you didn't know just by looking at your cat.