Cat Care Clinic

Posted on: 3 June 2015

If you have an aging cat with arthritis, you probably see how uncomfortable they can be. Traditional medical treatments can ease some of the symptoms, but your cat may be on several pills to address all of their issues. It may be time to consider a holistic approach to your cat's care to restore their health and rid them of uncomfortable symptoms.

Holistic Versus Symptom-Oriented Treatment

Your veterinarian is well-versed in the types of symptoms that your arthritic cat may have, such as

• joint pain
• disrupted sleep
• agitation
• appetite loss
• anxiety
• weight loss
• dehydration

The traditional approach is to target these symptoms to make your cat more comfortable. Medications, injections and fluid therapy can give your cat some relief. Some of these treatments have their own side effects which may need to be treated. For example, steroid injections in your cat's joints to relieve pain and inflammation can reduce the effectiveness of the cat's immune system.

Holistic veterinarians are trained to look at the cat's overall health and determine a treatment plan that reduces the amount of medications used. Whenever possible, they will try non-invasive approaches or natural remedies that don't cause side effects.

A Variety of Treatment Options

The holistic vet is open to other treatment options not considered by the traditional vet. These might include

• Raw foods. This vet may recommend slowly moving your cat to a diet of raw foods to get rid of the preservatives, artificial colors and flavors from their diet.
• Acupuncture. Like acupuncture on humans, this treatment uses small needles inserted under the skin at strategic locations to suppress or stimulate the body's responses to the arthritis.
• Herbal remedies. Made from plant extracts, herbals can be used for such things as increasing appetite and reducing anxiety.
• Homeopathic treatments. These are solutions containing barely perceptible quantities of substances which stimulate your cat's natural healing processes.
• Chiropractic. The manipulation and massage of muscles and joints may be used to stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation and pain in your cat.

The holistic vet will recommend one or more of these treatments alongside some of the traditional medical approaches your vet has started. For instance, your vet may have prescribed a pain medicine to help your cat relax. The holistic vet will monitor your pet's response to some of these alternative treatments with the hope that your cat will need less medication to be comfortable.

When looking for some alternative approaches to add to the treatment of your cat's arthritis, talk with a holistic veterinarian like Clayton Veterinary Associates. They can work with you and your regular vet to come up with a plan that may give your cat even more relief from their discomfort.