References
Managing pain in common end-of-life conditions
Abstract
Pain is an under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated condition in animals. Chronic pain is a significant welfare concern in our fifth life stage (or end-of-life) veterinary patients. This article aims to look at three common conditions that can adversely affect end-of-life patients: osteoarthritis, dental disease, and cancer. It will then look at how the pain in these conditions can be effectively addressed and managed.
People and pets are under-treated for pain at the end of their lives (Meier, 2003; Villalobos and Kaplan, 2007). Pain is one of the most important parameters to assess in animals with regards to their welfare and wellbeing, but unfortunately it is also one of the most difficult parameters to assess. Pain is often not considered, recognised, and overlooked by owners and veterinary professionals alike. For many reasons, pain management in animals is generally inadequate (Flecknell, 2008). The reason why pain is often not considered, not recognised, overlooked and under-treated is multi-factorial. An overview of this (in a veterinary context) can be found in Bradbury and Morton (2017), and Simon et al (2017).
There is a difference between not considering and not recognising pain. There are multiple reasons why pain is not considered; for example because of sociological, cultural and gender differences. The ability to consider pain is often linked to empathy. Empathy cannot be taught, only facilitated. The ability to recognise pain is a skill that can be taught.
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