How You Can Give Arthritis Cats Relief Without Steroids
One of the things we love about our cats is that they are such nimble creatures. They have an uncanny ability to jump up and drop down from any perch with the utmost grace. If you have an aging cat you may notice that your cat is hesitating to jump up on the couch or walking stiffly. These are a couple of the more common arthritis cats symptoms.When feline arthritis strikes your cat's movements are really stifled. A cat suffering from feline arthritis will no longer be able to move like she used to. Arthritis cats also suffer from significant pain.
As pet owners, we don't wish our feline companions to suffer and we look for ways to help ease the pain. If you suspect that your cat may be suffering from arthritis, there are a number of arthritis cats symptoms and warning signs that you can keep an eye out for.
I have a Siamese male cat of unknown age. He started to show stiffness in his walk, limping when he would climb the stairs and hesitated a lot before jumping up on the couch to smooch.
One really odd thing he does is to suddenly jerk as if he was shocked. At first I thought it was fleas, but he's clean as can be and on a regular dose of Revolution. I wondered if he was having some sort of epileptic or nervous seizure. So off to the vet we went.
My vet has pulled old Simon through two near life-ending episodes in his life. I fully expected she would have an easy solution for this arthritis cats pain. Unfortunately, that ended up not being the case.
Dr. Christie explained that pain is a very challenging thing to treat in cats. They do not tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) very well. This is particularly true if a cat is at risk of kidney damage.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is poisonous to cats. Aspirin may be used under a veterinarian's supervision, but not be given to your cat more than every other day.
Glucosamine and chondroitin treatments for arthritis in dogs is very successful and it can be used in cats. The prescription products that contain these ingredients are Cosequin or Adequan.
Another traditional option for cats are corticosteroids. These are steroid injections that help reduce arthritis cats pain due to inflammation. These can be very helpful but there are significant side effects:
- increased water consumption
- increased urination
- reduced immune system functions and (the most disturbing) softening and weakening of your cat's joint cartilage. The very thing you are trying to save!
Feline Arthritis and Your Cat
Arthritis is caused by a lack of cartilage between your cat’s joints. When your cat’s cartilage-producing cells die, the cartilage degrades. This causes the bones to rub against each other when your cat moves.For your cat, arthritis means pain at the slightest movement or touch. In severe cases, arthritis can lead to total loss of joint function and mobility. This is why arthritis must be treated immediately.
Some causes (outside of old age)include:
* Infection
* Excess weight
* Excess exercise
* Lack of exercise
* Difficulties with the immune system
* Previous injuries, such as a car accident
* Breed or genetics vulnerability
How To Control Cat Joint Pain
Veterinarians are shifting away from the use of steroids to treat arthritis cats pain now that homeopathic feline arthritis remedies have proven effective in relieving cat joint pain. Osteoarthritis in cat is a progressive disease so the solution has to be one you can use long term without imposing a negative impact on your cat's overall health.A healthy diet,regular exercise, and Arthro-IonX™ for daily maintenance of healthy joints can keep your cat mobile, flexible and agile for years to come.
Read more: Homeopathic Treatment for Arthritis Cats Pain
