Arthritis In Cats Paws

However cats are very adept at hiding any illness especially pain as this would be seen as a sign of weakness in the wild.

Arthritis in cats paws.

Old age arthritis or osteoarthritis is a rapidly growing area of feline medicine. Normal wear and tear of joints over time can lead to arthritis later in life. Weight management is a cornerstone of successful arthritis therapy for cats just as in people and dogs. Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted.

Arthritis treatment for cats. Arthritis in cats can develop for a number of reasons. Cats with arthritis may be painful when handled. Cat arthritis symptoms early symptoms of arthritis in cats are often found in the animal s range of motion.

Similarly weight management requires two things. Exercising a cat can sound tricky but many cats love to play with toys on the end of a string chase a laser light or even play hide and seek with a reward of. The pain resulting from arthritis may cause a decreased appetite for some cats. Causes of arthritis in cats.

Some cats are more likely to develop arthritis due to their breed. Some cats with arthritis will stop grooming themselves resulting in an unkempt haircoat. Many arthritic cats simply become less active. Once you have a positive arthritis diagnosis your veterinarian might send you home with medications to help control her pain.

Paws and effect a cat advice blog answering letters from readers about cat health and behavior issues since 2003. Exercise and food management. Arthritis in cats can be particularly hard to spot. Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.

He may want to take a separate picture of that paw to get a good look at it. Arthritic cats may have difficulty accessing the litter box and may urinate or defecate outside of the litter box. Treating arthritis in cats can be more challenging than treating dogs for a couple of reasons. He could also suggest giving her supplements.

And cats have peculiar problems when it comes to using anti inflammatories the mainstay of treating arthritis. Recent studies have shown that up to 90 of cats aged over 12 years are showing signs of osteoarthritis hardie et al 2002. This kind of arthritis is usually because of an inherited weakness in the cartilage. We give advice on how to deal with arthritis in cats for the best possible quality of life.

If medication is needed we all know how difficult daily dosing of meds can be in a cat. Both obesity and arthritis in cats are on the rise with arthritis cases increasing 67 percent from 2006 to 2011 according to banfield s 2011 state of pet health report.