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Pet
Health
Cat
Arthritis and Stiffness
Above: 19 year old
senior kitty, Squeeky, had been struggling with painful arthritis and
stiffness. She has improved with Synflex brand liquid glucosamine formula
Is your older cat showing signs of slowing down? Does she/ he appear stiff when walking? Does his or her hind section look different when walking, standing, or going up stairs? If so, he is likely suffering from arthritis and joint inflammation. Your poor kitty may be feeling stiffness, pain, and/ or discomfort.
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Eight years of age or older is considered a "senior" cat by veterinarians. Look at the table at left to see if your cat is showing any of the signs of arthritis. Cats can't speak for themselves. They can't tell us when it hurts, or where it hurts. As a compassionate cat guardian, you need to be sensitive to your cat's needs. Especially as he starts getting older, pay extra close attention to even the smallest signs that may tip you off to the fact that something is different. Keep in mind that cat's are, by nature, brave and proud creatures. Cats tend to put on a brave front and hide their discomfort, pain, or even emotional issues to a large degree. By the time kitty lets on that something is bothering him, its probably really bothering him. Your role as his guardian is to keep a close eye out for even the most subtle signs, and get him help as soon as you notice something. In the case of cat arthritis or joint stiffness, the good news is that there is definitely something you can do to help alleviate your feline companion's discomfort and pain - so please don't allow him to suffer. Remember, he has no way to help himself - he is totally dependent on you. Don't let him down. |
It's been scientifically proven in clinical studies that a natural supplement called glucosamine can be helpful for humans suffering from arthritis and joint inflammation. You've probably heard of this.
Well, glucosamine also offers relief to cats, dogs, even horses suffering from the pain, stiffness and discomfort of arthritis. Here at Angels4Animals.com, we recently had the opportunity to test for ourselves the effectiveness of a glucosamine product in treating a cat with obvious stiffness, pain and discomfort. We did plenty of research beforehand, and what we discovered is that all glucosamine does have provide relief for cat arthritis, but not all glucosamine products are equally effective. We found one that has proven to be effective - our senior kitty, Squeeky, has responded well to it. We hope by sharing our experience it will enable other cats who are suffering from arthritis to be helped too.
Please keep in mind that if you suspect your cat may have arthritis - if he is slowing down and showing any of the signs - you should start giving him glucosamine immediately. THE SOONER THE BETTER. Don't wait until symptoms become more pronounced. Glucosamine helps heal the joint degeneration. Obviously, the less degeneration there is to heal, the easier it will be for your cat to recover. Its never too late to give Glucosamine - a good glucosamine formula like the one we recommend in this article will always provide some level of benefit. But the longer you let it go untreated, the more likely it he is to develop a more severe level of arthritis that doesn't respond as dramatically.
Note: Angels4Animals.com receives absolutely no compensation in any form for recommending the product we refer to in this article. We are not in any way affiliated with the company, and receive nothing in return for recommending it. We recommend this product purely because it has worked for our own senior kitty, and we would like to see every cat who is suffering the symptoms of arthritis, painful joints, or stiffness benefit from it as well.
Our Own Personal Experience in Providing Our Cat With Relief from Arthritis
Our very own senior kitty, Squeeky, 19 (pictured at the top of this article) had been slowing down and exhibiting stiffness in her hind legs and hips for the past few years. When this first became noticeable, we tried a product called "Dr.Franks" which purported to relieve symptoms of arthritis and inflammation in dogs and cats. We'd seen it advertised on TV, and we were very disappointed when after several months of use, there was absolutely no noticeable difference whatsoever in Squeeky.
Fast-forward a couple years to early April of 2010. Things had been getting worse for our Squeeky. She was moving considerably more slowly than ever before, we were now seeing a slight limp that had never been there before, and she was starting to have trouble jumping up onto the sofa on regular occasions. There was a notable change in her personality too. The sparkle was gone. She now looked quite unhappy almost all the time, didn't move much or engage in activities she used to enjoy, had trouble grooming herself (due to stiffness) and had become very quiet and often irritable. Where had our previously easy-going, good-natured sweet and happy kitty gone?
We were becoming quite concerned for her quality of life. Other than this condition, her recent vet check indicated she was in terrific health, but our girl was no longer enjoying life. Determined to do whatever we could to help her, we did some research into the use of liquid glucosomine for cats. Knowing it can be beneficial for humans suffering from joint stiffness and arthritis, our objective was to verify the safety for treating cat arthritis and determine the dosage - then we intended to head to our local drug store or health food store to purchase a bottle.
We specifically researched liquid glucosomine because we had known of people who used glucosamine for their own arthritis and reported better results with the liquid form than pill form. We had become accustomed to administering liquid medications to some of our cats for other conditions, and we knew it would be easy enough to ensure our kitty got her full dosage with a liquid, as opposed to a pill. When you crush a pill and put it into your cats food, you always run the risk that they won't get the full dose if they detect it in their food and leave some behind - or if they are simply fussy eaters who don't always finish their meal. Liquid glucosamine can be administered directly into your cat's mouth with a syringe to make sure she gets her full dose - and this is very important in ensuring the highest level of success of her treatment.
