Introduction
It is important to recognize the signs of hip dysplasia, a common degenerative joint disease in cats. This is because improved knowledge of how the disease forms and recent medical advances allow for much better treatment options. But recognizing the signs of this disease may be difficult, because its arthritis-like symptoms mirror the problems caused by other conditions.
Symptoms of Hip Dysplasia in cats
Since hip dysplasia affects the rear limbs, this is the area where cat owners should look for signs of the disease to surface. The pain in the back limbs could cause the cat to shift its weight to the front limbs. Affected cats may also seem to bunny-hop when they run, which is also caused by the pain located in the back legs.
Sometimes the signs may be a bit more subtle. In more moderate cases, the cat may seem fine except in the morning or after a nap. They may appear stiff at those points of the day. As the cat begins to walk around and loosen up, the stiffness may disappear, but it still might be an indicator that hip dysplasia is present.
If the disease progresses, the symptoms may become more evident. General lameness may occur, and the cat may refuse to run or jump. The back legs may begin to lose muscle mass. Obesity can also exacerbate the problems of a cat with hip dysplasia.
Owners should be aware of the symptoms of this disease and not simply write them off to a natural decline caused by their cat aging. Proper treatment can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by hip dysplasia and allow the cat to remain active and happy.