Petpainrelief - Veterinary Pain Management with Dr James Hunt

12/06/2026

I was honoured to be invited to a cross-disciplinary discussion on ethical considerations around feline blood transfusion this week. Animals are not in a position to give consent to their veterinary treatments, but we anticipate that they will derive benefit from these treatments. When it comes to an animal providing blood, we don't anticipate any immediate health benefit, so must be absolutely certain that we can perform the procedure without compromising welfare.

There are no easy answers for some of these questions, but it is important that they are asked.

12/06/2026

Last month I was honoured to be invited by Western Counties Veterinary Association to talk to their members about complex pain cases in dogs and cats. Thank you to all the delegates who attended, Tarka Vets for hosting us, and to Zoetis UK for sponsoring the evening. We raised £300, which has been donated to Child Bereavement UK, a charity which provides support to children who have lost loved ones and to families who have lost children.

11/06/2026

It was a pleasure to talk to APBC members yesterday about the close association between pain and behaviour presentations. Thanks for being such a great, engaged audience

Have you booked tonight's webinar yet? Can't join us LIVE? Don't worry! Go ahead and bag your spot and the replay will be available in the 'My Webinars' section of our website within 72 hours of the broadcast!

https://bit.ly/4m2a7Tt

05/06/2026

03/06/2026

If your dog or cat is in pain, getting them to a specialist clinic is not always easy.

Long journeys can be exhausting and uncomfortable for pets with mobility problems 🐾 Some animals find car travel deeply stressful at the best of times.

While we do see clients who travel from as far as Cornwall and London, we understand that making that journey isn't right for everyone.

An online consultation with Dr James Hunt means your pet stays at home. 🏠

You share videos of how they move in their normal environment, we review their full history, and we spend an hour together by video going through the findings and further options in detail 💻 Your own vet receives a written report afterwards.

For many cases involving chronic pain, an online assessment is not second best. It can actually give us a clearer picture of how your pet is really coping day to day.

We'll liaise with your vet to request permission to accept the referral and obtain your pet's medical history. Your pet remains registered with their own vet for all other care.

Cost: £225.

Appointments available now - see link in comments 📅

Find out more about our services at petpainrelief.co.uk



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Veterinary clinic helping pets live comfortably again. We carefully and patiently assess all the sources of pain affecting your pet; review medications; and offer acupuncture, laser, interventional procedures and online consultations nationwide.

02/06/2026

It was an early start this morning to get to the Royal Society of Medicine in London for a day hearing from leading specialists in human visceral and pelvic pain

02/06/2026

30/05/2026

This week, we’re celebrating the amazing people who keep our animals healthy, the vets, vet nurses, reception teams, support staff and everyone working behind the scenes. These professionals hold so much together, often without the recognition they deserve.

The veterinary world is changing fast.
Science is moving at an exponential rate.
Health patterns in our animals are shifting.
Education systems are under pressure.
And with more pets than ever before, the workload keeps growing.

On top of this, vet teams face emotional intensity every single day, emergencies, difficult conversations, end‑of‑life care, and the constant responsibility of making the best decisions for animals and their families. It’s a tough job, and it takes extraordinary people to do it with compassion.

At Atticus, we feel incredibly lucky to be working alongside independent vets who are thinking differently and leading the way forward. Many are embracing evidence that shows the future of animal care lies in education, prevention, and collaboration, not just reacting when things go wrong.

Rebecca, our co‑founder, is currently working with a vet team on compassionate handling and communication, bringing together veterinary expertise and behavioural understanding to create safer, kinder experiences for dogs and staff.

We’re also grateful to the brilliant vets who are contributing to Atticus and helping us reach more guardians. Holistic vet . Nick Thompson recently asked, “Are we trading acute disease for chronic illness?” It’s a question many people are asking, and it highlights why collaboration between vets and other professionals matters more than ever. When we look at the whole picture, not just one piece, we can create healthier, happier lives for our animals.

So this week, if you know an independent vet or vet nurse who is going above and beyond, adapting with the times, and working collaboratively… let them know they’re appreciated. They deserve it.

30/05/2026

Is your dog prescribed gabapentin for pain or arthritis?

Gabapentin is a human medication that is commonly prescribed for dogs with chronic pain. Does it work, and how can it best be utilised?

We've written an owners guide to what the research actually shows, what the safety considerations are, and what questions are worth asking your vet.

Link in comments.

29/05/2026

Some dogs can find being examined by a stranger genuinely frightening. Fearful in a way that makes the whole experience distressing for them and difficult for everyone.

This matters even more when the reason for the appointment is to investigate pain.

Fear and stress change how a dog holds themselves, how they move, and how they respond to being touched. A dog that is anxious during an examination may guard areas that are not painful, and fail to show signs in areas that are. The clinical picture may become more challenging to read, not easier. We have strategies, we take our time, and can even consider anxiolytic medications.

For dogs with significant fear or anxiety around physical handling or proximity to strangers, an online consultation can be worth considering. Watching a dog move freely at home, in the environment where they are most relaxed, may give us more useful information than a tense and reluctant clinic examination ever could.

If your dog finds vet visits very stressful and you have concerns about pain or mobility, get in touch. We can talk through whether an online assessment might suit them better.

Link in comments.