Feline Arthritis
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Has your cat lost a step when it jumps? Does your cat seem unapproachable at times? It's a strong possibility that your cat has osteoarthritis. Feline arthritis can be hard to detect but with these subtle hints, you may be able to find the cause of your cat's discomfort. Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD), has become more common among senior cats, typically 10 or more years of age. DJD symptoms include any degenerative change in a synovial, cartilaginous, or fibrous articulation in the skeleton. | |||||||||
| SIGNS OF ARTHRITIS IN CATS | |||||||||
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| TREATMENT | |||||||||
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Drugs: Prescribed medications can help treat chronic pain as long as the formulation is easy to administer and well-accepted by the cat. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have been mainly used for drug therapy in osteoarthritis. Metacam is a commonly used NSAID for cats but requires a presciption from your vet. The danger to using NSAIDs on cats is their susceptibility to toxicosis, particularly in long term dosing. Most NSAIDs have a long half-life in cats and continued dosing may need to be closely monitored to avoid toxicosis. | |||||||||
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| Nutritional Supplements: Preventive nutritional supplements have been developed in recent years to help reduce and even cure osteoarthritis in cats, depending on the extent of the symptoms. Cosequin and Joint Max have formulated preventive supplements that you can add to your cat's food. | |||||||||
Joint Max develops joint supplements exclusively for use in cats in various forms. The various forms of administration including flavored granules, a liquid, and sprinkle cap helps to ensure that even the most finnicky cat will be able to ingest their supplements.
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