RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 98 CATS SUBMITTED TO ACUPUNCTURE ATTENDED AT A REHABILITATION AND CHRONIC PAIN CONTROL SERVICE

Abstract This is a retrospective survey with the aim of investigate the clinical cases of cats attended at a rehabilitation and chronic pain control service during 13 years. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and methods of acupuncture, evaluate clinical evolution and the patient profile in 98 clinical charts. The clinical outcome data showed that 69.7% of patients improved after treatment with acupuncture, 16.7% had no significant response and 13.6% died. No patient had worsening, despite three of nine animals that died were due to progression of the primary disease treated only with acupuncture. The main indications for the use of acupuncture in cats at the clinic were neurological diseases - particularly trauma in the spinal cord and brain - where there was an improvement in 53.7% of the animals. Treatment was considered successful in neurological cases, when animals regained independent locomotion and in cases of spinal disease, when neurological scores changed for IV or V to I or II. Dry needle acupuncture was the most used technique for the treatment, with 94.7% of prevalence, followed by electroacupuncture (30.6%) and laserpuncture (21.4%). The mean number of acupuncture sessions were 6.97±14.97. It was concluded that acupuncture was efficient to treat most of the cats with different clinical conditions, showing that these species probably respond as well as dogs after acupuncture treatment.