Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How cat owners and vets test skin twitch reflex in healthy cats
By Tsai, Chyong-Ying & Chang, Ya-Pei·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·Graduate Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of the cutaneous trunci muscle reflex in healthy cats: comparison of results acquired by clinicians and cat owners.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 55 healthy cats had their skin reflexes tested to see how well they responded to different methods used by veterinarians and their owners at home. The results showed that the cats responded normally to the reflex test more often when their owners performed it, with a 100% success rate compared to only 60% when done by veterinarians. This suggests that stress might affect how well cats respond to these tests in a clinic setting. Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering the environment when assessing a cat's reflexes.
People also search for: why is my cat not responding to reflex test · cat skin reflex test results · how to test cat reflexes at home
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate the cutaneous trunci muscle reflex (CTMR) in healthy cats using methods performed by the clinician and the cat's owner at home. METHODS: A total of 55 healthy cats without neurological abnormalities were included in this study. CTMR evaluation was performed sequentially in each cat using three methods by a clinician: method A, pinch skin with a straight 14 cm Crile haemostat forceps; method B, displace fur with the tip of a pen or haemostat forceps; and method C, poke skin with the tip of a straightened paper clip. The normal response rates for each method were obtained and compared. A 'CTMR performance score' was assigned for each cat, reflecting the presence of a normal CTMR response using one or more of the three methods. An 'owner performance score' was also obtained, reflecting the response of the CTMR when performed at home by the cat owner. The two scores were compared as paired data for each cat. RESULTS: The CTMR was elicited normally in 17 (31%), 27 (49%) and 16 (29%) cats using methods A, B and C, respectively. Method B delivered a significantly higher percentage of normal responses. When comparing the 'CTMR performance score' and 'owner performance score', the percentage of normal responses was 60% and 100%, respectively, which was significantly different. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The overall normal response rate of the CTMR in healthy feline subjects was low when performed by a clinician, regardless of the method applied. Conversely, a high percentage of normal responses was obtained by cat owners performing CTMR at home, potentially indicating the impact of stress on the CTMR performance.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35575597/