Comfort Vet

02/10/2025

That makes two of us ….RIP Jane, you did well

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16/09/2025

Let me introduce you to one of my absolute favourite tools in the toolbox! 🐾 I use a stance analyser in all of my pain and mobility consults and It is an absolutely underrated gem.

So, what is it? Imagine a very clever scale divided into 4 quadrants. It measures exactly how much weight your pet is placing on each limb — allowing us to detect pain, mobility issues, and subtle imbalances that might otherwise go unnoticed.

It also helps me identify both the primary problem area and the resulting compensations — which is key to treating pain and improving mobility.

👉 Did you know? In most healthy dog breeds, weight distribution should be about 30% on each forelimb and 20% on each hindlimb.

In the picture below, the dog was presented for a left shoulder issue. The stance analyser prompted me to see what was happening in the hind left limb where I identified significant iliopsoas pain possibly secondary to lumbosacral disease.

16/09/2025

If you do the maths, we’re missing the majority of dogs and cats living with osteoarthritis — along with the mobility restrictions and the pain it brings.

By now, I hope you feel more confident recognising the subtle signs of pain in your pets. Remember: we need to be proactive.

👉 Don’t wait for lameness — by then, the pain is already far advanced. Spot the signs early, act early, and protect your pet’s comfort and quality of life. 🐾

We offer advanced pain and mobility consultation for your cats and dogs. Contact us for more information: [email protected] (Dr Andreane Daigle)/ 0434104493

09/09/2025

CHRONIC OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) PAIN IN DOGS

Let’s play a quick quiz! 🐾

Osteoarthritis often hides in plain sight — can you tell what behaviours might signal your dog is hurting?

👉 Hint: These photos each show some signs, but there are more!

Drop your answers in the comments and make me proud!

08/09/2025

Now that we’ve looked at the overall signs of pain in cats and how to measure acute pain with a validated scale, let’s talk about something trickier: recognising chronic osteoarthritic pain in our feline companions.

In cats, the signs are often very subtle — even more so than in dogs. If you have an older cat, or one that’s had a musculoskeletal injury in the past, I invite you to scan the QR code and assess whether your cat may be showing signs of discomfort.

And if you’ve noticed other signs, or would like to share your own cat’s story, I’d love to hear from you!" 🐾

06/09/2025

Did you know pain in cats can be measured?

One example is the Glasgow Feline Composite Pain Scale, a validated tool we use in clinics. It consists of 7 simple questions, including gentle palpation of the painful area.

🐈 If your cat scores more than 5 out of 20, it means their pain may not be fully controlled and additional pain relief is recommended.

🐈 Using pain scales helps veterinary nurses and clinicians make clearer decisions — ensuring your cat gets the right care, at the right time.

🐈After any extra pain relief is given, the assessment is repeated in 30–45 minutes to check that it worked.

Tools like this help us better understand what your cat is feeling and ensure they remain as comfortable as possible. 🐾.

05/09/2025

Cats are unique, and so is their behaviour — especially when stress, fear, or pain is involved. This makes assessing pain in a hospital setting challenging. That’s why it’s important to evaluate them with respect, empathy, and feline-friendly handling techniques, while always considering their emotional needs. Furthermore, whenever possible, pain should ideally be assessed in the cat’s home environment.

In the next few posts, I’ll introduce some validated feline acute and chronic pain scales — objective tools that help us measure and monitor pain accurately. Cat owners, I invite you to see what your cat’s score is and learn how to help them stay comfortable!

03/09/2025

Pain is more than discomfort. It affects the whole body and mind affecting how the animals move, eat, sleep, interact with others and even heal. We (vets, pet parents) may not always recognise it as pain, leading to our best companions suffering in silence and impacting their quality of life.

Don’t let them suffer in silence — every animal deserves comfort

02/09/2025

The description and categorisation of pain is heavy. Without entering into too many details, I wanted to still describe pain with justice.

Our nervous system — the one responsible for processing pain — is incredibly complex, which means pain responses can vary greatly from one individual to another. This is why there is no single solution or ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to pain management. Every case deserves careful consideration and tailored treatment.

Tomorrow, I want to dig a little deeper into the physiological and behavioural changes caused by pain

"The complexity of pain reminds us that healing requires more than one path, and more than one approach"

01/09/2025

This month is one that has a special place in my heart. September is a designated month to raise awareness about pain in animals who too often suffer in silence.

Follow me this month for a journey on pain in our companion animals. Share your story in this safe space or drop your pain related questions in the comments

You will see, this is a fascinating topic and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do

"Old age is not a disease, but pain is"

01/07/2025

Hi everyone

Please note I’ll be away (Gold Coast for a rehab conference then Canada to see my family) between July 22nd and August 22nd.
If you need a visit, please ensure to book early. My last stock order will be early next week, after that I will not be able to order any more medication or food until I’m back

Sorry for the inconvenience and hoping that you all stay well!

Dr Andy 🤩

Picture of one of my pawsome rehab patient for tax

18/04/2025

To have witnessed my own dog nearly get killed during an attack last year, I can tell you this is ptsd type material. To this day, the memories of it being me tears right away.

Dog attacks are brutal, incredibly dangerous and traumatising. The damage done can and often is life threatening for the victim.

I wish I had once in my life taken the time to sit down eyes closed and visualise what possibly should be done in such situations so that I could interfere in a safer and more efficient manner than I did

These days, I rarely go out without some form of protection. I have also revisited the fight in my head many times, telling myself how I would act if it would happen again

I cannot say for sure if what this trainer is recommending is 100% right or not (I am not a behaviourist -> and I am open to hear all opinions and learn from them), but I think It worths watching the video and get the sense of how it is important to be ready (or more ready) for such situations, and seek any help from trainers you trust with tricks and input if needed

When we are in the middle of it, it is very hard to think straight. When it happened to me last year, I screamed and panicked so much that I hyperventilated and could not breathe. My glasses fell and broke and I could barely see, but I could hear my old dog screaming for her life. I was so scared that the dogs would turn on me if I jumped in and I feel absolutely useless. I finally found some strength to jump In when I could no longer hear my old dog scream for her life. I knew if I wasn’t jumping in, they (3 dogs) were seconds away from killing her. I was extremely lucky that the perpetrator let go as soon as I grabbed her. I was also lucky she didn’t turn on me as I absolutely did nothing right at all and rather committed multiple mistakes.

Unfortunately, dog fights are too common. We should talk about this subject more and I would love to invite you all to either ask your dog trainer or behaviourist to help preparing you in case you end up in such situation.

I’m sorry if this is a dark post, but If I can save the life of even just one dog, it was worth it

This video is for informational or educational purposes only and has been put together under fair use.. When using these methods to stop a dog attack, you ar...