We have the ability to treat severe pain, either surgically or medically related with Constant Rate Infusions (CRIs). These allow us to administer strong opioids through an IV continuously and adjust the dose within minutes to account for any changes in our patient’s status.
An example when this may be advantageous would be during an orthopedic or feline declaw surgery. The more effectively we treat pain while it’s occuring ie: during the anesthesia and surgery, the more comfortable the animal will be while recovering.
We use CRIs commonly in ill animals as well. An animal suffering from pancreatitis is typically very painful and a CRI would be part of our protocol for these patients.