Psychiatric nurse and educator perspectives on professional boundaries in nursing education: An interpretive description study.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric nurses are responsible for maintaining professional boundaries. However, professional boundaries are as described as unclear and psychiatric nursing students are at risk of crossing these boundaries. Educational instruction regarding professional boundaries within psychiatric nursing often lacks foundational structure placing students at risk of transgressions. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe boundaries in psychiatric nursing practice, identify strategies effective in teaching professional boundaries, and inform curriculum development in psychiatric nursing education. METHOD: Interpretive description was utilized to answer: How do psychiatric nurse educators interpret and explain professional boundaries in psychiatric nursing undergraduate education? Psychiatric nurse educators and psychiatric nurses were recruited from an academic institution in western Canada. Twenty participants engaged in semi-structured interviews. Eight of those participants also attended a focus group. RESULT: Participants reported that 'textbook' definitions of boundaries were insufficient in illustrating the complexities of the construct. Rather, relational forms of learning such as educators sharing clinical stories, role play activities, clinical supervision, and clinical debriefing were described as helpful strategies. CONCLUSION: Foundational knowledge regarding professional boundaries in psychiatric nursing practice appears to be incorporated in the formal curriculum. However, learning is enhanced through the informal and hidden curriculum.

Environments that promote recovery in acute care mental health: nursing perspectives explored through interpretative description.

BACKGROUND: A significant change in mental health care has involved the need to implement recovery-oriented practices and services. However, recovery-oriented care has been poorly defined within acute care mental health settings. OBJECTIVES: The central aims of the study were to increase knowledge about what constitutes a recovery-oriented environment within contemporary acute care units and to inform recovery-oriented nursing practice. METHODS: Interpretative description was applied to answer the question: What strategies and resources do nurses identify as being most conducive to fostering a recovery-oriented environment in acute care mental health units? Purposive sampling was used to recruit 11 nurses from 6 acute care units. The inclusion criteria included a minimum of 1-year patients and holding active nursing registration. Nursing experience in community-based or chronic care settings and with children and adolescents were exclusion criteria. Six nurses also participated in a focus group. RESULTS: Key aspects of a recovery-oriented acute care environment included understanding the needs of individual patients along with the dynamics of the healthcare team. Nurses had important roles in promoting recovery-oriented environments and reported a need for increased resources to move beyond the bio-medical model and align practice with personal recovery. CONCLUSION: A recovery-oriented environment was described as a safe, peaceful and holistic environment with adequate space to balance needs for privacy, interaction and activity. This environment is fostered through respectful communication and healthy relationships among team members, patients, family and formal supports. These nurses had the knowledge, skill and desire to promote recovery-oriented environments, yet resources such as leisure activities and group therapy were required to promote personal recovery.

Mental Health Nurses Who Experience Disabilities: Adapting to Workplace Barriers.

Mental health nurses with disabilities experience discrimination and issues with inclusion and accessibility. Ten mental health nurses who self-identified with a disability were interviewed using interpretive description to gain insight into their experiences and to better understand practices that promote inclusion. Participants discussed challenges associated with the mental healthcare system, the need to adapt, and the importance of support and feeling accepted. To improve accessibility and inclusion of mental health nurses, the system requires increased flexibility. This would benefit all nurses and those who are cared for by them.

Pharmacokinetics of fluralaner as a systemic drug to control infestations of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, in poultry facilities.

