For Cat Owners |
MANAGING FELINE PAIN & INFLAMMATION
The dominant approach to treatment of joint pain associated with DJD in cats revolves around medical management, with surgery being indicated occasionally. As for any chronic pain condition, a multimodal drug and non-drug approach is usually recommended to manage joint pain. Multimodal approaches use combinations of drugs with different actions (different modes of action). They also use non-drug therapies that work in different ways (such as dietary omeg-3 fatty acids, massage therapy and acupuncture). Some vets also prescribe the use of non-pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory devices, such as laser, therapeutic ultrasound and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapies. The reason for taking a multimodal approach is that chronic pain is complex and difficult to treat, especially in cats where drug toxicity and pilling challenges are common.
Unfortunately, little is known in veterinary medicine about what truly works to alleviate chronic pain in cats, although there is a lot of ongoing clinical research in this area.
Such clinical research has told us that, just as in people, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) are effective for managing chronic joint pain, and that adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diet may also help alleviate joint pain. New classes of drugs are in development and veterinarians are regularly informed by pharmaceutical companies when new therapies are approved by the FDA. One of the most exciting new therapies on the horizon is a felinized
version of anti-nerve growth factor (the human version is being developed for chronic pain in
people).
Your vet is your best source of advice about how new drug therapies may help manage your cat’s chronic musculoskeletal pain.