Are We Missing Feline Osteoarthritis in 98% of Our Patients? New Study Reveals a Massive Detection Gap
How many cats with osteoarthritis walked through your clinic doors today without being diagnosed? If you're like most practices relying on traditional history-taking and physical examination alone, the answer is probably "most of them." A sobering new study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery by Margaret Gober demonstrates just how badly we're failing to identify feline osteoarthritis—and offers a straightforward solution.
The Heavy Burden: New Study Links Excess Body Fat and Larger Size to Widespread Osteoarthritis in Cats
A groundbreaking study using whole-body CT scans has provided compelling evidence that excess body fat is a significant risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) in cats, with larger body size compounding the problem. The research, which also investigated key metabolic hormones, offers a new understanding of why this painful joint disease is so prevalent in felines and suggests that weight management could be a critical preventive strategy.
The Shocking Reason You’re Missing the Signs of Pain in Cats!
When it comes to feline health, one of the biggest challenges for veterinarians and cat owners alike is recognizing when a cat is in pain. Unlike dogs, who may limp, vocalize, or otherwise show obvious signs of discomfort, cats tend to hide their pain. This instinct, rooted in their evolution as solitary hunters, helps them avoid appearing vulnerable to predators, but it also makes it difficult to detect health problems in our pets. As a result, many conditions, such as osteoarthritis, go unnoticed until they severely impact a cat's quality of life.