Cat arthritis is a common problem in elderly cats. Knowing how to spot the symptoms and how to look after your stiff legged pet will help to keep your cat comfortable and happy in the old age.

Arthritis in an elderly cat is as common as it is in an elderly person. Just like humans their cartilage wears out and becomes thin allowing for bones to rub together causing inflammation and pain.

Cat Arthritis – What are the symptoms and how can you help your pet.

Learn to recognise the symptoms

Knowing if your cat has arthritis is something that only a vet can accurately diagnose however there are various symptoms that might lead you to suspect that your cat is feeling their age and a little creaky. It may become noticeable that your cat starts to walk with stiff legs and becomes more and more reluctant to go outside, preferring instead to sleep more and generally be less active. Picking up your cat may also become something that you do less as they tend to cry out as they are lifted, this could be due to pain in their joints.

Pain relief for cats with arthritis

If your cat is diagnosed with arthritis there is unfortunately no cure for the condition, but there are medicines that can be given which will  ease the inflammation and pain for your pet. Your vet is likely to prescribe one of the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) that are similar to the human drug ibuprofen; as well as reducing pain they will also slow the progression of the illness.

As a cat owner it can be difficult for us to see our pets in discomfort and not being able to get around as much as they used to. The desire to want to provide your cat with as much help and support to cope with the arthritis and through their old age is natural and luckily there are a few things that can be done to make your pets life a little more comfortable.

Making sure that your home is cat friendly and that it is easy for your arthritic cat to get around is probably one of the easiest things you can do. Make sure that their bedding is placed on a low surface and that it is easy to climb into. The bed should also be well padded to make it as comfortable for old bones as possible, there are even special orthopaedic cat beds available that help to distribute body weight so that joints are not under any pressure.

Make sure that litter trays do not have high sides, which would be difficult to climb in and out of and place all food, and water bowls on the floor in a safe area where the cat will not be disturbed. Even floor surfaces should be made easy to walk on. Polished floors can be slippy and difficult to walk on with stiff legs; placing mats down in areas where your cat normally spends their time is a good solution.

A cat with arthritis will need special food to meet their dietary needs, which will help support their system to fend off illness and to keep their bones as strong as possible. If possible home prepared cat food is the best option as it allows you to only feed your pet the best food without any of the synthetic preservatives found in commercial food. The types of food which would help your pet are fresh meat, raw vegetables with added pet vitamins and daily supplements, but it is always best to check with your vet to make sure that certain foods are ok to feed to your cat.

If preparing your own homemade cat food is not for you, there are plenty of top quality cat foods available on the market that is suited for the elderly cat. However do check that they do not contain ethoxyquin preservatives, BHA and BHT nitrates, as these over time can be harmful to your arthritic cat.

Keeping your cat as active as possible is also to be encouraged with a cat with arthritis. They will not want to do much and so will require some gentle persuasion on your part. Keeping them active is important for two reasons. Firstly an inactive cat is prone to put weight on which will increase the pressure on their joints. Secondly it will help to keep the joints mobile and not to stiffen too much. Even a very gentle game of chase the string or find the treat once a day may make all the difference for your cats long term mobility and health.

By Kate Tilmouth

Dolittler: On Metacam, Rimadyl, and their NSAID-ish side-effects

Dr.Khuly – can you talk about what meds are good choices for CATS who have chronic osteo-arthritis pain? Seems there is little in the tool box for cats. Of course we always need to consider side effects but I’m really concerned about providing pain relief for elderly animals. … I would personlly not give my cat any of the drugs listed in this article, and there aren’t any human pain relievers that I know if that are safe for cats like Aspirin is for …  ..

Cat Health Site

Cats metabolize aspirin very, very slowly. This means you should not give a cat an aspirin every day. Also, dosage is based on weight. At 17 lbs, a whole 81 mg aspirin tablet may be too much. I have a 12 lb. cat with arthritis. The vet recommended aspirin therapy for … aprin can very quickly become toxic. Yes there are vets that prescribe it for a variety of issues, my own cat was on it, but she got 1/4 of a ba…   

Feline Pain Relief Treatments

Have you even seen your pet cat in pain and felt helpless to do anything? My fef old cat started to get arthritis and pains from a fairly early age and when the vet suggested I purchase flexpet pain relief treatment, I was hopeful that we … some of the poorly prepared commercial products and over reliance on dried foods. if you want to give her some milk then specially prepared cat milk is preferable to cow’s milk which can cause c…  

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Cats, just like any other animal and their caretakers, can get sick.

If you love cats and own them, there are some things you should know about the types of cat illnesses that can affect your feline friend.

Leukemia

Even for humans, this word is one you never hope to hear. For Felines, it’s a virus, that works by producing an enzyme that it then inserts into healthy cells infecting them. Just like a retrovirus. Because of this, it is a particularly nasty illness.

Cats who have the cat feline leukemia virus are found all over the world. The likelihood of a cat becoming infected can depend a lot on the age of the cat, its health, environment and lifestyle. Cats who are very young or ill have an even greater chance of contracting the virus. This is why cat care is so important.

How Do Cats Become Infected?

