Cat Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis sufferers know just how devastating arthritis can be to your daily life. When your body is constantly in pain, there is nothing more you want to do than stay in bed all day and hope that the pain medicines will work. However, what if you couldn’t tell anyone that you were in pain and had no way to get help? Well, this is the position that many cats are stuck in because their owners generally are not expecting conditions like this and since a cat can’t talk, they have no way of telling them about it. It is important to pay attention to your cat as it ages so that you can tell if medical conditions have started to occur. In this case, we will talk about the symptoms of cat arthritis so that you can be aware of what to look for in the event that your cat is an arthritis sufferer.

Cat arthritis is actually pretty rare in felines because of the way that their bodies are designed. They have a built in shock absorber system that is intended to allow them to jump and fall with relatively little pain and injury. This is why they do so well when jumping from large heights and why they always land on their feet. This is also why their bodies rarely develop arthritic conditions. However, in some cases when the body doesn’t age properly, arthritis can set in and start to attack your cat’s joints. The problem is that unless you know what to look for, your cat will be in pain and you won’t be able to help.

The first warning sign of arthritis is if your cat starts becoming less active and starts gaining weight. Not only does this mean your cat isn’t comfortable with movement, but as the weight increases it will only worsen the condition. It is important to keep your cat as active as possible as it gets older so that you can manage its weight and keep the joint stress low.

The next sign to look for is a noticeable limping when your cat walks around. If it is just a short-term condition, then you can probably assume it will heal on its own. However, if it continues to affect your cat, then you might want to visit the veterinarian to get X-Rays. The thing about arthritis is that it gets worse without treatment, so if you can find it early you have a better chance of fixing the problem.

Cat arthritis is generally treated with anti-inflammatory medications in the short-term, but if the problems continue then surgery is used as an option. Obviously, surgery is usually only a last resort and pet owners and veterinarians prefer to try medications first. However, in cases such as accidents or impact injuries, surgery might be the only option. To learn more about cat arthritis, be sure to talk to your veterinarian so you can get the most accurate information.