03 Jan Petpace Collar Useful in Pain Managment of Feline Enucleation
Patient Condition and History
Ben, a 10-year-old, 6-kilogram neutered male indoor Domestic Long Hair cat, was brought to Fergus Veterinary Hospital in Fergus, ON, Canada, with a severe eye injury. The cat’s left eye was protruding from its socket, ruptured, blinded and damaged beyond repair.
Severe eye injuries such as this one are usually a result of trauma, infection or cancer, but the exact cause in Ben’s case remains unknown. The eye, unlike skin or muscle tissue, cannot regenerate and repair. For this reason, as well as the pain associated with this condition, such cases often result in an enucleation, surgical removal of the eye. Fortunately, cats usually recover from this surgery and adjust very well to their new visual situation.
Dr. Rae Worden, the owner of Fergus Veterinary Hospital, admitted Ben and performed the enucleation. In addition to the eye problem, Ben was found to be overweight, suffering from Diabetes, a urinary tract infection and had multiple teeth with FORL – Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (cavities). The cat was treated with fluids, antibiotics, analgesics and topical eye drops. Dr. Worden also placed a PetPace collar on Ben to monitor his recovery and pain level.
Monitoring Data
Ben’s pulse values showed improvement over the course of his hospitalization, which coincided with his clinical improvement and recovery. HRV (Heart Rate Variability), a marker for pain, also showed improvement. Finally, the activity tracing showed increased activity level on Day 2 of hospitalization. All of these attributes, taken together, indicate an improved pain level and successful recovery from a serious injury.
*AVERAGE PULSE VALUE DECREASES BY 5% ON DAY 2 AS BEN RECOVERS FROM SURGERY.
* BEN’S DETAILED PULSE CHARTS. ON DAY 1 (TOP), INITIAL ELEVATED PULSES ARE REPLACED BY STABLE NORMAL (LOWER) PULSE LEVELS OVERNIGHT. THE TREND OF STABLE, NORMAL, PULSE LEVELS PERSISTS ON DAY 2 (BOTTOM).
* TRIANGULAR INDEX (HRV) SHOWING 45% IMPROVEMENT FROM DAY 1 TO DAY 2 OF HOSPITALIZATION.
*Daily activity charts showing 85% increase in overall activity (all levels) on Day 2 of hospitalization.
Ben recovered well from surgery and was released after two days in the hospital. Repeated follow-up exams showed that the Ben was doing well with insulin therapy, eye healed, urinary infection resolved and oral surgery is pending.
Discussion
Enucleation surgeries are not rare in veterinary medicine. Nonetheless, they have to be treated quickly and efficiently to prevent further pain and complications.
The data produced by the PetPace collar clearly reflected Ben’s clinical course and positive outcome, which underscores the clinical value of the PetPace collar for intensive in-hospital and at-home monitoring and pain assessment for feline patients.
Conclusions
Cats are often difficult to handle and examine in a hospital setting, especially when they are in pain. Moreover, assessing pain in cats is challenging in itself, owing to the species’ reticent nature. The PetPace collar, used before and after surgery, helps the clinician assess the feline patient’s condition. PetPace provides clinically-valuable data at high frequency and resolution, while actually minimizing patient handling and staff workload.
Dr. Asaf Dagan, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Canine and Feline practice), and PetPace’s Chief Veterinarian, noted, This case is further evidence that the data and reports provided by PetPace help clinicians manage medical cases, assess pain, and monitor response to treatment. No other wearable technology for pets can provide such deep, comprehensive, and real-time data for clinicians or pet owners.
Dr. Rae Worden, owner of Fergus Veterinary Hospital in Fergus, ON, added, As part of our commitment to cutting-edge, high-quality medicine and with an emphasis on pain management, we use PetPace technology to provide better care for our patients. Using the smart collars for post-op monitoring of recovery and pain level is a valuable new service, which has been very well received by our clients.