Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and joint pain in 28 cats with osteoarthritis
By Clarke, S P & Bennett, D·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2006·Institute of Comparative Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline osteoarthritis: a prospective study of 28 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 cats with osteoarthritis showed signs like difficulty jumping and a stiff gait. Most of these cats had issues in their elbows and hips, and many owners noticed their pets improved significantly after starting pain relief medication. Within four weeks of treatment, the cats were able to jump better and were more active. This study highlights that while cats may not always show obvious limping, they can still suffer from joint pain that can be managed effectively with the right medication.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To identify a cohort of cats with clinical osteoarthritis and to report on the clinical signs, the frequency of joints affected and the possible aetiopathogenesis within this population. METHODS: Inclusion criteria for this prospective study were presence of historical evidence and/or clinical signs of osteoarthritis, together with radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis. Patients showed clinical improvement within four weeks of analgesic administration and were free from other disease processes, which might explain the clinical signs and/or their response to analgesia. RESULTS: Twenty-eight cases were included in the cohort. The elbow (45 per cent) and the hip (38 per cent) were the most frequently affected joints. Seventy-one per cent of cases had primary/idiopathic aetiology. Alterations in both the ability to jump (71 per cent) and the height (67 per cent) of jump (lifestyle changes) were the most frequent signs of disease. Sixty-one per cent of owners felt that their pet had made a marked improvement following administration of an analgesic/anti-inflammatory drug. There were statistically significant improvements in the ability to jump (P < 0.001), the height of jump (P < 0.001), lameness (P = 0.03), stiff gait (P = 0.04) and the activity level (P = 0.02) when compared with the start and the end of the study period. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Osteoarthritis is a clinical problem in cats, but overt lameness is not the most common clinical feature.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16911111/