Veterinary Pain Assessment and Multimodal Analgesia Protocol Checklist
Pain management is a core ethical obligation in veterinary practice. This checklist ensures systematic pain assessment, multimodal analgesia, and appropriate monitoring are applied to all patients undergoing painful procedures.
- Industry: Veterinary
- Frequency: Per Surgical or Painful Procedure / Daily for Hospitalized Patients
- Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes
- Role: Veterinarian / Veterinary Technician
- Total Items: 36
Pain Assessment and Scoring
Use validated pain assessment tools.
- Validated pain score recorded at admission and every 4-6 hours for hospitalized patients?
- Species-appropriate validated pain scale used (CMPS-SF for dogs, UNESP-Botucatu for cats)?
- Threshold pain score triggering automatic analgesic intervention defined?
- Behavioral signs of pain assessed: posture, activity, facial expression, interaction?
- Physiologic parameters assessed: heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure?
- Reassessment schedule defined and followed for hospitalized patients?
Pre-emptive and Intraoperative Analgesia
Verify pre-emptive analgesia is administered before surgical pain.
- Opioid or other analgesic included in pre-medication protocol?
- Locoregional anesthesia considered for all surgical procedures?
- NSAID administered pre-operatively where appropriate (normal renal function)?
- Constant rate infusion (CRI) capability for major procedures?
- Multimodal approach combining at least two analgesic classes for moderate-severe pain?
- Pre-surgical analgesic plan documented before procedure begins?
NSAID Safety Monitoring
Ensure NSAIDs are used safely.
- Baseline renal and hepatic bloodwork within past 6 months for chronic NSAID patients?
- No concurrent NSAID and nephrotoxic drug combinations?
- NSAIDs withheld in hypotensive or dehydrated patients?
- Client instructed to monitor for GI signs (vomiting, decreased appetite, black stools)?
- Recheck bloodwork every 6 months for patients on chronic NSAIDs?
- Appropriate washout between different NSAIDs observed?
Opioid Dispensing and Documentation
Verify opioid dispensing is properly documented.
- All opioid use documented in controlled substance log?
- Clients receiving opioids counseled on risks and storage security?
- Clients advised to store opioids in locked container away from children and pets?
- Clients informed of unused opioid return options?
- Only necessary quantity dispensed - not excess?
- Opioid dispensing to client follows DEA and state board requirements?
Post-operative Pain Monitoring
Monitor pain control post-operatively.
- Pain assessment in recovery room within 30 minutes of extubation?
- Rescue analgesia protocol defined and accessible to all staff?
- Overnight pain management plan defined for hospitalized patients?
- Multiday take-home analgesia provided for all surgical patients?
- Discharge instructions include pain monitoring and when to call?
- 24-48 hour follow-up call scheduled for post-surgical patients?
Documentation
Maintain complete pain management documentation.
- All pain scores recorded in medical record with time and assessor?
- Analgesic plan documented before any procedure?
- Response to analgesic treatments documented?
- All controlled substance administration documented in DEA log?
- Written pain management protocols accessible to all staff?
- Staff trained on pain assessment tools and protocols?
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Why Use This Veterinary Pain Assessment and Multimodal Analgesia Protocol Checklist?
This veterinary pain assessment and multimodal analgesia protocol checklist helps veterinary teams maintain compliance and operational excellence. Designed for veterinarian / veterinary technician professionals, this checklist covers 36 critical inspection points across 6 sections. Recommended frequency: per surgical or painful procedure / daily for hospitalized patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Veterinary Pain Assessment and Multimodal Analgesia Protocol Checklist cover?
This checklist covers 36 inspection items across 6 sections: Pain Assessment and Scoring, Pre-emptive and Intraoperative Analgesia, NSAID Safety Monitoring, Opioid Dispensing and Documentation, Post-operative Pain Monitoring, Documentation. It is designed for veterinary operations and compliance.
How often should this checklist be completed?
This checklist should be completed per surgical or painful procedure / daily for hospitalized patients. Each completion takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
Who should use this Veterinary Pain Assessment and Multimodal Analgesia Protocol Checklist?
This checklist is designed for Veterinarian / Veterinary Technician professionals in the veterinary industry. It can be used for self-assessments, team audits, and regulatory compliance documentation.
Can I download this checklist as a PDF?
Yes, this checklist is available as a free PDF download. You can also use it digitally in the POPProbe mobile app for real-time data capture, photo documentation, and automatic reporting.