Joint problems in cats?
Cats by nature are jumpers. They love to jump on the couch, the coffee table, the bed, and they love to jump high. How high can a cat jump? A young, healthy, average-sized cat can jump about six times their length or over eight feet in a single bound. With all that jumping around, cats eventually develop hip and joint problems as they age. Just like we cannot stop a cat from taking the next big leap, hip and joint problems in cats cannot be avoided. There are a lot of supplements formulated to help keep your cat’s joints and hips healthy. Before choosing a supplement for your cat, you should consult with your veterinarian first.
Signs of some Joint Problems in cats?
Signs to look out for that indicate your cat has joint problems are,
When your cat sleeps more than usual, Less active than usual, Disinterest in grooming themselves, Reluctance to jump up or down any height, Accidents around the litter bin and Change in urination behaviour.
Choosing the right Joint Supplements for cats?
Currently, there are no official government regulations for the safety and quality of supplements. So, we should research the products properly. Take a very close look at every ingredient included in the joint supplements. It’s highly unlikely these ingredients will poison your pet. But, because joint supplements are typically taken for a long period of time, we should not take any risks as anything even remotely unsavoury to a pet’s health should be avoided. If an ingredient does not work to improve the health of your pet, you should not include it in the diet. There are many types of supplements made especially for cats as they are very fussy eaters like powders, granules, liquid, oils, chewy sticks, tablets and capsules. Choose whichever your cat would like to eat.
Some harmful ingredients to be avoided?
Here are some ingredients that should never be given to your cat,
Glycerin – this was the ingredient we ended up cutting for the most. It’s derived from petrolatum, and there are concerns about the methanol contamination from its inclusion.
Garlic – any member of the Allium plant genus like leeks, scallions, chives, onion, etc. can be toxic to cats and dogs. If eaten, even in small amounts, over a long period of time, it can cause severe damage to the red blood cells and thus cause another health issue like anaemia.
Wheat and corn – Used simply as a filler ingredient. It offers unnecessary carbs that aren’t natural to an animal’s diet.
TBHQ – A synthetic preservative that isn’t very cat-friendly is better this preservative be avoided.
Sodium benzoate – A synthetic preservative that can become benzene a cancer-causing chemical when combined with citric acid or ascorbic acid. We should use products that use natural preservatives like vitamin E, citric acid, rosemary, sage, or clove.
Tips to remember?
Give preference to joint supplements that keep the ingredient list small. After the key ingredient that targets joint health and a few extra vitamins, everything else is filler and flavour. Thus, avoid any joint supplement that has more than 20 ingredients. All the research and scientific evidence that joint supplements work cannot be proved. Due to the lack of government regulation, anyone can sell a supplement and many veterinarians do create their own brands. So after vetting products for safe and high-quality ingredients, you can also rely on consumer feedback to help judge the effectiveness in stimulating joint health, and whether the cats will enjoy the supplement or not. Also, check if customers reported that their veterinarians noticed success, or complained that the tablet was too big for the cat or dog to swallow. Remember never to give any supplements to cats which are meant for other animals as cats are very sensitive and do not respond to all supplements. Only give supplements that are meant for cats.
