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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(6); 1826; doi: 10.3390/ani11061826

Objective Assessment of Chronic Pain in Horses Using the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS): A Scale-Construction Study.

Abstract: The objective assessment of chronic pain is of utmost importance for improving welfare and quality of life in horses. Freedom from disease and pain is one of the 'five freedoms' that are necessary for animal welfare. The aim of this study was to develop a pain scale for the assessment of chronic pain in horses (Horse Chronic Pain Scale; HCPS), which is based on behavioural and facial expressions. The scale was used to assess 53 horses (26 horses diagnosed with chronic painful conditions by means of clinical examination and additional diagnostic procedures (consisting of osteoarthritis, chronic laminitis, chronic back and neck problems, chronic dental disorders) and 27 healthy control animals). Animals were assessed once daily for three consecutive days by two observers that were blinded to the condition of the animals and were unaware of any analgesic treatment regimens. The HCPS consists of two parts, the Horse Chronic Pain Composite Pain Scale (HCP CPS, with behavioural parameters) and the EQUUS-FAP (Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain). The HCP CPS had good inter-observer reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.84, < 0.001), while the EQUUS-FAP component (with facial expression-based parameters) had poor inter-observer reliability (ICC = 0.45, < 0.05). The inter-observer reliability of the combined HCPS was good (ICC = 0.78, < 0.001). The HCPS revealed significant differences between horses with chronic painful conditions and control horses on 2 out of 3 days ( < 0.05). In conclusion, we tested a composite pain scale for the assessment of chronic pain in horses based on behavioural and facial expression-based parameters. Further studies are needed to validate this pain scale before it can be used in practice.
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Publication Date: 2021-06-18 PubMed ID: 34207290PubMed Central: PMC8234780DOI: 10.3390/ani11061826Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research was focused on developing a reliable tool, the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS), for identifying and quantifying chronic pain in horses, a critical component for improving their welfare and quality of life. The scale incorporated both behavioral and facial expression parameters and was tested on a sample of 53 horses, both healthy and those with diagnosed painful conditions, yielding largely good inter-observer reliability. However, more validation is required for the tool to be used effectively in veterinary practice.

Study Overview and Pain Scale Creation

  • The researchers sought to objectively assess and quantify chronic pain in horses, a significant factor in animal welfare and quality of life. To do this, they created the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS), a tool designed to rate the pain of horses based on behavioral and facial expressions.
  • The HCPS is composed of two parts: The Horse Chronic Pain Composite Pain Scale (HCP CPS) which rates behavioral parameters, and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP), which rates facial expressions.

Testing of the Pain Scale

  • A total of 53 horses, 26 with chronic painful conditions and 27 healthy controls, were assessed using the HCPS. The horses’ conditions included osteoarthritis, chronic laminitis, chronic back and neck problems, and chronic dental disorders.
  • Observations were made once a day for 3 consecutive days by two observers, who were blinded to the conditions of the horses and unaware of any analgesic treatments given to the animals.

Results and Reliability of the Pain Scale

  • The HCP CPS component of the HCPS had good inter-observer reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.84. This indicates that different observers rate the aspects measured by HCP CPS consistently.
  • The EQUUS-FAP component, which measures facial expressions, exhibited poor inter-observer reliability with an ICC of 0.45, suggesting it might require further refinement to enhance its reliability.
  • The combined HCPS, however, showed considerably good inter-observer reliability with an ICC of 0.78.
  • Using the HCPS, significant differences were observed between the horses diagnosed with chronic painful conditions and the control horses on 2 of the 3 observation days.

Conclusion and Future Steps

  • In conclusion, the researchers developed and tested a composite pain scale for assessing chronic pain in horses, incorporating both behavioral and facial expression-based parameters.
  • Despite the promising results, the authors emphasized that further tests need to be performed to validate the HCPS before it can be officially implemented in practice.

Cite This Article

APA
van Loon JPAM, Macri L. (2021). Objective Assessment of Chronic Pain in Horses Using the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS): A Scale-Construction Study. Animals (Basel), 11(6), 1826. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061826

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 6
PII: 1826

Researcher Affiliations

van Loon, Johannes P A M
  • Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Macri, Lucia
  • Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 20 times.
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