Chronic pain in dogs is systematically underrecognised and undertreated, causing prolonged suffering that significantly compromises quality of life in millions of individuals.
Chronic pain in dogs represents one of the most significant, widespread, and systematically undertreated welfare problems in companion animals. The combination of dogs' stoicism, owner normalisation of aging-related behavioural changes, and the expense of specialist pain management means that millions of dogs live with significant chronic pain that is never appropriately assessed or treated. The veterinary profession has developed increasingly sophisticated multimodal pain management approaches, but implementation requires proactive assessment rather than waiting for owners to raise pain concerns. Regular pain scoring in senior dogs at routine health checks, proactive discussion of analgesic options, and earlier initiation of treatment transforms welfare outcomes. No dog should spend years living with treatable chronic pain.