CHARLOTTE – One of our favorite things to do is to educate and inform pet parents about the different pain management options we offer for fur babies at our two animal hospital locations in Waxhaw and Weddington. Specifically, we love to highlight our integrative services for pain management.

As Dr. Bonilla elaborates, “Besides being a traditional animal hospital, myself and Dr. Brue of Weddington, are certified in acupuncture and chiropractic. We are open minded that there are so many other things that we can do for our fur babies to make them comfortable as they get older.”

Chiropractic Care is a treatment we use for disorders of joints specifically associated with the spine. The goal is to maintain normal range of motion of affected joints, relieve pain, and promote normal nerve function coming out of the spine.

Another great option for pain management is acupuncture. Acupuncture uses small sterile needles to stimulate the body to produce its own endorphins (our natural pain killer). It is most commonly used to decrease arthritis pain, help with decreased nerve sensation, and improve overall wellness. Other uses can include reducing inappropriate urination, urinary incontinence, and anxiety.

Cold laser therapy (photobiomodulation therapy), is fast-acting and versatile using light energy that reaches target tissue and results in decreased inflammation, decreased pain, and accelerated healing. This therapy effectively treats a wide variety of conditions including pre-surgical, post-surgical, acute, and chronic disease states such as osteoarthritis. 

Lastly, a service we often recommend to treat tendon or ligament injuries or to help ease an arthritic pet, is Platelet Rich Plasma. PRP uses the liquid and platelet portion of your pet’s own blood to promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints.

Passionate Paws Animal Hospital is a proud member of the Union County Chamber of Commerce.