Chronic pain in dogs is significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated, and multimodal approaches combining gabapentin with other therapies are improving outcomes for millions of suffering animals.
Chronic pain in companion dogs represents one of the largest preventable welfare burdens in veterinary medicine. The evolutionary tendency to hide pain, combined with owners interpreting reduced activity as normal aging, means that many dogs live for years with unmanaged painful conditions. Multimodal pain management — addressing pain through multiple mechanisms simultaneously — is now the standard of care but remains underutilized. Gabapentin addresses central sensitization and neuropathic components that NSAIDs alone do not adequately treat. Combined with physical rehabilitation, weight management, environmental modification, and regular reassessment using validated pain scales, multimodal approaches can dramatically improve quality of life. Owner education about recognizing subtle pain signs is foundational to improving outcomes.