BACKGROUND: Bed bug infestations are re-emerging in the poultry industry throughout the USA. Although the impacts of bed bugs on birds' health and welfare are poorly understood, adverse outcomes are expected, including stress, anemia, infections and lower production rates. Worker welfare is also an important consideration in commercial poultry farms. A limited number of insecticides are available for use in the complex spatial environment of commercial farms. Systemic drugs have the potential to overcome the limitations of existing pest management tactics. A recent study showed that fluralaner administered to chickens caused high levels of mortality in bed bugs. METHODS: To further understand the efficacy of this approach, we evaluated the pharmacokinetics of an oral solid formulation of fluralaner in 11 chickens and quantified its plasma concentration in chickens using UPLC/MS. We administered fluralaner to chickens with two doses of Bravecto® (each 0.5 mg/kg body mass) via gavage 1 week apart and evaluated its efficacy on bed bugs that fed on medicated chickens for up to 28 days post-treatment. RESULTS: Bed bugs that fed on fluralaner-treated chickens experienced > 50% mortality within 30 min of the administration of Bravecto and 100% mortality 2 days post-treatment. Mortality slowly declined to 66.6% by day 28. Fluralaner was quantifiable in the hens' plasma for at least 28 days post-treatment. The treatment resulted in maximal plasma concentrations (Cmax) of 106.4 ng/ml around day 9.0 (Tmax), substantially higher than the LC90, the concentration needed to kill 90% of the bed bugs. CONCLUSIONS: Fluralaner appears to be a promising candidate for bed bug control in poultry farms, with a treatment effect lasting at least 28 days.

Teaching Professional Boundaries in Psychiatric Nursing: Resource Development.

BACKGROUND: A standard of practice in psychiatric nursing pertains to the ability to maintain professional boundaries within a nurse-patient relationship. Nursing students are inexperienced in maintaining nurse-patient relationships and are at risk of crossing professional boundaries. Research regarding boundary instruction and available resources is needed to guide educators. METHOD: Psychiatric nurse educators (n = 11) and psychiatric nurses (n = 9) were interviewed to determine what resources psychiatric nursing educators use to teach professional boundaries to undergraduate students. Following the interviews and preliminary analysis, eight participants also attended a focus group. RESULTS: Participants reported resources such as textbooks were useful for defining professional boundaries. Participants also described case studies as a resource available to help operationalize boundaries in psychiatric nursing practice. CONCLUSION: Resources should be developed to address changes in care provision and technology to include cultural competence and guidelines for the use of social media. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(2):97-100.].

Systemic veterinary drugs for control of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, in poultry farms.

BACKGROUND: The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., is a hematophagous ectoparasite that was a common pest in poultry farms through the 1960s. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and organophosphates eradicated most infestations, but concurrent with their global resurgence as human ectoparasites, infestations of bed bugs have been reappearing in poultry farms. Although the impact of bed bugs on chicken health has not been quantified, frequent biting and blood-feeding are expected to cause stress, infections and even anemia in birds. Bed bug control options are limited due to the sensitive nature of the poultry environment, limited products labeled for bed bug control and resistance of bed bug populations to a broad spectrum of active ingredients. Veterinary drugs are commonly used to control endo- and ectoparasites in animals. In this study, we evaluated the effects of two common veterinary drugs on bed bugs by treating the host with systemic antiparasitic drugs. METHODS: We conducted dose-response studies of ivermectin and fluralaner against several bed bug strains using a membrane feeding system. Also, different doses of these drugs were given to chickens and two delivery methods (topical treatment and ingestion) were used to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin and fluralaner on bed bug mortality. RESULTS: Using an artificial feeding system, both ivermectin and fluralaner caused high mortality in insecticide-susceptible bed bugs, and fluralaner was found to be effective on pyrethroid- and fipronil-resistant bed bugs. Ivermectin was ineffective in chickens either by the topical treatment or ingestion, whereas bed bugs that fed on chickens which had ingested fluralaner suffered high mortality when feeding on these chickens for up to 28 days post treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that systemic ectoparasitic drugs have great potential for practical use to control bed bug infestations in poultry farms. These findings also demonstrate the efficacy of fluralaner (and potentially other isoxazolines) as a potent new active ingredient for bed bug control.

Intramuscular Alfaxalone-Butorphanol-Midazolam Compared with Ketamine-Butorphanol- Midazolam in New Zealand White Rabbits.

