Arthritis in cats

As you may have seen from the last blog entry, Giacomo has been treated for hip dysplasia using physiotherapy. Rungo has also been receiving treatment at the SMART Clinic. In his case, this was for arthritis.

More than 80% of cats over 10 are thought to suffer with arthritis, although many cats are never brought to the vet for diagnosis or investigation of the problem. Signs of arthritis in older cats include

• sleeping more
• reluctance to play
• jumping up less (you may just notice that your cat is choosing to sit on lower resting points)
• hesitating before jumping up or down
• becoming less keen to interact with you
• changes in temperament - generally becoming more grumpy
• matted or scurfy coat
• long nails which catch in carpets or clothing

If you cat is showing any, or especially several of these signs, you should consider that they may be suffering from arthritis. This is a painful degenerative joint condition which can cause a significant decline in the quality of life of may older cats.

Don't put off bringing your cat to the vet because you think it's just old age or that nothing can be done. If you have any suspicion of arthritis please consult your veterinary surgeon as it is a painful, progressive condition, meaning that the longer it is left, the more uncomfortable your cat will become. Arthritis may be suspected on examination, but X-rays are often needed to diagnose the condition.

The good news though, is that the condition is treatable. We use a combination of several different treatments to achieve the best control of the painful signs of arthritis

• Anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation
• Chondritin and Glucosamine supplements to improve the condition of cartilage and joint fluid (these need to be specially formulated for cats)
• Special food containing supplements to help maintain joint health
• Physiotherapy, including exercise and acupuncture (available by referral)

For more information about arthritis in cats click here.

Arthritis is also found in dogs. They generally show a slowing down when exercising, may become more reluctant or slower to rise and look stiff after they have been lying down. Again, early diagnosis and treatment can make a huge difference to your dog's quality of life.

If you are interested in finding out about the SMART Clinic click here.

Physiotherapy for Cats

Giacomo has been having physiotherapy...

He has a problem called hip dysplasia; meaning that his hips have not formed properly. The condition is not uncommon in dogs, especially big dogs but is rare in cats. Maine Coons are known to be prone to it, so when he was about 5 months old I X-rayed his hips to make sure he was not suffering from dyspastic hips. Unfortunately he was.

The best way to deal with the problem in a young dog or cat is to use physiotherapy to build up the muscles in the hind legs to stabilise the hips in the sockets. He has also been receiving joint supplements to make sure his joint cartilage is as healthy as possible.

His physiotherapy has been taking place at the SMART Clinic, a dedicated animal physiotherapy clinic which has branches in both Cardiff and Swansea. He has made a huge improvement in the last 5 months and can now jump onto the top of our 6 foot garden fence and run along the top.

I thought you might like to see what physiotherapy in cats looked like. As well as the treadmill exercise show in the video, he has also be receiving acupuncture and we have doing exercises with him at home.



Hip dysplasia is a more common problem in dogs than cats, where is tends to affect large breed dogs such as Labradors and German Shepherd dogs. Young dogs which are reluctant to exercise, have hip pain, are unwilling to jump or bunny hop when running, may be showing signs of hip dysplasia. Left untreated it progresses relatively quickly to arthritis, but with treatment, most dogs and cats with hip dysplasia cat live a normal life.

Anyone considering breeding from a animal in a breed know to have hip dysplasia should have their animal screened before breeding. In dogs there is a Kennel Club scheme to screen dogs of affected breed before breeding, with recognised low breed values.

If you are an Ash Veterinary Surgery client and think your pet could have hip dysplasia or feel that your pet would benefit from referral to the SMART Clinic then please contact Ash Veterinary Surgery to arrange an appointment.

Emily Makes Headlines

Emily, collie with a badly broken leg was brought to Ash Veterinary Surgery when she was found by Mr and Mrs Sturgess. They adopted her and a year later she has been adopted by the Merthyr branch of the RSPCA as their mascot.

Your can read her story here

Share Christmas with Your Pets

Tinsel, Toys and Turkey

Over Christmas, dogs and cats have access to all sorts of things they would not normally see. Please enjoy the festive season with your pets, but be careful of the following:

Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats. There's a lot of it about at this time of year. Be careful,especially with chocolate advent calendars and Christmas tree decorations

Tinsel can cause blockages in the intestine; do not allow pets to chase or eat it. The same applies to gift ribbon.

Don't feed your pets rich foods they are not used to. These can cause sickness and diarrhoea. Stick to a good quality dog or cat food as usual.

Give good quality, safe toys to you pets as Christmas presents. Make sure that the toys are tough enough and of the correct size for the recipient. Remove any features which your pet could chew off and eat.

If you have any Veterinary problems over Christmas or New Year, please telephone us as usual. If we are not available, our emergency services will be on call ensure your pets have the best treatment available.

Firework Treatment Starts Now

I love fireworks and look forward to Bonfire night, but there are lots of people and pets out there who don't.

Many dogs and cats are scared of fireworks, and need treatment to help them cope. For more information, read the article on our new look website.

Every year we treat pets who are terrified of fireworks and we have found that the best ways to help your pets are

Medicate - treat them and treat them early. The medications work best if they are started several weeks before fireworks are expected and continue for at least a week afterwards. There are several drugs which are used in combination to treat this phobia.

Change your behaviour - don't reassure them, either distract them or jolly them along. Shutting the curtains and playing music to block out noises can also help. (Just avoid the 1812 overture, 'cause they might not like the cannons!)

Den - make your pet a den where they can feel safe and secure

Prevention - use the special CDs to teach your pet not to be scared.

Additional excellent information can be found at the sound therapy website.

Not just dogs and cats

I thought you'd like to see a picture of one of the more unusual creatures we have treated recently.

We commonly have tortoises visiting the practice, as Mike Jessop, one of our partners has a special interest in tortoises and reptiles. This Sulcata tortoise was a rather memorable patient. It took two of us to carry him.

He had an operation under a general anaesthetic and is doing well.

Here's Leanne, our trainee nurse helping him back to bed.

Pet Smile Month

September is National Pet Smile Month and we are doing our bit to support dental care by offering free dental checks to any dogs or cats registered at the practice.

Dental disease is vastly under diagnosed and under treated in the UK. Studies show that 80% of dogs and cats have gum disease by the time they are three years old.

Initially dental disease is reversible, but it leads to reddened painful gums, tooth root exposure, holes through the enamel into the sensitive pulp and eventually loss of teeth. This is of course painful for your pet.

The trouble for many owners is that animals do not show signs of having a painful mouth until late in the course of the disease. Many owners never check their pet's mouths and are surprised when we show them what is going on. Yellowing tartar, broken teeth and smelly breath may be lurking inside your pet's mouth. Have a look today, or even better, let us look for you.

All pets who have a dental examination during Pet Smile Month will be given a free dental care guide and a goodie bag containing a fingerbrush, toothpaste and information about dental care. For owners we are offering 10% off dental procedures booked and performed during September and the same discount on dental care products.

To find out more about Pet Smile Month visit
http://www.petsmile.org/home.html
or ask one of our vets, nurses or receptionists and look out for more about dental disease during the month of September.