Arthritis & Cats

A joint is a flexible connection between two bones. Its purpose is to allow movement. Some joints are relatively simple and permit only a limited range of movement. Others, such as the hip or the jaw, are quite complex and are designed to enable the two bones to move in several directions.

"Arthritis" means inflammation within the joint. this condition usually results in pain and a degree of lameness. Arthritis is not particularly common in cats, especially when compared with its incidence in humans. For all its apparent familiarity to us, the condition is often poorly understood by cat owners. One particularly common misconception is that Arthritis and Rheumatism are the same thing (Rheumatism is a specific type of Arthritis). An understanding of what Arthritis is, how it develops, and what you can do about it will help you cope with an Arthritic cat.

Signs

The severity of the signs varies with the amount of damage to the joint and rate at which damage occurs. Signs should include:

1. Hot, swollen joint.
2. Pain - Cat might limp or even refuse to bear weight on the joint.
3. Stiffness, lameness. The cat might be slow or reluctant to stand up after rest.
4. A general loss or reduction of normal free function.

Treatment

The treatment depends to some extent on the cause of the Arthritis. The aim is to minimise further damage and to relieve the pain and inflammation.

When bacterial infection is the cause Antibiotics are used, but it is difficult to get Antibiotics into the joint and therefore to the site of infection. This is because everything that gets into the joint is filtered, purified and modified first. There is no blood within the joint. Instead, there is joint fluid, which is responsible for lubrication and nutrition, because the joint is protected from Antibiotics, infections within a joint can flourish. Although there are ways of overcoming this problem, it is nevertheless difficult to eliminate an infection without surgical intervention, once it has invaded a joint.

The treatment of Arthritis involves controlling the inflammation thus reducing the pain, plus stabilizing the joint if possible. This might involve repair of loose or broken ligaments. Reduction of any excess weight will also help.

There is a range of drugs that can be used. Aspirin is quite effective, but cats have great difficulty in excreting it. It is better and wiser to leave the choice and dose rates of drugs to your Veterinary Surgeon.

If your cat is overweight then it should be put on a pure diet to lose weight. Extra calcium or bonemeal should be added to food, and oils such as vitamin E daily and a little cod liver oil twice a week along with vitamin C may be beneficial. REMEMBER: It is important never to overdose cod liver oil, a quarter of a teaspoon is sufficient. Nutritionally vitamin C, A, D and E supplements are the most beneficial and collagen supplements could be useful.

Glucosamine (An animo sugar, that is a constituent of Heparin and other Polysaccharides) and Chondriton are substances which supposedly help regenerate cartilage.

Homoeopathically: Rhus Tox is the most commonly used remedy and Bryonia and Pulsatilla may also help. For older cats try Arnica.

Herbally: Nettles can be very effective; Alfalfa and Garlic may help.

Ask Online Vets for more Information on Cat Arthritis problems.

Cat Flu

Like people, many cats can develop the sneezing, runny nose, and general lethargy of an upper-respiratory-tract infection. Although the outward signs of a feline upper-respiratory-tract infection resemble the signs of a human cold most of the organisms that infect a cat’s nose and throat have no effect on people. And the opposite is true, human colds will not infect cats.

Feline respiratory infections are very contagious to other nearby cats. Just as a human cold virus can spread quickly through a household or workplace, a feline respiratory infection can to other felines in close proximity. In some cases, the disease can be prevented from spreading by isolation and sanitation of the feeding bowels. The problem is that most respiratory diseases are air borne and also can contaminate and be transmitted on clothing. Therefore, quick recognition and action are necessary prevent the infection from spreading to other household or neighborhood cats.

There are many types of constantly changing viruses causing colds and flu in humans. At the present time veterinarian researchers can trace most of the feline upper-respiratory-tract infections to two known viruses: feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) and feline calicivirus (FCV). As stated later in the article, there are several different strains of both viruses.

