Tips for identifying pain in cats

Extensive collaboration with clients plays a major role in the identification of pain in cats. In this discussion, Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP, encourages veterinary professionals to request video footage of the patient’s gait and daily activities captured at home to help identify if a patient is experiencing pain. These videos, Kucera explains, can be a "game changer" in assessing baseline behavior and providing instant feedback.

She also talks about the value of sharing tools with clients to help manage and identify pain. These tools include the Feline Grimace Scale, fecal score charts, videos of cats exhibiting different signs of pain, and more.

Below is a partial transcript, which has been lightly edited for improved clarity:

Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP,: Chronic pain is hard, so we have to be kind to ourselves—that's the one big thing, and we need, capital N-E-E-D, the caregiver's help. We can't do it on our own. Just like in human medicine, chronic pain is really challenging. Acute pain is a little easier for both vet med and human med.

So, one of the things I recommend to all my colleagues, but also the caregivers I work with, is every vet visit should include 2 to 3, 1 to 3-minute videos of the cat's gait, so your cat's walking, your cat's playing, eating, and/or doing their favorite thing. I'm not really specific, because first off, everyone has smartphones, which is amazing. And I tell my caregivers, “it's appropriate for your vet not to have the cat walk up and down the hallway if they have severe fear and stress, which unfortunately is pretty common. So, your vet can't acknowledge or assess your cat's gait.”

And also, of course, that cat's behavior is going to be more their baseline, and they'll feel more comfortable exhibiting those normal behaviors in the home setting. So that video thing is a game changer.

It also helps you to identify other things. [For example], these litter boxes are the store-bought ones that are way too small, this cat has to jump over to do an everyday function. Or, oh, that cat really loves to go on the couch or rest on that bed, let's create a few steps, whether it's a little ottoman or cat steps. You could literally provide immediate feedback to make that animal's life more comfortable, which is awesome.

And then also...we're getting more and more resources about pain identification and sharing those with caregivers. The Feline VMA has a great Chronic Pain Education Toolbook. But I'm also a huge fan of the Feline Grimace Scale app, catswitharthritis.com.

And I'm a huge proponent—I did not use this enough in [general practice] before I worked for myself—[of]fecal score charts. Caregivers can easily look at poop. I usually include the kits in the consult to keep track of the poop. And the number of pretty severe medical issues that have been diagnosed just due to my caregivers doing that simple step has been huge. Again, I’m like, why was I not using this tool more?

And then also identifying the animal's baseline. Are they doing their favorite things? Are they resting in their favorite spots? How does their relationship look with the other animals in the home? Again, identifying what's their baseline, and has their behavior changed at all—[all] of those things can be really helpful as well as sharing. I have lots of videos of cats exhibiting various symptoms of chronic pain, and I'll share those with my caregivers. Then I'll kind of put it together with their cat's video and help them understand.