The FMPI |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know if my cat has pain from degenerative joint disease?
Answer: Any change in your cat’s normal behavior can be a sign of pain. To help identify these behavioral indicators, compare your cat’s daily behaviors and reactions in various situations to when they were young adults. Ask yourself if they are slowing down. Think about changes in their temperament; changes in how they move around their environment, such as using pieces of furniture to get up onto higher places rather than jump up; changes in their response to petting; changes in the way they move, such as not moving easily or fluidly. Sometimes changes in litter box use habits can be an indicator of joint pain, and limping or lameness can suggest joint pain. Of course, may other painful conditions and diseases can also cause similar changes in behavior, so seeking veterinary evaluation is important.
My cat is slowing down – isn’t that just old age?
Answer: Certainly cats slow down somewhat as they get older, but a lot of the slowing down you see in older cats is due to joint pain as cats are performing activities of daily living, making these activities more difficult to do, and making cats reluctant to do them. If you are wondering whether your cat is slowing down due to age, or whether there is joint pain present, check in with your veterinarian, and consider answering the FMPI questionnaire.
What are the most common reasons for limping or lameness in cats?
Answer: Limping and lameness can mean a lot of different things – from decreased use of a single limb through to abnormality of movement (e.g. moving more stiffly). By far and away, the most common reason for limping and lameness problems in cats is degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis. In fact, degenerative joint disease is present in up to 90% of all cats – young and old are affected. Not all disease is painful, but in about half of the cases, there is pain present.
What should I do if I notice my cat limping or showing lameness?
Answer: Sometimes, limping occurs due to a temporary tissue sprain or overuse of a muscle, however this should settle down within a day or two. If the lameness persists, you should get your pet evaluated by a veterinarian. Make sure the visit will be a stress-free one for you and your cat, by calling your veterinarian and asking what they do to minimize stress for feline patients.
What can I do to make my arthritic cat more comfortable?
Answer: There are several things you can do to make your cat more comfortable, but do not give any medicines you may have or be taking to your cat – some medicines used in people, such as Tylenol, are toxic in cats. Your veterinarian will talk to you about the best drug and non-drug options. You can ease life for your cat by making the environment easier to move around in – place furniture so as to help him or her move to the places they want to go. Make sure access to the litter box is easy (no high sides), and the litter box is in an easily accessible part of the house, near to where your cats spends most time, and your cat does not have to perform strenuous activities to get there (e.g. having to climb upstairs to find the litter box). Make sure food and, importantly, water, are within easy access. Also, keep your cat slim – the extra bodyweight makes it more difficult to move around on painful joints.
At what age is degenerative joint disease associated pain seen?
Answer: Degenerative joint disease is common across all ages of cats, and while almost all cats greater than 10 years of age have joint pain, so do many young cats, even as young as 6 months old.
Is it important to treat joint pain?
Answer: In people, mobility is considered one of the most important determinants of quality of life. We believe that is the same for cats, and so it is important to treat joint pain. In addition, untreated pain can have many other deleterious effects that decrease a cat’s quality of life, and untreated pain gradually gets worse until pain becomes a disease in its own right.
I don’t like taking my cat to the vet because he/she gets stressed, so what can I do?
Answer: Having your cat evaluated by a veterinarian is important in order to effectively and safely treat joint pain (and other conditions). There are several things you can do to make the trip to the vet easier for your cat, including calming drugs you can give before the trip. So ask your veterinarian about those, and also speak to your vet to see if they take special measures to make the visit to the clinic stress-free, such as being a Cat Friendly Practice. Established by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM), the Cat Friendly Practice® program is a global initiative designed to elevate care for cats by reducing the stress for the cat and the caregiver.
How can I monitor my cat’s progress on treatment?
Answer: You can use the FMPI tool to monitor your cat’s progress with response to treatment.
For more help, email us at help@painfreecats.org