Study highlights need for tailored pain management

Dogs with the same orthopaedic condition can experience markedly different levels of chronic pain and impact on quality of life, research shows, highlighting the need for individualised treatment approaches. 

Pain assessment tools can help clinicians assess each dog's pain individually when making treatment decisions, the findings suggest. 

Owner assessments 

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies researchers assessed more than 200 dogs referred to their Hospital for Small Animals with one of five common orthopaedic conditions, including hip and elbow dysplasia, arthritis, and cruciate ligament injuries. 

Before treatment, owners completed two validated questionnaires measuring chronic pain, alongside a quality-of-life survey assessing how their dog's condition affected its everyday activities. The two pain questionnaires measure chronic pain in complementary ways, providing clinicians with a structured assessment of each dog's condition. 

The type of orthopaedic condition did not reliably predict how much pain a dog experienced or how much its quality of life was affected. Instead, there was substantial variation between individual dogs, even among those with the same diagnosis, results showed. 

Dogs with elbow dysplasia had the lowest average owner-reported pain scores, while those with cranial cruciate ligament rupture had the highest. The research team notes that pain levels varied widely within every group, indicating that diagnosis alone does not predict how severely an individual dog is affected.  

Individual approach 

Veterinary orthopaedic experts note that the findings reinforce the importance of using validated pain assessment tools, known as clinical metrology instruments, during routine veterinary consultations. 

Owner questionnaires provide a structured way to measure the impact of chronic pain on a dog's daily life and can help clinicians tailor treatment to each patient

The researchers hope wider use of validated pain assessment tools will support more personalised care for dogs with orthopaedic disease and, in future, help guide treatment decisions. 

The research was published in Vet Record.

Pain Clinic 

Animals with chronic orthopaedic conditions are among those who can benefit from a dedicated Pain Clinic recently opened at the Hospital for Small Animals. 

The service brings together expertise from a range of veterinary disciplines, using underpinning clinical research, and delivers a comprehensive, coordinated approach to enhancement and maintenance of quality of life, particularly for patients with complex and long-term conditions. 

Related links 

Research publication 

Pain Clinic website