Abstract
Awards
We are delighted to announce the winners of two journal awards: the 2019 JFMS Resident Best Paper Award and, on page 261, the 2019 JFMS Open Reports Practitioner Best Paper Award.
2019 JFMS Resident Best Paper Award
Carolina Albuquerque, of the University of Edinburgh, UK, has won the 2019 JFMS Resident Best Paper Award. This annual award recognises quality and excellence for early career authors in veterinary science.
The criteria used for evaluating the studies are: benefit to cats, direct usefulness to practitioners, quality of science, originality and standard of writing. Carolina’s study ‘Priorities on treatment and monitoring of diabetic cats from the owners’ points of view’, published OnlineFirst on 26 June 2019, was ranked highest overall.
The panel of judges commented that it was a ‘much needed study on the factors that may potentially influence outcomes in diabetic patients, determined through owner survey’ and that it ‘highlights many important areas requiring improvement in veterinary management, all of which directly impact the patient’. The study was also described as an ‘in-depth analysis of owners’ perceptions on managing their diabetic cats that provides actionable areas for practitioners’ and as being ‘Most useful to cats and vets and owners!’
Carolina was delighted to hear she had won, responding ‘I’m really happy to have been given this award!’
2019 JFMS Open Reports Practitioner Best Paper Award
The JFMS Open Reports Practitioner Best Paper Award has been won by Daniele Della Santa, a European Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging at the Vet Hospital H24, Florence, Italy. This award, which runs annually, recognises quality and excellence for veterinary practitioners who submit papers to JFMS’s online, open access sister title, the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports.
The criteria used for evaluating the papers are: benefit to cats, direct usefulness to practitioners, originality and standard of writing. Daniele’s case report ‘Sublumbar grass awns in two cats: ultrasonographic features and ultrasound-guided retrieval’, published in November 2019, was ranked highest overall.
The panel of judges commented that this paper is a ‘simple but relevant report’, ‘well written’ and that as ‘this is probably an under-recognised disease in cats, this will raise awareness, especially in parts of the world where this grass awn is present’.
Daniele responded, ‘I’m delighted to hear this great news! It is an important achievement and a huge pleasure to receive such an important prize (which I will share with my coauthors).’
ISFM
‘Raising the bar’ in Sri Lanka
Pet Vet Clinic in Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka, has become the first accredited Cat Friendly Clinic (CFC) in the country, achieving silver status.
Describing their vision as being in pursuit of achieving and delivering world-class veterinary pet care with passion and commitment – leading change to ‘raise the bar’ for Sri Lanka’s veterinary profession – the clinic has made a good step towards this; both by reducing the stress of cats visiting the clinic, and bringing the worldwide CFC programme to the country.
Research
New validated tool for assessing pain in cats
Pain assessment is an elemental part of feline practice, and pivotal to general health and welfare, but it is well known that the recognition of pain in cats can be challenging. An article published in Scientific Reports in December 2019, however, provides a new tool that can be used to assess pain in cats – the Feline Grimace Scale.
Similar scales for assessing pain in other species, such as mice, rabbits and horses, have been previously published, but this study is the first to have validated a grimace scale for cats. After observing the facial expressions of 31 cats brought in for veterinary care and 20 healthy cats, the scale was developed to include the scoring of five facial features: ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whiskers change and head position. A cut-off score for rescue analgesia was also established.
The publication of the new tool builds on work that the author group, led by Paulo Steagall, from the University of Montreal, Canada, has produced in the past couple of years, which includes information on dental pain, as well as clinical review articles in JFMS on the assessment of chronic and acute pain. There is more yet to come from Dr Steagall, who will be authoring an upcoming JFMS clinical review on feline procedural sedation, and presenting on pain management at both the ISFM and AAFP congresses later in the year.
AAFP
Cat Friendly Practice 2019 survey – 98% satisfaction rate and 90% positive impact on team dynamic
The AAFP is excited to announce the results of the 2019 Cat Friendly Practice (CFP) survey, which highlights the program’s positive impact on veterinary teams handling, treating and caring for cats, as well as the consistent satisfaction of its participants. Key performance indicators include improved knowledge, increased visits and a high rate of veterinarians recommending the program to their colleagues.
As the Cat Friendly programs grow worldwide, the AAFP has concentrated growth both in the USA and in Latin America. Additionally, the 98% satisfaction rate from 523 survey respondents is a testament to the transformation it is having on feline veterinary healthcare. Veterinary teams receive invaluable resources through the program and the survey feedback indicates it is having a strong impact on how this guidance is being used in everyday practice. Teams reported an overall reduction in stress and greatly improved feline care. The results have been so impactful, that 98% of practices would recommend CFP to other veterinary professionals.
The main purpose of the program is to cater to cats’ unique behaviors and needs, and ultimately to decrease the stress of the veterinary visit for cats as well as cat caregivers.
