Chronic pain in dogs requires multimodal management. Understanding the evidence base for different approaches helps owners provide comprehensive, welfare-focused care.
Chronic pain management in dogs has improved substantially in recent years through both new pharmacological options and better application of multimodal approaches. The introduction of anti-NGF antibody treatments — monthly injections that specifically target pain signalling pathways — has provided effective relief for dogs that either do not tolerate NSAIDs or whose pain is not adequately controlled by them. Physical therapies including hydrotherapy and physiotherapy are underutilised relative to their evidence base, providing meaningful welfare improvement through muscle strengthening that supports arthritic joints. The welfare imperative is ensuring that chronic pain is treated rather than accepted as inevitable ageing, and that treatment effectiveness is monitored rather than assumed. Regular quality-of-life assessment provides the framework for ongoing, responsive pain management.