Behaviors suggestive of pain are routinely used to diagnose injuries and diseases, guide therapy, and provide prognostic information. Obvious signs of pain alert owners and veterinarians to the fact that something is wrong with the animal. Certainly, there is nothing novel about considering pain clinically relevant in the overall evaluation of an animal. What is relatively new is our understanding of the complexity of pain and the recent emphasis on ethical and medical obligations to treat pain in animals. Although limited survey data and anecdotal evidence suggest that the management of pain is receiving more attention in veterinary medicine than before, the assessment, prevention, and treatment of pain has yet to become an integral part of every physical examination and treatment plan.

Last full review/revision July 2011 by Peter W. Hellyer, DVM, MS, DACVA; Patrice M. Mich, DVM, MS, DABVP (Canine/Feline), DACVA