Abstract
ObjectivesTo identify where a consensus can be reached between veterinary experts in feline medicine on the core signs sufficient for pain (sufficient to indicate pain when they occur, but not necessarily present in all painful conditions) and necessary for pain (necessary in the presence of pain, but not always indicative of pain).MethodsA modified Delphi technique was used, consisting of four rounds of questions and evaluation using nineteen participants during the period December 2014 and May 2015. Agreement was considered to be established when 80% of the experts concurred with the same opinion.ResultsTwenty-five signs were considered sufficient to indicate pain, but no single sign was considered necessary for it.DiscussionFurther studies are needed to evaluate the validity of these 25 behavioural signs if a specific pain assessment tool is to be developed that is capable of assessing pain in cats based on observational methods alone. The signs reported here may nonetheless help both vets and owners form an initial evaluation of the pain status of cats in their care.
Highlights
Pain is a multidimensional experience involving far more than mere sensation [1]
Further studies are needed to evaluate the validity of these 25 behavioural signs if a specific pain assessment tool is to be developed that is capable of assessing pain in cats based on observational methods alone
There is a need for a well-validated cat pain behavioural assessment tool that could be potentially used by both veterinary experts and owners/caregivers
Summary
Pain is a multidimensional experience involving far more than mere sensation [1]. It has primarily two domains: the sensory aspect (intensity, location and duration) and the affectivemotivational (emotional and unpleasantness). Observation of behaviour is a non-invasive and effective way by which pain can be investigated by different people [8], in different contexts (e.g. at home, or in the clinic) with none of the risks (for either the cat or observer) implicit from closer interaction. There is a need for a well-validated cat pain behavioural assessment tool that could be potentially used by both veterinary experts and owners/caregivers
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