A Survey on Surgical Analgesia Practice in Dogs and Cats Among Veterinarians in Cluj-Napoca

The present study aimed to assess attitudes, opinions and the methods used to treat surgical-induced pain among veterinarians practising in Cluj-Napoca. Thirty-six respondents were surveyed on a 31-item questionnaire that included demographic questions and two sections addressing pain control and analgesic use. Of all respondents, 52.8% consider their knowledge of pain recognition to be good (4/5); however, only 2.8% use pain-scoring tools. A small proportion of the respondents (16.7%) agree that cats are more resistant to pain than dogs, while 41.7% consider pain is good in some circumstances. For routine surgeries, the most popular opioid is butorphanol (62%), while tramadol was cited for major surgeries (58.3%). The most used NSAID is represented by meloxicam, while steroids are preferred over NSAIDs during major surgeries (60.1%). Overall, local veterinarians demonstrate a level of interest in pain control. However, excessive confidence in their personal experience to recognize pain often results in underestimation, under-medication and mismanagement of the patients in pain.