Arthritis In Cats Paws

He may want to take a separate picture of that paw to get a good look at it.

Arthritis in cats paws. 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. 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. Paws and effect a cat advice blog answering letters from readers about cat health and behavior issues since 2003. Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.

Consult your veterinarian for advice if you believe your cat is suffering from arthritis. Old age arthritis or osteoarthritis is a rapidly growing area of feline medicine. Exercise and food management. Cats with arthritis may be painful when handled.

The pain resulting from arthritis may cause a decreased appetite for some cats. Arthritis in cats can develop for a number of reasons. Some cats are more likely to develop arthritis due to their breed. Though arthritis cannot be cured there are various remedies and procedures that can help ease the pain for your cat.

Causes of arthritis in cats. 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. We give advice on how to deal with arthritis in cats for the best possible quality of life.

Some cats with arthritis will stop grooming themselves resulting in an unkempt haircoat. Recent studies have shown that up to 90 of cats aged over 12 years are showing signs of osteoarthritis hardie et al 2002. And cats have peculiar problems when it comes to using anti inflammatories the mainstay of treating arthritis. Treating arthritis in cats can be more challenging than treating dogs for a couple of reasons.

Cat arthritis symptoms early symptoms of arthritis in cats are often found in the animal s range of motion. Many arthritic cats simply become less active. However cats are very adept at hiding any illness especially pain as this would be seen as a sign of weakness in the wild. Arthritic cats may have difficulty accessing the litter box and may urinate or defecate outside of the litter box.

Once you have a positive arthritis diagnosis your veterinarian might send you home with medications to help control her pain. Arthritis in cats can be particularly hard to spot. If one paw in particular seems to be bothering her let your vet know. If medication is needed we all know how difficult daily dosing of meds can be in a cat.

Similarly weight management requires two things. Normal wear and tear of joints over time can lead to arthritis later in life.