Rabbits are a common companion animal and research subject and frequently require sedation to facilitate procedures. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of intramuscular butorphanol and midazolam combined with either alfaxalone or ketamine in rabbits. In a complete crossover study, healthy New Zealand white rabbits (n = 9; age, 6 mo) randomly received midazolam (1 mg/kg IM) and butorphanol (1 mg/kg IM) combined with either alfaxalone (2 mg/kg IM; ABM) or ketamine (5 mg/kg IM; KBM). Time to first effects, recumbency, and standing (recovery) were recorded. Every 5 min during recumbency, an investigator who was blind to treatment group collected serial physiologic parameters and sedation scores. At 5 min after rabbits became recumbent, manipulations were performed to mimic 2-view radiography and a cephalic intravenous catheter was placed. At 30 min after drug injection, flumazenil (0.05 mg/kg IM) was administered for reversal. Food consumption and fecal output were measured for 3 d after each study day. Time to standing and duration of recumbency differed significantly between groups. The median (range) of the total sedation score for ABM was 10 (8 to 10) and for KBM was 10 (6 to 10). Sham radiographs were successful in all rabbits in both groups. Physiologic parameters were not significantly different between groups over time. At 24 h after drug treatment, KBM-treated rabbits showed reduced food intake and both groups showed reduced fecal output. Total sedation scores decreased significantly over time in KBM rabbits ( P < 0.001) but not in ABM rabbits (P = 1). The duration of recumbency was significantly longer in ABM rabbits than in KBM rabbits. Both protocols produced sufficient sedation for radiograph acquisition without clinically significant adverse effects.

Clinicopathologic, Gross Necropsy, and Histopathologic Effects of High-Dose, Repeated Meloxicam Administration in Rhode Island Red Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus).

Meloxicam is a commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for backyard poultry that has demonstrated pharmacodynamic efficacy at a single high dose of 5 mg/ kg. This study characterized the adverse effects of meloxicam administered in chickens at an approximate dose of 5 mg/kg orally twice daily for 5 days. Twenty-one adult Rhode Island Red hens (Gallus gallus domesticus), judged to be healthy based on an external physical examination, complete blood count (CBC), and plasma biochemistry panel, were recruited for this study. The subject birds were randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 11) or control group (n = 10) and received a 15-mg tablet of meloxicam or a nonmedicated feed pellet, respectively, orally twice daily. Physical examinations and body weight measurements were performed daily, and observation for clinical signs occurred twice daily. Following completion of the 5-day treatment course, an external physical examination, blood collection for a CBC and plasma biochemistry panel, euthanasia, necropsy, and measurement of meloxicam tissue residues were performed. During the treatment course, 1 hen from the treatment group died with peracute clinical signs, 2 hens from the treatment group died suddenly with no clinical signs, and 1 hen from the treatment group became acutely lethargic and was euthanized. Within the meloxicam group, 7 out of 11 hens had gross and histologic evidence of varying levels of renal acute tubular injury and gout. Plasma uric acid concentrations were above the species reference intervals in all affected hens in the treatment group that were still available for testing. The control group had no evidence of renal injury or gout based on postmortem examinations. Based on the results of this study, repeated oral dosing of meloxicam in chickens at 5 mg/kg twice daily is not recommended.

Pharmacokinetics of maropitant citrate in Rhode Island Red chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) following subcutaneous administration.

Maropitant citrate is a synthetic neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist and substance P inhibitor used for control of emesis in dogs in cats. Maropitant citrate is used empirically in birds, despite a lack of pharmacokinetic data in avian species. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of a single dose of maropitant citrate 1 and 2 mg/kg subcutaneously (SC) in eight Rhode Island Red hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). A crossover study design was used with 1-week washout between trials. Blood samples were collected over 36 h after drug administration. Plasma concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined via non-compartmental analysis. The mean maximum plasma concentration, time to maximum concentration, and elimination half-life following 1 and 2 mg/kg SC were 915.6 ± 312.8 ng/ml and 1195.2 ± 320.2 ng/ml, 0.49 ± 0.21 h and 1.6 ± 2.6 h, and 8.47 ± 2.24 h and 8.58 ± 2.6 h, respectively. Pharmacokinetic data suggests doses of 1 or 2 mg/kg SC may be administered every 12-24 h to maintain above target plasma concentration similar to dogs (90 ng/ml). These data provide a basis for further investigation of maropitant citrate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in birds.

Strategies Used to Teach Professional Boundaries Psychiatric Nursing Education.

Issues in understanding professional boundaries have been reported amongst student psychiatric nurses. Nursing students are at risk of crossing and violating professional boundaries as they are inexperienced in maintaining therapeutic relationships. Despite these challenges, there was a lack of literature regarding boundary instruction in psychiatric nursing education. Interpretative description was applied as method to answer: What strategies do psychiatric nurse educators utilize to teach professional boundaries to undergraduate students? Eleven educators and nine psychiatric nurses were interviewed. Data was analyzed using an inductive approach. Eight participants also attended a focus group to help refine analysis. Boundary instruction strategies included sharing stories, reflective activities, discussion in clinical settings, role modeling, and role play. Boundary instruction should be incorporated into psychiatric nursing curriculum in a deliberate manner to ensure students are exposed to the topic in meaningful ways throughout their academic career.

Peer Mentorship in Psychiatric Nursing Education: Preparation for Future Practice.

BACKGROUND: Academic demands along with stressors inherent to daily life may be overwhelming for undergraduate psychiatric nursing students. Peer mentorship programs have been found to improve emotional well-being in students; however, little research is available regarding psychiatric nursing students' experiences. METHOD: Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to answer the research question: "What are the lived experiences of mentors within an undergraduate psychiatric nursing peer mentorship program?" Nine undergraduate psychiatric nursing students with experience serving as a mentor were interviewed. RESULTS: The participants expressed they gained important skills that are valued by the profession of psychiatric nursing. The themes identified included: support, empathy, the mentor-mentee relationship, active listening, and leadership. CONCLUSION: Involvement in these programs may assist with fostering these skills in undergraduate psychiatric nursing students. Offering a mentorship program for undergraduate psychiatric nursing students has been demonstrated to be valuable. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(10):582-585.].

Egg residue and depletion in Rhode Island Red hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) following multiple oral doses of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim residues in eggs can cause risks to human health. The most common cause of residues in eggs results from failure to meet an appropriate withdrawal interval. The aim of this study was to determine the quantity and duration of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim residues in eggs and evaluate the drug elimination parameters in egg components and whole egg to better estimate the withdrawal interval of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim following oral administration for 7 days at a purposed dosage regimen (time average 46 mg kg-1 day-1 for sulfamethoxazole, time average 25 mg kg-1 day-1 for trimethoprim). Residues of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in albumen and yolk were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A greater percentage of sulfamethoxazole was distributed into the albumen (91.53-96.74%) and a greater percentage of trimethoprim was distributed into yolk (63.92-77.36%) during treatment. The residues levels in whole egg declined below or reached the limit of quantification until 13 days for SMZ and TMP respectively. The withdrawal interval for SMZ and TMP were 43 days and 17 days respectively using the FDA tolerance method.

Caring for the Entire Unit: Psychiatric Nurses' Use of Awareness.

Psychiatric nurses have a level of responsibility for everyone residing on the unit, which contributes to the need to nurse the population on the unit as a whole. Because the knowledge base regarding psychiatric nursing interventions in acute care settings is limited, this hermeneutic phenomenological study explored psychiatric nurses' experiences in providing nursing interventions to adult clients in acute care settings. Six expert psychiatric nurses were recruited through purposive, snowball sampling and were interviewed individually to gain a rich understanding of the psychiatric nursing interventions they provided to adult clients in acute care mental health settings. Analysis of the data revealed themes of awareness and person-centered care. This article focuses on the theme of Awareness, with subthemes of self-awareness, awareness of the client, and situational awareness. Situational awareness in psychiatric nursing has remained generally unexplored, and this research adds to the current knowledge base. Implications for practice, research, and education are discussed. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 57(9), 17-23.].

Person-Centered Psychiatric Nursing Interventions in Acute Care Settings.

The knowledge base and understanding regarding psychiatric nursing interventions in acute care settings has been limited. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore psychiatric nurses' experiences in providing nursing interventions to adult clients in acute care settings. Six expert psychiatric nurses were recruited through purposive, snowball sampling and participated in key informant interviews. Analysis of the data revealed the central theme of person-centered care (PCC), which involved developing and delivering PCC plans; determining goals; fostering empathy, support, and hope; listening in one-to-one interactions; providing person-centered teaching; and enhancing coping strategies.

Enrichment Preferences of FIV-Infected and Uninfected Laboratory-Housed Cats.

