Pain Relief for Cats with Arthritis

 

Pain relief for cats who have arthritis can be tricky, because your cat may experience stiffness, joint pain, and difficulty moving at times. Arthritis can be very painful, and can affect the quality of life that your cat has. Arthritis in cats can be managed, and the pain kept under control, but you may need to see your vet frequently until the symptoms are managed and your cat stays comfortable most of the time. Tylenol or acetaminophen should never be given, and instead of providing pain relief for cats this drug can be toxic and kill your pet instead. Aspirin may be given on the advice of your vet, but only in small amounts because aspirin will stay in the cat for three days or more, so an overdose is easy to do.

Glucosamine for cats is a joint supplement that may help relieve pain and swelling in the joints, and this can make a big difference in your cat’s comfort and mobility. Prednisone is a steroid that your vet may prescribe, so the tissues can start to heal and many of the arthritis symptoms disappear. Pain relief for cats with arthritis can include prescription pain medications, and medical science for cats has made some big breakthroughs in this area. Adequan is one of the new pain medications for cats which is safe and effective. This drug may be covered by any cat health insurance you have, and requires weekly injections at first and then the frequency drops to every two or three weeks.

Pain relief for cats is an important consideration, because you do not want your pet to suffer and you want them to have a good life. Your vet can help you assess just how much pain your cat is in, and the most appropriate way to treat this problem so that your cat gets relief. Some cat illness symptoms can mimic arthritis, so if you are not sure that your cat suffers from this disease a physical and full check up should be performed for an accurate diagnosis.