There are many reasons for cats to have hip pain, and unfortunately, cats hide their pain well so it may difficult to tell whether your cat is having hip pain. Hip pain may be caused by a genetic disorder or from a fractured pelvis. Either way, it is best to pay attention to how the cat is moving and behaving to determine whether or not it is in pain.
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Hip Dysplasia
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Dysplasia is an abnormal development of tissue. When it affects the hip, the joint is abnormally shaped and the ball, or top of the femur, does not fit into the hip socket. This makes the hip dislocate. This genetic disorder can affect one or both hips and does not exhibit at birth but can be noticed as the kitten grows. This hip disease cannot be diagnosed properly until the cat is more than two years of age. Cats with hip dysplasia may be stiff when they walk or reluctant to jump or climb. They may also appear lame.
Hip Dysplasia Treatment
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To treat hip dysplasia, vets will use anti-inflammatory and pain medications. Restricting exercise may also be recommended to prevent more damage to the hip tissue.
Degenarative Joint Diseases
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Degenerative joint disease or arthritis affects the cartilage of the hip joint, causing the raw bone surfaces to rub together as the cartilage wears down. This is very painful for the cat. Along with pain, it also limits the cat's movement. Additionally, the more the cat moves the joint, the higher the likelihood for the inflammation to get worse and the lining to get worn. Observe whether your cat is lame or has swollen joints, or whether you can hear a dry crackling sound when it moves. Any of these suggest that the cat may have arthritis.
Arthritis Treatment
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Sometimes being overweight can cause arthritis, so the vet may recommend a weight reduction program, as well as anti-inflammatory medicine. Sometimes, surgery may be required to slow the progression of the degenerative process.
Fracture
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Pelvic fractures can cause lameness of the hind legs. This normally occurs with older cats, as young cats or kittens likely will have broken other bones prior to the pelvis. If not treated right away, pelvic fractures can have serious complications.
Fracture Treatment
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After an accident that has caused a pelvic fracture, emergency care and treatment need to be administered. Afterwards, the soft tissues around the injury also need repairing and the hips need to be stabilized so the bone fragments can fuse together again. Unfortunately, the pelvis cannot be immobilized adequately with a splint. As such, the cat must be watched when it gets home to make sure it is not exercising too much before healing.
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