Studies were primarily related to the assessment of pain in relation to surgical procedures , and no clear distinction was made concerning the onset of acute and chronic pain .
The metrics used within the tools appeared to focus primarily on the sensory aspect of pain , with no study clearly discriminating between the sensory and affective components of pain .
Objectives The objectives were to review systematic ally the range of assessment tools used in cats to detect the behavioural expression of pain and the evidence of their quality ; and to examine behavioural metrics ( considering both the sensory and affective domains ) used to assess pain .
Subjective and objective measurements of postoperative pain in cats.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the ability of various subjective and objective measurements to determine the presence and degree of postoperative pain in cats . DESIGN R and omized controlled prospect i ve clinical study . ANIMALS 18 healthy client-owned cats . PROCEDURE Cats were r and omly assigned to 3 groups of 6 : control , tenectomy , and onychectomy . Jugular catheters were placed the day prior to surgery . All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon , and all observations were made by the same blinded trained observer . One hour prior to surgery and at assigned intervals for 36 hours after surgery , heart rate , respiratory rate , and rectal temperature were measured . Scores were assigned for 3 interaction responses , including response to palpation , by use of simple descriptive scales , and to 2 pain assessment s by use of visual analogue scales . Blood was collected to measure plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol concentrations .  Butorphanol was administered to all cats before surgery and to any cat subjectively assessed to be experiencing pain after surgery . RESULTS Only visual analogue scale scores and response to palpation scores differed significantly between control and surgical groups . CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Determination of the presence of pain in cats can be made on the basis of observation and interaction by a trained observer . Physiologic measurements , including plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin concentrations , did not differentiate between control cats and cats that underwent surgery
Studies were primarily related to the assessment of pain in relation to surgical procedures , and no clear distinction was made concerning the onset of acute and chronic pain .
The metrics used within the tools appeared to focus primarily on the sensory aspect of pain , with no study clearly discriminating between the sensory and affective components of pain .
Objectives The objectives were to review systematic ally the range of assessment tools used in cats to detect the behavioural expression of pain and the evidence of their quality ; and to examine behavioural metrics ( considering both the sensory and affective domains ) used to assess pain .