Companion Animal Welfare

Dog Veterinary Pain Assessment Welfare

Veterinary pain assessment skills determine whether animals presenting to clinic receive adequate pain management for their conditions.

Key Facts

Dogs undergoing surgery still show inadequate post-operative pain management in many practices
Validated acute pain scales including the Glasgow Composite are widely available but underused
Pain assessment training improves analgesic prescription rates in veterinary practice
Clients often underestimate their pets' pain leading to inadequate home analgesic use
Pain is the most common reason for veterinary consultation yet assessment standards vary widely

Welfare Considerations

Veterinary pain assessment quality directly determines welfare outcomes for companion animals across millions of clinical encounters. Improving assessment through training and validated tools translates directly to better pain management and improved patient welfare.

What You Can Do

Ask your vet about pain assessment tools they use and their post-operative protocols
Request a pain management plan whenever your pet undergoes any surgical procedure
Learn to recognize pain in your pets to advocate for treatment when needed