Arthritis In Cats Back Legs

Some cats with arthritis will stop grooming themselves resulting in an unkempt haircoat.

Arthritis in cats back legs. Signs of arthritis in cats. Gradual onset hind leg problems in cats are often caused by milder illnesses such as arthritis. Arthritis causes changes within the affected joints that are painful for the affected pet. Arthritis also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease causes pain and inflammation in a cat s joints.

A sick animal in the wild is vulnerable to predators so any sign of weakness must be hidden. Keeping a cat in good shape through proper diet can help relieve the symptoms. So if your cat is slowly becoming weaker on its back legs the problem should be investigated. This is a painful condition that occur as a result of joint inflammation.

This instinct makes it difficult for owners to know their cats is affected and whether treatment is necessary. Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted. Cats can develop arthritis for a variety of reasons including aging obesity trauma and occasionally genetic or heritable conditions. Cats tend to hide signs of pain quite effectively which makes sense if you consider their ancestry.

However some culprits such as brain tumors and kidney disease can be fatal if untreated. How to spot arthritis in cats. Here are some possible signs of arthritis pain in cats. Arthritic cats may have difficulty accessing the litter box and may urinate or defecate outside of the litter box.

The pain resulting from arthritis may cause a decreased appetite for some cats. Many drugs are just not safe for use in cats. If a cat seems stiff or painful has swollen joints loses muscle mass or has a hard time moving around it might have arthritis. Arthritis is one of the most common ailments seen in middle aged to older pets.

Cats can hide their pain or show very subtle vague signs of pain. Feline arthritis can be caused by injury infection an autoimmune disorder or degenerative problems involving the joints. And cats have peculiar problems when it comes to using anti inflammatories the mainstay of treating arthritis. If medication is needed we all know how difficult daily dosing of meds can be in a cat.

Being less active may not roll on back or stretch as previously did a change in the. Any joint in the body can be affected and back legs joints are no exception. Even younger cats under the right circumstances can suffer from arthritic changes. By lorie huston dvm.