Pain Management in Pets –
The Joy of a Pain Free Life
You know your pet better than anyone else. You would know if it were in pain…or would you? Though pets are basically wired for experiencing discomfort as you and I are, too often they mask the typical outward indications like crying and whining for myriad reasons. So how can you tell if your pet is hurting? If you do thing they are ouchy, how about saving some money and dosing them with a bit of your pain medication? And what is so bad about pain anyway? Isn’t it just part of life?
My guest is the Professional and Public Affairs Veterinary Advisor for the American Animal Hospital Association, Dr. Heather Loenser. We are going the explore these questions and more because every pet should experience the joy of a pain free life.
BIO:
Dr. Heather Loenser grew up knowing she wanted to be a veterinarian. Her childhood was spent rescuing feral cats, local wildlife and riding horses. After graduating from Iowa State University, she spent three years in general practice before finding her true calling, emergency veterinary medicine. For almost a decade, she has comforted pet owners and their pets in the times of their greatest crisis in emergency veterinary hospitals in the New York metro area.
Outside of the hospital, she’s been supporting the profession with the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) as their staff Veterinary Advisor in Professional and Public Affairs. Previously, she had been on the Board of Directors for AAHA, with a focus on animal ethics and welfare, and social media. In addition, she facilitated communication workshops attended by other veterinarians and taught pre-veterinary technician students.
Her love of teaching has led her to another facet of her career. As a sought-after guest on TV and radio, she shares her expertise on all sorts of issues with animals, including breaking news, emergency medicine, behavior and lifestyle tips. She has been a frequent contributor to the TODAY Show and Fox News, as well as Dr. Oz, Kelly & Michael, Martha Stewart Radio, Meredith Vieira, local television in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. She is a guest blogger on many popular pet-health sites.
She shares her home with her amazing husband, also a veterinarian, two young animal-loving children, one cat, two dogs, three box turtles, four chickens and fresh-water fish. In her brief moments of spare time, she loves riding horses, SCUBA diving, camping, building LEGO towers with her son, listen to her daughter practicing the piano, and sailing with her family.