Veterinary management of feline osteoarthritis

Cheryl Corral
Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Osteoarthritis is a progressive, degenerative condition, which causes mobility issues and behavioural changes in affected cats as a result of chronic pain. Despite reports in the literature suggesting a vast prevalence of the condition among the domestic cat population, the condition appears to be underdiagnosed. This is likely due to a combination of subtle clinical signs, lack of owner awareness and poor correlation between radiographical changes and severity of clinical signs. Multimodal management of feline osteoarthritis is likely to be most successful in alleviating pain and improving quality of life. This may include some or all of the following: medical management, rehabilitation therapies, weight loss, environmental adaptations, joint supplements and surgery.

Table 1. Behavioural, examination and radiographic changes (which may be seen as a result of osteoarthritis in the feline)
Table 1. Behavioural, examination and radiographic changes (which may be seen as a result of osteoarthritis in the feline)

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