Compelling Progress of Arthritis in Cats Treatment Options

     Just as it is for humans, arthritis in cats treatment options have come a long way in the past few years. Not so long ago the options for treating your cat for arthritic pain and inflammation were very limited. Veterinarians relied upon NSAIDS such as ibuprofen and aspirin to help to reduce the inflammation that the disease brings on. This has had limited success as it could only be used for short periods of time to treat the animal and if the cat happened to have heart or kidney problems as well then it made them not very good candidates for the treatment. This meant that a cat with arthritis on top of an existing illness was left to suffer in agony.

Many owners have had to look to euthanize their pets because they could not bear to see them in pain any longer. Often this was thought to be the more humane way of treating the condition. Thankfully, modern medicine progresses at a rapid speed nowadays and with it has come some great breakthroughs in treating the condition of arthritis in cats. The great thing is that both traditional medicine and modern medicine are now working together to provide better treatment options for pet owners and getting some good solid results.

Glucosamine and chondroitin have both been found to be an effective preventative measure in the battle to slow arthritis down. Both of these properties are evident in the cartilage. Arthritis is essentially the breakdown or deterioration of cartilage around the joint. When this occurs, the joint rubs against hard bone and it proves to be an incredibly painful existence for the sufferer.

Omega-3 fatty acid is also found to be a positive factor for arthritis in cats treatment. This can be found in a high quality cat food, usually canned or wet food, or can be found in particularly high concentrations in the green-lipped mussel from New Zealand. This is a product that is now shipped world-wide and can be purchased dry and ground up and added to your pet's meal.

NSAIDS have been modern medicines answer to pain relief and inflammation problems. However, they have been very unpopular for some time along with the use of corticosteroids as they have very negative side effects which essentially can negate the reason for using them. There has been a development of a long-term arthritis treatment medication that has had limited effect on cats. This is not due to the medication's efficacy, but due to the fact that cats have a unique metabolism and one of the side effects of this drug is nausea and vomiting. Unfortunately, this counteracts the drugs efficiency in treating and relieving pain from the arthritis.

So, if you have a cat, my suggestion would be that prevention is the best cure. Ensure that your cat is not overweight, and exercises regularly. Not only will the weight help to keep arthritis controlled, but it will also keep joints warmed up and in use. Warmth is the other factor that must be taken seriously. Purchasing a heat mat or electric blanket for your cat's bed will help to relieve your cat's aching symptoms and relieve any pain suffered.