Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted.
Cat arthritis pain relief medication.
Cats are extremely sensitive to the side effects of nsaids.
Non steroidal anti inflammatories help reduce pain and inflammation.
Treatment for arthritis in cats.
For more severe pain opioids might be prescribed such as tramadol ultram conzip oxycodone oxycontin roxicodone others or hydrocodone hysingla zohydro er.
An over the counter option includes acetaminophen tylenol others.
The fda hasn t approved any nsaids for long term pain management but certain ones are cleared for short term use in cats.
Several classes and types of prescription medications can ease a cat s pain.
2 nsaids are highly effective at controlling pain and inflammation of joints.
These include nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medications acetaminophen and aspirin as well as anti inflammatory medications like corticosteroids.
If your cat s arthritis pain becomes chronic your vet may prescribe opioids.
Veterinarians will occasionally prescribe the forms of nsaids that are formulated for people such as aspirin and ibuprofen for specific conditions but you should never give them to your cat for pain relief without veterinary guidance.
This type of medication is often given every day.
Veterinarians often prescribe a variety of medications to treat arthritis but these often aren t well tolerated by cats.
This means that your cat will need to regularly attend a clinic.
These medications help reduce pain but have no effect on inflammation.
Your vet will help you to decide on the best treatment for your cat.
Meloxicam is currently the only licensed pain relief medication for long term use in cats.
Options they may recommend include.
Nsaids are usually the first line of defense.
Opioids will likely need to be injected.
Side effects of nsaids include vomiting diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.
Your vet may prescribe the.
It comes in a specific cat formula that is easy to give.
It should always be given with or after food just as you shouldn t take aspirin on an empty stomach because this risks gastric ulceration.
