You call out to your cat as you fill up its food bowl. The cat makes its way over but a little it’s a little slower than usual and it seems to be limping. You brush this off as nothing but then the cat starts to get a little aggressive towards your children and guests.
It’s hard to watch your furry friend act this way so you start scratching your brain trying to figure out what to do. You guess that it’s in pain from the way it’s limping so you give it some over the counter pain meds. This is probably the worst thing that you could do.
So what can you give a cat for pain? Read this quick guide to find out.
1. How to Tell Your Kitty is Suffering
After a surgery your cat is going to be in a bit of pain. This is obvious but how do you tell when the reason for their pain isn’t in plain sight? In these cases, it’s important to look at subtle signs.
There are two types of cat, one that enjoys heights and one that prefers to stay close to the ground. If your cat who prefers heights isn’t hopping in the window or on the fridge like they used to, it may because they can’t. All cats sleep a lot but ones that are hurting do more so than others.
Your cat who loves being held and cuddled will suddenly become more distant, it may become aggressive when it’s approached, and the biggest sign, it will walk stiffly or limp.
2. What Medicines are Okay for Your Cat
Now that you’ve identified that your cat could be feeling a lot of pain, it’s time to come up with a solution. Whatever you do, take your kitty to the vet. Medications should never be administered to your cat without consulting a professional first.
They can suggest brands, give you dosage advice, and some pain meds have to be administered while they are under the close watch of a vet anyway.
NSAIDs
A vet may suggest using NSAID’s like aspirin when nothing else will work. That’s because NSAID’s can only be used short term and the dosages have to be spread out over a long period of time. If you’re not careful it will cause kidney and liver failure in your furry friend.
Opioids
Opioids are mostly for severe pain so your vet will likely only prescribe it after the cat comes out of surgery or if it has some sort of chronic pain. It can increase your cat’s quality of life if it’s living with arthritis but keep in mind that it shouldn’t be mixed with any NSAIDs.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids is another medication that will work for kitty arthritis because it is a powerful inflammatory. It can also ease any painful allergy symptoms. This medication has a few nasty long term side effects though so be on the lookout.
Gabapentin
Gabapentin is a powerful seizure medication for humans. In terms of cats, it can help with seizures sure, but it can also calm any recurring pain in their muscles, nerves, and bones.
CBD
Most CBD research has been done on dogs rather than cats but that doesn’t mean it can’t help your suffering feline. If your cat has developed arthritis in its old age, CBD oil can take care of it.
A lot of cats become aggressive when they’re in pain. CBD oil can ease their temperament so they won’t lash out at someone who is trying to help them.
Perhaps the best part of CBD is that it could help your cat with their pain without any of the side effects that the medications above have. Make sure that you speak to their vet before administering the oil. They’ll be able to tell you if it’s right for your cat and the correct dosage to give them.
If you want a to read up on it a little more before you talk to the vet, you can check out this useful link.
3. Is Tylenol Okay
Never give your cat Tylenol for their pain. Acetaminophen can be toxic in cats. In fact, one Tylenol tablet has enough of it to cause irreversible liver and kidney damage that will quickly kill the cat.
Dogs can usually be given it in small amounts but your cat’s body just can’t break it down.
4. Symptoms to Watch Out for
No matter how safe the medication you give your cat may be, even if it’s vet recommended, it can still cause harmful side effects to occur. While these symptoms aren’t always common you still need to be on the lookout for the following,
- Drop in appetite
- Loss of energy
- Changes in how much it pees
- Changes in how much it drinks
- Diarrhea and dark feces
- Any Yellowing of the teeth, gums, and skin
If you notice any of these things then you need to call the vet right away. They will be able to tell you exactly what to do to help them.
Your Guide For What Can You Give a Cat for Pain
Your cat is your baby so the last thing you want is to watch it limp around your home in pain. So, what can you give a cat for pain?
Giving them certain medications can do more harm to them than good. Use these tips to give your furry friend just the thing it needs to get back on its paws.
A cat with chronic pain and other conditions can wrack up quite the vet bill. You love them so it’s worth it but paying for all of it is more than a little stressful. Keep reading to find out how you can make the bill a little more manageable.