The Canine Postamputation Pain (CAMPPAIN) initiative: a retrospective study and development of a diagnostic scale.

Abstract Objective To develop a scale to diagnose and assess the severity of postamputation pain (PAP) in dogs. Study design Single-center retrospective study. Animals A total of 66 dogs that underwent thoracic or pelvic limb amputation and 139 dogs that underwent tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) at a veterinary teaching hospital. Methods An online survey regarding postoperative behavioral changes was sent to owners. Categorical, multiple-choice responses were entered into a univariable logistic regression model and tested for association with amputation using the Wald test. If p Results Multivariable logistic regression identified four independent predictors of PAP (p Conclusions and clinical relevance Postamputation pain is characterized by specific postoperative behaviors and appears to affect approximately one-third of canine amputees. The CAMPPAIN scale generated from these data could facilitate diagnosis, treatment and further study of PAP but requires external validation.