i think my cat has arthritis...any advice?

davelondon

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hello everybody.

i am new to this site.

i hope some of you can help me.

i have a 16 year old moggie. she is very lazy and slow. she only gets out of her bed a few times a day. she walks very slowly and has a limp. she sits down regularly when she is walking. it looks like she finds it hard to support her weight. she cannot stand for a long time either.

i gather she has arthritis. unfortunately, she is also very over-weight, which im sure wont help her condition. she is in catch 22 position (vicious circle). because shes in pain, she cant exercise, therfore she just gets fatter and fatter, and consequently it becomes harder for her to loose the weight, therefore probably causing her more pain.

she has recently started weeing in her bed. i gather this is because she cant be bothered to get out of her bed. she doesnt poo in her bed tho. she poos about 2 meters away from her bed.

i have a few things planned for her in the hope of making her life easier. firstly i am going to move her bed onto the floor (at the moment it is off the ground). hopefully it will not be such a chore for her to get out of bed, therefore she may go for more walks and stop using her bed as a toilet. i am also gonna get her a litter tray,and keep it close to her, im the hope that she understands that that is where she goes to the toilet, not her bed.

im also going to take her to the vet again. last time i went, the vet didnt help her or me at all. the vet didnt seem to think it was serious. i think since then tho she has got worse.

does anyone have any advice for cats with arthritis, or knowledge on making them become more active? also, does anyone else have a cat with arthritis? how is your cat being treated?

i suppose me writing this message is a little premature as i havent yet actually done anything to help my cat. however, maybe some of you out there with some knowledge in this area can pass on your adice to me, so i can help my cat.

id be very appreciative if some people can help me.

thank you,

dave.
 

gailc

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My sister catsAshley (RIP) had arthritis for several yrs and was given a prescription for Cosequin. That helped him tremendously. I don't know if this is available in other places that the United States though.
 

goldenkitty45

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My one cat got arthritis at an early age (6-7 yrs old) and with the vet's monitoring she took one aspirin per WEEK to help. You have to be extremely careful and don't give more aspirin then the vet recommends. Too much aspirin in a short time will kill a cat.

She lived to be 18 yrs old.
 

katachtig

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Originally Posted by GailC

My sister catsAshley (RIP) had arthritis for several yrs and was given a prescription for Cosequin. That helped him tremendously. I don't know if this is available in other places that the United States though.
Originally, Much was prescribed Metacam which is an NSAID. It helped but it was so hard on her stomach that I took her off it and put her on the Cosequin. I think the Cosequin (which is glucosamine and chondroitin) has helped her tremendously.

You also should have the vet check for any urinary problems also.
 

greycat2

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I have had 2 cats with arthritis (one has since passed on) and one that we are keeping tabs on. All 3 (now 2) are on Cosequin and it seems to be helping with their mobility.

Do encourage her to get up out of her bed, even though it hurts her. If there is any toys or any activities she used to enjoy, encourage her to do them. Place some ramps or stairs up to her favorite beds/perches so she doesn't have to jump. Get a low-sided litter pan for her and encourage her to use it, even if it means putting it in the same room at this point (I hear some people use a litter called Cat Attract and have had success with it).

Definitely take her in to the vet. If you don't get the results you like, try another vet. Have them test her for Urinary tract issues and run a complete senior panel on her if you haven't done that already. You can also ask for some type of pain killers from the vet - no tylenol or ibprofin (sp) and aspirin only as the vet suggest. Mine has used a pain killer for a couple of times and it was only when it was really bad.
 
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davelondon

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hello people.

thanks for your advice and support.

i have taken it all on board and will be acting upon it. it all seems like very good avice.

il keep you posted.

thank you!
 

momto3cats

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I had a cat who had arthritis for the last two years of her life. I gave her a joint supplement in the form of a treat called Zuke's Hip Action. However, the thing that helped her the most was weight loss. I stopped free-feeding and put her on carefully measured meals to help get her weight down. She seemed to feel much better once she didn't have the extra weight to carry around.
 

sofiecusion

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Summer is on Cosequin for her cronic UTI issues. I've seen it on amazon from Entirely Pets AND at pet store chains.
 

stephanietx

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First of all, take her to the vet to be checked over for a urinary tract infection. If she's just started wetting in her bed, that's a good sign that something's not right. Then, since she does have arthritis, get her a litter box or pan with lower sides so that she doesn't have so far to step over to get into the box.

My older cat, Callie, has been on Cosequin for almost 2 years and it's wonderful for her! I don't have to give it to her as often during the summer months as in the winter, but when I do, I notice an improvement in mobility and in her willingness and desire to play and interact.

Stephanie
 

sharky

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Please go for a vet check ... urinalysis and Senior panel to ensure nothing bigger is causeing it ...

www.trixsyn.com I used this for my Kandie ... worked great I was able to eliminate the glucosimine and chondrotin I was giving
 
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davelondon

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hello again people.

i took my cat to the vet today.

the first thing he did was give her a steriod injection and an antibiotic injection (the 2 were mixed together in 1 syringe, so only one injection).

the steriod was to act as a painkiller, and the antibiotic was to clear up any urinary tract infection (which he suspects there is).

i have to go back tomorrow, and let him know if she seems in any less pain. i think he also wants to give her an xray to check her arthritis.

he said that he wants to clear up the urinary infection first, and once thats sorted, we can start to help her arthritis.

ill let you know what happens.

thank you.
 
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davelondon

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Originally Posted by sharky

Please go for a vet check ... urinalysis and Senior panel to ensure nothing bigger is causeing it ...

www.trixsyn.com I used this for my Kandie ... worked great I was able to eliminate the glucosimine and chondrotin I was giving
iv had a look at this. it does look very good. i will have to see if i can get it in england.

thanks for your help.
 
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davelondon

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i went back to the vet again today.

he gave her another shot of pain killer and another shot of antibiotic.

he said her infection seems better (she had a swollen stomach, which she hasnt got now).

she is gonna have an xray in 4 days time, so he can understand her arthritis, and what the best way to treat it is.

im so happy that things are looking better for her now.
 

katachtig

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That is wonderful news. It sounds like your cat will have many more years.
 
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