Behavioral Aspects of Pain Flashcards
Is this cat painful and why/why not?
Yes.
- hunched
- head low
- not looking at/interested in person in front of it
- increased respiration rate
- aggression
Why was “emotional” added as an amendment to the IASP’s definition of pain?
- original definition did not account for non-verbal patients
- VERBAL DESCRIPTION IS ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL BEHAVIOURS to express pain (inability to communicated does not negate the possibility that a human or nonhuman animal experiences pain)
- although pain usually serves as an adaptive role, it may have adverse effects on function & social & physiological well-being
how are pain and behaviour associated?
- pain is not just about how it feels, but also how it makes you feel
- personal experience
- affected by past experiences
- behaviour is the most sensitive and specific way to assess pain
What are the limitations of the relationship between pain and behaviour?
- not all animals display pain-related behaviour
- assessing pain behaviour is difficult in stressed and sick animals
What was the effect of neonatal circumcision on the pain response during subsequent routine vaccination?
- used to not use pain control in neonates b/c they believed their pain pathways were not fully developed yet
- past experiences of having past non-treated pain leads to a greater pain response in the future
What are some things to be aware of when assessing spontaneous pain behaviours?
- pain is almost always associated w/ changes in normal animal behaviour
- there is a difference btwn acute and chronic pain
- knowledge of the animal’s normal behaviour is beneficial
- the owner’s assessment can be a valuable aid
- assessing pain behaviour can be difficult in situations of chronic pain (this requires information from O)
- influenced by stress, anxiety, fear, sedation
Changes in what things are common observational indicators of pain?
- attitude
- appearance
- body posture
- orientation in cage/stall
- activity level
- locomotor activity
- facial expression
- vocalization
What are changes in attitude associated with pain?
- changes in attitude or personality (acting out of character for them)
- irritable (aggressive)
- anxiety (vigilant, timid, fearful)
- depression
- reclusive (noninteractive)
What are some changes in attitude associated with pain in dogs?
- decreased social interaction (depressed)
- anxious or glazed expression
- submissive behaviour
- aggression, biting
- refusal to move (stubborn, lazy, old)
What are some changes in attitude associated with pain in cats?
- aggressive
- indifferent (does not interact or shows a loss of curiosity)
- stupor, learned helplessness
- fear (hiding, attempts to escape)
What are some changes in attitude associated with pain in horses?
- not cooperative
- aggressive
- kicking
- striking
- biting
- escaping
- docile
- listless
What are some changes in attitude associated with pain in cattle?
- less focused on environment
- less interested in social interaction
- aggressive, charging, kicking
What are some changes in appearance associated with pain?
appearance changes in animals with chronic pain or stress
- dull, unkept (ungroomed) appearance
- cats stop grooming (resulting in a dry, lusterless hair coat)
What are some changes in body posture associated with pain?
- sitting/standing/sleeping in an abnormal body position
- reluctance to move
- tense, stiff, rigid
- head down
- hunched back or tucked abdomen (guarding or splinting of abdomen)
- praying position (Ca)
- sphinx or statute-like position (Fe)
- stretched out stance (Eq)
- reduced weight bearing
- tail down
What are some changes in body posture associated with pain in cattle?
- head below the line of the spinal column
- moves & arches back when standing
- hind limbs extended caudally when in standing posture
- lying down in ventral recumbency w/ full or partial extension of one or both hind limbs
- lying down w/ head on/close to the ground
- extending the neck and body forward when lying in ventral recumbency
What are some changes in the orientation of an animal in its cage or stall associated with pain?
- lack of interest in its surroundings (indifference)
- withdrawing or hiding
- facing the back of the cage
What are some changes in activity level associated with pain?
- reluctance to move
- reluctance to lie down
- frequently changing body position
- anxious & restless
- aggression usually occurs in response to acute-onset, severe pain
- licking, chewing (self-mutilation) at the site of pain
- kicking or foot stamping
- wagging the tail abruptly and repeatedly
How do you recognize colic in a horse?
describe the pain behaviour in these cows?
A) head lower than rest of spine
B) stretched out back hind legs
C) lower back is arched
D) kicking against her abdomen
E) looking at surgical site
F) laying on the ground, stretching out hind limbs to alleviate pressure
What are some changes in locomotor activity associated with pain?
- limping, lameness
- standing to one side/weight shifting away from painful limb
- unwillingness to rise
- slow, unstable transition from recumbency to standing
- reluctance to jump or walk stairs
- decreased stamina
- moving or walking while defecating or urinating
- urinary or fecal accidents
- night restlessness if they cannot get comfortable
What are some changes in facial expressions associated with pain?
- head down
- fixed gaze, depressed expression
- looking away
- orbital tightening
- ear position (backwards, flat to the side)
- cheek flattening
- nares drawn vertically
- whiskers extended horizontally or drawn towards the cheeks
What is the ‘pain face’ in horses?
What are signs of pain in the facial expression of cattle?
What are signs of pain in the facial expression of sheep?
What are some changes in vocalization associated with pain?
- often listed as the most common sign of pain
- acute pain or flare-up of chronic pain
- animals may whine, whimper, cry, groan, purr, howl, or scream
- not very sensitive for pain (but dont ignore it)
- vocalization may also be an example of increased anxiety or drug side effects
- whining may indicate a full bladder or the need to defecate
What is the difference btwn acute and chronic pain behaviours?
- acute pain behaviours are spontaneous pain behaviours
- chronic pain behaviours are often missed in the early stages (subtle changes over time); often the absence of normal behaviour is an indicator of pain; changes in daily activities
what are the limitations of using behaviour to indicate pain?
- knowledge of the animal’s normal behaviour is useful
- individuals manifest pain in different ways
- no behaviour in isolation is pathognomonic of pain
- some behaviours are strongly suggestive of pain
- absence or presence of certain behaviours does not mean the animal is not experiencing pain
Why do animals (Ca) in pain sometimes wag their tails?
they are seeking comfort
What are some factors influencing the assessment of pain behaviour?
- species (even breed)
- environmental factors (hospital setting, presence of perceived predators, confinement)
- concurrent diseases
- anxiety
- drugs
- the evaluator
How can anxiety influence the assessment of pain behaviours?
- it is important to recognize the relationship btwn pain and anxiety
- pain can make animals anxious
- anxiety predisposes animals to worse pain
- treating anxiety is an important part of pain management
What are behavioural signs of pain in small mammals (like rodents)?
- species of prey (less overt signs of pain)
- absence of normal behaviour
- loss of appetite (poor body condition)
- decreased normal exploratory behaviours
- decreased alertness and mobility
- change in posture or gait
- reduced grooming
- bruxism (grinding teeth)
- piloerection
- increased aggressiveness when handled
