Kinetic gait data is used to evaluate a dog's orthopedic soundness and to assess treatment response in clinical trials. It captures ground reaction forces (GRFs) generated by the interactions between an animal's limb and the ground and can be collected using force plates and pressure sensitive walkways. Historically, gait data were most commonly analyzed from a single, most clinically affected, limb evaluated while the dog walks or trots. More recently, symmetry indices, calculated using multiple methods, have been used to evaluate forces between paired limbs, as a method of evaluating multi-joint disease. However, when dogs are non-weight bearing lame (NWB) or have extreme mobility impairment, walking or trotting data can be difficult or impossible to collect. For these instances, standing gait analysis has been suggested as an option to collect non-zero data points. This review focuses on the reported methods of data collection for standing gait data, as well as methods of symmetry index calculation, and their use reported in the veterinary literature.

Abstract Background Evaluate the clinical safety of robenacoxib in cats with chronic musculoskeletal disease (CMSD). Animals Four hundred forty‐nine client‐owned cats with CMSD. Methods Pooled analysis of safety variables from 4 prospective randomized blinded clinical trials of robenacoxib (n = 222) versus placebo (n = 227), administered orally once daily for 4 to 12 weeks. Safety was evaluated from reported adverse events (AEs) and abnormalities detected on hematology and serum and urine chemistry analyses. Results The number of cats with at least 1 AE was not significantly different (P = .15) with robenacoxib (n = 106, 47.8%) compared to placebo (n = 93, 41.0%). The relative risk of at least 1 AE (incidence robenacoxib/placebo) was 1.15 (95% confidence interval 0.93‐1.43). There was no significant difference between groups in the number of clinical signs (range, 0‐9) per cat (P = .23). Serum creatinine concentrations were higher during robenacoxib administration compared to placebo (+4.36 μmol/L, 95% confidence interval 0.21‐8.50), but no related adverse clinical effects were detected. In the subgroup of 126 cats with evidence of chronic kidney disease, the relative risk of at least 1 AE (robenacoxib/placebo) was 1.09 (95% confidence interval 0.78‐1.52, P = .61). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Robenacoxib was not associated with increased risk of AEs compared to placebo when administered for 4 to 12 weeks to cats with CMSD. The generalizability of the results to general practice is limited by the fact that cases with severe and uncontrolled concomitant diseases were not included.

The main objective of this pilot clinical trial was to evaluate outcome measures for the assessment of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) robenacoxib in cats with degenerative joint disease-associated pain (DJD-pain). Otherwise healthy cats (n = 109) with DJD-pain entered a parallel group, randomized, blinded clinical trial. Cats received placebo (P) or robenacoxib (R) for two consecutive 3-week periods. Treatment groups were PP, RR, and RP. Actimetry and owner-assessment data were collected. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects and generalized mixed-effects linear models. Activity data showed high within-cat and between-cat variability, and 82.4% of the values were zero. Compared to placebo, mean total activity was higher (5.7%) in robenacoxib-treated cats (p = 0.24); for the 80th percentile of activity, more robenacoxib-treated cats had a > 10% increase in activity after 3 (p = 0.046) and 6 weeks (p = 0.026). Robenacoxib treatment significantly decreased owner-assessed disability, (p = 0.01; 49% reduction in disability; effect size ~ 0.3), and improved temperament (p = 0.0039) and happiness (p = 0.021) after 6 weeks. More robenacoxib-treated cats were successes at 6 weeks (p = 0.018; NNT: 3.8). Adverse effect frequencies were similar across groups. Results identified suitable endpoints for confirmatory studies, while also indicating efficacy of robenacoxib in cats with DJD-pain.

Objectives Despite the high prevalence and increasing awareness of chronic musculoskeletal pain in cats, approved treatment options are completely lacking in the USA, and few other options have sufficient safety and efficacy data. Knowledge of current prescribing practices should inform future research of putative therapies. We aimed to determine which drug and non-drug therapies were being used by general practitioners for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain in cats and to understand demographic influences on prescribing practices. Methods We distributed a survey to 36,676 veterinarians who were members of the Veterinary Information Network in January 2017. Within 3 weeks, 1056 practitioners completed the survey. The survey included demographic and background information, questions on prescribing frequency and dosing regimen of 13 drug and non-drug therapies and questions on preferred medication formulations and dosing frequencies. Descriptive statistics were used, as well as χ 2 testing to evaluate relationships between demographic variables and prescription practices. Results Gabapentin was prescribed most frequently (71% of respondents), followed by joint supplements (67.8%), meloxicam (64.0%), opioids (62.6%), fish oil (62.1%) and polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (61.9%). Years in practice appeared to influence prescribing habits, with practitioners graduated for >20 years prescribing glucocorticoids more frequently than other age groups ( P = 0.0002), whereas recent graduates (<1 year) reported prescribing therapies less frequently across all categories. Conclusions and relevance These results show a contrast between therapies prescribed by practitioners and what is supported by evidenced-based literature. Future research evaluating the safety and efficacy of gabapentin should be prioritised.

Background Gabapentin is the most commonly prescribed medication for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain in cats. Despite this common and chronic usage, clinically relevant pharmacokinetic data is lacking. Objectives To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of clinically relevant dosing regimens of gabapentin in cats. Animals Eight research‐purpose mixed‐breed cats. Methods Cats were enrolled in a serial order, non‐randomized pharmacokinetic study. Gabapentin was administered as an IV bolus (5 mg/kg), orally (10 mg/kg) as a single dose or twice daily for 2 weeks, or as a transdermal gel (10 mg/kg) in serial order. Serial blood samples were collected up to 48 hours. Plasma concentrations were determined using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry. Compartmental analysis was used to generate gabapentin time‐concentration models. Results After IV administration CL (median (range)) and terminal half‐life were 160.67 mL/kg*hr (119.63‐199.11) and 3.78 hours (3.12‐4.47), respectively. The oral terminal half‐life was 3.63 hours (2.96‐4.77), and 3.72 hours (3.12‐4.51) for single and repeated dosing. TMAX and CMAX, as predicted by the model were 1.05 hours (0.74‐2.11), and 12.42 μg/mL (8.31‐18.35) after single oral dosing, and 0.77 hours (0.58‐1.64), and 14.78 μg/mL (9.70‐18.41) after repeated oral dosing. Bioavailability after a single oral dose was 94.77% (82.46‐122.83). Importance Repeated oral dosing of gabapentin did not alter the drug's pharmacokinetics, making dose adjustments unnecessary with long‐term treatment. As prepared, the transdermal route is an inappropriate choice for drug administration. These relevant data are important for future studies evaluating potential efficacy of the medication for treating chronic pain states in cats.

Despite our increasing understanding of the pathophysiology underlying chronic or maladaptive pain, there is a significant gap in our ability to diagnose and treat the condition in domestic cats. Newer techniques being used to identify abnormalities in pain processing in the cat include validated owner questionnaires, measurement of movement and activity, and measurement of sensory thresholds and somatomotor responses. While some data are available evaluating possible therapeutics for the treatment of chronic pain in the cat, most data are limited to normal cats. This review details our current understanding of chronic or maladaptive pain, techniques for the detection and measurement of the condition and the associated central nervous changes, as well as an overview of the data evaluating potential therapeutics in cats.