Canine Pain Calculator
Assess acute pain in dogs using the Glasgow CMPS-SF and Colorado State University Canine Pain Scale. Instant scoring with clinical guidance.
Choose the scale
Both scales stay on this page and score independently of each other.
Short Form Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS‑SF)
A validated behaviour-based tool for assessing acute pain in dogs. Assess the dog in each category and select the single descriptor that best fits. The tool totals the score live and flags when analgesic intervention is recommended.
Section A — In the kennel
Observe the dog in the kennel. Is the dog…
1. Vocalising?
2. Attention to the wound or painful area?
Section B — Mobility
Put a lead on and walk the dog out of the kennel. When it rises and walks, is it…
Section C — Response to touch
Apply gentle pressure around the wound / painful area (including the abdomen). Does the dog…
Section D — Demeanour
Overall, is the dog…
Section E — Posture & comfort
Is the dog…
Clinical note: Intervention threshold is ≥ 6/24 (or ≥ 5/20 when mobility is not assessed). The score guides analgesic decisions but does not replace clinical judgement — reassess regularly and treat the patient, not just the number.
Feline Grimace Scale
Coming to the next build. This tab will score facial action units for feline acute pain.
Colorado State University Canine Acute Pain Scale
A pictorial 0–4 scale for acute pain in dogs. Unlike Glasgow, this is a single holistic rating: read across all five levels, then select the one that best matches the dog’s psychological/behavioural state, response to palpation and body tension. Assess body tension gently. Scores of 2 and above prompt a reassessment of the analgesic plan.
Clinical note: This is a holistic 0–4 rating, not a summed score. A score of 2 or more should trigger reassessment of analgesia. Body tension is central — assess it gently, and always rescore once the dog is fully awake.
Professional use only. The score guides analgesic decisions but does not replace clinical judgement — reassess regularly and treat the patient, not just the number.
Working through the two scales
Pick a scale first. The two scales sit on their own tabs and score independently of each other — switching tabs leaves the other scale’s answers, and its score, exactly where they are.
On the Glasgow tab, select one option in each section. The score, the meter and the reading beside them update as you go, and the line under them says how many of the sections are scored so far.
Ticking “Mobility cannot be assessed” greys Section B out and drops it from the total, which then scores out of 20; any answer already given in that section is cleared as it goes. Un-tick it and Section B comes back, out of 24 again.
On the Colorado tab, select one of the five level cards. The card you pick is marked, and the score card names that level and moves the 0–4 meter to it.
The four buttons at the top of the card act on the scale you are working in: Start again clears that panel’s answers and leaves the other panel exactly as it was, and Copy results puts that panel’s score and every answer on the clipboard as plain text.
Email results opens a message holding the score card, and Print / Save PDF prints the page, so the questions and the score go on one sheet. All three wait until something on that panel is scored — press one before then and the bar says so.
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