September is Pain Awareness Month

The acceptance of non-human animals experiencing pain as a fact is a relatively recent milestone in veterinary medicine (est September 2002).

In the past 21 years, we've made significant leaps in our understanding of pain, yet there remains an enormous disparity between the presence of pain and our ability to identify and manage it effectively.

Ensuring our furry friends are free from pain is at the heart of animal welfare, but it's surprisingly challenging to attain.

Throughout September, join me on an exploration into:
• The fundamentals of pain science
• Barriers to recognizing and treating pain in your dog.
• Identifying pain in your furry companion.
• The interaction between pain the brain and behavior.
• Busting common pain myths like "If It Hurt, They Wouldn't Do It" and "My Pup's Too Young for Pain".
• Valuable Tips for preventing and managing pain through environmental and lifestyle changes.

My goal for you at the end of this series is to feel empowered as an advocate for your four-legged companion, and filled with hope for their future. The discovery of your dog's pain can be heart-wrenching, but it's rarely the end of your adventures together.

Belshaw, Z., Dean, R., & Asher, L. (2020). Could it be osteoarthritis? How dog owners and veterinary surgeons describe identifying canine osteoarthritis in a general practice setting. Preventive veterinary medicine, 185, 105198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105198

Belshaw, Z., Asher, L., & Dean, R. S. (2016). The attitudes of owners and veterinary professionals in the United Kingdom to the risk of adverse events associated with using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat dogs with osteoarthritis. Preventive veterinary medicine, 131, 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.07.017

Budsberg, S. C., Torres, B. T., Kleine, S. A., Sandberg, G. S., & Berjeski, A. K. (2018). Lack of effectiveness of tramadol hydrochloride for the treatment of pain and joint dysfunction in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 252(4), 427-432. Retrieved Sep 18, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.252.4.427

Canine Arthritis Management Advocate Program

Dycus, D., & Capon, H. (2020, April 28). Cam live: Identifying arthritis earlier and taking a preventative approach. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFOyqCFyDlw

Mannion, P., & Capon, H. (2020, May 15). Cam live: The role of imaging in canine arthritis management. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx5P8pb5UVg

Mills DS, et al Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs. Animals. 2020; 10(2):318. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020318

Mills , D. (2021). Pain & Problem Behaviors . Lemonade Conference .

Monteiro, B. P., Lascelles, B. D., Murrell, J., Robertson, S., Steagall, P. V., & Wright, B. (2022). 2022 WSAVA guidelines for the recognition, assessment and treatment of pain. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 64(4), 177–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13566

Roberts, C., Armson, B., Bartram, D., Belshaw, Z., Capon, H., Cherry, G., Gonzalez Villeta, L., McIntyre, S. L., Odeyemi, I., & Cook, A. (2021). Construction of a Conceptual Framework for Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Dogs With Osteoarthritis. Frontier.

St.Clair, J. The pain trial concept for dogs: What is it and why is it important