Arthritis Help Center
Cat arthritis medication reccomendations?
My 15 y/o cat has been showing signs of arthritis. After doing research, she definitely shows many signs of it - limping, loss of muscle mass, stiffness, reluctance to jump/go down stairs, inactive, etc. I've really been wishing I could do something for her, and looked at some cat arthritis meds on the dr fosters smith website, but there are a lot of options. Was wondering if anyone could recommend a brand that has worked well for their cat? Based on the arthritis "stages" the website lists, I think my cat is somewhere between medium and severe arthritis (?). Also, do heated cat beds really help?
Public Comments
- I work part time at a shelter as a cat adoption counselor. We have a 10 year old cat up for adoption now that has arthritis and she has to get cosequin everyday. This is featured on Dr. Fosters' website. As far as any other meds, I'm not sure. I would probably recommend you talk to a vet about this who is more qualified to give medical advice.
I have heard that some people use pet beds that have memory foam in them. This can help sore joints, just like with people. A heated bed may work too. Here is a link to pet beds with memory foam: http://www.petpedic.com/cat-beds.html...... seem expensive, but helpful.
Also, make sure she can easily get in and out of her litter box. Many people get huge litter boxes with high sides to keep the litter from getting everywhere. But it may be too painful for her to climb in and out. Some older cats resort to going outside of the box because of this reason. Good luck. - Yes, heated cat beds do help. Glucosomine is said to help and I've included a link for that. I was concerned about using a heated cat bed due to the fire hazard, so my kitty would climb under my quilts and was happy there (flannel backing). The other kitty hated the heated cat bed and didn't like being in 'nests' either.
We had two cats and a small dog with arthritis, who have since passed away from other conditions. The vet said we could treat, but what happens is that the animal then feels better and jumps more causing more damage. We did get medication for the dog because the arthritis was in his spine. However, he was not allowed to jump on things any longer, not allowed downstairs and a ramp was made to the bed and couch. This treatment worked ok for about 2 years. We had reached a point where we were going to have him put down just due to the arthritis, but he suddenly became very ill and had to be put down rather than let him suffer. The kitties never got so bad that we felt they were in constant pain, however, their activities lessened a lot. - Call up this Vetinfo link and click under cat Arthritis (there are 3 different pages for it). It should help you with your questions about it. It's a very good website for vet info.
And this is a good article to read:
http://www.2ndchance.info/arthritis.htm - My old cat received glucosamine-condrotin stuff from the vet by injection every three weeks for a couple of years (she was 18 at the time). She also had some acupuncture and chiropractic treatments which didn't seem to help much. Eventually I didn't feel the shots were helping her either.
When she was 22 the vet approved her having a 6C dose of Rhus toxicodenron daily. It was hard to get those tiny pills down her as she was very resistive to taking them. I did see an improvement in her mobility when she got them.
I started on a twice daily dose of the Rhus in January (3 tabs of 200C) and it has worked so well for me that I no longer take any pain medication for my arthritis. You can pick that up at a health foods store at the low dosage and give it a try with your cat to see if it helps her. Homeopathic remedies are considered safe in the dosages you can purchase at a regular store and I feel sure that trying some will not harm your cat.
I also purchased some steps for my cat so that she could get up and down from my bed easily. Muscle wasting is common in cats and people as they reach advanced age. Your 18 yr old cat is in her 80's now in terms of human years. The Rhus wouldn't affect that at all. - Yes, warmth really helps. It increases blood flow and elasticity in the muscles/joints.
You don't need to get a heated cat bed from a pet company (I assume it's expensive). A heating pad, or electric blanket, set on a setting that is not too hot for the kitty will do just fine. My arthritic 24 yr old cat even liked warm baths the last few years of his life, since his arthritis was so bad!
If you go to the vet, they can also give injections of some steroids that will act as antiinflammatories that can help.
