2021 article
Understanding the impacts of feline epilepsy on cats and their owners
Henning, J., Nielson, T., Nettifee, J., Munana, K., & Hazel, S. (2021, August 23). VETERINARY RECORD.
author keywords: burden of care; cat; cat owner relationship; feline epilepsy; human-animal interaction
MeSH headings : Animals; Cat Diseases / drug therapy; Cats; Emotions; Epilepsy / drug therapy; Epilepsy / veterinary; Quality of Life; Seizures / epidemiology; Seizures / veterinary; Surveys and Questionnaires
TL;DR:
Adequate seizure control and close cat-owner relationships may play an important role in mitigating the impact of epilepsy on cats and their owners.
(via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
3. Good Health and Well-being
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 30, 2021
AbstractBackgroundEpilepsy is the most common neurological condition reported in cats. Characterised by recurrent seizures, treatment involves the administration of anti‐epileptic drugs up to multiple times a day. Epilepsy and its associated treatments may impact both cats and their owners. The present study aimed to assess factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in cats with epilepsy and the burden of care in their owners.MethodsAn online survey was developed using demographic information and the following validated measures: cat QOL, Zarit burden interview (ZBI) and the cat owner relationship scale (CORS). Regression analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.ResultsResponses were completed by 141 owners from 22 countries. QOL was significantly higher in cats with controlled seizures, no adverse effects from medication and epilepsy onset before 5 years of age. ZBI was significantly lower in owners who felt supported by their veterinarian, who were over 55 and had cats with controlled seizures. Higher CORS was significantly correlated with both higher cat QOL and lower owner ZBI.ConclusionsAdequate seizure control and close cat‐owner relationships may play an important role in mitigating the impact of epilepsy on cats and their owners. Further research into understanding cat‐owner relationships and successfully controlling epilepsy in cats is needed.