Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Comparing ways to detect pain in cats using heat imaging and exams
By Vainionpää, Mari H et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2013·University of Helsinki·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A comparison of thermographic imaging, physical examination and modified questionnaire as an instrument to assess painful conditions in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 103 cats of various breeds were assessed for pain using a combination of physical exams, thermographic imaging (a heat-sensing technique), and owner questionnaires about their behavior. The study found that owners often had a hard time accurately identifying if their cats were in pain, as their assessments didn't always match the results from the thermographic imaging or physical exams. However, the imaging technique showed promise as a helpful tool for veterinarians to detect pain in cats. This suggests that if you're worried your cat might be in pain, discussing thermographic imaging with your vet could be beneficial.
People also search for: how to tell if my cat is in pain · cat pain assessment methods · thermographic imaging for cats
Abstract
Pain recognition in cats is difficult and requires a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosis. A total of 103 client-owned cats were enrolled in this prospective, blinded clinical trial. Cats were invited to the clinic, or presented for annual rechecks/vaccinations, or gastrointestinal, dental or locomotor problems. The cats were of different breeds; both shorthaired and longhaired cats were included. Those cats that tolerated it were palpated and all cats were examined with the non-invasive method of thermographic imaging. Owners filled out a questionnaire about their cat's behaviour and estimated whether the cat was in any pain. The agreement between a questionnaire and thermographic imaging or palpation was low. Also, the agreement between the owner's estimation of pain and thermographic imaging or palpation was low. The agreement between palpation and thermographic imaging was moderate, suggesting that thermographic imaging is a potential tool in clinical practice for detecting and screening cats that are, potentially, in pain.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23076598/