Pain is not always obvious in cats and dogs. Signs of oral pain can include crying out, decrease or lack of appetite, dropping food out of their mouth while eating, hiding, drooling, scratching at their mouth or face, chattering of their jaw, and sometimes, they show no obvious signs at all. Often the signs of pain are overlooked, and they are not noticed until the source if pain is treated and the pet has improved. Any source of oral pain in your pet will be assessed and treated accordingly. Pain control protocols are tailored to each individual patient based on the pet’s age, weight, overall health, and pain assessment. Pain control is first introduced in the premedications given before general anesthesia, then as a local nerve block while under anesthesia and sometimes another injection before they  are woken up, depending on the case. Oral pain medications are sent home and given by the owner.