Although both viruses cause similar clinical effects, FVR (also known as feline herpesvirus-1[FHV-1]) usually causes a more severe illness than FCV. A cat suffering from an active FVR infection may sneeze frequently, become lethargic, salivate excessively, and lose its appetite. As the illness progresses, the cat may develop a thick nasal discharge. Some cats also develop conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids and parts of the eyeball. FVR infection rarely spreads to the lower respiratory tract (the bronchi and lungs), but when it does, it can cause pneumonia.

FCV infection causes effects similar to FVR infections - although typically milder. Cats suffering from FCV infections often develop painful ulcers on their tongues, lips, or the roofs of their mouths - sometimes with no other sign of respiratory infection. (FVR-infected cats also occasionally develop oral ulcers.) Infrequently, cats with FCV infection may limp (temporarily) due to joint pain and swelling.

Your cat’s immune system may be compromised by a viral respiratory infection. This may allow a secondary bacterial infection to develop and exacerbate the clinical signs of the viral infection. One type of bacteria, Chlamydia psittaci, can cause upper-respiratory-tract infections (sometimes called pneumonitis) even in cats that are not weakened by a respiratory virus. Chlamydia infections are far less common than viral respiratory infections and usually occur as a local outbreak in a cattery or household. A Chlamydia infection can cause sneezing and a runny nose, but it primarily affects the eyes, causing conjunctivitis in first one eye and then the other. In contrast, when FVR or FCV causes conjunctivitis, both eyes are affected simultaneously. Chlamydia is very susceptible to antibiotic ophthalmic drops or ointments.

Most upper respiratory infections run their course in several days. But, veterinary examinations are highly recommended with any sign of a respiratory disease. Treatment of both diseases FVR and FCV is the same. This includes proper rest, good nutrition, and proper nursing care.

Appetite and water intake are two crucial areas owner should pay attention to. An infected cat may lose its appetite because of debility and discomfort brought on by the illness, a decreased sense of smell due to a stuffy nose, or sores in its mouth that make eating painful Owners can try feeding their cat a special food - something the cat really likes or something particularly strong smelling, like sardines, that might arouse the cat’s interest in eating. If a cat stops eating and drinking altogether for a day or more or is eating and drinking poorly for several days, an owner should take the cat in for a veterinary examination. Veterinarians generally try to avoid hospitalizing cats with upper-respiratory-tract infections because they usually eat better and recover faster at home. However, a veterinarian may recommend putting a dehydrated or malnourished cat in the hospital so it can receive injectable fluids or tube feeding for a few days. The veterinarian may also administer antibiotics if there are signs of secondary bacterial infection.

Upper-respiratory-tract infections are rarely fatal, but can be very debilitating. In some cases these infections can be lethal especially to a kitten, an elderly cat, or a cat with an immune system that is already compromised by another disease. Because kittens face such high risks, owners should contact their veterinarian at the first sign of an upper-respiratory illness in a kitten.

Thanks to the availability of vaccinations against FVR and FCV, upper-respiratory-tract infections are no longer the problem they were before the mid-1970s. Because FCV (like many viruses) manifests different strains, veterinarians must vaccinate a cat against several strains of the virus to assure reasonable protection. In contrast, FVR is essentially the same virus wherever it shows up, so one type of vaccine does the trick. Even with vaccination, though, a cat may become infected, but the illness is usually less severe and shorter lived than if the cat were unvaccinated.
Pharmaceutical companies have also developed vaccines that provide limited protection against Chlamydia. But because Chlamydia infections are so uncommon, many veterinarians do not routinely vaccinate against them. Vaccination is probably useful in catteries or households with a history of the disease.

Veterinarians typically use a combined vaccine known as FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia) to protect cats from FVR, most strains of FCV, and panleukopenia - a life-threatening systemic infection. Vaccination for kittens usually begins at about 7-8 weeks of age. Kittens receive temporary immunity to many diseases from the antibody-rich colostrum in their mother’s first milk. And during this brief period of temporary "natural" immunity, vaccinations will not have any significant effect as the antibodies in the colostrum will suppress fight against any immunity the vaccine is intended to stimulate. So veterinarians usually wait until kittens are about 6 to 8 weeks old - when their colostrum-induced immunity begins to wear off. Veterinarians provide follow-up vaccinations at 3- to 4- week intervals until kittens are about 14 to 16 weeks old to provide the greatest possible immunity. Adult cats need an annual revaccination for continued protection.

