Abstract
Effective management of pain is essential for the health and welfare of rabbits and relies on detecting and measuring pain adequately. This thesis aims to better understand how pain is currently assessed and ameliorated in rabbits, and to develop a new way to quantify it while under veterinary care.An extensive literature review provided an overview of current knowledge of pain and analgesia in rabbits. Two surveys were then conducted to establish current attitudes towards pain management in this species, and the factors affecting this, in both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. We found that while rabbit analgesia had recently improved, pain assessment was still limited in rabbits.
We next aimed to develop a multidimensional pain scale specifically to measure acute pain in rabbits. The Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale (BRPS) was developed using a unique combination of focus group discussions, and behavioural observations. This led to a novel pain assessment tool composed of six categories (Demeanour, Posture, Locomotion, Ears, Eyes and Grooming), and four intensities of pain (0, 1, 2, and 3) giving a total score of 0-18.
When the psychometric properties of the novel scale were tested, it showed high levels of internal reliability, construct validity, criterion validity and inter and intra-rater reliability. A clinical utility test confirmed that the BRPS is easy and quick to use, a key point for clinicians. The threshold of the BRPS for intervention analgesia was determined and established in rabbits as a pain score equal to or greater than 5 of the BRPS.
We conclude that the BRPS is a valid and reliable multidimensional pain assessment tool, with potential great value for managing rabbit pain in a veterinary setting.
| Date of Award | 18 Jun 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Supervisor | Nicola J Rooney (Supervisor) & Emily-Jayne Blackwell (Supervisor) |