Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in dogs; it is estimated that it affects at least 25 percent of dogs at some point in their lifetime. OA is a degenerative and painful condition of the joints in which the normal cartilage cushion in the joints breaks down. Eventually, the bones in the joint rub against each other, causing pain, decreased joint movement, and sometimes formation of bone spurs or other changes in and around the joint.

The Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) provides a standardized and quantitative measure of pain, allowing for better assessment and monitoring of pain management strategies. It helps veterinarians and caregivers make informed decisions about pain treatment plans and adjust interventions based on the dog’s response and changes in pain severity.

It’s important to note that the CBPI is typically used as part of a comprehensive pain assessment, considering other factors such as physical examination, medical history, and the dog’s behavior. Veterinary professionals may use additional tools or assessments to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the dog’s pain experience and tailor treatment accordingly.

 

Here’s how the CBPI works:

 

Pain Severity Assessment: The CBPI consists of a pain severity scale that allows the dog’s caregiver to rate the severity of pain based on specific criteria. The caregiver assigns a score from 0 to 10 for each of the four key indicators: pain severity at its worst, pain severity at its least, pain severity at the time of assessment, and average pain severity over the past week.

Pain Interference Assessment: The CBPI also evaluates the degree to which pain interferes with the dog’s daily activities and quality of life. It includes questions regarding the dog’s ability to walk, run, play, eat, sleep, and overall activity levels. The caregiver rates the interference of pain on a scale from 0 to 10 for each activity, with 0 indicating no interference and 10 indicating complete interference.

Calculation and Analysis: The scores from the severity and interference assessments are collected and analyzed to provide an overall understanding of the dog’s pain experience. By comparing scores over time, caregivers, veterinarians and researchers can track changes in pain severity and its impact on the dog’s activities and well-being.

 

Proceed with the following steps after downloading the CBPI assessment tool:

 

1. Description of Pain-Severity Scoring:

   • Rate your dog’s pain severity from No Pain to Extreme Pain, at the time of assessment and on average over the past week. Each rating should be on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing the most extreme pain.

2. Description of function Pain-Interference Scoring:

   • Assess how pain interferes with your dog’s daily activities by rating interference on a scale of 0 to 10 for various activities such as walking, running, playing, eating, sleeping, and overall activity levels.

   • Record the interference ratings for each activity separately.

3. Calculating Description of Pain-Severity Scores:

   • To calculate the overall pain severity score, sum the ratings , and then divide the sum by 4. This provides an average pain severity score.

   • To calculate the overall pain interference score, sum the interference ratings for all activities and divide by the number of activities assessed.

4. Calculating Description of function Pain-Interference Scores:

   • The average pain severity score reflects your dog’s overall pain level, with higher scores indicating more severe pain.

   • The pain interference score indicates the degree to which pain is impacting the dog’s daily activities and quality of life, with higher scores representing greater interference.

Remember, the CBPI is just one tool used in pain assessment, and its interpretation should be done in conjunction with other clinical observations and assessments by a veterinarian. Scoring alone may not provide a complete understanding of the dog’s pain experience, so it’s important to consider the context and consult with a veterinary professional for proper evaluation and treatment.

References: https://www.vet.upenn.edu/docs/default-source/VCIC/canine-bpi-user’s-guide-2017-07