Your vet will help you to decide on the best treatment for your cat.
Cat arthritis symptoms treatments.
Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.
Veterinarians often prescribe a variety of medications to treat arthritis but these often aren t well tolerated by cats.
And cats have peculiar problems when it comes to using anti inflammatories the mainstay of treating arthritis.
Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted.
Fortunately there has been an increase in options available to help manage and treat arthritis pain in cats.
You may need to try several different treatments or combinations of treatments before you determine what works best for you.
Here s what you need to know about what causes cat arthritis the signs you can look for and what veterinary treatment options are available.
Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs nsaids are sometimes prescribed for feline arthritis which is similar to how the condition is treated in humans.
Opioids will likely need to be injected.
If medication is needed we all know how difficult daily dosing of meds can be in a cat.
Treatment treating arthritis in cats can be more challenging than treating dogs for a couple of reasons.
This means that your cat will need to regularly attend a clinic.
Cat arthritis treatment with medication the mainstay of arthritis treatment in humans and dogs is with nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs nsaids painkillers that reduce inflammation in joints.
What are the symptoms of arthritis in cats.
If your cat s arthritis pain becomes chronic your vet may prescribe opioids.
Commonly used arthritis.
2 nsaids are highly effective at controlling pain and inflammation of joints.
This type of medication is often given every day.
Treatment for arthritis in cats.
Side effects of nsaids include vomiting diarrhea and loss of appetite.
If a cat seems stiff or painful has swollen joints loses muscle mass or has a hard time moving around it might have arthritis.
Non steroidal anti inflammatories help reduce pain and inflammation.
Options they may recommend include.
Keeping a cat in good shape through proper diet can help relieve the symptoms.
Medications and supplements can help as can massage acupuncture and even surgery.
A cat can develop arthritis over time in their joints and limbs as well as their spine.
Common examples of this are codeine or morphine.