Practical aspects of analgesic use

Information

When formulating an analgesic regimen for a particular animal, several factors need to be considered:

• What is the likely severity of pain, and what is its anticipated duration?
• Which drug or drugs should be administered, and at what dose rates?
• Are there any special factors that will influence the choice of analgesic, for example, the animal species, any pre-existing abnormalities and any particular features of the current project or the type of pain?
• What facilities are available for management of the animal? What level of post-operative care and monitoring of the animal is available? Can staff attend throughout a 24-hour period? Are there facilities for continuous infusion of analgesics?