Pain relief treatments for cats

 

If you have a pet cat that is in a lot of pain, it can be a harrowing time. For a lot of people, their cat is part of the family, and they will do everything in their power to ease its suffering. You may be wondering what kinds of medicine exist for cats and how best you can help. You will be happy to know there are now several types of pain relief treatments for cats, and some of them can even speed up your pet’s recovery.

 

 

Natural Methods

There are natural ways to help ease your cat’s pain that do not involve medication. Acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy and other treatments that help humans can all benefit a cat that is suffering. If you want to know more about these pain relief treatments for cats you should attempt to find a local specialist who can give you information and advice, and may help you to learn things you can do at home with your cat. Natural methods also include those patches and pills containing extra vitamins and minerals. These can give your cat’s nutrient levels a real boost, especially if her appetite is lower than usual and she isn’t eating properly.

 

Steroids

There are drugs available that can help to reduce inflammation and pain by utilizing steroids such as Cortisone. These drugs may have serious side effects if used over a long period of time similar to those developing in humans who use steroids, and so should only be used for short-term pain relief treatments.

 

NSAID’s

Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) can help to reduce pain and inflammation, and will often be used when your cat is suffering from arthritis, for example, or when it is recovering from surgery. They can be one of the best pain relief treatments for cats but they can only be acquired with a prescription and you will have to work with your veterinarian to find the right NSAID for your cat. In some cases you may have to try out several before you find a suitable NSAID that your cat is happy with.

Modern NSAID’s usually do not produce many side effects, but when you receive the drugs you will also get an information sheet that you should take the time to read. The information sheet will tell you which symptoms to look out for if your cat happens to have an adverse reaction to the drug, and lots of other useful facts about the drug. If your cat does start to act strangely or becomes ill after starting a course of treatment, the general advice is to stop administering the NSAID’s immediately and return to your vet.

 

Opiates

In severe cases your vet may think an opiate-based treatment is required, although this is rare. Drugs such as morphine and codeine are heavy duty painkillers only used when absolutely necessary. If the cat only has a short time left, this kind of treatment can be used to ease her suffering during those last few moments.