Current attitudes regarding the use of perioperative analgesics in dogs and cats by Brazilian veterinarians.

Objective: To correlate the demographic data of Brazilian veterinarians with their use of, attitudes towards, knowledge of and preference for continuing education regarding use of analgesics in small animal practice.

Study Design: Prospective survey.

Methods: The questionnaire was composed of sections pertaining to demographics, personal data, use of analgesics in general and specific procedures, analgesia used, and attitudes towards the assessment and relief of pain. The descriptive statistics with frequency analysis was performed using sas for Windows 9.1.3. Chi-square for simple comparisons test was used.

Results: Questionnaires were obtained from 1298 small animal veterinarians. Women and younger graduates attributed higher pain scores than men and older graduates but the frequency and duration of analgesic treatment did not differ between genders. The most commonly used opioids were tramadol (79%) and morphine (51%). NSAIDs of choice were meloxicam (81%) and ketoprofen (70%). Cats received lower pain scores for laparotomy, orchiectomy and dental procedures than dogs. Practical experience (64%) and national (47%) and regional meetings (43%) were the main sources of information for identifying and treating pain in small animals.

Conclusions: Although the number of Brazilian veterinarians believed that their knowledge in the area was lower than in other countries, the focus in pain management was similar or higher than in other countries, showing a good attitude in pain relief in animals.