- Treatment options are available for a cat that is in pain. - redcargurl/Flickr.com
Cats, as a species, tend to hide their pain, sometimes making it difficult to determine whether they are actually feeling pain or not. However, with some attention to detail and knowledge of your cat's individual personality, you can often spot subtle signs that your cat is painful.
What Causes Pain in Cats
There are many causes of pain in cats. Arthritis is a common cause, particularly in senior cats. Unfortunately, the signs of arthritic pain can be very subtle and are often mistaken for simple aging changes.
Other things that can cause pain include injury and many types of illnesses. It is important to remember that there is a difference between acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain has a sudden onset, may be very severe but is usually comparitively short-lived. An example of acute pain would be the pain caused by a broken bone.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, is pain that is long-lasting. It may come and go at various times. Arthritic pain is a good example of chronic pain. Chronic pain is not solely the result of damage and inflammation in your cat's body as is acute pain. It is also the result of an improperly functioning central nervous system. (Source: RIVMA 2011 scientific conference, lecture presented by Dr. William Tranquilli)
Symptoms of Feline Pain
The symptoms your cat may exhibit if he is in pain may be easy to overlook, especially in the case of chronic pain. Here are some things to watch for:
- irritability, especially when handled
- hiding more than usual
- sleeping more than previously
- avoiding contact with family members
- avoiding jumping onto counters or furniture or having difficult doing so
If you believe that your cat is painful, it may be best to assume that this is true and treat him accordingly.
Treatment Options for Painful Cats
Treatment options for feline pain are a bit more limited than those for dogs. However, several options exist.
Opioid medications that are commonly used in cats to control pain include medications such as tramadol, buprenorphine, butorphanol and fentanyl. Other options include gabapentin and amantadine. A more recent discovery indicates that maropitant, a drug sometimes used to control vomiting in dogs and cats, may also be effective in controlling pain.
In addition, there are a few non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are approved for use in cats but their use is somewhat controversial in the veterinary profession with some veterinarians feeling comfortable using them and others being more worried about the risk of serious side effects. Examples include meloxicam and robenacoxib.
