The 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats mark the first update of the guidelines since 2015 and there have been big changes. Tony McReynolds shares some of the most important changes from discussions with members of the pain guidelines task force including:
- incorporation of the last eight or nine years of research and development and understanding in pain management
- a much better balance now between species-specific pain management recommendations for dogs and cats
- tiered decision tree that prioritizes the use of the most efficacious therapeutic modalities for the treatment of acute and chronic pain.
Source: AAHA NEWStat, March 29, 2022. Link. Both co-chairs of the guidelines task force emphasized pet owner involvement as a treatment team member.
. . . the most exciting information is really the focus on specific recommendations for cats and the emphasis on making owners a larger part of the treatment team.” – Margaret Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB
The shift of emphasis on not just the veterinary team playing an important role in pain management, but that team being extended to include the owner and a strong acknowledgement of the need for owner education for the profession to engage owners, to have them as part of a team, to embrace them as part of a team, and to proactively educate them.” – Duncan Lascelles, BSc, BVSc, PhD, CertVA, DSAS(ST), DECVS, DACVS, FRCVS