Pain assessment in dogs involves tools that range widely, from functional signs evaluated by owners and physical signs detected by clinicians to physiological signs measured by researchers (Table 2). Assessment methods range from empiric and unvalidated (e.g., “How is your dog climbing stairs?”) to validated (e.g., peak vertical forces measured by force plates). Assessment methods vary widely in labor required, complexity, and cost. Pain assessment is most practically divided into the assessment of acute or perioperative pain and chronic pain (Figure 2).

TABLE 2

Pain Assessment Methods and Tools for Use in Dogs

CLINICAL METROLOGY INSTRUMENTS (CMIS)

*Based on an overview of published studies assessing validity.
^a https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023318300583?via%3Dihub and https://www.galliprantvet.com/us/en/coast-tools
^b http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/Documents/anesthesia-pain-management-pain-score-canine.pdf
^c https://www.newmetrica.com/acute-pain-measurement/
^d https://www.galliprantvet.com/us/en/coast-tools
^e https://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/clinical-trials-vcic/our-services/pennchart/cbpi-tool
^f https://www.tassuapu.fi/
^g https://cvm.ncsu.edu/research/labs/clinical-sciences/comparative-pain-research/clinical-metrology-instruments/
^h https://cvm.ncsu.edu/research/labs/clinical-sciences/comparative-pain-research/clinical-metrology-instruments/
ⁱ https://www.newmetrica.com/vetmetrica-hrql/