Veterinary Pain Management: Progress and Gaps

Veterinary pain management has advanced significantly in recent decades, but gaps remain in the recognition, assessment, and treatment of pain across animal species in both companion animal and livestock practice.

Key Facts

NSAID pain relief is now standard in surgical recovery for companion animals in most Western countries
Recognition of pain in cats significantly lags behind dogs due to their stoic masking
The Feline Grimace Scale and Equine Pain Scale are validated tools now available to practitioners
Many farm animals still undergo painful procedures without analgesia in standard practice
Multimodal analgesia (combining drug types) is more effective than single-agent approaches

Welfare Considerations

The transformation of veterinary pain management over the past 30 years represents one of the most significant animal welfare improvements achievable through medicine. Recognition that animals feel pain comparably to humans, combined with safe and effective analgesic drugs, has dramatically reduced peri-operative and post-operative suffering. However, gaps remain: farm animal pain management is inconsistently applied, cat pain recognition is underperformed, and access to veterinary care is unequal across economic groups. Continued investment in pain assessment tools and analgesic access is essential.

What You Can Do

Ask your veterinarian about pain management options for any procedure your animal undergoes
Learn to use species-appropriate pain assessment tools for animals in your care
Advocate for mandatory pain management protocols in farm animal husbandry
Support low-cost veterinary services that extend pain management access
Donate to veterinary welfare research into pain assessment and treatment