Other cats are the main source of the infection being spread. The virus is
passed on in large amounts through saliva or nasal fluids. But it may also be passed on through urine, faeces and milk from the cats that are infected. The virus is also passed on through cat-to-cat contact, such as fighting resulting in wounds, when cats groom each other and, sometimes, through sharing litter boxes.

Which Cats Are At Risk Of Infection?

Any cat is at risk of being infected, although some cats are at a greater risk than most. If a cat is living with other cats that are infected or it is unknown whether they are infected with feline leukemia virus, risks of the cat becoming infected are very high.

If you allow your cats to roam free out of doors then their chances of contracting this disease increases. They run a greater risk of coming in contact with infected cats and being bitten or scratched, allowing the virus to transfer itself. Kittens have a greater risk of becoming infected, especially when they are nursing since the virus can be transmitted through the mother’s milk. Also, they have weaker immune systems.

Feline Leukemia: How to spot the symptoms and what it does to your feline

Feline Leukemia works very much like HIV in humans. It attacks the immune system of your cat, making it difficult for your cat to fight off even the most minor of illnesses. It can cause otherhealth problems for your cat as well, such as blood disorders and has been linked as being a source of cancer in cats.

At first, your cat may show no signs of the virus at all. But over time, your cat’s health will begin to deteriorate or he may suffer from re-occurring illnesses. Some of the main signs that you may notice are loss of appetite and weight-loss. At first, weight-loss will be minimal, but late in the disease, you may notice your cat wasting away.

There are also other signs that usually show up a bit later in the diseases progression. These include fever, enlarged lymph nodes, pale gums or gums that are inflamed.

By paying attention to your cats health, learning about common cat disease like cat kidney disease and others, you may be able to avoid this dangerous cat illness

David Lee is an expert on cat care. See his site for more info on cat related subjects like Nutrition in cat food, why do cats purr and to pamper your kitty, Pet steps cat furniture. By David Perrin

Here are some places you can visit to find out more about cat illnesses like feline leukemia

Feline Cancer – Preventing The Spread Of Feline Leukemia Virus
If your home cat does contract feline leukemia, you should do everything you can to limit direct contact with other cats in your household. As a foster cat caregiver, you take on a bit more risk of spreading feline cancer to your own

Keeping Your Cat Healthy
Feline Leukemia or FeLV is another deadly disease that can be prevented through early Vaccinations. This disease poses no threat to humans but can be spread between cats. These days, it is treatable and some cats can live a long life

Cat Health Advice For Feline Leukemia
Amongst cat illnesses the diagnosis of leukemia is pretty dismal. Cat health advice for pet owners is to be aware of common cat diseases in the hope that you can help avoid it.

Feline Leukemia Virus – felines, cat health, feline health
Feline Leukemia Virus causes feline leukemia, a type of cancer. The following article offers tips for identifying the condition.

Feline Leukemia Virus
The feline leukemia virus, FeLV, is a highly contagious, fatal virus that is spread among cats through saliva, nasal secretions, urine, feces, and to kittens through milk from infected mothers. Feline leukemia can be spread between cats

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Keeping your cats ears clean is extremely important because any unremoved dirt, debris, or wax can clog the ears and cause infections. Regular ear cleaning at home augment’s your cats own natural grooming habits.

Ear Check For Feline Itching

1. How to check the ears

During petting, casually check your cats ears for discharge, redness, unpleasant smell, swelling, and even lumps. Also observe your cat’s behaviour, if he often scratches or paws at his ears (and sometimes even shakes his head often), then he might be feeling discomfort in the ear area.

If you notice your cats ears are becoming painful or maybe inflamed, visit a veterinarian as soon as possible. The veterinarian has the equipment to look deep into your cat’s ear canal and give an accurate diagnosis. The veterinarian will determine if allergies, skin conditions, ear mites, bacteria, yeasts, and fungi are causing ear diseases. Seek early treatment, or your cat’s ear condition may become too late to heal.

2. How to clean the ears

Ask your veterinarian for gentle ear cleaning solutions you can use to keep your cats ears clean. These special solutions are effective in removing excess wax, moisture, and debris from your cat’s outer ear canal. Be sure to use only solutions that are specifically formulated for cats. Avoid medicated solutions, unless your veterinarian advises you to use it.

Different solutions are administered differently, but most of them require you to follow these steps.

* You typically only need a few drops of the ear solution. Squeeze the bottle and let a few drops fall on into your cat’s ear canal.

* Start massaging the base of your cats ear gently. You should hear a ‘squelch’ while you do this. Repeat the same procedure with the other ear. After both ears have been cleaned, let your cat shake its head, this loosens the waxes.

NOTE: Stop massaging immediately if your cat feels pain and then take your cat to the veterinarian if you haven’t already done so.

* Wipe the solution by wrapping your forefinger with cotton wool, this should clean off wax and debris. Do this gently though and do not poke in too deep, or you might hurt your cats eardrum.

