Download Feline Arthritis Treatments

Deer Run Animal Hospital
308-310 East US Highway 30
Schererville, IN
www.deerrunanimalhospital.com
(219) 864-7180
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR FELINE ARTHRITIS
Because many pain medications commonly used in people and dogs can be toxic to cats, multi-modal therapies are the
best way to treat arthritis to minimize the use of drugs that can have serious side effects. Combining several treatments
together can improve results and can keep drug doses low to minimize risk.
1.
ONE OF THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TREATMENT METHODS FOR FELINE ARTHRITIS IS DIETARY THERAPY.
a. Weight loss diets and joint diets are ideal choices.
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WEIGHT CONTROL is crucial. Maintaining an ideal body weight is very important and requires periodic
weight checks to achieve ideal weight and monitor and maintain it.
There has been good scientific evidence of the efficacy of weight control on the prevention and
minimizing progression of arthritis. .
Prevention of obesity is best as safe weight loss in cats is difficult.
One of the best ways to help prevent weight gain or achieve weight loss is to AVOID FEEDING DRY
FOODS. Dry foods of all kinds and brands tend to contain much higher carbohydrate levels than canned
food and therefore promote unhealthy weight gain in cats who do best on high protein canned foods
There is no more natural way to treat arthritis than through dietary means and recently therapeutic
joint diets have been showing good efficacy for arthritis treatments without worrisome side effects.
The use of dietary therapy can help minimize the use of drug therapy and keep drug doses low.
b. Recommended therapeutic prescription diets. Can be ordered through Deer Run or elsewhere by written
prescription from your veterinarian. Prescription diets are not available over the counter without a
veterinary prescription.
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Joint Diet: Hill’s Prescription Diet j/d Feline Mobility our best recommendation for treating arthritis
with a therapeutic diet is about 152 calories per 5.5 oz can
It also comes in a dry formula but again we prefer canned diets for cats. A small amount of dry Kibble
and even canned food can be used in FOOD TOYS to increase mental and physical exercise.
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Weight loss Diet Hills Prescription Diet Feline Metabolic Three flavors available and about 65 calories
per 2.9 oz can Also in a dry formula but again canned preferred.
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Click for a chart of Estimated Calories needed for weight Maintenance and weight loss
Remember this chart contains rough estimates to get you started. An individual may need more or less
than the amount indicated on this chart. Cats may need to eat different amounts during their lifetime
depending on health, age, genetics, and activity level. Instead of memorizing an amount to feed,
memorize what you cat should weigh and feed to achieve that weight. Cats should lose weight slowly,
typically about a ½ pound per month would be a great goal. Weight your cat and adjust amount fed to
maintain an ideal weight.
For example to get a cat to lose weight to be about 10 lbs the chart suggests feeding 174 calories per
day. You can start there but then see if you are achieving about ½ lb per month. You may need to adjust
up or down depending on your results.
To maintain a cat at 10 lbs the chart suggests feeding about 218-262 calories per day depending on if
the cat is obese prone or a normal neutered cat. But again weight monitoring and adjustments need to
be made to see if you are truly maintain a stable weight
2. NEUTRACEUTICALS AND SUPPLEMENTS: Since these products have no FDA regulation, products and brands other
than those listed are NOT recommended. The quality and efficacy of other products varies widely to learn more
read THIS. These products are available at Deer Run or can be found elsewhere. They are not drugs so prescription
is not required. They are meant for long term use.
a. Dasuquin for Cats The glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate support healthy cartilage matrix production and
help protect against the cartilage breakdown that occurs in arthritis. This medication does not have a rapid
onset of benefit. It helps to nourish and protect the cartilage over time. It is most effective when used early
in the course of disease before cartilage is worn away or severely damage. Benefits often take 4-6 weeks to
begin. It is easy to give as a powder mixed into food.
b. Nordic Natural Fish Oils. The best way to utilize the omega 3 fatty acids to help arthritis inflammation is to
feed the J/d diet to ensure that the proper ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids is achieved. Using a
supplement added to regular food does not always do that. But if you are not feeding the joint diet, this is
another way to get some benefit from Omega 3 fatty acids.
3.
ADEQUAN INJECTIONS
With time and injury cartilage wears down and arthritis results. The body then needs to try to make more cartilage
matrix and will require the raw materials to do so. Adequan injections help provide the raw materials to do so and
helps cartilage repair.
However, Adequan does more than just provide building materials for cartilage repair. It has anti-inflammatory
properties of its own that help slow down the actual damage to the cartilage. It also promotes enzyme systems that
facilitate other aspects of joint repair beyond simply making more cartilage. It helps the joint create more lubricating
fluid as well.
Injections aretypically given twice weekly for at least 4 weeks, then once weekly for 4 weeks then repeated as
needed. Adequan is FDA approved for use in both dogs and horses. It is commonly also used in cats but is an off
label use of the drug.
4. ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES if you are interested in trying options such as acupuncture, laser therapy,
rehab exercises or other alternative therapies we recommend referral to Chicago Animal REhab Center or CARE in
the nearby south suburbs of Chicago. Many patients can benefit from these options but we recommend consulting
with Dr. Whalen at CARE for the best options for your cat.
5. ADAPTING THE ENVIRONMENT with ramps, easy access to low sided litter boxes in many locations, easy access to
food and water.
6. ORAL PAIN MEDICATIONS
Before we discuss actual medications we want to say a few words about administering oral medications.
Administering medications orally to cats is both a skill and an art. Above all we want to find low stress ways to
administer oral medications.
We will not improve a cat’s quality of life even if he is painful if we force medications down his throat on a long term
basis. Before oral pain medications are started it is imperative to learn about dose formulations available and the
many methods there are for administering medications to cats. We highly recommend reviewing our webpage on
Medicating Cats.
We also recommend coming in for some demonstrations and lessons from our staff on various techniques. If we are
going to use oral medications we have to have a very stress free administration plan prepared or we may cause
more harm than good!
a. GABAPENTIN is an oral medication that can be used for chronic arthritis pain. For additional information
please read this handout. Its major side effect is sedation.
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This can usually be minimized or avoided by starting with a very low dose and gradually
increasing if needed.
With time the sedation usually resolves, especially if the drug dose is slowly increased allowing
the cat to acclimate to it.
The dose range is extremely wide and so the goal is to find the lowest effective dose for the
individual patient.
This requires good communication and reporting with your veterinarian.
It is a human drug and the human sized capsules are usually too large and cumbersome to use in
cats.
It can be specially compounded by a compounding pharmacy such as Wedgwood Pharmacy
into various forms including liquid suspension if necessary.
b. BUPRENORPHINE is a narcotic pain drug that can be administered by the trans-mucosal route. It is inserted
with a needleless syringe into the cheek pocket or under the tongue to be absorbed across the oral mucus
membranes or gums. It is inactivated if swallowed. It can cause some sedation and mild temporary
behavior changes. It can be expensive for long term use but it is a good option for an acute short term flare
up of pain when needed. With long term use it may also cause constipation.
c. NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS OR NSAIDS. Here is a link from an Australian website on
the NSAID MELOXICAM for an example. These are probably the most effective drugs for arthritis pain in cats
but also the one with the most risk. They must be used very carefully with frequent monitoring of kidneys
with blood work and urine samples. Although approved for use for short term post-op use by the FDA they
are not approved for long term arthritis use and come with a “BLACK BOX WARNING” for long term use.
Meaning there is significant potential risk for kidney damage and other side effects if used off label and
without great care and monitoring.
Blood work should always be monitored before and during the use of NSAIDS. Many veterinarians have used
this drug with good results but strive to use doses much lower than what is on the product label and work to
find the lowest effective dose which is often way below the recommendations on the label. This lower
dosage has proven to be much safer and still helps many cats. But it requires informed consent and a client
who understands the risk and is willing to do all necessary monitoring. It has been labeled for more chronic
use in cats in Europe and Australia but the FDA is very concerned about the risk of the use of this drug in
cats in America.