Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 107

Improving our ability to identify pain in cats is important for many reasons. Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is more common in cats than previously believed (Perry 2014). Although some cats will appear pain free and still have joint abnormalities visible on radiographs (Monteiro and Steagall 2019), several studies have shown that signs of pain and discomfort associated with DJD commonly occur prior to the appearance of radiographic signs (Hardie et al. 2002; Clarke and Bennett 2006). Overt lameness is much less common in cats than dogs (Clarke and Bennett 2006). In addition, while palpation may be effective at determining when and where dogs experience pain, cats often resist palpation under normal circumstances; therefore, response to palpation is unlikely to be diagnostic for pain or discomfort. Osteoarthritis is not the only cause of chronic pain in the cat; pain secondary to cancer and dental disease (e.g., feline orofacial pain syndrome [FOPS]) should also be of concern.