What-Should-I-Give-my-Cat-for-Arthritis-Pain

 
Cat arthritis
Cat arthritis is a frequent illness that causes aching joints in cats and makes movement difficult. Unfortunately , cat arthritis supplementshas no cure. The good news is that you can take actions to make your arthritis-affected cat feel better.

Signs your cat has arthritis
Bones in your cat's body should normally slide past one other effortlessly because they are protected by healthy joint fluid and cartilage. If the cat has arthritis, the smooth surface of the bones wears down, and the bones grind against each other like sandpaper. This causes the cat to move slowly or with pain.

A cat with arthritis will exhibit reluctance or hesitancy jumping up and down, difficulty going up and down stairs, limping, stiffness in the legs after resting or sleeping, difficulty using their litter box, irritability, reduced levels of activity, less time spent grooming, reduced height when jumping, and hiding or sleeping more than usual.

Whereas arthritis can affect any region of the body in a cat, it often affects the feline's legs. When cat arthritis develops in our cat's back legs, it can severely limit the cat's mobility. Cat arthritis can induce lameness in some situations, causing the feline to limp or favor one leg when walking.

Causes of arthritis in cats
To determine what to give your cat to reduce arthritic discomfort, you must first understand the origin of the arthritis.

Some of the most prevalent causes of cat arthritis are age-related joint wear and tear, faulty hip development that damages the cartilage around joints, joint fracture or injury, obesity, and heredity.

Diagnosing arthritis in cats
Once you've determined that your cat has arthritis and investigated all probable causes, taking the pet to a veterinarian for arthritis diagnostic tests is critical. A veterinarian will analyze your cat's medical history and do a physical examination if they suspect arthritis.

The veterinarian will specifically look for any apparent joint deformity, indications of joint pain, symptoms of decreased perception of motion by the cat, grafting or scraping noises when the cat moves its joints, fluid in the joints, and general joint instability during the physical examination. The veterinarian will perform an x-ray to take photographs of the inside of the cat's body, particularly the cat's bones, to determine whether the cat has arthritis.

Arthritis relief for cats
As with dog muscle supplements, cat arthritis relief will entail a veterinarian recommending appropriate therapy alternatives for the cat. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), pain management medications, injectable protectants, acupuncture, and cold laser therapy or photobiomodulation (PBMT) are also alternatives.

As the most common treatment for cat arthritis, your veterinarian may prescribe NSAIDs. They will then determine the length and type of NSAID medication your cat requires.

As with dog arthritis, where the veterinarian may recommend over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief medication or an OTC anti-inflammatory for dogs, your veterinarian may recommend painkilling drugs in cases where NSAIDs are deemed ineffective or insufficient to treat the cat's arthritic condition.

The veterinarian may prescribe injectable joint protectants for your cat, which entail injecting the cat with glycosaminoglycan every four weeks or so.

Aside from the cat arthritis therapies listed above, your veterinarian may offer acupuncture or cold laser therapy for your cat. Acupuncture is an ancient medical technique in which needles are inserted into precise places on the cat's body to ease discomfort. On the other hand, cold laser therapy is a noninvasive and painless treatment in which a veterinarian moves a small device emitting therapeutic light waves across the cat's body to relieve pain and inflammation.

You can also give your arthritic cat home remedies for cat arthritis, such as providing a soft and warm bed that is easy to get in and out of, a ramp up to places the cat likes to rest, a liter box with one low side for easy access, keeping everything your cat needs on one floor of the house, using soft brushes for grooming, and helping the cat maintain a healthy weight to reduce pressure on its joints.

For cat arthritis concerns, seek a veterinarian’s help.
Always seek the advice of a competent veterinarian if you feel your cat has arthritis. A professional veterinarian can advise you on the best course of action for your cat.