The Petcare Factory

Canine Brief Pain Inventory

The Canine Brief Pain Inventory (C-BPI) is a tool used to evaluate and assess pain in dogs. It is a validated and standardised assessment tool that allows veterinarians and dog owners to measure and quantify a dog's pain levels. The C-BPI is designed to be a quick and easy assessment tool, making it a practical tool for regular use in clinical and household settings.

The C-BPI consists of 11 questions that assess the dog's pain intensity, pain interference, and overall quality of life. The questions are divided into three categories: pain intensity, pain interference, and quality of life. The pain intensity questions assess the dog's current pain level, while the pain interference questions assess how much the pain affects the dog's ability to perform daily activities. The quality of life questions assess the dog's overall well-being and happiness. This score can determine the severity of the dog's pain and monitor changes in pain levels over time.

The C-BPI is commonly used to assess pain in dogs with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, cancer, and chronic pain syndromes. It can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment options, such as pain medication or physical therapy. By using the C-BPI to monitor changes in pain levels over time, veterinarians and dog owners can adjust treatment plans as needed to ensure that the dog's pain is well-managed.

In conclusion, the C-BPI is a valuable tool for assessing and managing pain in dogs. It is a simple yet effective tool for measuring and quantifying a dog's pain levels, which can be used to determine the severity of pain and monitor changes over time. It is used by veterinarians and dog owners to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment options and to make adjustments to treatment plans as needed to ensure that the dog's pain is well-managed.

When first developed, the program aimed to create a scale that:

  • Was owner completed.

  • Would take only a short time to complete.

  • Would be easy for owners to understand.

  • Would capture not only pain severity but also the perception of how pain interfered with daily life.

  • Would be valid and reliable in a variety of chronic pain conditions.

  • Was analogous to a scale used in human chronic pain studies, which would facilitate capturing the cross-species translational potential of canine chronic pain studies.

Further information on the Canine Brief Pain Inventory is available from The School of Veterinary Medicine website at the University of Pennsylvania.

Canine Brief Pain Inventory Questions

Each response to the questions will be assigned an individual score, which collectively will help to provide an overall assessment rating, which will help to determine the degree of joint pain your dog is experiencing. The higher the final score the greater the degree of pain, whilst lower scores represent less discomfort.

Question 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Response
Description of Pain:

In the following questions, rate your dog's pain on a scale of 0 to 10.

Indicate on the scale the one number that best describes the pain at its worst in the last 7 days.
(where 0 is no pain and 10 is extreme pain)

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Indicate on the scale the one number that best describes the pain at its least in the last 7 days.
(where 0 is no pain and 10 is extreme pain)

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Indicate on the scale the one number that best describes the pain at its average in the last 7 days.
(where 0 is no pain and 10 is extreme pain)

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Indicate on the scale the one number that best describes the pain which is being experienced right now.
(where 0 is no pain and 10 is extreme pain)

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Description of Function:

Indicate on the scale the one number that best describes how during the last 7 days pain has interfered with the following.

General Activity
(where 0 does not interfere and 10 completely interferes)

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Enjoyment of Life
(where 0 does not interfere and 10 completely interferes)

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Ability to Rise to Standing From Lying Down
(where 0 does not interfere and 10 completely interferes)

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Ability to Walk
(where 0 does not interfere and 10 completely interferes)

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Ability to Run
(where 0 does not interfere and 10 completely interferes)

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Ability to Climb Stairs, Curbs, Doorsteps, etc.
(where 0 does not interfere and 10 completely interferes)

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Overall Impression:

Indicate what best describes your dog's overall quality of life over the last 7 days.

Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Please choose one option for each of the statements.