Reading Between the Paws: Understanding Pain in our Four-Legged Friends

Course Details

This lecture has been RACE approved for 0.5 CE hour for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

This course introduces veterinary professionals to the use of the modified Glasgow Composite Pain Scale as a tool for acute pain assessment in hospitalized dogs and cats. Participants will learn how to recognize pain-related behaviors, understand the difference between acute and chronic pain, and apply multidimensional pain scoring in clinical practice. The session emphasizes how technicians and animal care staff can use pain scores to advocate for patients and guide analgesic treatment plans. Case examples and scoring demonstrations will be included. Keywords: pain management, veterinary nursing, pain scoring, Glasgow pain scale, veterinary technician CE, analgesia, acute pain, hospitalized patients, animal behavior.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Describe the difference between acute and chronic pain and recognize behavioral signs of pain in dogs and cats.
• Explain the principles and components of the modified Glasgow Composite Pain Scale.
• Apply pain scoring techniques in hospitalized patients and interpret score thresholds that require veterinary reassessment.
• Identify how sedation and patient demeanor can influence pain assessments.