THE 25 SIGNS THAT ARE ‘SUFFICIENT’ INDICATORS OF PAIN IN CATS
This list is an assessment tool which covers the sensorial and emotional aspects of pain.
Being able to identify a set of behaviors can help to reliably detect pain. For each of these signs, they are frequently present in both low and high levels of pain.
| PUT AN “X” IN THE BOXES THAT APPLY TO YOUR CAT |
|---|
| X | |||
| 1. | Lameness | ||
| 2. | Difficulty in jumping | ||
| 3. | Abnormal gait | ||
| 4. | Reluctant to move | ||
| 5. | Reaction to palpation | ||
| 6. | Withdrawn, hiding | ||
| 7. | Absence of grooming | ||
| 8. | Playing less | ||
| 9. | Decreased appetite | ||
| 10. | Overall activity less than normal | ||
| 11. | Change in mood | ||
| 12. | Not rubbing on people or doing it less | ||
| 13. | Temperamental, hissing | ||
| 14. | Hunched up posture | ||
| 15. | Shifting weight off area of body | ||
| 16. | Licking excessively in certain area | ||
| 17. | Lower head position, ears pinned or not up right | ||
| 18. | Involuntary forced blinking | ||
| 19. | Change in form of feeding behavior, type of food preferred, avoiding | ||
| 20. | Avoiding areas of bright light | ||
| 21. | Growling | ||
| 22. | Groaning | ||
| 23. | Eyes closed | ||
| 24. | Tail flicking | ||
| 25. | Straining to urinate |
| © IVE, Inc. 2016 |
