Arthritis is quite a common disease in cats, especially those that are a little older than normal. The problem with this kind of disease on cats is that it is a little more difficult to detect it. Unlike in humans, cats would not be able to complain directly of any pain or discomfort that they feel. The symptoms would not be detectable right away unlike in some other diseases. Just as in humans arthritis happens when the cartilage that acts as the cushion in the joints of your cat becomes worn down. When that happens the bones will start rubbing with each other causing swelling and some serious pain.
The pain caused by such a condition can be quite intense. We could just compare it with the cases of humans who are suffering from the same disease.Cat owners have to be aware about the subtle changes and things that would signify if their pets are suffering from arthritis.
To help guide cat owners here are some of the more common signs of arthritis in cats that they should be on the lookout for:
Arthritis mainly causes pain. That would be the main thing that you pets will feel when they are suffering from arthritis and cats will react to pain in a different way.
- Some animals may want to sleep more than what they were used to.
- Others would exhibit being overly anxious and restless as symptoms of arthritis.
- Some cats may become easily irritated avoiding contact all the time, while others may do the exact opposite, they become more sociable and like to have contact all the time.
- Cats with arthritis may start urinating and relieving themselves outside of their litter box. This might be caused by the fact that they are having hard time getting to the box.
- Some pets might stop grooming themselves altogether making them look unkempt and untidy.
- The pain that some cats feel because of arthritis might cause them to lose appetite, resulting in loss of weight.
- You might notice some lameness but this would be rare since cats are good at hiding such defects.
As you can see these symptoms are mostly changes in the general behavior of your pet. Knowing their general character and taking note of any changes will therefore help you out in identifying if there is any problem with their health that might be developing, including arthritis. If you believe or suspect that your cat might be suffering from arthritis then schedule an appointment with a vet right away so they could be treated. There are several options that are available on how they can be treated and relieved from the pain that they are feeling. Surgery can be performed in cases to help put the cartilage
back in good condition but in cases where the deterioration is quite heavy, that might not be an option anymore. In cases like that, pain relief would be the aim of the treatment, to ensure that you cat will not suffer from the pain brought about by the disease.