ABSTRACT: Chronic pain is subtle and more difficult to recognise in both dog and cat patients. As veterinary nurses, we need to recognise both signs of chronic and neuropathic pain. Low-stress handling techniques should be employed with cats to reduce pain and distress that could exacerbate a pain state. While not many validated chronic pain scales are available for cats, assessment and recognition of feline chronic pain has been well described. Feline chronic pain conditions can be degenerative joint disease (DJD), non-DJD, nonmalignant pain and cancer pain. By learning about various feline chronic pain conditions and evidence-based treatments, we can alert our veterinarians quickly about changes that occur in the patient. One of our primary jobs is to educate owners about chronic pain to improve quality of life for our feline friends.

Author

Mary Ellen Goldberg BS, LVT, CVT, SRA, CCRA, CVPP

is a graduate of Harcum College and the University of Pennsylvania in 1976.

She worked at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Division of Animal Resources and for Research Scientists advising on their choices for anaesthesia and pain management on their protocols. She was a member ofVCU’s IACUC for 10 years. She has been the instructor of Anaesthesia and Pain Management at VetMedTeam, LLC since 2003. She has been the Executive Secretary for the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) since 2008. She is a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through IVAPM. Mary Ellen is also a Surgical Research Anaesthetist certified through the Academy of Surgical Research. She is on the Organising Committee for APRVT (Academy of Physical Rehabilitation Veterinary Technicians). Currently, she is a staff member at the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, as a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant (CCRA). She is the Exam Chair for the Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses.

Mary Ellen has written several books, and contributed to numerous chapters regarding anaesthesia, pain management and physical rehabilitation. She speaks at national meetings on these topics and gives private CE to organisational groups. She has worked in various aspects of veterinary medicine from small animal and equine to mixed practice, coccidiosis research for a pharmaceutical company zoo animal medicine and laboratory animal medicine since 1976.

Email: mewhitester@gmail.com

Keywords: Chronic pain, Cat, Clinical

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 32 (03) • March 2017 pp67-77

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