Are You a Pet Pain Brain?

 

Both acute and chronic pain show up differently in pets than they do in people, and even the most loving pet owner can miss subtle signs of pain. The veterinarians on your team aren’t the only ones who can help: every member of the veterinary team can help pain be detected earlier and managed better. Asking the right questions makes a big difference – and so does the approach we take in the exam room. 

 Take this quiz with your teammates and see how your pain perception measures up.  

An owner of a middle-aged cat asks you how she would know if her cat was starting to suffer from arthritis. Which of her cat’s behaviors should you advise her to observe closely?

The Feline Grimace Scale is used to assess the level of ____________ in cats.

After a cat has a leg amputation performed in your hospital, you call her owner the following day for an update. Her owner reports she seems to be doing fine, but she hasn’t seen her much, which is unusual since she’s usually a very sociable cat. She also has not been able to administer medications since she’s hiding under the bed and can’t be reached. What is the best response to this owner?

At a senior wellness exam, an owner reports that her dog is getting “grouchy in her old age.” She seems irritable when woken up from naps, is less willing to play with the other dogs in the house, and snapped at the owner’s grandchild, whom she normally loves, when she went to pet her last week. Once she is on her walks or eating her meals, she seems perfectly normal. What should you tell this owner?

A frustrated pet owner asks you why her 12 year old Rottweiler with severe arthritis in both hips is having accidents in the house at night and while she is alone in the house during the day. She feels the dog is getting “rebellious” in her old age. What is an important follow-up question for this owner?

In the exam room, a client tells you that her senior dog is slowing down quite a bit, but she believes it’s just old age and feels he isn’t in any pain. How might you respond?

The detection and management of pain begins:

A client arrives a little late for his cat’s wellness visit. To save time, the veterinary assistant gently pulls the cat out of her dusty carrier and puts her on the scale. The veterinarian begins her physical exam right away while talking to the owner, who is concerned that the cat may be suffering from arthritis pain. The cat sits hunched on the exam table, unwilling to allow the veterinarian to examine her joints, and refuses to move. Which of the following would likely have helped the team perform a more thorough evaluation of the cat’s comfort level?

Cats and dogs showing signs of chronic joint pain will always show significant changes on radiographs (X-rays).