Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering . . .”

So begins the veterinarian’s oath. Particularly in the last decade, veterinary medical and pharmaceutical research organizations — and groups such as the Companion Animal Pain Management Consortium, sponsored in part by the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, and the University of Tennessee’s Center for the Management of Animal Pain (CMAP) — have determined that companion animals in pain can respond positively to a wide array of appropriate interventions. The veterinary community has worked continuously to formulate ever-more-effective strategies to combat animals’ discomfort — and your pet can now benefit from a wide array of proven solutions.

It’s important for pet owners to note, however, that the goal of pain management isn’t to completely eliminate discomfort, but rather to decrease suffering by enhancing an animal’s ability to cope. If the degree of pain is reduced to such an extent that your pet can engage in relatively normal activities, then treatment is considered successful. You and your veterinarian can work together to assess your pet’s level of discomfort, treat any underlying conditions, and then create a management plan that will minimize your pet’s stress and maximize his or her mobility.

Behavioral Clues

The nonverbal nature of animals requires owners and veterinarians to rely on a pet’s behavior for clues as to what he or she is feeling, as pain doesn’t lend itself to objective measurement. “Pain is a very elusive thing,” notes William Tranquilli, DVM, professor of anesthesiology at the University of Illinois’ College of Veterinary Medicine. “[Recognizing pain] takes a lot of education and interaction between the owner and the veterinarian.”

Pets often present a stoic front, enduring aches and pains in silence and expressing themselves more openly only when disease or injury become quite serious. Early recognition, then, is largely a matter of noting that your pet has changed his or her normal routine, whether in eating, sleeping, grooming, or interacting with other animals or with you. Clues that an animal is experiencing a problem include hiding or withdrawing; fear; aggression (or alternatively, submission); seeking more affection than usual; lethargy or increasing restlessness; resistance to touch; biting, licking, chewing, or shaking a painful limb; or abnormal vocalization.

The ability to verbalize symptoms on behalf of your pet in a clear and concise manner is a key step in helping your veterinarian diagnose potential problems. Don’t be surprised if your pet doesn’t exhibit the same signs of pain during a clinic visit; to an animal, the two environments are vastly different, and your pet may alter his or her behavior accordingly.

Help Is on the Way

The two forms of pain most likely to affect your pet are acute and chronic. Acute pain is usually temporary and associated with a traumatic injury, postoperative procedure, or infection. Chronic pain develops slowly and is long-term, including the discomfort of age-related conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, cancer, and bone diseases. The challenge of recognizing chronic pain is that some animals gradually learn to tolerate it, making it difficult to detect.

Analgesics (pain-reducing drugs) are now used more frequently as a pre-emptive measure to reduce stress, lessen the possibility of triggering severe pain reactions, and speed an animal’s recovery after surgery. They can also help animals cope with injury or infection. Classes of analgesics include steroids (potent anti-inflammatory drugs used for short durations only), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and narcotics (such as fentanyl for cats and dogs).

Buffered aspirin or other NSAIDs formulated specifically for dogs are often used to fight acute pain. In some cases they’re also appropriate for chronic and orthopedic pain — arthritis or hip dysplasia, for example. In these cases, however, the risk of side effects associated with the medication does increase. Always consult your veterinarian before beginning any form of NSAID therapy, especially long-term, as bloodwork or other testing may be necessary to help decrease the possibility of side effects.

One cornerstone of effective pain management in animals is multimodal analgesia: combining analgesics from different drug classes, when appropriate, to lower dosages and possibly minimize side effects. And while most medications come in the traditional form of pills or liquids, new forms, including gels and skin patches, are also available in some cases, offering easier administration and better control of drug-level release over extended periods of time.

Your veterinarian may also recommend complementary therapies, such as nutritional supplements (glucosamine or chondroitin, say, for joint health), acupuncture, or massage, depending on your pet’s age, physical condition, and source of pain. Massage, for example, can help relax a pet and soothe sore muscles, while monitored exercise ensures that an animal is mobile yet within limits of endurance. (Be sure to consult your veterinarian before starting any additional nutritional or physical therapies.)

For more information, try these links:

• www.healthypet.com
• www.acva.org
• www.avma.org
• www.vet.utk.edu/cmap
• www.cvm.uiuc.edu