Certificate in Pain Management Offered by WSAVA Global Pain Council and Zoetis

At the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Congress in Lisbon, Portugal, on September 27-29, 2023, and together with the WSAVA Global Pain Council (GPC), Zoetis has launched the WSAVA Certificate in Pain Management. The Certificate educational content is based on the updated Global Guidelines for the Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain, and it includes three sections, with the first being available in English, Portuguese and Spanish during the Congress event.

Despite rapid advances in pain management, the GPC considers pain in companion animals under-diagnosed and under-treated and seeks to raise awareness of the importance of pain management for patient health and welfare. The Certificate course content will provide practical help to veterinary professionals who wish to refresh or deepen their knowledge in this area.

“My personal experience as a veterinarian has shown me that pain can affect many areas of a pet’s life, including their sleep and cognitive function. It can also affect their emotional state and social relationships, including those with their families,” said Dr. Mike McFarland, Chief Medical Officer at Zoetis. “I appreciate the collaboration with the Global Pain Council to provide educational resources to help veterinary professionals understand ways in which innovative solutions to managing pain can improve the quality of life for pets and their owners as well as protecting the precious bond between them.”

Each module in the course contains recorded lectures from members of the GPC and other global experts, together with links to mandatory and suggested reading materials. Quizzes are included at the end of each lecture. The course is available free of charge to all companion animal veterinarians and veterinary nurses/technicians, and additional languages will be added in the near future. The International Veterinary Academy for Pain Management (IVAPM) is supporting the dissemination of the Certificate.

“I have always been a passionate advocate for managing pain effectively – especially given how destructive chronic, poorly managed pain can be on the human-animal bond,” said Dr. McFarland. “As a veterinarian, I believe our greatest responsibility is to preserve, protect and restore this bond, which is why it’s so important that veterinary professionals everywhere understand how to diagnose and treat chronic pain.”