Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and degenerative joint disease are both considered common in older cats. Information on the co-prevalence of these two diseases is lacking. This retrospective study was designed to determine the prevalence of CKD in two cohorts of cats: cats randomly selected from four evenly distributed age groups (RS group) and cats recruited for degenerative joint disease studies (DJD group), and to evaluate the concurrence of CKD and DJD in these cohorts. The RS group was randomly selected from four age groups from 6 months to 20 years, and the DJD group comprised cats recruited to four previous DJD studies, with the DJD group excluding cats with a blood urea nitrogen and/or serum creatinine concentration >20% (the upper end of normal) for two studies and cats with CKD stages 3 and 4 for the other two studies. The prevalence of CKD in the RS and DJD groups was higher than expected at 50% and 68.8%, respectively. CKD was common in cats between 1 and 15 years of age, with a similar prevalence of CKD stages 1 and 2 across age groups in both the RS and DJD cats, respectively. We found significant concurrence between CKD and DJD in cats of all ages, indicating the need for increased screening for CKD when selecting DJD treatments. Additionally, this study offers the idea of a relationship and causal commonality between CKD and DJD owing to the striking concurrence across age groups and life stages.

IntroductionDegenerative joint disease and associated pain are common in cats, particularly in older cats. There is a need for treatment options, however evaluation of putative therapies is limited by a lack of suitable, validated outcome measures that can be used in the target population of client owned cats. The objectives of this study were to evaluate low-dose daily meloxicam for the treatment of pain associated with degenerative joint disease in cats, and further validate two clinical metrology instruments, the Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index (FMPI) and the Client Specific Outcome Measures (CSOM).MethodsSixty-six client owned cats with degenerative joint disease and owner-reported impairments in mobility were screened and enrolled into a double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Following a run-in baseline period, cats were given either placebo or meloxicam for 21 days, then in a masked washout, cats were all given placebo for 21 days. Subsequently, cats were given the opposite treatment, placebo or meloxicam, for 21 days. Cats wore activity monitors throughout the study, owners completed clinical metrology instruments following each period.ResultsActivity counts were increased in cats during treatment with daily meloxicam (p<0.0001) compared to baseline. The FMPI results and activity count data offer concurrent validation for the FMPI, though the relationship between baseline activity counts and FMPI scores at baseline was poor (R2=0.034). The CSOM did not show responsiveness for improvement in this study, and the relationship between baseline activity counts and CSOM scores at baseline was similarly poor (R2=0.042).ConclusionsRefinements to the FMPI, including abbreviation of the instrument and scoring as percent of possible score are recommended. This study offered further validation of the FMPI as a clinical metrology instrument for use in detecting therapeutic efficacy in cats with degenerative joint disease.

Although further controlled studies of dose range, efficacy, and safety are needed, trazodone may provide an additional therapeutic option for use in dogs that are unresponsive to conventional treatment.

BackgroundDetection of clinically relevant pain relief in cats with degenerative joint disease (DJD) is complicated by a lack of validated outcome measures and a placebo effect.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo evaluate a novel approach for detection of pain relief in cats with DJD.AnimalsFifty‐eight client‐owned cats.MethodsProspective, double‐masked, placebo‐controlled, stratified, randomized, clinical study. Enrolled cats were 6–21 years of age, with owner‐observed mobility impairment, evidence of pain in at least 2 joints during orthopedic examination, and overlapping radiographic evidence of DJD, and underwent a 2‐week baseline period, 3‐week treatment period with placebo or meloxicam, and 3‐week masked washout period. Outcome measures were evaluated at days 0, 15, 36, and 57.ResultsBoth groups significantly improved after the treatment period (day 36) on client‐specific outcome measures (CSOM) and feline musculoskeletal pain index (FMPI) (P < .0001 for both); there was no difference between the groups on CSOM or FMPI score improvement. After the masked washout period, more cats that received meloxicam during the treatment period had a clinically relevant decrease in CSOM score (P = .048) and FMPI score (P = .021) than cats that received placebo.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceUsing both a client‐specific and a general clinical metrology instrument, owners of cats with DJD were able to detect evident recurrence of clinical signs after withdrawal of active medication than after withdrawal of placebo, and that this study design might be a novel and useful way to circumvent the placebo effect and detect the efficacy of pain‐relieving medications.

