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Some Facts About Poly Arthritis In
Cats
There are many people out there who love cats and have them as
pets. Cats make wonderful companions – they are warm, caring
and extremely independent. They never really depend on you for
food or shelter, though they love to be indulged and having
ready-made meals. Cats are extraordinary hunters and even the
best-fed ones, enjoy a good hunting session every now and
then.
Poly Arthritis Is Common With Cats
Cats are very nimble and they mostly move by jumping from one
place to another while outdoors. Their movement involves a lot
of stress on the joints – particularly of the limbs and hip. As
the cat grows older, the natural wear and tear of the body
sometimes catches up and causes arthritis. This often happens
when the cat gets hurt – traumatic arthritis – and then spreads
to the other joints in the body. Sometimes, it is genetic and
sometimes it is caused by bacteria.
The term poly arthritis means arthritis
affecting many joints at the same time. From the
description of its name itself, you can realize how
painful this disease could be for an animal that is
almost always in motion outdoors. The poly arthritis is
characterized by many symptoms, some of which are briefly
listed below:
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Sudden body stiffness – the cat moves
with a very peculiar (almost comic) stiff
gait
-
Visible limping in one or more
limbs
-
Suddenly sitting in a peculiar manner,
favoring one side of the body or one particular
limb
- You can realize something is paining because
the cat cries or moves away when you caress a certain
portion of its body
-
Sudden aggression when the painful body
part is touched
-
Does not play or ask for food in the
usual manner
-
Does not rub itself around your legs
anymore, but prefers to lie down in a corner
throughout the day
-
Is not tempted to hunt, even if it sees
something provocative enough
-
Stops climbing stairs
-
Stops jumping even from small
heights
It is extremely sad to see your pet suffering.
Fortunately, it is possible to treat poly arthritis if
caught sufficiently in advance. The veterinarian would
need to carry out a few tests, such as radiographs, blood
test, ultrasound, and careful physical examination before
the diagnosis is reached. Once poly arthritis is
diagnosed, the pain can be treated with drugs such as
Chondroitin, minuscule amounts of NSAIDs and
Glucosamine.
Given regularly and complemented with a good diet and Vitamin
C, the cat would be able to recover a good deal within a
fortnight to a month.
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