Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [69]
Owners have to monitor the cat’s treatment in order to measure success. Improvements can be subtle, so keep a chart that logs and compares progress of symptoms, says Dr. Cook. That record helps the veterinarian decide if a particular therapy is helpful or not, and adjust the treatment accordingly. Since you live with your cat, and are more closely attuned to his well being, your input is vital to helping the cat maintain quality of life. “The last thing I want to do is change things that may be working,” says Dr. Cook. You can use a form such as the Arthritis Report Card to keep track of the cat’s status.
Age-Defying Tips
Arthritis almost always develops as a result of joint injury earlier in life, so prompt repair or treatment prevents problems later. Once your old cat has any degree of arthritis, you can slow down the progression and even reverse some of the signs, says Michael G. Conzemius, DVM, a veterinary surgeon at Iowa State University.
Keep kitty active. Low-impact exercise is ideal to help keep joints from stiffening. Entice him with a treat or ribbon lure to keep him moving.
Keep cats thin. Added weight puts more stress upon joints. Regular exercise along with a reduced-calorie “senior” diet helps reduce or control weight.
Weight Control
“Weight loss for cats is important,” says Dr. Linn, and is probably the most critical aspect of the triad approach. “A lot of cats look like basketballs and always have a hard time getting around,” she says. “Weight loss is almost always the first and most important thing.”
Great care must be taken with reducing diets, though, because a crash diet in cats can cause life-threatening liver problems called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease. If the cat is already at a good weight, he should maintain it, says Dr. Cook. “We give owners the little Purina body condition score, and tell them we want them somewhere around a 4 or 5, which is the leaner ideal on that scale.”
Exercise
The second part of the triad is moderate exercise. “It’s better for them to get up and move around than to just lie around the house all day,” says Dr. Linn. Dogs are easier to exercise, and swimming is considered an ideal activity for loosening arthritic joints. Cats, though, rarely care for water sports and may also be reluctant to walk on a leash. “Slow walks on a leash is fairly low-impact. It doesn’t bang on the joints,” says Dr. Linn.
Even old cats can learn new tricks, though. Choose a figure-8 style harness and get the cat used to the idea first simply by petting him with the leash and harness. This helps him associate pleasant things with the equipment and also identifies them with his own comforting scent. Leave the halter and leash out in the room for him to sniff and investigate at his leisure. Try to entice him into a chase game with the end of the leash--if he identifies it with a toy, it won’t seem so scary. After a day or two, fit the halter on the cat, leave on for a minute, reward him with a game or treat, and then remove it. Repeat this exercise several times a day over the next few days, gradually increasing the amount of time he wears the halter. Finally, hook on the leash, pick up the end, and follow your cat around the house. Once he’s used to this, you can begin to guide him with gentle tug-releases on the leash to keep him moving. A halter and leash allows your cat to be safely walked around the house or even in the backyard, which may inspire him to exercise a bit more to investigate all the new smells and sights.
Teaching a reluctant cat to accept the halter and leash takes quite a bit of patience. A more painless method capitalizes on the cat’s own instincts. “About the most useful way to get a cat up and moving is to play,” says Dr. Linn. “Find something she wants that gets her attention as much as