ABSTRACT: Chronic pain can be found in all mammals that have a nociceptive pathway. It is defined as pain that extends beyond the normal time of healing. This article deals with chronic pain that affects canine patients. Chronic pain and depression have both been shown to occur in mammals. Chronic pain can be divided into inflammatory pain, non-osteoarthritis-non-malignant pain and cancer pain. The pet owner is key in the recognition of chronic pain in dogs. There are validated chronic pain scales available for dogs. The article will discuss various examples of chronic pain that affects dogs and ways to alleviate the effects of this pain in selected disease processes.

Author

Mary Ellen Goldberg BS, LVT, CVT, SRA, CCRA, CVPP, VTS-lab animal, Surgical Research Anaesthetist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant, Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner

Mary Ellen Goldberg is a graduate of Harcum College and the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. She worked at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the Division of Animal Resources and for Research Scientists advising on their choices for anaesthesia and pain management on their protocols. She was a member ofVCU’s IACUC for 10 years. She has been the instructor of Anaesthesia and Pain Management at VetMedTeam, LLC since 2003. She has been the Executive Secretary for the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) since 2008. She is a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through IVAPM. Mary Ellen is also a Surgical Research Anaesthetist certified through the Academy of Surgical Research. She is on the Organising Committee for Academy of Physical Rehabilitation Veterinary Technicians. Currently she is a staff member at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant. She is the Exam Chair for the Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses.

Mary Ellen has written several books, and contributed to numerous chapters regarding anaesthesia, pain management and rehabilitation. She speaks at national meetings on these topics and gives private CE to organisational groups.

She has worked in various aspects of veterinary medicine from small animal and equine to mixed practice, coccidiosis research for a pharmaceutical company zoo animal medicine and laboratory animal medicine since 1976.

Email: mewhitester@gmail.com

Keywords: Clinical, Chronic pain

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 32 (02) • February 2017 pp37-44

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