Evaluation of client-specific outcome measures and activity monitoring to measure pain relief in cats with osteoarthritis.
BACKGROUND
There are no validated systems for measuring pain from osteoarthritis in cats.


OBJECTIVE
Owner subjective assessments and an activity monitor (AM) can be used to detect pain in cats with osteoarthritis and to assess efficacy of treatments.


METHODS
Thirteen cats older than 10 years old, with owner-assessed decreases in activity, painful arthritic joints, and clinically normal blood work were included and evaluated for 3 weeks.


METHODS
A collar-mounted AM measured activity and a client-specific outcome measure (CSOM) questionnaire characterized the severity of impairment. Overall global quality of life was also evaluated for each treatment. In weeks 2 and 3, meloxicam (0.1 mg/kg, day 1; 0.05 mg/kg, days 2-5) or a placebo was administered in a blinded, randomized, cross-over manner to test the assessment systems.


RESULTS
The cats had a median of 4 arthritic appendicular joints. Activity counts for the week when cats (complete data on activity; n=9) were administered meloxicam were significantly higher than at baseline (P = .02) but not after placebo (P = .06). Baseline activity counts were not significantly different from placebo (P = .6). The CSOM data (n=13) showed that owners considered their cats to be more active on meloxicam compared with baseline (P = .001) and placebo (P < .004), and more active on placebo than at baseline (P < .01). Global quality of life improved significantly with meloxicam (P < .042).


CONCLUSIONS
Both an AM and a CSOM system can detect behavior associated with pain relief in cats that are arthritic. Objective activity data might allow subjective assessment systems to be validated for use in clinical studies.
Lascelles
B Duncan X
BD
Comparative Pain Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. Duncan_Lascelles@ncsu.edu
Hansen
Bernie D
BD
Roe
Simon
S
DePuy
Venita
V
Thomson
Andrea
A
Pierce
Courtney C
CC
Smith
Eric S
ES
Rowinski
Elizabeth
E
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases; D002415:Cats; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D000077239:Meloxicam; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013843:Thiazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D013843:Thiazines; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077239:Meloxicam