Advances in veterinary pain management over the past two decades have transformed the standard of care for companion animals, livestock, and research animals.
Veterinary pain management has undergone a revolution driven by changing understanding of animal sentience and welfare expectations from clients and regulatory bodies. Animals that previously received no post-operative analgesia now receive comprehensive multimodal pain protocols. Extending these advances to farm animal and research contexts — where cost pressures often limit pain management — remains an important frontier.