RACE-Approved 1 Hour CE Course
Course Overview: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease involving changes in joint pathology but also the peripheral and central nervous systems. Long-term pain is a disease in its own right. OA is currently non-curable, so our focus is on improving comfort, mobility, and overall Quality of Life. No single “magic bullet” can achieve this. A multimodal and integrative plan that includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques (e.g. environmental enrichment and maintaining the cat-human bond) is required and is unlikely to be the same for each patient. Many cats with OA also have chronic kidney disease which must be staged and monitored prior to some drug therapies (e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Screening for cognitive dysfunction and understanding the negative impact of anxiety on both pain and cognition is important but often overlooked. In both the human and veterinary medical areas, the importance of the “mind-body” connection in chronic pain patients has often been downplayed. Research on neural pathways suggests there is substantial overlap between how the brain processes emotional and physical pain. Owners are a vital part of the treatment team and it is our job to educate them on how to be good feline caregivers.
Creating a Multimodal
Plan TO Combat
Long-term Pain
Why physical and mental health
must be considered.
Start the Course﹥
Creating a Multimodal Plan TO
Combat Long-term Pain
Why physical and mental health
must be considered.
Start the Course﹥
RACE-Approved 1 Hour CE Course
Course Overview: A large percentage of cats have long-term pain related to osteoarthritis (OA). Our understanding of this disease has increased greatly over the last decade, yet many cats continue to go undiagnosed and untreated. Raising owner awareness of changes in behavior caused by pain is an important goal. In this course, you will learn how to assess cats in their home environment using videos along with new easy-to-use screening checklists that will be discussed.
RACE-Approved 1 Hour CE Course
Course Overview: A large percentage of cats have long-term pain related to osteoarthritis (OA). Our understanding of this disease has increased greatly over the last decade, yet many cats continue to go undiagnosed and untreated. Raising owner awareness of changes in behavior caused by pain is an important goal. In this course, you will learn how to assess cats in their home environment using videos along with new easy-to-use screening checklists that will be discussed.
About the Author
Sheilah Robertson, BVMS (Hons), PhD, DACVAA, CECVAA, DACAW, DECAWMB (WSEL). Sheilah Robertson graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. After time in private practice and a surgery internship, she undertook specialized training in anesthesia and pain management and completed her PhD at the University of Bristol.
