Cancer is the leading cause of death in older dogs and a major cause in cats, and pain management in veterinary oncology has advanced significantly but remains underutilized.
A companion animal with cancer may experience pain from tumor invasion, inflammation, treatment side effects, and secondary complications. Veterinary medicine has made significant advances in recognizing and treating cancer pain, but these advances are not uniformly applied across practice settings. Many animals with cancer receive inadequate pain control, either because pain is not recognized, because owners are unaware of options, or because palliative care resources are unavailable. Ensuring every animal with cancer has access to adequate pain management is both a welfare imperative and an ethical obligation.