Cat Arthritis Treatment

Believe it or not, cats get arthritis just as humans do. Although the condition is much rarer in cats than in humans, it can occur as a result of an accident or other medical conditions. Cats are at an advantage because their joints are designed to withstand a lot of abuse do to the amount of jumping that they do. However, in some cases a cats joints and connective tissue can either wear down or grow improperly, thus causing join swelling and discomfort. Most cats that suffer from cat arthritis have it as a result of an accident, such as from a car or other type of high impact injury, but that doesn’t mean that is the only way for it to happen. In this article, we will talk about some possible causes of cat arthritis and what you can do to prevent it from happening to your cat.

Aside from car accidents, the 2^nd most popular way for a cat to get arthritis is from being overweight or obese. As you can imagine, cats are intended to be slim and lean, not fat and lazy (thoughts of Garfield come to mind). However, as cats age many of them become less active and spend more time eating than playing. As a result, the extra weight and the lack of exercise put an extreme amount of pressure on joints and ligaments. Eventually they wear down faster than normal and your cat will develop osteoarthritis. As the joints continue to suffer, they will swell up or become inflamed. Eventually this will result in severe pain and discomfort for your cat.

Another way that cats get arthritis is from an accident, such as getting hit by a car. Obviously these sorts of injuries are often traumatic, so your doctor or vet will more than likely run X-Rays to examine the skeletal structure. Still, it might be a good idea to get them several times per year to see if your cat has healed properly. If the bone grows back awkwardly, then it could cause joint problems that lead to arthritis. Your cat might start limping or being far less active than normal – this is a good sign that arthritis has set in.

When arthritis sets in your best bet is to start with anti-inflammatory medications. Your veterinarian should be able to provide them for you. However, keep in mind that if your cat is overweight or obese then you should work out a diet to help it lose weight to reduce stress on the joints. This will help them heal on their own over time. In some cases, surgery is the only permanent fix, but as you can imagine this is usually a last resort. If you have any questions, make sure that you talk to your veterinarian to get the most recent and up to date information about cat arthritis.