For Pain Awareness Month, let’s talk about something many pet owners miss: chronic pain in dogs and cats. It doesn’t always look like limping or whining – it might be a slow fade in playfulness, less jumping, or just “getting older.”
The tricky part is that animals can’t tell us how much something hurts. That’s why validated pain assessment tools, called clinical metrology instruments (CMIs), exist. They translate pet behaviour into something trackable so vets and owners can act early, adjust treatments, and measure improvement.
These “tools” or “instruments” are typically questionnaires and pain rating scales that allow you and your veterinarian to compare your pet’s pain to a predefined scale. They make pain more measurable.
Why use validated instruments instead of informal observation?
- Reliability over time and between observers: Validated tools are checked to make sure they give the same results when nothing has really changed.
- Sensitivity (“responsiveness”): They can detect actual changes – even small improvements (or deteriorations – so you can see if treatments are working or need adjusting. Without that, you might think something is helping when it isn’t (think Placebo effect), miss improvements, or mistakenly think something isn’t helping.
- Better decision‑making/evidence‑based care: When vets use a standard way to measure, they can compare treatment options more easily. It can help them decide when to start or increase pain medications, or when another type of care is needed. This helps target their recommendations to your pet’s condition.
- Capturing subtle or hidden signs: Chronic pain occurs slowly over time. Changes in behavior are more likely to be caught at home, such as changes in sleeping, subtle changes to how a pet stands, and less energy. These signs are easy to miss because they happen little by little. That’s why validated tools ask owners to report what they see, so small changes aren’t overlooked.
- Improving welfare and quality of life: Chronic pain doesn’t just affect physical movement. It can affect mood, sleep, social interactions and appetite. These tools help ensure that you and your veterinary team are addressing your pet’s overall quality of life
Here is a quick-reference Pain Assessment Toolkit with tested tools that can help you and your vet do just that.
Chronic Pain Assessment Toolkit for Dogs and Cats
| Tool | Species | Use Case | Notes |
| CBPI (Canine Brief Pain Inventory) | Dog | Chronic arthritis and osteosarcoma pain | Tracks pain interference with daily life. |
| LOAD (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs) | Dog | Osteoarthritis | Short, practical. Good for monitoring treatment response over time. |
| HCPI (Helsinki Chronic Pain Index) | Dog | General chronic pain | Focuses on function and quality of life. |
| FMPI (Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index) | Cat | Chronic joint/mobility pain | Detailed, reliable. |
|
Montreal Instrument for Cat Arthritis Testing (MI-CAT (V)) |
Cat | Chronic joint/mobility pain | Reliable, sensitive to changes in arthritis pain severity |
| VetMetrica HRQL Tool | Dog & Cat | Overall wellbeing | Health-related quality of life measure. Tracks mood, vitality, mobility, and comfort. |
Tips for Owners
- Discuss these instruments with your vet to determine the best one for you and your pet.
- Ask your vet how often to perform these assessments and send them to your vet when you do, so they have a better picture of how your pet is doing at home.
Chronic pain in dogs and cats is a big deal – not always obvious, often underdiagnosed, but always affecting quality of life. Using validated tools like those described above isn’t just “nice to have” – it’s essential to recognizing pain, treating it well, and ensuring our pets enjoy the happiest, most comfortable lives possible. For Pain Awareness Month, let’s commit to measuring compassion as much as we measure signs.