Pain Management For Older Cats

Most cats instinctively hide their pain as a survival mechanism.

Pain management for older cats.

In localized acute pain injections of local anesthetic or freezing similar to your dentist s needle for pain can be used for a short period of time. Meloxicam is another nsaid that s injected usually after surgery. And when it comes to pain and pain management this is certainly true. Your vet may prescribe the pill robenacoxib which is also available as an injection.

The fda hasn t approved any nsaids for long term pain management but certain ones are cleared for short term use in cats. Joints naturally degenerate as part of the aging process. Acute short term pain is often treated with a prescription opioid pain reliever called buprenorphine but this medication can be costly over the long run. Fortunately for cats and the people who love them veterinarians have made excellent progress in understanding cat pain and how to manage it.

Nsaids are usually the first line of defense. Pain management options for cats are limited because of the unique physiology of the cat and how drugs are metabolized and treating your cat s pain may often involve multiple medications or modalities. Pain management options in cats include appropriate medication good nursing and acupuncture. Most cats instinctively hide their pain as a survival mechanism.

As cats get older the cartilage deteriorates and becomes less flexible. Pain and difficulty experienced with litter box usage is a very common reason why older cats might stop using their box become constipated or even develop a devastating case of urinary obstruction. In addition to medication holistic remedies acupuncture and reiki can be important components of comprehensive pain management. Lapsed litterbox habits due to pain caused by getting in and out of the box hesitancy to run jump or climb stairs.

Pain medications for cats should only be given to cats under close veterinary supervision.