The perception of pain in animals – NewMetrica’s First Webinar!

In the human world it would be known as “man-flu”; a cliché to illustrate that the perception of misery varies from individual to individual. A typical man thinks a sniffle and a bit of a temperature is flu, apparently, while a woman will put in a shift; cook dinner and win a Nobel prize without complaint, all while suffering from double pleurisy.

It’s nonsense of course (unless you are a woman and have a slight, sneaking suspicion that there’s something in it…). But the situation is so much worse in the animal world where not only is the ability to whinge or submit a sick line noticeably absent,  but the interpretation of what the animal is feeling has to be done, not just by a different gender but by someone of a completely different species.

Observant owners and veterinary professionals will undoubtedly spot signs relating to pain in an animal, but knowing how this pain makes each individual animal feel has always seemed beyond science.

Professor Jacky Reid describes pain as “A uniquely personal, multidimensional, emotional experience, with a distinctly unpleasant affective quality.”  

Prof Reid is the veterinary specialist behind NewMetrica and almost 100 veterinary surgeons and professionals from the pharmaceutical industry across several continents tuned in to a free webinar recently where she described how NewMetrica instruments are able to bridge the gap between identifying pain and a more meaningful health related quality of life (HRQL) score in dogs.   

Click the link HERE to watch the recording.

A future webinar, planned for 11th October this year will explore the same issues in cats.

By measuring across four areas of behavioural change, owners and vets can gain quick and easy, valid and reliable insight into evolving HRQL scores in well animals, as well as those who may be suffering. 

Scores are adjusted for age of the animal and give a much more accurate picture of how the animal feels over time.  This information not only brings peace of mind to concerned owners but can strengthen the vet/owner bond by supporting professional opinion and confidence in recommended therapies.

There have also been proven advantages in therapeutic trials, where validated HRQL scores can dramatically reduce the number of animals required to yield statistically significant results.

To receive information on the next free webinar from NewMetrica, contact Rachel Malkani (Rachel.malkani@newmetrica.com) and to hear the discussion re HRQL in dogs and how the NewMetrica tools work, click HERE