StemCell Therapy

The veterinarians at Village Cat Clinic in Ancaster can help you tell the difference between natural aging and arthritis in your feline and provide pain management techniques to keep your cat comfortable in their senior years.

Arthritis is common in older pets, but they cant speak up when the pain in their joints and spine becomes unbearable. There are signs that you can watch for, and indicators that they are suffering from discomfort beyond the natural aging process.

Activity

If you notice a significant decrease in your cats activity level or notice that they are sleeping more than they did when they were younger, then your cat may be experiencing arthritis pain.

Lameness

If your feline shows stiffness when they get up after a nap that lessens once they get mobile, it is a sign your pet may suffer from arthritis.

Mood changes

When were in pain, we often become short-tempered. Animals can react the same way, and may growl or bite when they are handled because it is painful for them to be picked up or patted.

Excessive licking, chewing or biting

Cats may become fixated on painful joints and lick, chew or bite the affected area, causing it to become inflamed or raw.

Agility

With aging comes less agility, but if you notice your cat has great difficulty accomplishing small feats such as jumping on or off your bed or a chair, have a vet check for arthritis.

Village Cat Clinic has several multi-modal pain medications that offer safe and effective pain management for your aging pet and their individual needs. They can also suggest modifications you can make in the home to help keep your senior cat more comfortable and improve their quality of life, such as assisted devices like stools to aid them on and off a bed or chair.

Other environmental improvements can help, such as diet changes, weight management and physical activity. It is important to provide comfortable, warm sleeping areas for your cat and easy access to food, water and a litter box.

For more information about caring for your arthritic feline, contact the Village Cat Clinic by email at reception@villagecatclinic.ca or call 905-304-7877.

See the article here:
Feline arthritis: How to spot the signs - Hamilton Spectator

This entry was posted on March 2, 2017 at 1:51 am and is filed under Arthritis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |