Accurate post-operative pain assessment in dogs enables appropriate analgesic dosing, improving welfare outcomes after surgery and ensuring adequate pain management throughout recovery.
Post-operative pain is frequently undertreated in dogs because behavioral masking makes pain assessment challenging. Dogs in pain often become quieter and less active rather than vocalizing, leading owners and sometimes veterinarians to interpret reduced activity as rest rather than pain. Validated pain assessment tools that account for behavioral and facial cues provide more accurate pain measurement. Proactive scheduled analgesia prevents the pain peaks that occur when dogs must show obvious distress before receiving medication. The welfare expectation should be that surgical patients are comfortable throughout recovery, not just that they appear calm.