Many cats that have recovered from the outward signs of upper-respiratory-tract infections remain carriers and continue to shed the virus for months or even years afterward. Even cats that have never shown obvious signs of a respiratory infection may sometimes carry FCV or FVR and shed it.

Upper respiratory tract infections (colloquially known as 'cat flu') should not be taken lightly. Recently, we had an adult cat exposed to a virus after the owners visited a shelter and after handling some sick kittens, brought the virus home on their bodies and clothing, infected their cat. This poor creature developed a temperature of 106 degrees (normal temperature is 100-102 degrees) and was extremely ill. After intensive treatment our patient survived, but now has a recurring conjunctivitis and probably is a carrier and will always be susceptible to recurrent bouts of conjunctivitis and respiratory infections. Carriers of FCV persistently shed the virus in their saliva and nasal discharges - both during illness and after outward signs of illness have passed. Carriers of FVR, on the other hand, experience both latent (non shedding) and active (potentially shedding) phases of the infection. After the clinical signs of FVR disappear, a cat may enter a latent phase during which the cat shows no signs of illness and does not shed the virus. However, when stressed (by illness or a change in environment, for example), an FVR carrier may enter an active disease phase during which the virus begins replicating in the cat’s body. In response to this surge in viral activity, the cat may once again show clinical signs, such as sneezing or nasal discharge, or may resume shedding the virus with no outward signs of illness.

If a nursing mother is a latent carrier of the FVR virus, her litter may be threatened to a high risk of infection. The stress of nursing often triggers the return of an active viral stage - at the time the kittens’ colostrum-induced immunity wears off. The virus then quickly spreads to the kittens. An owner who knows a nursing mother has had an FVR (or FCV) infection should consult a veterinarian. The veterinarian may recommend weaning the kittens early and separating them from their mother before they can become infected.

Although feline upper-respiratory-tract infections are highly contagious, both FVR and FCV are short lived in the environment. At common room temperatures and humidity levels, FVR rarely survives beyond 18 hours, and FCV survives only for a few days. A cat can transmit either virus (via water droplets) when it sneezes. But another cat can catch the airborne virus only if the sneezing cat is within approximately a 3-foot distance.

Infection spreads most readily from cat to cat by direct contact or shared contact with feeding dishes or toys. Transmission may also occur by transient contamination on the owners clothes. If an owner isolates a cat known to be infected and makes sure that healthy cat house mates do not share its dishes or playthings, the infection is less likely to spread throughout the household. Washing hands after handling an infected cat and even changing clothing may help defer or eliminate the spread of disease.

Ultimately, the best way to avoid a feline respiratory infection is to vaccinate your cat and kittens. Vaccination is the best protection currently available.

Cats and Taste

It appears, cats have a greater sensitivity to taste than people. They have about twice the number of smell receptors in their nasal passage the humans and have different culinary preferences.

While the nose provides information on the subtleties of odor and flavor, it’s the tongue that does the most of the work of tasting. On the tongue’s surface their are tissues called papillae that hold many microscopic clusters of taste-sensitive cells (taste buds). When your cat eats a mouthful of food, its saliva dissolves some of the chemical components in the food, including salts, acids, and sugars. The taste buds detect these dissolved chemicals and signal the brain by way of three pairs of cranial nerves. Because taste buds on different areas of the tongue vary in their sensitivity to particular types of chemicals, the brain can identify a taste based on the pattern of signals it receives.

Your cat’s tongue has other talents beyond tasting. It also senses texture and temperature and acts as a ladle to pick up liquids and tiny food morsels. As with all animals, during swallowing, muscles at the base of the tongue pull on the hyoid apparatus, a set of small bones in the throat. These bones then shift forward, closing off the windpipe with a flap of tissue called the epiglottis.

