# Long‐Term Clinical Response to Medical Treatment, Behavioral Therapy, or Their Combination in Cats With Hyperesthesia Syndrome

## TL;DR

This study found that most cats with hyperesthesia syndrome showed long-term improvement with medical treatment, behavioral therapy, or both.

## Contribution

The study provides new clinical data on long-term outcomes of different treatment strategies for feline hyperesthesia syndrome.

## Key findings

- 82% of cats experienced an episode-free period of at least 9 months.
- 93% of cats showed no clinical signs of HS at 1-year follow-up.
- Fluoxetine-only treatment resulted in faster recovery compared to other strategies.

## Abstract

Hyperesthesia syndrome (HS) is a common yet poorly understood condition in cats, with hypothesized neurological and behavioral causes and limited data on outcomes and treatment.

This study aimed to describe the clinical outcomes and the treatment response of 28 cats with HS, managed through various therapeutic strategies.

Clinical records of 28 cats with HS and minimum of 1‐year follow‐up were reviewed.

Retrospective, observational, descriptive study conducted on a case series of cats affected by HS. Sixteen cats (57%) received fluoxetine alone (Fluoxetine‐only), seven (25%) were managed with behavioral modification and gabapentin or fluoxetine (Fluoxetine/Gabapentin + Behavior) and five (18%) were treated with behavioral modification alone (Behavior‐only).

An episode‐free period (EFP) ≥ 9 months was observed in 23 (82%) cats. Fifteen cats (94%) in the Fluoxetine‐only group experienced an EFP of ≥ 9 months. Moreover, they had a shorter time to recovery (median [IQR] = 8 [3.5–18] days) compared to the Fluoxetine/Gabapentin + Behavior and Behavior‐only groups (median [IQR] = 100 [90–210] and 60 [30–90] days, respectively). At the 1‐year follow‐up, 26 (93%) cats no longer had HS clinical signs and 14 (50%) were still under pharmacotherapy. Relapses were reported only in one case (4%).

Most of the cat's diagnosed with HS, and managed through various therapeutic strategies, experienced an EFP of more than 9 months and showed absence of clinical signs at 1 year follow‐up.