Analgesia in the Perioperative Period

Untreated or undermanaged perioperative pain has systemic effects that may negatively impact a patient's welfare and return to function. A consistent analgesic plan that assesses a patient's pain and comfort at regular intervals during the perioperative period should be incorporated into practice. Validated pain assessment tools are available for use in dogs and cats. Multimodal analgesic plans should be created for individual patients and modified according to pain assessments. These plans, based on a thorough history, physical examination, and knowledge of the expected pain, should be combinations of an opioid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a local anesthetic, and nonpharmacologic analgesic techniques.