The cat’s tongue has a rough surfaced sandpaper texture. This is created by the stiff, curved filiform papillae in the tongue’s center. This rough surface helps cats during grooming. But this textured tongue also aids in feeding. Wild cats use their tongues to remove feathers or fur from their prey and to lick meat from the bones. Oddly enough, the only other domestic animals that have raspy tongues are the vegetarian cow and its relatives.

While we know quite a lot about the structure of the feline tongue, we know considerably less about its tasting abilities. After all, your cat can’t tell you whether it perceives something as sweet, sour, or bitter. Nevertheless, scientists have tried to assess the gustatory sensitivity of cats by training them to discriminate between plain water and water mixed with sugar, salt, or some other substance. The results of these taste tests suggest that cats can detect sour, bitter, and salty tastes, but not sweet ones.

Cats appear to be sensitive to the taste of water itself. While humans generally consider water to be tasteless, cats show a high sensitivity to natural variations in water flavor. This may explain why certain cats are picky in their drinking habits. Some cats will only drink running water from the tap. I know of other cats that will drink only from unmentionable sources!
Do cats have a sweet tooth? Many people say their cats show a district preference for sweet foods like ice cream, cookies, and fruit. The evidence may be misleading. The textures of these foods - called mouth feel - may actually be more important that their taste. For example, the desire for ice cream , may be due to its iciness and creaminess - not its sweetness. It’s also possible that dessert-eating cats are simply mimicking owner food preferences. Unfortunately, owners don’t always set the best example for their cats. Many human foods contribute nothing to feline nutrition and health - and some foods may actually be harmful. Our hospital pet “Cricket” loves cranberry juice, mandarin oranges, cranberry-orange muffins, and of course cat food. Go figure!

As your cat goes about deciding which foods it likes, it weighs several factors. The odor, taste, and feel of a food in the mouth seem important . Cats will often choose foods with lots of meat, a powerful aroma, a high fat content, a combination of soft and crispy textures, and a temperature of about 98 degrees. This is about the temperature of fresh killed mammals.

Cats also prefer variety in their diets. If they have a choice between two equally palatable foods, one familiar and the other unfamiliar, most will eat more of the new stuff - at least for a few days. Eventually, of course, the new stuff becomes as mundane as the old stuff. This feline preference for novel foods probably explains why so many types of cat food on supermarket shelves. It may also account for the “finicky” reputation of cats. But this infamous dietary pickiness may be more fabled than real. Most cats eat heartily even with only one item on their menu - unless they are ill.

Although your cat may prefer variety, there’s a downside to an ever-changing diet. Some cats may suffer indigestion or allergic reactions after eating new foods. And animals with certain medical conditions may need to stay on a prescribed diet. An occasional change of diet is fine for healthy cats.

We recommend feeding the higher quality - and therefore usually higher priced - cat foods. You get what you pay for. The reasoning behind this is simple. Pet foods that are less expensive are inconsistent in their ingredients and probably are using more by-products and less quality protein sources. I definitely would ask your veterinarian for recommendations as to the type of foods they endorse (though beware also, they may have special deals with certain pet food companies and therefore not give you an unbiased view). Feeding dry foods also may help with your pet’s dental needs by cleaning off some of the plaque buildup.

If you’ve ever had such a bad cold that it totally clogged your nose and sinuses and made your favorite curry dinner taste like cardboard, you know that losing your sense of smell and taste can put a real damper on your appetite. The same seems to be true of cats.

If your cat is ill and stops eating, it could suffer serious repercussions from even a mini-hunger strike. Cats that quit eating for several days can become weak and dehydrated, and prolonged fasting can lead to a condition called hepatic lipidosis, a dangerous accumulation of fat in the liver. Therefore, if your pet has not eaten for several days, see your veterinarian immediately.

To assist your sick cat in eating and, after consulting with your veterinarian, you may attempt the following:

Feed a very smelly food, such as sardines, tuna, or liver.

Heat up the food slightly. This will increase the aroma.

Hand feed your cat.

If it still is not eating, seek veterinary attention immediately.