Elbow Arthritis In Cats

Reviewed and updated for accuracy on may 29 2019 by dr.

Elbow arthritis in cats.

Hanie elfenbein dvm phd. Elbow and coxofemoral joints are commonly affected by osteoarthritis in obese cats. Although fairly uncommon in felines arthritis tends to affect the elbow joint when it does strike but many joints can be afflicted. This does require an anaesthetic or at least deep sedation in order to position the cat correctly to get diagnostic radiographs.

Arthritis does however occur in younger cats often of immune mediated or infective origin. Signs of arthritis in cats. Elbow arthritis also affec. The only way to reliably diagnose arthritis in cats is to radiograph the joints the elbow and the hip are most commonly affected.

Cats tend to hide signs of pain quite effectively which makes sense if you consider their ancestry. One sign that your elbow pain is ra is that you have symmetrical pain in both elbows. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common cause of elbow arthritis. The most frequently affected joints in cats are the elbows and hips although shoulders and hocks have also been reported.

Senior cats have the highest risk for contracting osteoarthritis a type of arthritis in cats that s also known as degenerative joint disease djd. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the lining of the joints often in the elbows. 7 interestingly arthritis of the vertebrae and sternum the axial. Elbow osteoarthritis in a cat.

Arthritis in your elbow can cause swelling stiffness and pain that tends to be more intense on the outside of the elbow joint and worsens as you rotate or extend your arm. This instinct makes it difficult for owners to know their cats is affected and whether treatment is necessary. A sick animal in the wild is vulnerable to predators so any sign of weakness must be hidden. Arthritis is the general medical term for inflammation of the joints while osteoarthritis is the term that specifically refers to a form of chronic joint.