Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [72]
Dr. Kerwin says injections of Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) at two mg/kg IM every three to five days for four treatments and Cosequin (chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine and manganese given orally) work well as a treatment plan for cats. Cosequin comes as a tasty powder you sprinkle over the cat’s food. It takes several weeks for the Cosequin to begin to work, but the Adequan results in measurable improvement within a few days, so the veterinarian may choose to use both together. The response is quite individual, with some cats showing dramatic improvement while others don’t seem to have any measurable change.
Comfort Zone
Stair steps or stools help arthritic cats reach the bed or cat tree perch when they can no longer make that leap. Commercial ramps are available in different sizes, but it’s simplest and most economical to position a chair, hassock, or cardboard box for access.
Move food bowls and litter boxes to an accessible location to eliminate the need to jump up or down for dinner. Set the bowl on a shirt box so the cat won’t have to bend his sore neck clear to the ground.
Cut down the high sides of litter boxes, or provide a low-sided pan, so arthritic cats can more easily climb in and out.
Cats love basking in a puddle of sunlight, and heat helps relieve joint pain and keeps the cat more limber. Heated beds help ease the pain of achy stiff joints, or you can use a well-shielded (with a blanket) heating pad. Several orthopedic and heated cat pads, beds, and snugglers are available from pet product outlets.
The Snuggle Safe plate-size pad (available from Drs. Foster & Smith) can be microwaved, then slipped beneath the cat’s bed to warm without electricity. Or you can fill a couple of socks with dry uncooked rice and microwave. They’ll hold the heat and work great as kitty bed-warmers.
Situate a lighted lamp above the cat’s bed to provide an economical and effective heat lamp.
Fill a box with towels or blankets fresh from the dryer once a day for five minutes to warm up the muscles and relieve stiffness and pain.
Acupuncture & Therapeutic Laser
Acupuncture is not a drug, but can act like one to relieve the pain of arthritis. It can be used with drugs, or neutraceuticals such as Cosequin. “Acupuncture is a good choice for arthritis in cats,” says Dr. Little. The insertion of needles in proscribed locations throughout the body prompts the release of natural painkillers called endorphins. Most cats tolerate these needles quite well.
“Some animals don’t tolerate the medication, or the owners don’t like medication,” says Dr. Fortney. “As long as the diagnosis has been made and there is some science, I’ve seen some success with acupuncture. It’s a matter of combining whatever it takes to improve the quality of life. I think that’s very appropriate.”
Acupuncture is particularly helpful for cats because it has no side effects, says Dr. Linn. “It’s very noninvasive, it’s safe.” Be sure you work with a veterinarian certified in acupuncture to ensure the most benefits to your cat.
Laser therapy also offers a pain relief option for pets. They’re used for arthritis discomfort, post-surgical pain, and enhanced healing. Class IV therapeutic lasers are FDA-approved and considered to be of minimal risk to both patient and operator. Plus, they're nontoxic and are associated with essentially no side effects.
Surgical Treatment
Cats almost always do quite well with the triad strategy, so that should always be tried first before surgery, says Dr. Conzemius, but it is a viable option when medical management isn’t enough. Today, more owners than ever before pursue advanced treatments such as surgery. “There’s more surgeons that can do these techniques, so it’s more available to people. And owners are becoming better informed about what the disease is and the treatment options.”
Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)
Cats with severe arthritis