Companion Dog Pain Assessment and Management

Pain is frequently undertreated in companion dogs because owners do not recognize subtle behavioral indicators, making pain literacy a critical welfare skill.

Key Facts

Dogs in chronic pain often continue normal activities, masking the severity of their condition
Behavioral changes including reduced activity and altered posture are common pain indicators
Pain scales validated for dogs include the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale
Multimodal analgesia combining NSAIDs, opioids, and adjuncts achieves better pain control than single agents
Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic pain condition in dogs, affecting over 35% of dogs over 8 years

Welfare Considerations

The undertreatment of chronic pain in dogs is one of the most prevalent welfare problems in companion animal medicine. Dogs do not cry from chronic pain as humans might — they simply become quieter, less enthusiastic, and more reluctant to exercise, changes that owners often attribute to normal aging. The welfare consequence is years of untreated chronic pain that significantly degrades quality of life. Veterinary practices that conduct annual pain assessments using validated tools and owners who learn behavioral pain indicators substantially improve outcomes.

What You Can Do

Learn the behavioral signs of pain in dogs — reduced activity, changed posture, altered sleep
Schedule regular veterinary pain assessments from age 7 onward
Discuss multimodal pain management options with your veterinarian
Never assume behavioral changes in aging dogs are just normal aging without ruling out pain
Advocate for pain assessment as a routine part of every veterinary wellness visit