Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is pain in dogs at emergency vet clinics and how is it
By Rousseau-Blass, Frédérik et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2020·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Rousseau-Blass·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence and management of pain in dogs in the emergency service of a veterinary teaching hospital.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs brought to an emergency veterinary clinic were assessed for pain, and it was found that about 38% were experiencing pain. Of those, 53% received pain relief while at the clinic, with most showing improvement in their pain levels after treatment. However, some dogs either did not receive any pain relief or were sent home with medication. The study highlighted the need for better training in recognizing and managing pain in dogs to ensure they receive appropriate care.
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Abstract
A prospective, observational, cross-sectional study documenting the prevalence of pain in dogs presented to the emergency service of a veterinary teaching hospital and their handling (times to triage, examination, treatment) was conducted. Pain was assessed and compared using a validated and an unvalidated pain assessment scale. Sedation was monitored using a validated scale. A first evaluation was completed in 109 dogs. A second evaluation was completed for 95 dogs: 36 (38%) were identified as painful and 53% (19/36) were provided analgesia in the clinic. The remainder either did not receive analgesia (6/36, 17%) or were prescribed an analgesic for administration at home (11/36, 31%). Of dogs receiving analgesia in the clinic, most showed a decrease in pain score (15/19, 79%). Pain assessment scales were positively correlated (= 0.69,< 0.0001) but the unvalidated scale was insensitive in discriminating changes. Between painful and non-painful dogs, progression did not differ: admission to treatment [= 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): -23 to 22 minutes] and examination to treatment (= 0.73, 95% CI: 14 to 20 minutes). Suboptimal analgesic use suggests focused training in pain assessment and analgesic use guided by a validated pain assessment scale, is warranted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32165754/