Arthritis is a disease of the joints that involves inflammation pain bone erosion and deposition of new bone.
Cat arthritis treatment injection.
A sick animal in the wild is vulnerable to predators so any sign of weakness must be hidden.
Old age arthritis or osteoarthritis is a rapidly growing area of feline medicine.
These drugs are designed to manage pain in your cat.
A cat can develop arthritis over time in their joints and limbs as well as their spine.
This article focuses on the different treatments available for your pet to live a long healthy life with reduced joint pain.
However cats are very adept at hiding any illness especially pain as this would be seen as a sign of weakness in the wild.
Webmd medical reference reviewed by david zelman md on june 01 2020 sources.
Signs of arthritis in cats.
In the united states the fda has not approved the use of any nsaid for long term treatment.
Arthritis is a disease condition affecting the joints where the cartilage lining the joint is worn down causing pain.
Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted.
Once damage is present it is likely to be permanent and treatment is aimed at slowing deterioration and providing pain relief.
Thankfully there are a number of different treatments available to increase the cat s comfort.
Your vet will help you to decide on the best treatment for your cat.
But if you have a condition like rheumatoid arthritis injections will be only one part of your treatment plan.
Fortunately there has been an increase in options available to help manage and treat arthritis pain in cats.
You may notice your cat not jumping as she used to not being able to twist her back to groom effectively or just a general slow down in her actions and movements.
Never use a human nsaid for feline arthritis.
Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs aka nsaids are a common treatment.
Cats tend to hide signs of pain quite effectively which makes sense if you consider their ancestry.
Adequan is an intramuscular injectable treatment for arthritis.
It contains polysulfated glycosaminoglycan.
Non steroidal anti inflammatories help reduce pain and inflammation.
Options they may recommend include.
This instinct makes it difficult for owners to know their cats is affected and whether treatment is necessary.
Your cat will be prescribed a short course of drugs and reassessed cat.
Arthritis is a painful condition of the joints usually seen in older cats.
Arthritis is common in elderly cats and dogs.
Recent studies have shown that up to 90 of cats aged over 12 years are showing signs of osteoarthritis hardie et al 2002.
Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.