Analgesia and Pain Management

Inflammation is the main cause of ear pain and it is termed as otitis. Pain is an entirely subjective experience and in animal species the assessment of pain is more challenging compared to humans. The pain should be recognized as early as possible in companion animals and should be treated accordingly, particularly the acute pain. Any types of tissue injury in the animals can be generator of pain. At times pain may occur in the absence of such causative factors also. Understanding the mechanisms of pain is very important for successful prevention and treatment. Assessment of pain is a vital and essential part of patient evaluation not only in individuals presented with a problem of pain but also in routine check-up individuals. Different classes of pharmacological agents are available and they are used for the management of pain. The chapter intends to present a practical and logical approach to the assessment and management of acute and chronic pain in animals.

Keywords: Canine, Otitis, Pain effects, Pain assessment, Pain management.