Chronic Pain Assessment in Cats
Assessment by Owners In contrast to acute pain , owner assessment of behavior has a central role in the detection and monitoring of chronic pain in cats . The majority of the standardized clinical metrology instruments in use have been developed for owners to complete. Pain caused by degenerative joint disease is the most common form of chronic pain in cats , and this area has received the most ...
In general, chronic pain assessment is achieved with the central involvement of the cat caregiver because our profession has moved to an understanding that caregivers know their pets best. However, cats with chronic pain may demonstrate subtle or gradual changes in behavior, which can be overlooked or go undetected by caregivers.
Feline Grimace Scale
Pain is often difficult to recognize in cats due to their unique behavior. The Feline Grimace Scale© is a valid, fast, reliable and easy-to-use tool for feline acute pain assessment by both veterinary health professionals and cat owners.
a cat is in pain . Several scoring systems have been developed that can help the veterinary team and caretaker recognize pain so that the veterinary team can implement a suitable treatment plan to help cats live a more comfortable or pain -free life.
PDF 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
pain assessment in cats and dogs, as well as an initial therapy plan with guidance on reassessing and adjusting the plan as needed. As such, these guidelines discuss pain management as a therapeutic con-tinuum consisting of assessment , treatment, reassessment, and plan revision.
The first of a 2-part series, Dr. Robertson emphasizes the importance of accurate pain assessment in order to provide the best pain management. To appropriately assess and treat pain in cats , the health care provider must be attentive to subtle changes in animal behavior, including alertness, interaction with humans, and posture and facial expressions.
Feline Chronic Pain Assessment
Feline Chronic Pain Assessment Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain ; however, veterinary medicine has come a long way in recognizing and treating pain in cats .
Feline Grimace Scale The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) (© Université de Montréal 2019) is a valid, fast, reliable and easy-to-use tool that can help with pain assessment in cats . The FGS Scale can help veterinary surgeons with clinical decisions in pain management, and determine if the administration of analgesics (i.e. pain killers) is required.
Pain Assessment Tools
Montreal Instrument for Cat Arthritis Testing for use by veterinarian (MI- CAT (V)) Developed for veterinarian assessment of clinical signs of osteoarthritis in cats . It contains 25 items involving body posture, gait, willingness and ease of horizontal movements, jumping and a general lameness score.
Chronic (persistent or long-standing) pain is a common, debilitating condition in all mammals, including cats . Chronic pain has a negative impact on health, behavior and wellbeing, and on the human-animal bond. Unfortunately, chronic pain can be difi cult to recognize and treat. This Toolkit is designed to guide the veterinary professional through: