New tool aims to empower clinicians, pet owners in assessing pain in cats

Pain management has come a long way in terms of our companion animals, and it's a three-fold approach: anticipating pain (post-surgically, as an example), accessing any level of pain and of course alleviating it via prescription medication or nonpharmacologic techniques.

We know that the neural pathways and neurotransmitters of animals and humans are similar, so it's safe to say that we experience pain in much the same way. That said, we are able to manage pain for pets using some (not all) of the same medications, however not all drugs are created equal, as they metabolize and affect dogs and cats differently and can even be toxic. For that reason, they are used under the direction of a veterinary doctor.

We partner with vets in managing our pet's health, but accessing if an animal is in pain — not to mention the intensity of their discomfort — can be tough, given the obvious language barrier. It's really up to us humans to be vigilant and decipher what we see as best we can so that we can be of help.

Dogs have had a bit of an advantage over cats in this realm with the development of the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS) years ago, though it doesn't seem to hurt that the way that we relate to dogs lends itself to us being able to pick up on cues a little easier.

Cats can now be better understood when it comes to expressing pain, with the implementation of the Composite Measure Pain Scale - Feline, which was developed by Gillian Calvo, a veterinary nurse, along with a team of specialists in pain management.

The first of its kind in assessing pain in cats, it follows the success of the CMPS and uses 6 categories to evaluate pain: vocalization, activity/posture, attention to the wound, response to people, response to touch and demeanor.

Each of the categories is given a score, and from there, a total score out of 16 is extrapolated.

Calvo, along with her colleagues published a paper titled, Development of a behaviour-based measurement tool with defined intervention level for assessing acute pain in cats

“I am absolutely delighted to have been part of the development of this ground-breaking CMPS-F tool which is available for veterinary professionals to use as an adjunct to their clinical judgement when assessing acute pain in cats," said Calvo, a senior practitioner nurse with Fitzpatrick Referrals in the United Kingdom.

"I feel immensely privileged to have had the opportunity to be the voice for so many felines and can’t wait to see the difference the CMPS-F tool will make to the lives of so many cats, vets and vet nurses worldwide”.

The team hopes to implement the aspect of facial expression into the the tool for an enhanced level of accuracy, and that's fleshed out a bit more in the paper, Evaluation of facial expression in acute pain in cats.

To empower yourself in detecting oft-missed pain in your pet, click here.


Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer -- most recently as a contributor on MLive -- and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Monitoring skin masses on pets can be easier using a common tool

As someone who cares for other people's pets on a daily basis, I can tell you that my smartphone is an invaluable tool and I am never without it. I can stay in touch with my clients easily, make last-minute changes to my schedule on the fly — or even check the ever-changing weather forecast.

It is an essential tool in the direct care of my charges. One example is simple but helps me stay on track: if I have a suddenly finicky eater (whether it is behavioral or health related, many pets tend to eat a bit less when their people are away), I can take a photo of their feeding bowl in the evening to see how much food they might have consumed overnight. When I can return early in the morning, I can look in their bowl and compare.

Caring for pets effectively is all in the details, whether you are a pet owner, a veterinarian or a caregiver.

Any change that one sees with their pet is important, but there is one that can cause considerable concern: skin masses.

Some are benign, others malignant. At times they can progress at a snail's pace, which can lead us to feel like there isn't much to pursue. Skin masses can also appear suddenly and grow swiftly. Then, of course, we feel compelled to get to the vet and take action right away.

The truth is, when any skin mass shows up, we don't really know what's going on beneath the surface.

Many are lipomas — frequently referred to as fatty tumors — which tend to not cause issues and can disappear and reappear as quickly. Not all fall into this category, though as the lumpy bump could be something more pressing, for example, a mast cell tumor (MCT). Gretchen has had one for years that I decided to leave alone. My Lab, Bruiser, who has since passed, had a MCT that emerged and then grew to the size of a grapefruit overnight and needed surgical removal. (Bruiser also had fatty tumors that would come and go.)

It's understandable for financial or other reasons, that when a companion animal makes a visit to the vet's office and there's a skin mass is in question, that a wait-and-see approach is necessary.

That said, it could be kind of difficult for some pet owners to judge how large or small a skin mass looks on any given day when compared to the week before should they decide to forgo an immediate biopsy as gradual changes in reduction or growth can be hard to detect.

Using a simple trick can help mitigate that problem, and help with the compliance that your vet needs to help your pet be their best.

The solution: using your smartphone, take a weekly picture of the lump — with a ruler beneath to help give more accuracy with regard to size and shape. You'll feel more empowered when dialoguing with your clinician, and they will appreciate the clear communication. After all, their goal is to help your pet be healthy and comfortable.

Click here for other ways that your smartphone can be a useful tool in caring for your pet.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer -- most recently as a contributor on MLive -- and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Area safe haven & hospice devoted to cats with feline leukemia also aims to educate people on prevention

There's a population of cats whose immune systems are so profoundly affected by a virus that it puts them at risk of developing other diseases like blood cancers, anemia and fatal infections — usually upper respiratory — and because of that, it greatly shortens their lifespan.

Feline Leukemia, a retrovirus, abbreviated as FeLV (and referred to as "fee loo") is highly contagious among felines, though it's important to note that it's not transmissible to other animals nor humans.

FeLV is also preventable. Why it is then that the virus continues to infect cats?

That's actually a complex question to answer, but really, it boils down to human responsibility.

Cats can be vaccinated for FeLV (dependent on individual risk and exposure), but for many reasons, that doesn't happen, whether it's because cat owners are lax about having their pet's vaccinations completed or kept up to date — if they're are done at all.

Failure to sterilize pet cats compounds the issue, not to mention the overpopulation problem as a whole, and the rate at which felines can reproduce.

The failure to sterilize cats is a multi-faceted contributor: intact male cats have a penchant for fighting other males no matter if they are feral, stray or simply allowed to venture outside, and in many cases resulting in direct contact through bites (the virus is spread through saliva and other body fluids). The virus can also be transmitted during mating, grooming and infected mothers can pass the disease to their kittens.

Kittens have immune systems that are far less sophisticated than adult cats, and are at special risk.

"If we can get kittens to their first birthday, that's fantastic," says Leona Foster, founder of Ann Arbor-based Leuk's Landing.

Leuk's Landing serves as a permanent safe haven for FeLV-positive cats of all ages, and has done so since 2007. It's also a cat hospice, as it's not uncommon for resident cats there to die within two years of arriving. Foster does not adopt out the cats that come into the facility — it's too hard to successfully rehome FeLV-positive cats because of the virus' transmissibility to other healthy family cats.

Foster's idea for the organization came after wanting to do something more meaningful than besides simply having a successful career. She loves cats — she has a handful of her own at home — and after chatting with her veterinarian, Dr. Tina Kaufeld who noted that there was a niche that needed filling, she felt moved to create the sanctuary, which is one of only 20 or so in the country devoted to cats with FeLV.

With a current residency of 36 cats, Foster gets calls from cat owners, shelters and rescues from all over the country with inquiries about space at Leuk's Landing for 'just one more cat'. After noting that there is currently a waiting list of 45-50 cats, it's hard to ignore the noticeable tinge of angst in her voice.

"I have to say 'no'; it's so hard," but in order to keep things manageable in the organization, it's necessary.

"Stress is the number one enemy of cats with this disease."

With over 35 cats in residence, it's easy to see how things could get dicey in close quarters. The cats get along surprisingly well, as Foster tells it, despite their having different histories.

Though Leuk's Landing is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization and is funded by donations, Foster also spends a considerable amount of her own money to get the things necessary to help the animals. Veterinary needs are a large part of the budget.

Then there's the nitty-gritty work. Volunteers fill in the gaps with daily chores and one-on-one time needed with each cat — with Foster doing plenty of the hands-on work — which includes feeding, medicating, tending to litter boxes and of course cleaning. Ensuring that feeding dishes and the like are properly sanitized is a must.

Spending individual time with the cats is therapeutic not only for the animals, but the humans. Foster says that despite the emotional hardship that comes with doing this sort of thing, it's of course tremendously rewarding, even on one's worst day. In fact, as Foster and I chatted, one of the cats BeeGee, was on her lap, luxuriating in the attention. He and the other residents are not unlike any other cats without the disease in that regard: they love in interact, to play, to be with humans. They just need that extra bit of care to stay as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. If you're at Leuk's Landing, though, the end usually comes before too long. It's hard, but Foster keeps things in perspective.

"These guys just love life. In looking at them, you just say to yourself, 'If they can do it, then we [as humans] can.' You can change, you can adapt... you can acclimate to what life brings."

She explained that before a cat is accepted into the sanctuary, it must be absolutely clear that they are FeLV-positive. Sometimes the test, called an ELISA test, can be wrong, and testing two or three times is sometimes necessary to ensure that the reading is correct.

It's sad, "hearing the number of situations when an animal control or shelter have a cat that tests positive once, then they decide to move forward and euthanize immediately."

She goes on to say that happens a lot with mother cats and their young offspring. (It seems important to interject that just because one or more in the group tests positive, it doesn't mean that each one actually has the disease.) It's understandable that so many cats given the diagnosis are euthanized, given the level of detail, care and resources that is needed to ensure that an infected cat stays healthy, and cats free from the disease stay that way.

Foster's voice noticeably brightens when she reflects on what has changed for the better the years since the sanctuary opened.

"I'm finding that more and more people are willing to give these cats a chance," and she credits social media and the Internet as a whole in dispelling myths that are perpetuated about cats with the disease — and in helping to educate people about how to prevent it.


For more on Leuk's Landing, click here.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer, most recently as a contributor for The Ann Arbor News. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Feedback indicates that pets inhibit sleep, intimacy

The whole culture of sharing life with our pets has changed significantly it seems from past decades. More people do consider their pets to be one of the family, to be included in all that goes on, in and out of the home.

In the past, I've written about the topic of the caveats of sharing our beds with pets, and it was not without considerable backlash. The responses – whether they were in the form of posts or emails countering the idea that doing so might be unwise in some cases — were numerous and at times scathing. I often find myself saying, "don't shoot the messenger!" when it comes to topics like this, and the passion that people feel about them is understandable – and telling.

People want to be close to their pets not just emotionally, but physically.

This mindset benefits humans and the animals alike, but recent research indicates that in two areas of home life, pets might be contributing to some contention.


Sleep is fleeting


We all suffer from the occasional sleeplessness, but there is a substantial portion of the population that struggles with it chronically. Many of those seek help from their doctor in dealing with it, and as a result, sleep medicine clinics stay busy. Whether the root is pulmonary, neurological or otherwise, getting a background and medical testing is helpful in resolving the issue.

A 2013 study conducted at the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine suggests that 10 percent of study participants indicated that they experience annoyance because their pets sometimes disturbed their sleep. Commonly cited reasons include snoring, wandering, the need to relieve themselves and medical issues. The research was compared to a study done in 2002 where only 1 percent of participants said that they felt that their pets inhibited their sleep. (Click here for more.)

“The study determined that while the majority of patients did not view their pets intolerably disturbing their sleep, a higher percentage of patients experienced irritation — this may be related to the larger number of households with multiple pets,” noted Lois Krahn, M.D., Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and author of the study.


Too close for comfort

A more complex issue because it doesn't involve an individual person (although sleep issues often affect more than one person in a family), intimacy can be a problem when it comes to pets being present. A recent article highlighted an area of home life that you won't find couples talking about as openly about as other issues where their pets are concerned. If you find it daunting to share the same space with pets while you try to have alone time with your partner, you're not alone.

Here are just a few comments from those surveyed for the article about their experiences:

"The first dog we let sleep in our bed was a dachshund and there is no negotiating with them. They make themselves right at home, under the covers, whether you want them to or not. Yes, it sometimes puts a damper on things. So we put the dogs outside of the bedroom and lock the door and they're pretty good."

"...the cat sits there and stares at us. When she starts sniffing around, my husband pushes her away. We made it work. Now, we have a second cat in the bed and he snores."

"It was never a question about them sleeping with us, that was a given. When we are getting our groove on we make sure to put the 'kids' in another room so it doesn't disrupt us and make anything feel weird."

A happy medium


While there certainly isn't anything wrong with allowing your pets to share your bedroom – or your bed for that matter — it's not out of the question to draw the line in some respects, either.

Though I don't allow my pets to sleep with me (I do have allergies & sensitivity to poison ivy), they have their own posh beds to curl up in. Because they're seniors, there are occasionally disruptions in sleep on my end because of their changing needs. Those are easily addressed by ensuring that last potty break outside and an opportunity to have a good chew session right before bed for Gretchen and some playtime and a light meal for Silver. I also use a fan to create a little white noise to mitigate any snoring. Beyond that, I know that's what I signed up for in the beginning and I just accept any disturbances that might occur.

As for intimacy, couples need to consider each other's comfort levels with regard to that and decide if they're okay with their companion animals being present, or make concessions to keep them occupied for the duration, though the latter might take a little planning if the pets are unhappy with bring kicked out of the bedroom.

For dogs, a walk, then indulging in a chew toy or frozen Kong in or out of their crate could fit the bill. As for cats, some playtime and catnip before shutting the door to burn off some energy.

Marty Klein, PhD, an author on the topic says, "Pet owners can arrange almost anything they want. If you can't train your pet to do what, you need to (teach them) to behave better. People use the uncontrollability of their pet as an excuse. When a couple says to me, 'We have no choice, we don't want to make the pet uncomfortable or we can't make the pet do what we want them to do,' what I hear is, 'We'd rather discomfort ourselves than discomfort the animal.'"

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Does your cat get sick because they eat too fast? Try this simple trick to curb the problem

Diet and eating habits are an important part of the care detail that I need to be clear on while caring for any pet, but cats sometimes have very special needs that need monitoring for various reasons.

Most of the issues surround finicky eaters, cats that are reluctant to eat, others that eat everything in sight, a percentage of kitties who vomit their food (usually associated with consuming a dry food that their upsets their tummy, or eating too fast because they tend to be excited) and finally felines that yes, much like dogs, habitually wolf down their food.

One charge of mine has a particular penchant for inhaling his food, which usually results in everything being vomited up he has eaten not long after. Not fun, nor good for him, certainly.

I've talked before about dogs eating too fast, possible negative outcomes from doing it and ways to get them to slow down a bit to avoid problems. The best way I've seen that allows dogs the opportunity to slow down is an old standby — a food dispensing toy, like a Kong — and provides more stimulation for the mind as well. There are similar products and ideas for cats, and they work well, as I flesh out in a previously posted piece on feline foraging toys. (Click here for more.)

The truth is, some pets really don't like using things like this, but luckily, there was an idea that I stumbled upon when brainstorming a way to get the feline charge, Dhani, whom I mentioned earlier to take his time during meals.

Though Dhani's the only pet in the household, he gobbles up food like he needs to compete with housemates — a scenario that can spur on eating too fast. (In this instance, feeding pets in different rooms can help significantly.) My theory that serving up his food in smaller bowls might be the key proved to be correct, but taking it a step further proved to be a better solution: I used an inexpensive mini-muffin tin.

Portioning out Dhani's meal in smaller increments amongst the individual depressions in the muffin tin has helped him enjoy his mealtime, just more slowly – and no more vomiting up wolfed-down food.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer -- most recently as a contributor on MLive -- and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

When it comes to litter boxes, size matters -- among other things

One thing that I've learned over the years with my cat Silver, is that the way to make a cat upset is to either move their litter box, or replace it with another that's unfamiliar to them. And, oh, will you pay if they've become unhappy with something you've done.

Litter boxes are touchy subjects to cats. Our feline friends have definite preferences with regard to taking care of business, from the type of litter box, the size, where it's placed and even the kind of litter that's used.

Inappropriate elimination is a common issue that I'm approached about often, and the root causes can be complex. Whittling down the list of what could be causing discontent can be troubling and painstaking on the part of the human -- especially if one has a multiple cat household -- but the findings of recent research supports what those in the know have been suggesting for years: pay attention to your cats preferences, but most of all, give them privacy and space.

43 households took part in the study, "Litterbox size preference in domestic cats", with some of those being multiple cat households – 74 cats in all. The purpose was to evaluate how cats would respond when given the choice of using one of two plastic litter boxes: a large one that exceeded the size of what is normally found in stores (86 cm in length), and a smaller but average-sized one. At the start, the 2 boxes were placed at opposite ends of the same room in the owner's home. After a 2-week period, the boxes were emptied completely, refilled with clean clumping litter (which the households were given an unlimited supply of), and replaced, this time in the opposite location.

After analyzing data that consisted of entries in a log book kept by the pet owners with how many fecal and urine deposits their respective cats made on a daily basis, the researchers found that urine deposits were more more frequent, and that the larger-than-average litter boxes were preferred. Authors of the study, Norma C. Guy, Marti Hopson and Raphael Vanderstichel noted that another preference, location, seemed to have weight as well.

For years, I've recommended the following formula in keeping felines happy: have at least one litter box per cat in the household (and two for one pet), know where they prefer to have their litter boxes placed — and yes, ensure that they are the right size and type. In the latter case not all litter boxes are created equal.

There are many litter pans on the market, but some are not appropriate depending on the sex or age of the animal.

For senior cats, consider a box with a lower entry point so that they can get in and out with more ease since arthritis can make mobility challenging.

As for the sex of the cat, I find that females do just fine with most types, but male cats for obvious reasons need boxes that are higher in the back so that urine doesn't get deposited outside of the box, even if it has a lid.

My top pick across the board is the Whisker City High Back litter pan — and one version comes with a hood to minimize litter scatter. The large size of this box (according PetSmart, where it's exclusively sold, it measures 18.7"L x 15.5"W x 15"H) can accommodate even the largest cats comfortably and with it's high back, your days of cleaning up urine from behind the box are over. The lid can be a bit unwieldily, but it lifts easily on a hinge for ease of daily cleaning, which I might add is an important detail that all cats appreciate and will help them maintain good litter box habits.

Click here to read the study, which was published in January.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Laser toys are a fun way to interact with cats, as long as they are used correctly

Play is a vital part of a cat's life, as it provides an outlet for mental stimulation, to burn off energy and to satisfy their hunting instincts.

Cats are easily amused. Quite often, they can be found using the most simple of things to play with, whether it be an inkpen, a crumpled wad of paper, a wine cork or an empty cardboard box.

There are plenty of toys on the market that are geared toward felines that can keep them happy, whether it be a teaser wand, a catnip toy, tiny furry toy mice, crinkle balls, (the list never ends), it's easy to mix things up a bit to provide variety.

Interacting with our cats is important, and ditto for ensuring that they get enough exercise each day. Play is a great way to achieve both things, and depending on your cat's play preferences, you can hone in on how you can both get the most out of that time together.

One popular toy — the laser light  — is a go-to for plenty of reasons: Cats love to chase that famous red dot endlessly, they get the stimulation that they need and yes, it can make it easy on us humans.

By and large, I think that laser toys are fine to use, though I have seen some cats get a little too stimulated and redirect their enthusiasm in a way that is unwanted. (Ditto for dogs – in fact I see that canines get too worked up and for that reason, I find laser toys inappropriate for them.)

There is a right way to use a laser toy with your cat, however, and by following a couple of simple rules, you can keep things fun, productive and keep your cat interested in this mode of play.

Simply moving the light across the floor enthusiastically to have your feline friend chase it and abruptly turn it off is terribly unsatisfying to them, and really, only offers part of the allure of the game.

It's good to remember that the light on these toys mimics prey — which is why cats like to chase them. When a feline is after prey, they have a reasonable expectation that at some point of them stalking, chasing and pouncing on the light, that they'll actually "catch" what they're after.

In order to facilitate this, choose an end point (like a bit of dry food or treats, or a toy like a furry mouse) and as you begin winding down a play session, hover over the end point and there, your cat will get the 'prize' that they've worked for. By doing that, you'll ensure that they'll want to participate in future play sessions with the laser, and that they'll get the physical and mental exercise that they need to be happy.

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.