How to Handle Degenerative Joint Disease in Cats
Take your cat to be seen by a veterinarian., Allow testing to be done., Begin treatment., Consider alternative treatments.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take your cat to be seen by a veterinarian.
If your cat is having a hard time moving, or you suspect that it is having joint problems, then you should take it to be seen by a veterinarian.
Call your veterinary office, tell them what you think the problem is, and make an appointment for the cat to be assessed.
When you bring the cat in, be sure to tell the veterinarian what your cat's symptoms are and why you think that it is having joint trouble. -
Step 2: Allow testing to be done.
When you bring your cat in to be seen by a veterinarian, the veterinarian will likely do a general assessment of your cat's health.
After that, then they will take a close look at the cat's joints.
If the veterinarian suspects that your cat has degenerative joint disease, they will need to do some further testing to get a definitive diagnosis.The two diseases that are included under the term feline degenerative joint disease are osteoarthritis and spondylosis deformans.
These diseases can cause loss of cartilage between the bones, inflammation between the bones, or bony spurs developing in the joints.
Your veterinarian may use the general term or either of these more specific terms.
In most cases, the veterinarian will need to x-ray the joint to look for inflammation or abnormal growths.
The vet may also want to take a sample of the fluid in the joint to look for other signs of inflammation. , Treatment for degenerative joint disease typically includes medication to ease pain and discomfort.
Your veterinarian is likely to prescribe a non-steroidal pain reliever (NSAID) or an opioid pain reliever to ease your cat's pain.
However, long-term use of these medications has not been thoroughly studied.
Thus, you should have your cat's health monitored regularly by a veterinarian if it is on these medications.Other types of treatments, such as surgery, are typically not suggested for cats with degenerative joint disease.
The inflammation created by the surgery, combined with the advanced age of most cats suffering from this condition, doesn't make surgery a good risk to take. , There are some alternative treatments that may be helpful for a cat with degenerative joint disease.
Among them is acupuncture, which can help to ease joint pain, and the use of supplements that promote joint health.
These supplements, including glucosamine, promote joint health by increasing key enzymes and fluids in the joints.While there is little research about the effectiveness of supplement use for degenerative joint disease in cats, there has been a lot of promising research on their use in humans and dogs. -
Step 3: Begin treatment.
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Step 4: Consider alternative treatments.
Detailed Guide
If your cat is having a hard time moving, or you suspect that it is having joint problems, then you should take it to be seen by a veterinarian.
Call your veterinary office, tell them what you think the problem is, and make an appointment for the cat to be assessed.
When you bring the cat in, be sure to tell the veterinarian what your cat's symptoms are and why you think that it is having joint trouble.
When you bring your cat in to be seen by a veterinarian, the veterinarian will likely do a general assessment of your cat's health.
After that, then they will take a close look at the cat's joints.
If the veterinarian suspects that your cat has degenerative joint disease, they will need to do some further testing to get a definitive diagnosis.The two diseases that are included under the term feline degenerative joint disease are osteoarthritis and spondylosis deformans.
These diseases can cause loss of cartilage between the bones, inflammation between the bones, or bony spurs developing in the joints.
Your veterinarian may use the general term or either of these more specific terms.
In most cases, the veterinarian will need to x-ray the joint to look for inflammation or abnormal growths.
The vet may also want to take a sample of the fluid in the joint to look for other signs of inflammation. , Treatment for degenerative joint disease typically includes medication to ease pain and discomfort.
Your veterinarian is likely to prescribe a non-steroidal pain reliever (NSAID) or an opioid pain reliever to ease your cat's pain.
However, long-term use of these medications has not been thoroughly studied.
Thus, you should have your cat's health monitored regularly by a veterinarian if it is on these medications.Other types of treatments, such as surgery, are typically not suggested for cats with degenerative joint disease.
The inflammation created by the surgery, combined with the advanced age of most cats suffering from this condition, doesn't make surgery a good risk to take. , There are some alternative treatments that may be helpful for a cat with degenerative joint disease.
Among them is acupuncture, which can help to ease joint pain, and the use of supplements that promote joint health.
These supplements, including glucosamine, promote joint health by increasing key enzymes and fluids in the joints.While there is little research about the effectiveness of supplement use for degenerative joint disease in cats, there has been a lot of promising research on their use in humans and dogs.
About the Author
Mark Sanders
Specializes in breaking down complex hobbies topics into simple steps.
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