Declawing in cat is associated with neuroplastic sensitization and long-term painful deteriorations

Recent advancements in pain transmission and nociceptive processing research, both in healthy and pathological states, have provided valuable insights. Over the past decade, the Groupe de recherche en pharmacologie animale du Québec (GREPAQ®) has developed and validated several methods to study OA-related pain and impairment in cats through behavioral analysis and systems neurobiology. These include kinetic podobarometric gait analysis (PGA) using a sensitive walkway mattress, a standardized functional assessment scale named the Montreal Instrument for Cat Arthritis Testing, for use by Veterinarians (MI-CAT(V)), and quantitative sensory testing (QST) to assess sensory alterations. These tools have been shown to differentiate OA-affected cats from healthy controls (specificity), detect responses to treatment (sensitivity), and produce reliable results (reproducibility and repeatability). Additionally, nerve conduction studies can provide objective evidence of distal nerve dysfunction following onychectomy.
In this analysis, we hypothesized that these validated methods could be used to assess long-term post-onychectomy pain, with declawed OA (DOA) cats exhibiting more severe dysfunction than non-declawed OA (NDOA) cats. The main objectives of this study were to compare three populations of cats, assessed over a decade, i.e., DOA, NDOA, and healthy, non-declawed control (HC) cats, based on mobility impairment, MI-CAT(V) scores, QST results, and nerve conduction abnormalities in a subgroup of cats.