Pain Relief For Cats - How To Help Your Cat Best

Pain relief for cats is one of the most challenging cat health questions.
Knowing which solution best serves your pet will help to avoid potentially serious side-effects caused by administering to your cat a pain relief pill you bought over the counter and may not know enough about.

Pain relief for cats? -
You'd think it would be pretty straightforward - just bring your ailing cat to the vet, right?
Of course, it's never that easy!

Have you ever noticed that most emergencies arise after the vet's office has closed for the day?

So what can you do when you come home from work or shopping to find your cat distressed and meowing and you know something is wrong?

Not to worry there are several things you can do to help your cat right at home.

Best Solution for Acute Pain Relief

"Cats are not small dogs!"

Pain relief for cats is one of the most challenging aspects of cat health care.

Knowing which solution best serves your pet will help to avoid potentially serious side-effects caused by administering a pain relief pill you bought over the counter and may not know enough about.

It is best to have some cat-specific emergency pain relief pill or oral solution at hand, so try to prepare before these events happen and have a small first-aid kit at home.

A few rules of thumb:

• Always keep in mind that cats are not small dogs or small children and therefore never use human or dog pain medicine for feline pain relief as this can cause really bad side effects.
• Aspirin is not suitable for pain relief for cats. Even the smallest piece of a normal human tablet, given once or twice, can cause fatalities.
• There is no safe over-the-counter cat pain medicine available at the moment.

So, take action and talk to your vet! Ask for a cat-specific pain relief medicine for at-home-emergencies. He or she knows the history of your pet best and can give advice that works for your cat.

How can I tell if my Cat is experiencing Pain and Discomfort?

Your cat's behavior is the easiest way to tell whether he or she is experiencing pain or discomfort. Be aware of any changes in the normal behaviour of your cat.

Other cat symptoms you may see are:

• lack of appetite
• hiding behind and underneath furniture
• frequent visits to the litter box with or without a result
• excessive scratching
• overgrooming and licking a body part
• excessive vocalizing and growling when you want to touch and pet your cat.

You know your cat best and will certainly be very quickly aware of any change in normal behavior patterns. If you see such a change, check to see if your cat is exhibiting any of the symptoms mentioned above, at which point you should contact your vet.

Why are Vets so cautious about the kinds of Feline Pain Relief Medicines to administer?

The answer is simple: Feline physiology, metabolism and drug elimination are very different in cats than they are in humans or canines. Cats require special medical care. Ongoing veterinary research and the invention of new and better drugs, especially for felines, will ensure appropriate health care.

Most drugs that work perfectly well for humans or dogs, can cause serious side-effects in cats.
Human or dog tablets you can buy in the supermarket can easily cause an overdose in cats even in tiny amounts.

It is only recently that the pharmaceutical industry has started to pay more attention to cat pain-relief drugs. Research and development of drugs that address specific feline needs are costly and require time to develop.
Modern feline drugs are very targeted and effective, but require a professional to make determinations and adjustments for the individual needs of a patient. This is why vets insist that feline pain medicine should be prescription only.

Common Cat Health Problems: Cat Arthritis and Ear Infection Pain Relief

Cat arthritis is becoming more and more an issue as felines live longer due to better medical attention and better quality food.

This means that a more sophisticated health management program, especially for geriatric and/or obese cats, is required.

Get here some practical advice on dealing with old age in cats.

Painkillers designed for long term use in cats are constantly being improved to make them even safer and more effective.

Due to global warming, infestation with fungi, mites, worms and other parasites is becoming a common cat health problem. Even inside-only cats suffer from these ailments more and more often.

Effective ear infection pain relief is important, as an aching and itching ear is most uncomfortable. Make sure you check your cats ears on a regular basis for sign of irritation and swelling.

Acupuncture for Cats as a Way of Feline Pain Relief without Drugs

Whenever I mention to pet owners during a consultation that their cat's condition would be suitable for an acupuncture treatment, their reaction is often one of surprise. Most of them have never considered that acupuncture for cats can bring great pain relief for their felines, but these pets in fact respond very well due to their highly reactive nervous systems.

In a quiet and relaxed environment cats usually tolerate acupuncture needles very well. They relax visibly during a treatment session and results can be very positive.

Read here a "Cat of the Day" case story about 'Bailey', a young feline pain patient.

Natural pain relief for cats is becoming very popular because there are hardly any serious side effects. In addition to acupuncture, homoeopathy and herbal medicine can have excellent results.
Just keep in mind that herbal remedies can be harmful if you don't know what you are doing. Always consult your vet about the best herbal solution for your cat.