analgesic herbal remedies in small animal surgery

Pain is a fundamental and distressing sensation serving as a signal to protect the body from potential harm. throughout history, plant-based remedies have been used to alleviate pain. this review aims to gather information from published articles and provide a comprehensive literature review on the use of folk remedies from plants as analgesics and in the treatment of pain-related conditions. analgesics are substances relieving pain without causing loss of consciousness, although they may have effects on the central nervous system that impact awareness. in veterinary medicine, there is a wide range of analgesic medications available. the major classes of analgesics in this field include opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and local anesthetics. several herbs with potential analgesic properties have been investigated (1). these include corydalis, jamaican dogwood (piscidea erythrina), saint john s wort, california poppy, and indian pipe (monotropa uniflora). it is worth noting that saint john s wort is more commonly known as an anti-depressant, but it has also demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in laboratory animals. similarly, california poppy has not been extensively studied for its analgesic properties, but the united states dispensatory stated its effectiveness as a safe soporific and analgesic, containing small amounts of morphine and other alkaloids (2). however, the specific mechanisms of action for these analgesic herbal remedies have not been well-described, and further evaluation is necessary to fully understand their efficacy and safety.