Arthritis in animals is an inflammatory response to joint trauma or disease that causes further damage to a joint when inflammation becomes chronic.
One out of three cats will develop arthritis during their lifetime. One out of every five cats less than seven years of age will be affected by joint injury or disease. Finally, seven out of ten senior cats over 7 years of age will suffer from arthritis.
All total, it is estimated that over 14 million pets in the U.S. have arthritis – some as young as one year of age. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these animals are receiving treatment.
The joints of a cat are composed of soft connective tissue and cartilage. Their role is to provide cushioning between bones and to allow free movement. The active lifestyle of our pets makes their joints susceptible to injury, in which case a complete joint care product would be useful as an adjunct to routine veterinary treatment modalities.
Many joint problems often develop as a result of an earlier, often seemingly minor injury or trauma.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
- Pain & Swelling
- Inflammation
- Erosion of Cartilage
- Loss of Joint Lubrication
- Loss of Mobility and Flexibility
- Atrophy of Surrounding Muscles
It is important to watch for a cat’s non-verbal cues and take even subtle changes seriously. Signs that a cat may have a joint problem:
- Favoring a limb
- Difficulty sitting or standing
- Hesitancy to run, jump or climb stairs
- Decreased activity or interest in play
- Not covering their stools in the litter box
- Becoming less alert and responsive
- Attitude or behavior changes
Joint Care Recommendations:
- Maintaining normal body weight in cats is the most proactive thing one can do to help prevent or manage osteoarthritis. Weight loss is a matter of balancing the number of calories going in with the amount being expended. Safe and effective weight loss can be accomplished by reducing 20 % of a cat’s regular diet and replacing the lost ingredients with Feline ProBalance. It is the perfect match with ArthraPro for aiding cats in need of joint recovery.
- Exercise is one of the most important aspects of keeping a cat fit and healthy. When faced with joint disease, exercise should be limited until the joint becomes stabilized and muscle atrophy is reversed. Just controlling pain and allowing a cat to move about freely will thwart any attempt by the cat to reconstruct damaged cartilage.
- Oxidative cellular destruction is greatly accelerated during most disease processes especially chronic inflammatory diseases like arthritis. To protect against increased cellular damage, ArthraPro includes a powerful blend of known antioxidants responsible for removing free radicals.
- Steroid and NSAID treatment may be effective in relieving pain and discomfort when an animal first presents with osteoarthritis but is not a safe long-term strategy. Starting an animal on ArthraPro at the beginning of treatment will greatly limit the need for long term steroid or NSAID therapy thereby minimizing the potential side effects usually associated with these medications.
- Proactive with ArthraPro can help eliminate more costly and painful procedures down the road.
Arthritis Summary:
ArthraPro has been clinically proven to help control pain & inflammation, provide joint lubrication for improved mobility and flexibility, and assist in the reconstruction of damaged joint cartilage. ArthraPro contains a combination of additional ingredients that revitalize muscle, ligaments, and tendons that provide the support needed for a joint to function properly.
ArthraPro provides the specific collagen types necessary for rapid repair of joint cartilage, ligaments, and tendons while B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate (HMB) rebuilds weakened, atrophied muscles. This is Complete Joint Care.