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What is feline hip dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is an
inherited trait involving multiple gene pairs - it is not congenital
(meaning an animal is not born with it). The condition develops over
time from instability in the hip joint which results from an
improper fit of the femoral head (ball-like structure) into the
acetabulum (hip socket). This instability, called hip joint laxity,
results in abnormal weight bearing within the hip joint. From this,
secondary changes and remodeling occur in an effort to stabilize the
joint or avoid bone-on-bone contact. When cartilage disintegrates,
from abnormal wear, the femoral head and acetabulum rub together
with every step causing pain and eventual osteoarthritis.
1.
Femur
2. Femoral Head (ball like structure)
3. Acetabulum
(hip socket)
What are the symptoms of feline hip dysplasia?
It has been suggested that cats
with feline hip dysplasia (FHD) are not in pain. Well, unless you
can talk directly to your cat, and he can answer you, how can you
know for sure? Cats are rather stoic creatures and it is
speculated that they hide or mask their pain well. Out in the
wilds if a cat showed pain by limping or moving slowly, he would
appear vulnerable and be an immediate target for predators. Our
domestic cats are still driven by natural instincts that tell them
NOT to limp or not to move too slowly. There may be a gradual
decrease in certain movements or particular activities that cause
pain. For example, a cat in pain may not jump as high as usual, or
it may move more and more slowly over time. These may be symptoms
that most people simply would not notice or would attribute to
other things. The gradual lack of movement may go undetected until
one day - perhaps years from the onset of pain - the disease has
progressed so that it becomes quite obvious with limping, not
climbing, not jumping or the inability to go up stairs. Even then,
because onset has been so gradual and there was not a drastic
change in behavior from one day to the next some people may still
not realize there is a problem.
Recommended
Treatments for feline hip dysplasia
More progressive veterinarians who are knowledgeable about recent
studies, clinical trials, and overwhelmingly positive patient
response will know that glucosamine is a very promising treatment
for hip dysplasia.
Glucosamine is an over-the-counter
dietary supplement that has been shown to be effective in the
treatment of hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, and joint pain in both
pets and humans. Glucosamine stimulates the production of
glycosaminoglycans (GAG's), important proteins found in cartilage
and proteoglycans, the water holding molecules that make up the
cartilage.
Used in the correct form and quality, glucosamine
has been shown to not only treat pain, but also rehabilitate damaged
cartilage. Furthermore, glucosamine is safe to use and does not have
any of the side effects associated with NSAIDs.
How To Select A Glucosamine Product
Glucosamine
products differ greatly. While one may work wonders for your pet,
another may do absolutely nothing. Your selection of a glucosamine
product should be based on five factors.
You must consider the quality of glucosamine, method of
delivery to body, additional ingredients in the product, and of
course price.
Simply put, the higher quality of glucosamine you use, the
greater the relief to your pet will be. Many companies use medium
grade glucosamine so you must be careful to look for the highest
quality. Pharmaceutical grade glucosamine is the highest quality of
glucosamine. You should only consider products that use glucosamine
which is pharmaceutical grade.
Secondly, the method of delivery can make the difference
between no pain relief and complete pain relief. Most products
produced after the breakthrough news of the 1999 Lancet Medical
Journal glucosamine study were rushed to the market. In this haste,
these companies did not take any time to do tests on their product.
They simply assumed pill form would be the most effective. The
latest research however, has shown that glucosamine in liquid form
is much more effective. In selecting a glucosamine product, you
should look for one that is liquid form.
Also crucial to the effectiveness of the product is the other
ingredients that are included in the product. Glucosamine alone, for
most people, is not a cure all. To receive truly complete relief you
need to look for products that combine a number of arthritis
fighting ingredients. You should look for a product that besides
glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine HCL, also contains
arthritis-fighting ingredients such as chondroitin, Boswellin,
bromelaine, omega 3 & 6, yucca, manganese ascorbate, and vitamins A,
C, and E.
References:
1. FHDA: The Feline
Hip Dysplasia Association
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