OBJECTIVE: To determine the items (question topics) for a subjective instrument to assess degenerative joint disease (DJD)-associated chronic pain in cats and determine the instrument design most appropriate for use by cat owners. ANIMALS: 100 randomly selected client-owned cats from 6 months to 20 years old. PROCEDURES: Cats were evaluated to determine degree of radiographic DJD and signs of pain throughout the skeletal system. Two groups were identified: high DJD pain and low DJD pain. Owner-answered questions about activity and signs of pain were compared between the 2 groups to define items relating to chronic DJD pain. Interviews with 45 cat owners were performed to generate items. Fifty-three cat owners who had not been involved in any other part of the study, 19 veterinarians, and 2 statisticians assessed 6 preliminary instrument designs. RESULTS: 22 cats were selected for each group; 19 important items were identified, resulting in 12 potential items for the instrument; and 3 additional items were identified from owner interviews. Owners and veterinarians selected a 5-point descriptive instrument design over 11-point or visual analogue scale formats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Behaviors relating to activity were substantially different between healthy cats and cats with signs of DJD-associated pain. Fifteen items were identified as being potentially useful, and the preferred instrument design was identified. This information could be used to construct an owner-based questionnaire to assess feline DJD-associated pain. Once validated, such a questionnaire would assist in evaluating potential analgesic treatments for these patients.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the items (question topics) for a subjective instrument to assess degenerative joint disease (DJD)-associated chronic pain in cats and determine the instrument design most appropriate for use by cat owners. ANIMALS: 100 randomly selected client-owned cats from 6 months to 20 years old. PROCEDURES: Cats were evaluated to determine degree of radiographic DJD and signs of pain throughout the skeletal system. Two groups were identified: high DJD pain and low DJD pain. Owner-answered questions about activity and signs of pain were compared between the 2 groups to define items relating to chronic DJD pain. Interviews with 45 cat owners were performed to generate items. Fifty-three cat owners who had not been involved in any other part of the study, 19 veterinarians, and 2 statisticians assessed 6 preliminary instrument designs. RESULTS: 22 cats were selected for each group; 19 important items were identified, resulting in 12 potential items for the instrument; and 3 additional items were identified from owner interviews. Owners and veterinarians selected a 5-point descriptive instrument design over 11-point or visual analogue scale formats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Behaviors relating to activity were substantially different between healthy cats and cats with signs of DJD-associated pain. Fifteen items were identified as being potentially useful, and the preferred instrument design was identified. This information could be used to construct an owner-based questionnaire to assess feline DJD-associated pain. Once validated, such a questionnaire would assist in evaluating potential analgesic treatments for these patients.
Authors: B Duncan X Lascelles; Yaa-Hui Dong; Denis J Marcellin-Little; Andrea Thomson; Simon Wheeler; Maria Correa Journal: BMC Vet Res Date: 2012-01-27 Impact factor: 2.741
Authors: Margaret E Gruen; Emily H Griffith; Andrea E Thomson; Wendy Simpson; B Duncan X Lascelles Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-07-10 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Martin Guillot; Polly M Taylor; Pascale Rialland; Mary P Klinck; M Maxim Moreau; Johanne Martel-Pelletier; Jean-Pierre Pelletier; Eric Troncy Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-05-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: M E Gruen; A E Thomson; E H Griffith; H Paradise; D P Gearing; B D X Lascelles Journal: J Vet Intern Med Date: 2016-06-22 Impact factor: 3.333