Diagnosis of Pain in Small Companion Animals | Science Publications

American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences

Alessandra Di Salvo¹  Giorgia della Rocca¹  Alice Catanzaro¹  Mary Ellen Goldberg¹ 

关键词: Pain Recognition;    Companion Animals;    Diagnostic Strategies;   

DOI  :  10.3844/ajavsp.2015.57.66

学科分类：兽医学

来源: Science Publications

【 摘 要 】

It is now widely accepted that animals are able toexperience pain in a similar way to humans. Acute and/or chronic pain isassociated not only with many surgical procedures, but also with variousmedical diseases, where pain may increase morbidity and mortality. Moreover,some types of pain (e.g., neuropathic pain) can be considered as an illness inthemselves. Recognizing pain and assessing its intensity are both essential forits effective management: If pain is not recognised, then it is unlikely to betreated. Two major problems account for the difficulties in pain diagnosis in veterinary patients: (1) animals are not able toverbalise and cannot refer to the state of pain they are experiencing and (2)almost all animal species tend instinctively to mask signs of pain andweakness. Therefore, pain recognition in a diseased animal may be challenging. However,practitioners can rely on different strategies, which can be put in place toreveal the presence of pain in their patients. A presumptive diagnosis, aclinical exam, the evaluation of psychomotor changes and pain expressions, theattribution of pain scores and the response to therapy are all tools which,especially when used in combination, can help the veterinary practitionerrecognise a subject suffering from pain and allow a correct approach totherapy. This review summarizes the current available information regarding themethodology that could be applied in small companion animals for a correctdiagnosis of pain, offering veterinarians with some “easy to use” tools toapply in their daily practice.

【 授权许可】

Unknown