How will I know if my cat is in pain?

Cats are very tricky, you know, it's more about the behaviors. And so I kind of tell people is cats are very subtle, so things that could be a really good indicator is like my cat used to jump up, but now doesn't jump up on the counter anymore. I mean, think about when your cat was a kitten and they were a menace knocking things over constantly. So now that your cat's a little bit older, you may notice they can't get up there, and that could definitely be a sign of pain. Hiding more, you know, eating less, crouching over, really not doing the things that they normally do. So that's a really big thing is to pay attention to that.

Dr. Keli Van
Animal Oasis of the Rockies Veterinary Hospital

Why is it important to avoid self-diagnosing cats?

I think it's important because sometimes people will give medications to cats that they really shouldn't have, and so sometimes people will go on Google and it'll say, oh, give your cat, you know, Advil, which is not what you should do. So I think it's important to have a veterinarian take a look so we can talk about the options that are available for cats.

How will a veterinarian know if my cat is in pain?

It's a really good question there. So basically I'm asking about your cat's typical behavior. Are they fighting more with the housemate? Are they grumpier when you pick them up? Did they used to just love it and now they don't? Lots of things, and even on a good physical exam, you know, we do look at most of their things and do some sort of range of motion, although most cats don't want to participate in that. Usually I can tell, you know, because if a cat has good muscling or if they don't have good muscling or if one muscle is bigger than the other, I'm going to question why is that.

What are some possible conditions that can cause cat pain and what are some of the pain treatments?

So cat pain can come in a lot of different ways. Oral cat, you know, oral pain in cats is one of those things. You know, they'll drop food, they won't eat as much, that kind of thing. Arthritis is a big one that I feel gets underdiagnosed just because most cats, they usually don't limp with arthritis like they do with dogs. It's more about the subtleties that you change at home. So that's, you know, really important. But there's lots of things, you know, even something like cancer can potentially cause pain, but usually that comes with a diagnosis.

What types of pain medications might my veterinarian prescribe for my cat?

Well, there's lots of different options, I would say, but, like, I'll use the example for arthritis. You know, we have really good injections now for cats that have been a game changer. It's a monoclonal antibody called Silencia. It's once a month injection. I give it to my senior cat and I definitely notice a difference. There's things like Onsure, which is an anti-inflammatory that we can use, and things like Gabapentin that can help with pain or discomfort. So not as many options as dogs, but it definitely requires you to come see us, for sure.

What is the most important consideration when it comes to vaccine medications?

As a fellow cat lover, I feel like the most important thing is what you're able to do with your cat. So that's something that's really important. I cannot give my cat a daily liquid medication. She would froth at the mouth, run away from me, hide from me. So I chose the injection for her because that makes our relationship so much better because it's a once-a-month injection. So I think that is a huge consideration because, unlike dogs, cats hold grudges, and so we want to make sure your relationship with them stays very positive.

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