Silent Suffering

In this episode, we take on one of the most urgent responsibilities in veterinary medicine: recognizing and relieving pain that patients cannot voice. NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh reflects on how pain management has evolved from outdated restraint-based thinking to today’s team-centered, patient-first approach grounded in compassion and science. Jerrod Johnson, DVM, DABVP, Managing Doctor of Animal House Veterinary Clinic in Tennessee, shares hard-earned lessons from his surgical and mentorship journey, offering a practical lens on chronic versus acute pain, where general practice commonly undertreats how subtle behavioral changes often reveal what pets cannot say. He also discusses the power of shifting client conversations from “lameness” to “pain” to build understanding and trust. Lindsay Heath, DVM, MS, Managing Doctor of Brentwood Family Pet Care in California and Field Medical Partner, brings a proactive perspective on multimodal pain management, outlining how strong hospital culture, consistent pain scoring, staff empowerment, and client education help prevent suffering before it escalates. Together, the conversation highlights the cultural, clinical, and communication shifts required to ensure comfort is never optional. Because when suffering is silent, leadership, teamwork, and vigilance must speak louder.