BackgroundNeutralizing antibodies against nerve growth factor (NGF) are analgesic in rodent models, naturally occurring degenerative joint disease (DJD) pain in dogs, and chronic pain in humans.ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of a fully felinized anti‐NGF antibody (NV‐02) for the treatment of DJD pain and mobility impairment in cats.AnimalsThirty‐four client‐owned cats with DJD‐associated pain and mobility impairment.MethodsIn a placebo‐controlled, pilot, masked clinical study, cats were randomized to a single treatment with NV‐02 (0.4 mg/kg SC [n = 11] or 0.8 mg/kg SC [n = 12]) or placebo (saline, SC [n = 11]). Activity was measured objectively. Additionally, owners completed clinical metrology instruments (client‐specific outcome measures [CSOM] and feline musculoskeletal pain index [FMPI]) on days 0 (screening), 14 (baseline), 35, 56, and 77. A repeated‐measures model was used to evaluate the objective activity data.Results NV‐02 significantly increased objectively measured activity overall (P = .017) and at 2 (P = .035), 3 (P = .007), 4 (P = .006), 5 (P = .007), and 6 (P = .017) weeks after treatment. CSOM scores (P = .035) and pain (P = .024) showed a significant effect of treatment 3 weeks after administration. In the treatment group, 83% of the owners correctly identified the treatment administered compared with 45% of owners in the placebo group (P = .013). No treatment‐related adverse effects were identified.ConclusionsThese pilot data demonstrate a 6‐week duration positive analgesic effect of this fully felinized anti‐NGF antibody in cats suffering from DJD‐associated pain.

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Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of the oral serotonin antagonist/reuptake inhibitor trazodone hydrochloride to facilitate confinement and calming after orthopedic surgery in dogs. Design Prospective open-label trial. Animals 36 client-owned dogs. Procedures Healthy dogs were recruited when presented for pre-surgical evaluation for orthopedic procedures. Starting the day after surgery, dogs were administered trazodone (~3.5 mg/kg, per os (PO), q12h) with tramadol (4–6 mg/kg, PO, q8–12h) for pain management. After 3 days, tramadol was discontinued and trazodone was increased (~7 mg/kg, PO, q12h) and maintained for at least 4 weeks. If needed, trazodone dosage was increased to 7–10 mg/kg, PO, q8h. Clients completed electronic surveys rating their dogs’ confinement tolerance, calmness/hyperactivity level, and responses to specific provocative situations, prior to surgery and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks and at the post-surgical evaluation (8–12 weeks). Results The majority of clients (~90%) reported that, when given trazodone during the 8–12 weeks following orthopedic surgery, their dogs improved moderately or extremely with regard to confinement tolerance and calmness. Trazodone was well tolerated, even in combination with non-steroidal drugs, antibiotics, and other medications; no dogs were withdrawn from the study due to adverse reactions. Client-reported median onset of action of trazodone was 31–45 minutes and median duration of action was four or more hours. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance The results suggest that oral trazodone is a safe and efficacious medication that may be used to facilitate confinement and enhance behavioral calmness of dogs during the critical recovery period following orthopedic surgery.

Methods A literature review identified six placebo-controlled studies of analgesics in client-owned cats with degenerative joint disease-associated pain. Five studies with 96 cats had available data. Caregiver responses on a clinical metrology instrument, Client Specific Outcome Measure (CSOM), were compared to measured activity. Cats were categorized as ‘successes’ or ‘failures’ based on change in CSOM score and activity counts from baseline. Effect sizes based on CSOM score were calculated; factors that were associated with success/failure were analyzed using logistic regression. Results Effect sizes ranged from 0.97 – 1.93. The caregiver placebo effect was high, with 50–70% of placebo-treated cats classified as CSOM successes, compared to 10–50% of cats classified as successes based on objectively measured activity. 36% of CSOM successes were also activity successes, while 19% of CSOM failures were activity successes. No significant effects of cat age, weight, baseline activity, radiographic score, orthopedic pain score, or study type on CSOM success in the placebo groups were found. Conclusions and relevance The caregiver placebo effect across these clinical trials was remarkably high making demonstration of efficacy for an analgesic above a placebo difficult. Further work is needed to determine whether a potential placebo-by-proxy effect could benefit cats in clinical settings.