Environmental enrichment is critical for alleviating stress in laboratory felines. However, there is a paucity of information about suitable enrichment for cats. This study aimed to determine preferred enrichment options of individually-housed, castrated male domestic short hair cats (Felis catus) used in a longitudinal study of the effects of chronic feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection, and to determine if the FIV status of the cats affected enrichment preferences. Preference testing was performed with two types of grooming brushes, three different interactive play options, including a laser, ball, and petting interaction with a familiar investigator, and two types of toenail conditioning objects. We found that cats elected to be brushed, preferred social interaction and play with the laser to the ball, and preferred to scratch on an inclined-box toenail conditioning object compared to a horizontal, circular toenail conditioning object. There were individual preferences for enrichment opportunities. There were no differences in preferences between FIV-infected and sham-infected cats. These enrichment preferences may be used to advise laboratory animal facilities and researchers about how to best accommodate the behavioral needs of laboratory cats.

The Use of Functional Data Analysis to Evaluate Activity in a Spontaneous Model of Degenerative Joint Disease Associated Pain in Cats.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Accelerometry is used as an objective measure of physical activity in humans and veterinary species. In cats, one important use of accelerometry is in the study of therapeutics designed to treat degenerative joint disease (DJD) associated pain, where it serves as the most widely applied objective outcome measure. These analyses have commonly used summary measures, calculating the mean activity per-minute over days and comparing between treatment periods. While this technique has been effective, information about the pattern of activity in cats is lost. In this study, functional data analysis was applied to activity data from client-owned cats with (n = 83) and without (n = 15) DJD. Functional data analysis retains information about the pattern of activity over the 24-hour day, providing insight into activity over time. We hypothesized that 1) cats without DJD would have higher activity counts and intensity of activity than cats with DJD; 2) that activity counts and intensity of activity in cats with DJD would be inversely correlated with total radiographic DJD burden and total orthopedic pain score; and 3) that activity counts and intensity would have a different pattern on weekends versus weekdays. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Results showed marked inter-cat variability in activity. Cats exhibited a bimodal pattern of activity with a sharp peak in the morning and broader peak in the evening. Results further showed that this pattern was different on weekends than weekdays, with the morning peak being shifted to the right (later). Cats with DJD showed different patterns of activity from cats without DJD, though activity and intensity were not always lower; instead both the peaks and troughs of activity were less extreme than those of the cats without DJD. Functional data analysis provides insight into the pattern of activity in cats, and an alternative method for analyzing accelerometry data that incorporates fluctuations in activity across the day.

Evaluation of serum cytokines in cats with and without degenerative joint disease and associated pain.

Degenerative joint disease is common in cats, with signs of pain frequently found on orthopedic examination and radiographs often showing evidence of disease. However, understanding of the pathophysiology of degenerative joint disease and associated pain remains limited. Several cytokines have been identified as having a role in pain in humans, but this has not been investigated in cats. The present study was performed to use a multiplex platform to evaluate the concentration of 19 cytokines and chemokines in serum samples obtained from cats with and without degenerative joint disease and associated pain. Samples from a total of 186 cats were analyzed, with cats representing a range of severity on radiographic and orthopedic evaluations and categorized by degenerative joint disease scores and pain scores. Results showed that cats with higher radiographic degenerative joint disease scores have higher serum concentrations of IL-4 and IL-8, while cats with higher orthopedic exam pain scores have higher concentrations of IL-8, IL-2, and TNF-α; increased concentration of IL-8 in degenerative joint disease and pain may be confounded by the association with age. Discriminant analysis was unable to identify one or more cytokines that distinguish between groups of cats classified based on degenerative joint disease score category or pain score category. Finally, cluster analysis driven by analyte concentrations shows separation of groups of cats, but features defining the groups remain unknown. Further studies are warranted to investigate any changes in cytokine concentrations in response to analgesic therapies, and further evaluate the elevations in cytokine concentrations found here, particularly focused on studies of local cytokines present in synovial fluid.

A comparison of serum and plasma cytokine values using a multiplexed assay in cats.

