ALISON LAURIE-CHALMERS: Arthritis in your cat can be managed in a variety of ways to ease any discomfort
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Bumble was a lovely, 12-year-old cat who had always been affectionate and friendly – happy with a comfortable lap to sleep on, and to be constantly petted.
He was brought in when he became notably reluctant to jump up onto his favourite “viewing” spots, and extremely grumpy when petted, which was very unlike him.
We found his back was tender and painful, and he would not tolerate his hips and hindlimbs being examined.
Blood tests were thankfully normal, however, X-rays revealed that he had progressive osteoarthritic changes of his lumbar spine and hips, which was certainly making him feel quite miserable.
Our pets are living much longer lives. However, with this comes age-related chronic diseases, such as osteoarthritis.
The signs that cats exhibit can be much the same as dogs in that they become withdrawn, grumpy, and notably less agile. Some other signs to look out for in cats are loss of appetite and weight loss, or weight gain due to inactivity; changes in demeanour and depression; sleeping a lot; lethargy; poor grooming habits and a matted coat; urination or defecation outside the litter tray; inability to jump on and off objects and not present in their usual places; reluctance to move from one spot; abnormal vocalisation and becoming aggressive or defensive when touched.
Surprisingly, lameness is not as commonly reported a clinical sign by cat owners.
Osteoarthritis leads to pain and progressive deterioration of joints. Cats, unlike most dogs, seem to quietly tolerate joint problems due to their smaller size and natural agility, until there is a point where it becomes obvious that there is pain, and then they can become withdrawn, depressed, and grumpy.
Although osteoarthritis cannot be cured, it can be alleviated and managed.
For osteoarthritis in cats, anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications and joint supplements are generally prescribed. Your vet will help you to decide on the best treatment for your cat.
Options may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatments to help reduce pain and inflammation, given as a daily oral medication. Or, also now, by a monthly injection of a cat-specific monoclonal antibody, which helps to prevent pain signals reaching the brain.
Other types of additional pain relief may be prescribed alongside the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relief, if your cat is still not comfortable.
But please note – never give your cat any dog or human medications. Dog doses will be different, and human painkillers can be extremely toxic to cats.
Other additional, adjunctive therapies can be offered now too: physiotherapy and acupuncture can also be used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis in cats. Your vet will be able to arrange a referral for you.
There are also ways you can help your cat at home. Provide soft, padded, comfortable beds. Also, a safe, pet heat-pad placed under their bed can naturally help soothe stiff joints. Avoid obesity and keep your cat slim. Change your cat’s type of litter tray to one with lower sides to make it much easier for your pet.
Hopefully, with appropriate medications, supplements, weight management and small adjustments made at home, we can more readily ease the pain.
Bumble was much happier, amiable, and certainly more comfortable after his treatments. Speak to your vet if your cat shows any of these symptoms.
• Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets.
