Veterinary pain management has transformed over the past two decades, with new analgesics, pain scoring tools, and protocols dramatically improving welfare outcomes for animals in clinical and farm settings.
Advances in animal pain management represent one of the most impactful areas of welfare improvement in recent decades. Twenty years ago, post-operative pain management in animals was inconsistent and often inadequate - 'animals recover quickly' was a widespread but incorrect assumption. Validated pain scales have made assessment objective. New analgesics have extended duration and reduced side effects. Multimodal protocols combining local anaesthetic, NSAIDs, and opioids provide superior control for major procedures. These advances translate directly into reduced animal suffering for millions of veterinary patients annually. Consumer and regulatory pressure to extend pain management standards to farm animal procedures continues this progress.