ABSTRACT
Experimentation with several different medications or combinations may be necessary to find an effective therapy. Alternatives to drug therapy such as acupuncture, physical therapy, and neuroablative techniques have not been widely utilized in veterinary medicine to date. Assessment of analgesic efficacy is usually subjective and varies among observers. Pain intensity assessment scales and pain relief scales currently used on veterinary patients for acute pain are of limited use for chronic pain conditions. Owners may be best equipped to monitor changes in the animal's level of activity, mood, and appetite, all of which may be indirect measures of pain relief. The owner should be counseled on the difficulty of managing chronic pain and be informed that several different approaches may be tried. Systematic reviews of analgesic drugs and techniques for treating chronic pain clinically in dogs and cats are not available.
