Over the 20 years that I have been a vet, we have seen remarkable steps taken towards our understanding of pain assessment in animals.
Whilst it is clear that there are some challenges associated with pain assessment in dogs and cats, I no longer believe that dogs and cats are difficult to pain score - whether that's acute or chronic we are talking about.
The anaesthesia team at Vetmeduni in Vienna have compiled a document that collates all the pain scoring systems available, with references and links. The team are more than happy for us to share this on Zero Pain Philosophy for the greater good of the pets we look after.
For an in depth understanding of the challenges we face you can watch our expert series webinar by Prof Jacky Reid here. Jacky was part of the team at Glasgow University that brought us the Glasgow Pain Scales as well as the Vetmetrica Health Related Quality of Life Instrument.
Pain scoring is a great topic to talk about given that September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. If you haven't already completed our Big Pain Survey, please click here to share your experience.
This post was written by Matt, with thanks for the team at VetmedUni, Vienna.
Matt sees referrals in the pain clinic at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists. You can also receive telemedicine advice from us here if you have a pain case where you need a helping hand.
Matt & Carl established Zero Pain Philosophy to provide educational resources & telemedicine to veterinary professionals enabling optimal management of pain.
Matt Gurney is an RCVS & European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia and works at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists. Matt is Past President of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia.
Carl Bradbrook is an RCVS & European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia & Analgesia and is Past President of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. Carl works at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists.
The intended audience for this pain update is veterinary professionals. This pain update is based on clinical experience and independent opinion.