Diagnosing and Treating Arthritis in Cats

Joints and Cartilage

A joint is a flexible connection between two bones. It makes body movements possible. There is no blood within the joint but a special substance called cartilage. Cartilage works as a cushion between the bones at the joints. The joints and cartilage between them are very important in cats because cats do a lot of jumping!

Cats are not very heavy and have a very good sense of balance. They also have an ability to land on their feet. Cats have a kind of natural shock absorbing mechanism in their skeletal systems. You must have often observed a cat jumping from a high altitude, safely landing and walking without any signs of pain or injury.

Sometimes, however, the cartilage may be damaged due to daily life activities, infections or hereditary reasons. However, the most common reason for cat arthritis is injury. In such cases, swelling, inflammation, pain and stiffness in the joints occur. Moreover, generally more than one joint is affected at the same time.

Types

Cat arthritis can be categorized as degenerative arthritis and inflammatory arthritis.

• Degenerative arthritis: It is also called Osteoarthritis. It may develop over the lifetime due to daily wear and tear. It may also be caused by injury.
  
  When the soft tissue lining in the cartilage gets affected, some chemical mediators are secreted in the joint by the immune system. This further causes degeneration of the joint. Initially, there might be only inflammation. However, the inflammation triggers the secretion of chemical mediators and causes degeneration in the joint.
  
  Small projections pop up on the surface of the bones in the later stages of degenerative arthritis. This thickens the bones in the joint and further increases the pain.

• Inflammatory arthritis: As compared to osteoarthritis, this type of arthritis is not very common in cats. The important causes of inflammatory arthritis are infections and malfunction of the immune system. However there are still some unknown causes for this type of arthritis.
  
  It is characterized by decreased movement and sore joints. Usually an infection is present. It generally occurs as a result of trauma and the secondary infection to the joint.
  
  Sometimes a cat’s immune system attacks its joints and the joint membrane develops inflammation. This generally happens when the immune system misjudges infected joint and attacks healthy joints instead. This is called autoimmune reaction and causes antibodies to develop. These antibodies attack the joint and lead to chronic inflammation in the later stages.

Symptoms and Signs

The signs and symptoms of feline arthritis may vary with the joints involved, age of the cat and the stage of the problem. An altered gait and stiffness after rest are the most common signs. The cat will walk (and avoid jumping) so that it can avoid putting its weight on the affected joints. This may lead to reduction in the size of some muscles and other muscles start to appear larger.

You may notice that your cat does not jump as high as it used to. It may slow down and avoid activities it once enjoyed. It may lick or bite the part that is painful. Some signs and symptoms a cat may exhibit are:

1. Reluctance to walk or jump

2. Muscle shrinkage

3. Crackling sound of the joint while moving

4. Limping or favoring one side of the body

5. Fever and loss of appetite

6. Visible pain and discomfort

7. Hot, swollen joint

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis can be carried out through radio-graphs, ultrasound, X-rays, blood tests and joint fluid examinations. Treatment involves removing pain and inflammation. Getting the joint back to the normal condition is not easy. However there are some home treatments and precautions to help your arthritic cat. The right remedy after right diagnosis is a must for your cat to recover fast. Hence, as soon as the signs of artritis appear in your cat, you must consult a veterinarian.

The treatment for cats depends on their condition, their age and severity of arthritis. Glucosamine is a very effective home remedy. Dosage of vitamin C as recommended by your veterinary specialist will help alleviate pain and inflammation fast. Though steroids can help in arthritis, they may cause some other complications. Hence steroids should be used only in severe cases.

Anti-inflammatory drugs rich in minerals such as alphaalpha and yucca can help reduce pain due to arthritis. Antibiotics are used for infection. Aspirin is quite effective in cats but cats find it difficult to metabolize. Acupuncture is also found to have positive results in arthritis.

Surgery remains the only option when external medical treatment does not work. If your cat is not responding to repeated surgeries, and the infection is increasing all the while, then you should consider euthanizing your cat.

How to Look After Such Cats

Old and overweight cats are more prone to arthritis. A regular and nutritious diet should be provided from the childhood of your cat. Natural food is best. Vitamin A, C, D and E supplements can be helpful.

In old age, extra care need be taken. Light regular exercise is helpful to keep your cat healthy. This circulates nutrients to the joints. Gentle massage of the arthritic joints can also alleviate the inflammation. In cold and damp weather, joints of arthritic cats should be kept warm. Keeping the house a little warmer will also help.

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