Animal Pain

Pain research and therapy - history, current status and future goals; the anatomical and chemical organization of descending pain modulation systems; defining "pain in animals"; modulation of cutaneous and visceral pain; opiates and pain control; the effects of opiates and neuropeptides on spinal nociceptive mechanisms; delivery systems of analgesics; alpha-adrenergic receptors and their agonists; chemistry and pharmacokinetics of the alpha-2 andrenoreceptor agonists; cardiorespiratory and MAC-reducing effects of the alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonists in horses; physiological responses to alpha-2 adrenergic agents; antagonism of pharmacological effects of xylazine; use of acupuncture for the control of chronic pain and for surgical analgesia; clinical assessment of pain and analgesics; local and regional anesthesia in pain control; control of perioperative pain; pain control in food animals; pain control in horses; pain control in dogs and cats; pain control in laboratory animals; pain recognition during experimentation and tailoring anesthetic and analgesia administration to the experiment; guidelines for the protection and assessment of pain and distress in experimental animals; the future of control of pain in animals used in teaching and research.