Arthritis in Cats

The facts about arthritis in cats are discussed in the paragraphs below. Know more about the symptoms, diagnosis and facts about the treatment of cat arthritis.

A commonly observed health problem in cats, arthritis affects the joints. In this degenerative disease of joints, the cat may experience pain, however, it may not react to it overtly. Thus, it is sometimes difficult to identify the problem and the cat continues to suffer without help. Older cats are likely to develop arthritis and their body movements slow down as a result of this disorder. Inflammation is one of the problems in arthritis. Feline arthritis is much more complex and has many associated health problems other than inflammation. Let's understand more about arthritis in cats from the information presented below.

Arthritis in Cats: Symptoms

Here is a list of arthritis in cats symptoms which can used to identify this health problem in cats.

Cats become less active due to arthritis.

Interaction with family members and people in general is reduced to a great extent.

Cats become habituated to sleeping for long hours.

The cats lose their normal appetite. The affected creature starts eating less.

Muscle wasting is also one of the symptoms of arthritis in cats. The legs of cats lose their body mass and become thinner than usual.

Behavior of defecating outside the litter box is observed in a few cases. Such a behavior is seen if the walls of the litter box are high enough for the cats to climb.

Reluctance to jumping over surfaces at a greater height may be observed. This change in cat behavior is easy to mark as cats are used to jump higher without much trouble.

Diagnosis of Arthritis in Cats

It may not always be possible to diagnose arthritis in cats just with the above mentioned symptoms. This is because, many of these symptoms match with those found in other medical conditions. It is therefore, necessary for veterinarians to conduct a few tests in order to confirm that the cat is suffering from arthritis and not any other health problem. Using radiographs is the common method of detecting problem of arthritis. A radiograph helps in viewing the joints and thus, one gets a better idea of any problems. Radiographs though, help in diagnosing the problem of arthritis correctly, conducting blood tests should prove to be useful in ruling out the possibility of other health issues.

Types of Arthritis in Cats

The types of arthritis in cats are mentioned below.

Osteoarthritis: In osteoarthritis, a new growth of bone takes place around a joint. Along with this bone growth, cartilage of the joint starts deteriorating. Joints which are likely to get affected by this problem include the elbow and shoulder. Injuries resulting from accidents aggravate this problem. The injuries can be fractures, dislocation of joints, etc. Wear and tear caused to the joints makes the cats more susceptible to osteoarthritis.

Traumatic Arthritis: This form of cat arthritis results from a sudden injury to joints. Accidents such as falling from a height in an awkward manner and other such severe injuries cause the problem of traumatic arthritis.

Arthritis in Cats: Treatment

The treatment of this health problem is used not for curing it completely however, it is used to minimize the pain/inflammation. The medications given to cats in the form of dietary supplements are omega-3 fatty acids, chondroitin and glucosamine. Tramadol is one of the non-NSAID arthritis medication for cats. Metacam is the medication which falls in the category of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory). Questions about the safety of NSAID medications are raised by vets. It is therefore, recommended to use doses of Metacam and other such medications only for first few days in order to reduce the pain experienced by cats. More information about arthritis treatment in cats should prove to be useful.

The problem of arthritis in cats is discussed in the article by means of topics such as symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. One should take proper care of the cat's health if any of the above mentioned symptoms are observed.