BACKGROUND: Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is highly prevalent in cats, and pain contributes to morbidity. In humans, alterations of cytokine concentrations have been associated with joint deterioration and pain. Similar changes have not been investigated in cats. Cytokine concentrations can be measured using multiplex technology with small samples of serum or plasma, however, serum and plasma are not interchangeable for most bioassays. Correlations for cytokine concentrations between serum and plasma have not been evaluated in cats. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the levels of detection and agreement between serum and plasma samples in cats. ANIMALS: Paired serum and plasma samples obtained from 38 cats. METHODS: Blood was collected into anti-coagulant free and EDTA Vacutainer® tubes, serum or plasma extracted, and samples frozen at -80°C until testing. Duplicate samples were tested using a 19-plex feline cytokine/chemokine magnetic bead panel. RESULTS: Agreement between serum and plasma for many analytes was high, however correlation coefficients ranged from -0.01 to 0.97. Results from >50% of samples were below the lower limit of quantification for both serum and plasma for nine analytes, and for an additional three analytes for plasma only. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: While serum and plasma agreement was generally good, detection was improved using serum samples.

Use of oral trazodone for sedation in cats: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Resistance to transportation and stressful veterinary visits are major causes for a decrease in feline veterinary care. Few options exist for oral sedatives to reduce cats' anxiety prior to veterinary visits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral trazodone for use as a single dose agent for sedation in cats. METHODS: Six laboratory cats were given single 50, 75 and 100 mg doses of trazodone and placebo. Trazodone 100 mg and placebo treatments were randomized. Pre- and post-study laboratory values and physical examinations were compared. During each 4 h period post-treatment, sedation was measured via accelerometers and video observations scored by an observer blinded to treatment. Examinations were performed on the cats 90 mins after treatment, and their behavioral responses scored by the same blinded observer. RESULTS: No adverse effects or changes in physical examinations or laboratory values were detected as a result of trazodone administration. Accelerometer data showed trazodone 50, 75 and 100 mg caused sedation as measured by activity reduction (83%, 46% and 66%, respectively). In contrast, there was a 14% activity increase after placebo. There was a significant reduction in video observation scores when cats were given trazodone 100 mg compared with placebo. Mean latency to peak sedation for trazodone 100 mg occurred at 2 h. Scores for behavioral response to examination, performed at 90 mins post-treatment, were not significantly different between cats receiving trazodone 100 mg and placebo. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Trazodone was well tolerated in this population of cats and caused appreciable sedation at all doses. Behavior during examination was not significantly different when cats received trazodone 100 mg compared with placebo. Further studies are recommended to investigate the use of oral trazodone in cats for the purpose of decreasing anxiety assocaited with transportation and examination.

Criterion Validation Testing of Clinical Metrology Instruments for Measuring Degenerative Joint Disease Associated Mobility Impairment in Cats.

INTRODUCTION: Degenerative joint disease and associated pain are common in cats, particularly in older cats. There is a need for treatment options, however evaluation of putative therapies is limited by a lack of suitable, validated outcome measures that can be used in the target population of client owned cats. The objectives of this study were to evaluate low-dose daily meloxicam for the treatment of pain associated with degenerative joint disease in cats, and further validate two clinical metrology instruments, the Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index (FMPI) and the Client Specific Outcome Measures (CSOM). METHODS: Sixty-six client owned cats with degenerative joint disease and owner-reported impairments in mobility were screened and enrolled into a double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Following a run-in baseline period, cats were given either placebo or meloxicam for 21 days, then in a masked washout, cats were all given placebo for 21 days. Subsequently, cats were given the opposite treatment, placebo or meloxicam, for 21 days. Cats wore activity monitors throughout the study, owners completed clinical metrology instruments following each period. RESULTS: Activity counts were increased in cats during treatment with daily meloxicam (p<0.0001) compared to baseline. The FMPI results and activity count data offer concurrent validation for the FMPI, though the relationship between baseline activity counts and FMPI scores at baseline was poor (R2=0.034). The CSOM did not show responsiveness for improvement in this study, and the relationship between baseline activity counts and CSOM scores at baseline was similarly poor (R2=0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Refinements to the FMPI, including abbreviation of the instrument and scoring as percent of possible score are recommended. This study offered further validation of the FMPI as a clinical metrology instrument for use in detecting therapeutic efficacy in cats with degenerative joint disease.