Topic: Anyone know about arthritis in cats?

[antipodes]

Hello all,
I thought I would ask here - I have a lovely 12 year old tabby, Ella, she is an indoors cat and we have had her since she was 2 months old. Apart from an unfortunate peeing on the floor habit that she has always had, she has been a great companion, very pretty, affectionate and a real character.
Over the winter we had a bit of a problem with her - she started to not be able to jump up properly. The vet says it is arthritis. She had anti inflammatories for a while and some tablets to keep her joints supple. But April was so damp, I have noticed once again that she wants to climb onto things rather than leap (Although leaping down doesn't seem to bother her, i guess the weight is not on her back then). You can see that her gait is a bit stiffer too.

Does anyone have any tips to help get her back on form? It makes me very sad to see the first signs of old age in her, I guess we always think our pets are immortal and 12 didn't seem that old but the vet said she's a senior now, she will have to take it easy. To me she was still a young cat!!! She did fall twice from the 4th floor when she was younger, once cracking her pelvis - maybe this didn't help???

Thanks for any ideas

[lolabelle]

hi
My old boy Henrii was diagnosed with arthritis because hes on tabs for kidneys he cant have medication for arthritis , so I got him a magnetic collar especially for cats with arthritis, about £30 but works a treat  :D

[Andy H]

Evenig Primrose??? Maybe worth a try

[banshee]

Glucosomine and Chondroitin works well for arthritic conditions......I would check with the vet ref dosage for a cat as I'm sure that they require much  less than a dog would need. A telephone call should be all that would be needed to get this info as long as the vet is already aware of the condition in your cat. Our vet also suggested Cod Liver Oil capsules ( broken and oil added to food) if the Glucosomine didnt work for our old dog.

[antipodes]

hmm I have had a closer look at the tablets he gave me which she is supposed to take for a month at a time during the cold weather. It is called Agilium and it is made up of  500 mg of chondroitin, 10mg of manganese, 25 mg of vitamin E and 100 mg vitamin C. I think chondroitin is something used to build up cartilege??
I haven't heard of this other thing, glucosomine, I wonder if I can buy it for her?
She seems to be better now that the weather is warm but I noticed when it is rainy she seems to stiffen up again, and I even noticed one day that her hips were hot compared to the rest of her, so I guess his diagnosis was right.
I suppose I will just have to try and adapt things for her so she can climb rather than jump??

[banshee]

I would suppose it is more difficult to 'rest' a cat than it is for a dog. We encourage exercise when our old girl is at her best to keep the joints mobile but that does not mean that she is allowed to run wild or jump about, I think I would try to arrange things as you say so that your cat can climb about and not have to jump as such.
Glucosamine can usually be brought from supermarkets and health food stores over here.....not sure about over there in france. We did try a liquid supplement called SYNFLEX from synflex.co.uk. They do a pets version. Again I would check with your vet before getting it for your cat as it is quite expensive, then again I was giving it to a rott/shepherd x. We also find that gentle massage tends to work reasonably well ( but NOT when there is heat in the joint). Also have you tried offering oily fish with your cats meals?

[norfolklass]

my mum's mog Milo (he's 15) has arthritis and the vet suggested evening primrose oil – I don't think my mum has tried him on it though so I don't know if it works. he can still jump if he has to but he's a stiff old boy these days :( I suggested that she ask the vet about cod liver oil as well.

[banshee]

Just found this site.......


http://www.allaboutdogsandcats.com/Health/OsteoarthritisTreatmentCats.html


there may be some bits of useful info on it for those of you with arthritic kitties.

[Borlotti]

My cat is having the same problem.  Pehaps they should do stair lifts for cats???  I think heat helps them and he is very good at finding warm places in the house.  Have two old cats, one on pills, and taking them both to the vet is so expensive.

[manicscousers]

hi, borlotti, welcome to the site, I have the same problem, with me   ;D