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Physiotherapy can, among other things, help cats with osteoarthritis.
Cats are remarkably agile creatures. When their mobility is hindered by injuries or diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system, it can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Discover how physiotherapy for cats can aid in this article.
Physiotherapy (or physical therapy) is a type of conservative treatment. Similar to dog physiotherapy, cat physiotherapy can treat or prevent issues with the musculoskeletal system, such as joints, muscles, and tendons.
Qualified animal physiotherapists can:
There are numerous reasons why physiotherapy is beneficial for cats. The most common applications (indications) in felines include:
Physiotherapy is especially prevalent post-surgery to gently rebuild the musculoskeletal system. It can also be advantageous for older cats, which may become less agile with age.
The cost of physiotherapy for your cat can vary based on several factors, including the type of illness, the extent of the issues, and the number of sessions required. Prices can also differ between physiotherapists.
On average, you should anticipate a price range between €60 and €100 per hour.
Tip: Request a cost estimate in advance.
There are many forms of physiotherapy. In addition to specific treatments like Dorn therapy, Breuss massage, or laser therapy, the following methods are among the most common:
Movement therapy is often used for chronic conditions or post-surgical recovery to facilitate faster healing. The physiotherapist performs targeted movements with your cat.
If your cat participates, it is known as “active movement therapy”. “Passive movement therapy” involves movements performed to the cat without its active involvement.
With “Electrical Muscle Stimulation” (EMS) and “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation” (TENS, or electrical stimulation), the physiotherapist treats your cat with weak electrical pulses using electrodes placed on the cat’s skin.
A specialised device controls the pulses to activate the body’s natural pain inhibition systems, making this approach particularly useful for chronic pain conditions.
Massages are known for promoting circulation, which can reduce inflammation.
They are, therefore, one of the most common methods to alleviate muscle issues such as pain and tension. Additionally, most cats find it very relaxing to be massaged by their animal therapists.
Electromagnetic fields are believed to fundamentally affect the body, potentially enhancing circulation and relaxing muscles.
Animal physiotherapists use special devices in magnetic field therapy to harness these effects for cats.
In acupuncture for cats, fine acupuncture needles are inserted into specific body points by the physiotherapist. This aims not only to improve blood circulation but also to provide pain relief.
Acupuncture is thus a popular healing practice both in human and veterinary medicine.
The temperature of the skin significantly influences the blood flow to the underlying muscles. Thermotherapy leverages this principle, whether it involves heat or cold treatments. Its positive secondary effects include pain relief and muscle relaxation.
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A single visit to a physiotherapist is generally not enough for optimal treatment of your cat. It’s important to consider several factors before, during, and after physiotherapy sessions with your feline friend:
Physiotherapy doesn’t have to take place exclusively at the vet’s or the physiotherapist’s clinic. For optimal results, you should ask your vet to demonstrate exercises that you can perform at home with your cat.
You can do these in consultation with your vet between therapy sessions. Even once the therapy is complete, these exercises can be integrated into your cat’s everyday routine.
To ensure the musculoskeletal system benefits from physiotherapy, it’s crucial that the exercises are conducted gently. Before each exercise, the cat’s current health should be assessed by the physiotherapist to avoid overstraining the cat’s body.
As a result, complications such as inflammation or injuries are relatively rare.Note: For certain illnesses such as epilepsy, methods like magnetic field therapy should
This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
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At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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