Cat Arthritis - Bone Creaking Kitties

Cat arthritis is something that can affect the older cat just like it effects humans, as they get older. Also just like with humans they are affected mainly by the form known as osteoarthritis. This is when the cartilage betweens the bones wear down and the bones then start to rub against each other causing pain and inflammation.

Cat arthritis is mainly seen in older cats and has no particular cause other than just day to day wear and tear, although injury, joint disease or a predisposition for it in their genes can also be the cause.

How can you tell if your pet has cat arthritis?

Your vet will be the only person who can properly diagnose the condition by taking x-rays of the bones to see if there is any wear and tear on the bones. However the symptoms of cat arthritis are often quite obvious and include:

• Stiff leg walking
• Reluctance to want to go outside
• Difficulty in getting up
• Crying when touched or picked up
• Reduction in activity such as jumping, walking and playing

If one or more of these symptoms is seen in your pet then early diagnosis and treatment will prevent much suffering to your cat.

What is the treatment for feline arthritis?

Unfortunately there is no cure for arthritis and the best that can be done is that the pain can be managed and that the disease can be slowed down to enable the cat to have a fairly normal life.

Arthritis causes inflammation to the joints and your vet will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs may include:

• Carprofen
• Meloxica
• Tepoxalin
• Deracoxib

These drugs are known as NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and are similar to the human drug of Ibuprofen. They simply reduce the inflammation and so reduce the pain, they however do not slow down the progression of the illness.

How can I help my cat?

There are some natural remedies that can be tried like Glucosamine and chrondotin that are said the help rebuild cartilage. They are not normally prescribed for cats but they are safe to give in normally healthy cats (not diabetic or cats with bleeding disorders), you may want to check with your vet before giving these supplements to your cat. There is no specific scientific evidence that it will help rebuild cartilage in cats and so the decision to use them is entirely yours.

An overweight cat will find it even more difficult to get around if they have cat arthritis and so making sure that they are receiving the right amount of and quality of food is essential. Keeping your cat at a healthy weight may become harder and harder as they become less active so a keeping a close eye on their food intake is essential.

If your cat is being prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs by your vet, it may also be helpful to try and encourage your cat to be more active. Any activity will help the joints to become stronger and could help to slow down the rate of the disease. Playing a simple game with a piece of string every evening might be all that is needed to help keep your elderly cat healthy and fit and extend their life with you.

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