Animal Pain

An ever-increasing number of drugs are available to veterinarians for use in the control of pain. This new, concise guide gives vets with all the information they need to choose the most appropriate pain medication for any clinical situation. Introductory chapters explain the physiology of pain and the pharmacology of analgesics, and are followed by detailed chapters on management of acute and post-operative pain and chronic pain, the problems of pain management and pain assessment. Written by an international team of veterinary pain management experts, Pain Management in Animals provides vets with all the information they need to provide good pain control in all their patients.

With the loss of work days, the price of health care and payments for compensation, litigation, and malpractice, and the overwhelming cost of human suffering, chronic pain syndromes affect humanity enormously on both an economic and personal level. In Animal Models of Pain, expert investigators in the field provide a consolidated review of the current state of pain research by capturing the diversity of animal models that are used to investigate pain mechanisms, which range from surgical incision to mechanical compression and from spinal cord injury to cutaneous/local inflammation and beyond. As a volume in the respected Neuromethods series, this book delivers its vital content through detailed descriptions of a wide variety of step-by-step laboratory methods. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Animal Models of Pain seeks to lead scientists closer to the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life and relieving the unbearable burden of chronic pain for millions of people throughout the world.

Clear guidelines on the proper care and use of laboratory animals are being sought by researchers and members of the many committees formed to oversee animal care at universities as well as the general public. This book provides a comprehensive overview of what we know about behavior, pain, and distress in laboratory animals. The volume explores: Stressors in the laboratory and the animal behaviors they cause, including in-depth discussions of the physiology of pain and distress and the animal's ecological relationship to the laboratory as an environment. A review of euthanasia of lab animals-exploring the decision, the methods, and the emotional effects on technicians. Also included is a highly practical, extensive listing, by species, of dosages and side effects of anesthetics, analgesics, and tranquilizers.

In this first in a proposed series of workshops on regulatory issues in animal care and use, the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) has addressed the existing and proposed requirements for reporting pain and distress in laboratory animals. The Animal Welfare Act, administered by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), mandates that pain and distress in laboratory animals be minimized. USDA is considering two policy changes with regard to this specific mandate. Firstly, since there has been no functional definition of "distress," USDA has prepared such a definition and requested feedback from the scientific community on its usefulness for regulatory and reporting requirements. The second issue concerns the pain and distress categorization scheme for reporting to USDA. Various groups and individuals have questioned the efficacy of the current categories, and specific changes have been proposed by the Humane Society of the United States. USDA is considering these and other potential changes to the existing scheme. Thus, given these potential changes to animal welfare policy, the aim of the ILAR/NIH joint workshop was to provide feedback to the USDA. The speakers were asked to address these two issues as well as to comment upon whether the information contained in the 1992 ILAR report Recognition and Alleviation of Pain and Distress in Laboratory Animals is still useful to investigators in assisting them to comply with regulations. The speakers provided perspectives based on their individual expertise in the areas of science of pain and distress, animal welfare policy, protocol review, and/or as representatives of relevant organizations or institutions. The following proceedings are an edited transcript of their presentations.

Pain Management in Small Animal Medicine describes and clearly illustrates the difficulties and choices facing veterinarians in identifying and treating pain, in addition to providing an account of the neurobiological mechanisms responsible for the pain. Expanded from the author’s previous work, Chronic Pain in Small Animal Medicine, this volume uses the original text to illustrate the core theme of "mechanism base" and expands the text considerably with the inclusion of areas beyond chronic pain. Topics include: Pain assessment in small animal medicine The functional physiology of pain The use of pharmacologics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Nutraceutical mechanisms and therapy Management of pain related to canine osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal disease, and cancer Pain management features unique to cats Emphasizing the latest evidence and contemporary understanding of "why" and "how" to treat pain, the book will enable veterinary healthcare professionals as well as those in training, education, and research to develop a greater depth of knowledge in mechanisms of pain and potential targets for treatment— thereby raising the standard of care for pain management.

You can trust this user-friendly guide to help you meet the increasing need for effective pain management in the animals you treat. It provides instant access to clinically relevant information on pain assessment, pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatment options, guidelines for managing acute and chronic pain, and unique aspects of pain management in dogs, cats, horses, cattle, birds, reptiles, ferrets, and rabbits. User-friendly format helps you quickly and easily find essential pain management information. Helpful boxes and tables provide at-a-glance access to pharmacologic protocols and clinical applications, including dosages, indications, contraindications, and side effects. Complementary and alternative treatment strategies are included throughout to assist you in using the latest non-pharmacological pain interventions. Case studies clearly illustrate the practical applications of key concepts in the clinical setting and help you sharpen your pain assessment and management skills. New contributors — many of the most respected experts in the field — share their insights and experiences to bring you the most current thinking in this ever-changing discipline. Completely revised and updated content throughout ensures you are using the best and most current information available on analgesic drugs and pain management techniques. An expanded chapter on Pain Management in Horses and Cattle explores the latest advances in treating this group of animals. Eight new chapters offer cutting-edge coverage of hot topics in the field, including: Pain Management in the Cat Pain Management for the Pet Bird Clinical Approaches to Analgesia in Reptiles Clinical Approaches to Analgesia in Ferrets and Rabbits Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation in Dogs Rehabilitation Methods and Modalities for the Cat Quality of Life Issues Hospice and Palliative Care

The BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice is an essential reference guide for use in daily practice by all members of the veterinary team. Presented in an easy-to-read instructional format, this guide is intended to give practitioners practical information on pain management for small animals, including cats and dogs, birds, rabbits and exotic pets, with an emphasis on patient welfare and evidence-based medicine. The early chapters lay the foundations of pain management, including the physiology of pain, acute and chronic pain, pharmacological treatment and physical treatment. The following chapters focus on particular pain scenarios, such as dental pain and cancer pain, using authors’ perspectives and case examples to enhance guidelines.

Animal suffering constitutes perhaps the greatest challenge to rational belief in the existence of God. Considerations that render human suffering theologically intelligible seem inapplicable to animal suffering. In this book, Dougherty defends radical possibilities for animal afterlife that allow a soul-making theodicy to apply to their case.