ARSHI Veterinary Letters
Vol. 9 No. 3 (2025): ARSHI Veterinary Letters - August 2025

Pain management approach in a cat with feline arterial thromboembolism assessed using the Feline Grimace Scale

Napitu , Napitu (Unknown)
Andadari, Afifah Yudining Dwi (Unknown)
Herawati , Herawati (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Aug 2025

Abstract

Feline arterial thromboembolism (FATE) is a life-threatening condition characterized by partial or complete arterial obstruction due to thrombus formation, most commonly secondary to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The resulting ischemia causes severe pain, which is often overlooked in clinical practice. The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) provides a rapid and objective tool for pain assessment in cats. This report describes an adult female cat presenting with left hindlimb paresis, cyanosis, and femoral pulse deficit, with an initial FGS score of 6/10. Blood chemistry showed elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels, and echocardiography confirmed reduced femoral arterial flow and myocardial hypertrophy, consistent with HCM. A multimodal management approach was applied, including gabapentin, tramadol, clopidogrel, furosemide, and heparin therapy. Despite treatment, the affected limb developed gangrene, necessitating amputation. Preoperative analgesia consisted of pethidine, ketamine, and xylazine, followed by regional lidocaine nerve blocks and postoperative fentanyl continuous rate infusion. The surgical site healed completely within 21 days, and over a four-month follow-up period, the FGS score improved from 9 to 0, indicating complete pain resolution.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

arshivetlett

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Veterinary

Description

ARSHI Veterinary Letters (ARSHI Vet Lett) (e-ISSN 2581-2416) is an open access, peer-reviewed, online journal that publishes original manuscript should be produced from latest scientific results which not last than 5 years in all areas of veterinary sciences. Manuscripts is written in Indonesian or ...