As a veterinarian, who cares primarily for companion pets like dogs and cats, diagnosing and assessing the patient’s health condition is essential to healing. This next step is what the pet owner cares most about and that is to answer the questions – “what does this diagnosis mean? and what do you recommend we do?” My recommendations and plans for treatment often include medication and when necessary surgery. In some painful conditions, for example with arthritic aging patients -dogs or cats, mu