Page 104 - BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice

6 | Physical methods used to alleviate pain: nursing considerations

VetBooks.ir Compliance ■ Provide access to food and water, which
should ideally be a room apart.
Veterinary sta must take the time to explore
Think about access and accessibility of
owner and patient motivations, and understand
■
how involved the owner can be and realistically toilet areas; walls of litter boxes may be too
how much time they have to put towards high for the patient to comfortably traverse.
additional measures. ■ Increase play opportunities by rotating toys.
■ Grooming should be performed with a soft
■ Positive interventions help. brush.
■ Give owners tasks to complete.
Use of video to assess mobility and core
Common sense territory can be invaluable. Cats in a consult
It is important to help maintain and strengthen room are not easy to assess and will often move
the human animal bond. In some instances, this unnaturally, for example, they often have a very
will involve coming up with solutions to low body carriage or may just ‘freeze’.
scenarios that are important to the client and
the pet, for example, ways to allow the patient
to be with the owner such as on sofas. Veterinary nurses should educate clients about
ways of slowing the progression and worsening
Complications of the disease.
The need for close monitoring in these patients
is paramount. Co-morbidities and/or ■ ry to limit repeated concussion of a ected
polypharmacy will require frequent assessment joints, as may occur with jumping in and
for potential side e ects and organ function. out of vehicles or bounding in anticipation
Complications may exist from the outset or of a walk.
develop along the way with the owner, for ■ Improve muscle strength with appropriate,
example, if they have limited resources or are regular exercise.
going through a personal crisis of their own. ■ Discuss direct joint interventions, including
surgical options.
■ ngoing monitoring for side e ects e.g. ■ Explore the use of nutraceuticals.
blood tests). ■ Provide appropriate analgesia.
■ Explain complications to owners.
■ Owner-related complications may occur at Exercise
any time. Optimization of exercise training is key in
prevention and treatment for many chronic
Core territory (cats) conditions. It needs to be engaging and
Core territory is extremely important to cats and sustained and realistically balanced with the
is smaller in size than a cat’s home range. It owner’s schedule.
consists of the area where the cat feels secure
enough to eat, sleep, play, groom and avoid ■ The right type, the right amount.
con ict with other household pets. Cats like the ■ Structured.
use of vertical space for resting and security. ■ Aim to progress.
Providing shelves or cat trees are easy ways to ■ eep it interesting; di erent walks, di erent
increase vertical space, but remember to parks, di erent entrances, visit a caf or pet
provide access to these areas, particularly for store.
older or less mobile cats. ■ Consider the substrate; concrete versus
sand versus uneven surfaces.
■ Provide access to heights and hiding places. ■ Consider how the patient behaves at home
■ An arthritic cat may struggle to use vertical and possible physical impacts, for example
scratching posts; hori ontal or sloped jumping up at the window every time a bus
scratching posts may be more accessible. goes past.

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