Eating healthy foods is essential for everyone. If your cat has arthritis, getting the right nutritional values can affect their health in a positive way and help alleviate the symptoms of the disease. The first thing to know is that being overweight increases inflammation. So let’s see what we mean by proper nutrition of the cat with arthritis.
Cats can suffer from many joint-related diseases, such as feline rheumatoid arthritis a condition that causes muscle pain and inflammation. Just like us humans, this disease is not easy to detect as cats usually mask very well when in pain.
Thus, it becomes very difficult for us to understand at a glance that our pet is suffering if we do not know exactly what signals we should be picking up. To prevent the onset of arthritis in cats, it is advisable that the animal has adequate food and physical activity regularly and moderately, so that its musculoskeletal system remains in good condition and is less likely to suffer from this. disease.
If the cat is overweight or obese, it is advisable to make him lose weight to reduce the load that the joints have to bear and thereby reduce inflammation. Nutrition and health are closely linked. Research suggests that what we eat can affect the development, progress and symptoms of certain types of arthritis and related diseases.
For the cat, having a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, for example, can reduce the pain of arthritis by providing the body with powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients. Conversely, eating processed foods high in sugar and fat, as well as junk food, increases inflammation and worsens arthritis symptoms, as well as predisposing the body to other chronic diseases.
Feeding the cat with arthritis
In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the body’s tissues, particularly the synovium (the thin membrane that lines the joints). This leads to joint inflammation, pain and possible joint damage. So how can we go against the health of our cat, taking advantage of the help of nutrition?
What to eat to keep cartilage healthy? The solution is found in protein foods, such as meat or fish. So it will be important not to abuse cereals in the cat’s diet and to respect the inclusion of most of the proteins.
Adding oil to your cat’s food is a good solution, as oils such as: coconut oil and flaxseed oils help manage arthritis pain, they contain essential fatty acids such as Omega-3, as well as being a powerful anti-inflammatory. Some natural supplements for cats such as fish oil or turmeric are highly recommended and seen as nutraceuticals (foods that have beneficial effects) for arthritis.
Natural supplements combined with the daily diet of the feline
A natural supplement can never be intended as a substitute for an adequate diet, although this mistake is one of the most committed by all of us. Unfortunately, not only in regards to our puppies, but also in our health. Therefore, before resorting to a food supplement, it is essential to check the diet of the cat with arthritis, to see how to possibly insert the necessary natural supplements. Among the most used natural supplements we have:
- Fish oil for cats
It is obvious that this natural supplement for cats is one of the most used because its benefits are many, for example: it stimulates the immune system, reduces inflammatory processes, improves fertility and protects the cardiovascular health of the cat. All these therapeutic effects are due to the fact that fish oil is very rich in essential fatty acids, namely Omega-3s.
In this case the recommended oil is salmon oil, which must absolutely not be confused with cod liver oil, whose properties are not similar. Fish in general, however, is very rich in omega3. Prefer blue fish, remembering that the smaller size (mackerel, anchovies, sardines) you can cook more often for your cat, because it accumulates less toxic substances and you can alternate salmon and tuna.
- Olive oil
As long as we talk about the extra virgin variety, there are many benefits of olive oil for cats. It is a powerful antioxidant, offers good monounsaturated fats and is also a great remedy for treating cat constipation. It is considered one of the primary foods when it comes to supplementing a cat’s homemade diet and in addition to providing Omega 3 it is a good source of natural fat.
- Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a substance formed by sugars and amino acids, it is naturally present in the cat’s body, in particular its greater presence occurs in the liquid found in the joints. This substance has the function of keeping the joints lubricated and absorbing the tensions they receive with the natural movement of the cat.
Glucosamine in turn is needed to make cartilage, a protein of great importance for the cat’s joints. This is why this natural supplement is very suitable for maintaining good joint health of our pet.
