Veterinary science has made enormous advances in understanding and treating animal pain. But a significant gap remains between what is known about pain management and what is routinely practised in veterinary clinics and on farms.
The pain management gap in veterinary medicine has direct welfare consequences for millions of animals annually. Farm animals receiving painful procedures without anaesthesia or analgesia experience unnecessary suffering that could be prevented at low cost. Post-surgical pain in companion animals, while increasingly well managed in specialist practices, remains variable in first opinion settings. The barriers to better pain management include cost, time, client education, and in some cases inadequate recognition of pain signals in stoic species. Veterinary schools are improving pain education, but the effect takes years to reach the practising population. Consumer and client pressure — asking vets and farmers what pain management protocols they use — is an effective driver of change alongside professional education.