Animals do suffer from arthritis and other forms of degenerative diseases. Just like in humans, it happens when the cartilage, which is the material that acts as a cushion in between the bones in the joints starts to get worn out. When this happens and the bones come in contact with each other it causes a lot of pain and in some cases swelling. In humans this disease can cause disability, and it is the same thing with cats and other animals. Arthritis can be prevented, unfortunately its early detection in animals is almost impossible since we could only tell if an animals is suffering from it because of the pronounced symptoms that they might exhibit. These symptoms might include drastic changes in behavior, limping, and lack of movement. All of these symptoms are caused by the acute pain brought on by arthritis.
There are different ways of treating arthritis in cats. The main point is to relieve their pain. This can be a problem with pets, especially with cats since they can hide pain. If you feel that your cat is suffering from arthritis then it would be better to assume that he is under a lot of pain than not. Here are some ways that you can address the problem of arthritis in your cats:
Lean Cats- If your cat is overweight and you feel that it is suffering from arthritis then you better make sure that they can become lean. The additional weight makes things worse. They add strain on the joints and make it more painful. Don’t just cut down on their food right away. Ask for guidance from a vet first on how to do it in a way that will not affect your pet’s overall health.
Let Them Exercise-Play with your cats to encourage them to move around and exercise. This will help their joints and also burn up some excess fat.
Arthritis Medications- Pain is the main effect of arthritis and that would have to be addressed. Never give them pain relieving medicines for humans. It might kill them. Here are some of the pain relieving medications that are meant for cats; buprenorphine, tramadol, gabapentin and meloxicam. Even if these medicines are especially made for cats, you still have to be careful about using them.
If you don’t like the idea of using medications on your cats that might have side effects and if you are someone open to alternative forms of healing, then you can try several things. Massage and acupuncture can be a good idea, as well as laser therapy. These techniques can be combined to come up with a way of relieving pain from the body of your animals. Don’t just rely on one method. Try out several to make sure that your cat can be on the fast track to recovery. Just make sure that you get in touch with a vet, with every move, and medication that you want to try out. That will be to make sure that your cat will be safe.