Even younger cats under the right circumstances can suffer from arthritic changes.
Arthritis in cats back legs.
By lorie huston dvm.
Feline arthritis can be caused by injury infection an autoimmune disorder or degenerative problems involving the joints.
If medication is needed we all know how difficult daily dosing of meds can be in a cat.
Cats can develop arthritis for a variety of reasons including aging obesity trauma and occasionally genetic or heritable conditions.
Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.
Keeping a cat in good shape through proper diet can help relieve the symptoms.
Arthritis is one of the most common ailments seen in middle aged to older pets.
Treating arthritis in cats can be more challenging than treating dogs for a couple of reasons.
Arthritis may be the underlying cause for wobbly hind legs in older cats.
And cats have peculiar problems when it comes to using anti inflammatories the mainstay of treating arthritis.
Cats with arthritis may be painful when handled.
The pain resulting from arthritis may cause a decreased appetite for some cats.
However some culprits such as brain tumors and kidney disease can be fatal if untreated.
If a cat seems stiff or painful has swollen joints loses muscle mass or has a hard time moving around it might have arthritis.
This is a painful condition that occur as a result of joint inflammation.
Cats tend to hide signs of pain quite effectively which makes sense if you consider their ancestry.
A sick animal in the wild is vulnerable to predators so any sign of weakness must be hidden.
Some cats with arthritis will stop grooming themselves resulting in an unkempt haircoat.
Signs of arthritis in cats.
Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted.
Cats can hide their pain or show very subtle vague signs of pain.
Arthritic cats may have difficulty accessing the litter box and may urinate or defecate outside of the litter box.
So if your cat is slowly becoming weaker on its back legs the problem should be investigated.
Being less active may not roll on back or stretch as previously did a change in the.
This instinct makes it difficult for owners to know their cats is affected and whether treatment is necessary.
Any joint in the body can be affected and back legs joints are no exception.
Many drugs are just not safe for use in cats.
Arthritis causes changes within the affected joints that are painful for the affected pet.