It is recommended not to use cotton buds, which can injure the ear canals’ sensitive lining.

by Drew Pilton

Here are a few more tips and advice on general ear care and pain relief for cats and kittens

Cat behavior
Ears: A Cat’s ears can say a lot about what they are feeling or trying to express to others, different Ear positions mean different things.  Ears Forward: When the Ears are forward and relaxed, then your Cat is happy.

How to clean your cat’s ears
First put the ear cleaner in a small container and place it into the dish of lukewarm water in order to warm it up. This makes cleaning your cat’s ears a lot more comfortable for your cat.

Pussy Cat Behavior Resolved
An effective alternative to dialysis that can extend a pussy cat’s life. A pussy cat has more ear muscles that afford cats’ directional hearing, which also allows them to move each ear independently of the other.

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Common Pet Medications

Online vet advice, vet secrets

There are lots of veterinary and pet medication websites to be found on the Internet nowadays, and all claim to be the foremost authority and source for your pet’s needs. Buying medication for your pet is okay, as long as you know exactly what you’re buying and the proper amounts to administer to your pet. Thus, the professional advice of a registered veterinarian is invaluable. The information to be found in this article does not intend to replace the care of a professional; its purpose is to be used as an educational guide to your pet’s medications only.

Adequan

In treating cat arthritis , injections are given twice a week for 4 weeks for a maximum of eight injections. Injections are given intramuscularly. Dogs, cats, and horses are the usual patients.

Buspirone Hydrochloride

In veterinary medicine, buspirone has been especially helpful in the treatment of phobias (such as fear of thunder, people in uniform, etc.) and in the treatment of urine marking in cats.

Carprofen

Carprofen is a member of the class of drugs known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), the same class as such common over-the-counter remedies as Advil (ibuprofen), Orudis (ketoprofen), and aspirin. The chief use for such drugs in the dog has been pain relief, usually joint pain or post-surgical pain relief.

Cephalexin

Cephalexin is a good broad spectrum antibiotic, which means it is useful in most common and uncomplicated infections.

Chlorpheniramine Maleate

It’s an antihistamine and it’s used for acute inflammatory and allergic conditions such as snake bites, vaccination reactions, blood transfusion reactions, bee stings and insect bites, and to manage itchy skin.

Clemastine fumarate

Clemastine fumarate is one of the more effective antihistamines albeit relatively expensive. Its efficacy makes it a common first choice for itchy skin. It has found to be helpful in 30% of itchy dogs and 50% of itchy cats.

Diazepam

There are many uses for this medication since it is effective as an anti-anxiety medication, a muscle relaxant, an appetite stimulant, and a seizure control drug.

Diphenhydramine

Most obviously, diphenhydramine is an antihistamine and it’s used for acute inflammatory and allergic conditions such as snake bites, vaccination reactions, blood transfusion reactions, bee stings and insect bites.

Enrofloxacin

This medication may be used in either dogs or cats to combat different types of infections, especially those involving Pseudomonas.

Fenbendazole

In dogs, it is useful against roundworms, hookworms, and the more difficult to treat whipworms.

Griseofulvin

This medication is used to treat ringworm, a fungal infection of the skin involving fungi.

Meclizine hydrochloride

An excellent product for people that can also be used for car-sick pets, meclizine hydrochloride is generally used for nausea relief due to motion sickness.

Metoclopramide

Motility disorders are common and may be chronic or of sudden onset. When motility is reduced in the stomach, food pools there and creates a sensation of nausea and bloating.

Orbifloxacin

Orbifloxacin may be used in dogs and cats to combat different types of infections, especially those involving Pseudomonas. This medication is also active against Staphylococci, and thus is commonly used for skin infections.

Phenobarbital

In dogs and cats, phenobarbital is probably the first choice for seizure suppression. It is effective, safe if used responsibly, and is one of the least expensive medications in all of veterinary practice.

Phenylpropanolamine

Phenylpropanolaminecan be used to help control appetite or as a decongestant, but in veterinary medicine it is used almost exclusively for the control of urinary incontinance in the female dog.

Pyrantel pamoate

is effective against numerous parasitic worms, such as roundworms, hookworms, and stomach worms. When a new puppy or kitten is adopted and has been said to have been dewormed, the chances are it is this product that was used.

Ranitidine

Ranitidine is useful in any situation where stomach irritation is an issue and ulceration is a concern.

Terbinafine

Terbinafine has activity against other types of fungi but at this time it is mostly used against ringworm.

Trimethoprim Sulfa

Trimethoprim sulfa is known by many names as it’s a commonly used antibiotic in both human and veterinary medicine. It’s become a popular choice thanks to its broad spectrum and inexpensive cost.

Find information about cat health here

By: Chiun Master -

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Chiun Masters is a researcher and writer for www.callpetmeds.com, which provides high quality pet medications at great prices. Visit us for all your pet medication needs.

More information can be found below about pain relief for cats

Information Cat Arthritis

If it involves a fracture then the pain can last a longer time and may even need surgery to heal the fracture or dislocation. As in the case of Osteoarthritis the pain is severe and your cat will need some relief from the pain.

Being in pain due to arthritis or painful joints is not pleasant at all, it can leave you unable to do even the most simple of tasks, so you rely on pain relief and supplements to get you through it.

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