Arthritis

[Babyboonie]

Hi there,

My 9 year old tabby, Louie, is currently undergoing treatment for suspected arthritis of the spine. He is going to have x-rays on Monday which the vet is hoping will show more of what is going on. She suspects he may have a problem with some of the discs in his spine, in that they may have lifted up and be pushing on his spinal cord...unfortunately if this is the case he is going to have to undergo major surgery on his spine.

Has anyone experience a cat with arthritis and has any advice?

[Donnaj4962]

I am sorry to hear that your baby is having this problem. Unfortunately, I have no advice to offer. My oldest, Tabitha, is 18 (19 in June) but she seems to be doing okay when it comes to arthritis. She has some days when she is slower going up and down the stairs and her jumping abilities seem somewhat compromised..... but generally she does okay for her age.

I hope the vet can figure out the problem, and maybe meds will be the option rather than surgery.

Wish I had more to offer. I am sending you prayers and warm wishes from Indiana! Please keep us posted!

[Freedom]

Hmm, my Amber had spinal issues, but it wasn't arthritis. It was because he was hyperthyroid. The calcium built up deposits and fused 2 vertebrae. It showed up on the x rays. The space between the discs should look like a horse head in profile. In that one spot, the shape was quite different. It meant he couldn't jump up onto things the way he used to do. Once we got the hyperthyroid under control, the situation did not get any worse, but there was no way to improve it, either. I gave him 5 mg Prednisone daily for some pain relief.

I have always worried that the Prednisone caused his renal failure, but the vet insists that was from the hyperthyroid.

Let us know what you learn from the x rays.

I just did a quick search on Google, I put in feline arthritis (no quotes around the words.) Lots of sites came up. Looks like they can take glucosamine and chondroitin as humans due. You just need the right dosage. So you may want to look at a few of those sites so you have some questions ready for the vet when you pick up Louie and learn what the x rays show.

[Catty1]

Aerobic oxygen is also great. You get it at health food stores for humans. Just check the dosage with your vet, or the store clerk(one who knows their stuff).

I once house sat two black labs. The dose was 20 drops a day in the water bowl. It was fine for the other dog.

For the old arthritic dog, it really made a difference. She got more playful, though was stiff. But definitely happier and more comfortable.

Good luck with Louie!

[Babyboonie]

Hi all

Thank you for your suggestions and well wishes, it is appreciated.

Louie is currently taking an arthritis medication that is normally used for dogs - he started this in December 2006. Apparantly it has only recently been recognised that cats suffer from arthritis and that it can be quite painful for them, so they are currently researching different drugs that are suitable. The drug that Louie is taking is being administered in very very small doses and he has to have regular blood tests and checks on his liver function etc. Thankfully, so far, everything is working fine, but I am concerned about it's long term use considering he is still quite a young cat compared to some - a question for the vet I feel.

Fingers crossed the x-rays will show that it is "just" arthritis and nothing to major concerning his spine. I will of course let you know how he gets on.

Speak soon

[Medusa]

Hopefully this new med will help him w/no bad side effects long term. I've had dogs w/arthritis and I gave them Ascriptin and it worked wonders but, of course, you can't do that w/cats.

[Catlady711]

Louie is currently taking an arthritis medication that is normally used for dogs - he started this in December 2006. Apparantly it has only recently been recognised that cats suffer from arthritis and that it can be quite painful for them, so they are currently researching different drugs that are suitable. The drug that Louie is taking is being administered in very very small doses and he has to have regular blood tests and checks on his liver function etc.

What is the medication that Louie is on? Is it Metacam liquid? I've heard that many vets do use that in cats in very small doses, although as I recall it's the kindeys they usually worry about with that one.

I'm dealing with arthritis in my oldest cat Dusty (16 1/2), we started out with Metacam injections and are now trying Tramadol. She's been on Cosaquin (glucosamine/chondriton) for several years now.