During our research, we found a liquid glucosamine product online called Syn-flex. This particular product captured our attention because it specifically referred to being proven effective in treating cats, dogs, and other animals. We were also impressed that this particular glucosamine formula consisted of not one, but two types of the highest grade of glucusamine, whereas many glucosamine products sold in your local pharmacy consist of only one type of glucosamine, are and frequently lower grade (and therefore less effective). This product also looked promising over other glucosamine products we researched in that it contains 10 additional ingredients which we confirmed are indeed beneficial to healing or improving the pain and discomfort caused by arthritis. In our opinion, this product did at least appear to be superior to other standard glucosamine products.
The website for the product featured numerous comments and testimonials from cat lovers who claimed the product had resulted in significant improvement for their cats. Of course, we'd heard that before when we tried "Dr Franks" cat arthritis treatment for Squeeky in the past, so we had a healthy degree of skepticism, but for Squeeky's sake, we were cautiously hopeful.
So instead of immediately heading right out to our local pharmacy or health-food store to purchase a bottle of whatever liquid glucosamine they had, we decided to order the Syn-flex glucosamine formula, wait the few days for delivery, and see if it lived up to its claims of being a superior glucosomine product, and specifically beneficial for cat arthritis.
Improvement Noticed in Just One Week
After just one week, we already have results - we are elated to be able to report that within only one week, our 19 year old Squeeky has indeed shown visible improvement.
Based on the information we read on the Syn-flex website and elsewhere pertaining to glucosamine, we were prepared to have to wait up to a month to see any improvement, so we were thrilled to notice very positive changes within a week.
Our senior kitty seems more comfortable, her demeanor has improved, she is less withdrawn and irritable, her eyes are brighter and her overall spirit is brighter. Always a "chatty" cat, Squeeky rarely mewed anymore, but after a few days on Syn-Flex, she was returning to her talkative self. While he hind legs are still obviously stiff, she seems not to be walking quite as slowly, and it seems she moves a little more easily. It is subtle, but nonetheless an improvement.
And one week into her Syn-Flex treatment, we were stunned and amazed to see her playing again - entirely on her own - when we returned from the grand opening of a new PetSmart store with a bagful of new cat toys. This was nothing short of remarkable - she had not done this in a couple of years (and with seven cats, we bring home new toys often!). During a full 8 minutes of playtime, she was able to kick her toys with her hind legs while lying on her side, which a week ago would have been entirely unheard of for our girl. This cat hadn't tried to do that in over a year.
We are very glad we made the decision to specifically order Syn-flex liquid glucosamine based on the cat arthritis success stories published on the company's web site, rather than to just pick up whatever was available in the local pharmacy. We don't know what the results would have been with any other liquid glucosomine product, but we do know that the Syn-flex glucosamine formula with its 10 additional ingredients has definitely made a difference for our senior cat. While it was tempting to buy something locally to be able to have it immediately, the Syn-flex arrived in less than a week - and that included crossing the border form the US into Canada - so your cat will only have to wait a few days from the time you place your order to start taking it.
Based on our own experience here at Angels4Animals.com, this product DOES work in treating stiffness, pain and discomfort caused by joint inflammation or arthritis in cats.
We
highly recommend Syn-flex liquid glucosamine if your cat sufffers
from stiffness, or if you suspect he may have arthritis or joint
inflammation. You owe it to your cat to at least try this product if
you detect any of the following: stiffness, slowing down,
walking with a limp, walking with back legs wider apart than normal,
shaky legs, apparent pain or discomfort, trouble jumping, difficulty
walking, decreased grooming, trouble or reluctance when climbing
stairs, decreased interest in play, difficulty rising from a resting
position, reacting to pain when touched (wincing, swatting,
growling), personality change, resistant to being touched.
The company website states that liquid glucosamine can be added to your cat's wet food (canned cat food), however, we have typically found that cat's, being the smart and finicky creatures they are, will often detect that you have added something and will then refuse to eat it. We did experiment with adding a small amount to Squeeky's food to see if she would accept it, and she walked away. Perhaps it was just one of her fussy spells, but rather than risk wasting it, we opted to administer the glucosamine directly into her mouth with a small syringe (shown at right). This is the method that we recommend, as it will ensure that your cat gets his full dose of glucosamine every day, and this will be important to his improvement. Be sure to administer the correct amount each and every day - do not forget and do not skip a day or your will be depriving your cat of the full benefit. If you need directions on the proper way to administer a liquid into your cat's mouth with a syringe, just email us and we'll be happy to provide you with proper instructions.
Why it Works:
Glucosamine assists in the rehabilitation of damaged cartilage, helps reduce inflammation, improves mobility, and eases arthritis pain. Syn-flex® contains two types of Glocsamine of the highest quality, plus 10 other highly beneficial ingredients for joint and cartilage problems.
Syn-flex claims to be one of the most effective supplements for arthritis, joint inflammation and hip dysplasia in dogs and cats available on the market today - normally we at Angels4Animals.com take all marketing claims with a grain of salt (and healthy dose of skepticism), until proven for ourselves.
In this case, the proof is in Squeeky's results. Syn-flex is one product that actually lives up to its claims.
Why Angels4Animals.com Endorses This Glucosamine Formula for Your Cat
Most glucosamine products contain low to medium-grade Glucosamine Sulfate or Glucosamine HCL. Syn-flex contains two types of glucosamine (Glucosamine Sulfate and Glucosamine HCL), which when combined together work more powerfully. The glucosamine contained in Syn-flex® is high-grade, pharmaceutical quality, which is superior to the low to medium grade glucosamine used in other glucosamine products.
But more than that, Syn-flex also contains ten additional beneficial ingredients that when combined together, are very effective for providing maximum pain relief, cartilage protection, and joint health for your cat (or dog - and also humans).
The bottom line is that we've witnessed improvement in our 19 year old kitty with this product.
Doesn't Just Ease Pain - Helps Rebuild Your Cat's Joint Cartilage
It's important to understand that Syn-Flex and other good glucosamine formulas don't just ease the pain your cat is feeling, it slows the progression of the disease by rebuilding proteoglycan molecules which renew the supply of synovial fluid in your cat's joint, rehabilitating the cartilage and allowing your cat to move without pain. You are not giving your cat a pain reliever that mask's your cat's pain, rather, you are attacking the cause of the problem.
Glucosamine has been clinically proven to not only slow the progress of arthritis, even more importantly it actually helps rehabilitate the damage that has been done if you follow the dosage recommendations
Even if your senior cat does not yet have arthritis, Syn-flex® can be used as a preventive measure that will ensure your cat's joints remain healthy so that she never has to suffer from this debilitating disease. There are no harmful effects from providing Syn-flex to your cat - it is an all natural product containing supplements that not only prevent and heal joint deterioration, but also contribute to overall good health for any senior kitty. The full ingredient list for Syn-flex is as follows:
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Glucosamine HCL and Glucosamine Sulfate Shark Cartilage (20% Chondroitin Sulfate) Boswellin Yucca Powder Manganese (Ascorbate) Bromelaine Vitamin C Omega 3 Fatty Acid Omega 6 Fatty Acid Vitamin A Vitamin E For a detailed explanation on how each of these ingredients helps relieve your cat's arthritis, click here. |
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Where to Purchase Syn-flex
If you do a Google search on the name Syn-flex you will find many retailers of this product. You can purchase where ever you like. We are not affiliated with any seller of Syn-flex, nor are we affiliated with the manufacturer or distributor of this product. We receive no compensation of any kind for recommending this product.
For anyone who is interested, however, based on our personal experience, we can highly recommend the retailer we purchased from. Our order arrived very quickly - we placed an online order on a Sunday, and we received it and were able to begin giving it to Squeeky just 5 days later, on Friday. And that included crossing the border from the US into Canada.
We also really like that the company we ordered Syn-flex from allows you to try the product on your cat (or dog) for 32-days, risk free. If you don't see any benefit, you can get your money back. See their website for details. This reassurance is what ultimately prompted us to go ahead and give the product a try, and we're very glad we did - and from what we can tell, so is Squeeky.
As we said before, any company can make marketing claims about their product. The only way to know if something works is to try it. The fact that this company was willing to offer a money-back guarantee provided us with a sense of reassurance, so we went ahead and gave it a try.
If your cat appears to be suffering any of the symptoms we urge you to try it, as we did. Remember, he needs you to give him all the care he needs, because he can do none of this for himself. You have nothing to lose, and your cat has much to gain from it.
Again, we want to make very clear that Angels4Animals.com receives absolutely no compensation in any form whatsoever for recommending this product. We are not in any way affiliated with the company, and receive nothing in return for recommending it. We recommend this product purely because it has worked on our senior kitty, and we would like to see every cat who is suffering the symptoms of arthritis, painful joints, or stiffness benefit from it as well. Our entire website is devoted to making life better for felines everywhere - they deserve it!
Company Offers a Money Back Guarantee
As we said above, what persuaded us to try the Syn-Flex product for our 19 year old Squeeky was the fact that the retailer we purchased from gives you the ability to try the product for 32 days, and return it if you feel it has done nothing for your cat (or dog). We were very impressed with the customer testimonials we read on the retailer's website, and after reading the information about how and why Syn-Flex is effective and superior to other glucosamine products, we found it to be very convincing. However, any company can make marketing claims, so knowing we could try it on Squeeky for a month and return it if we saw no benefit gave us the reassurance that it was indeed worth trying. Within a week we already saw an improvement in Squeeky's demeanor. She seemed more relaxed and comfortable, less grumpy and irritable, and even showed some playfulness we hadn't seen in a long time. That was enough to convince us that Syn Flex was definitely helping Squeeky feel better to some degree, and that's good enough for us. We will ensure she continues to take it daily on a permanent basis.
What Results to Expect
The website of the retailer we purchased from says you may notice results in your cat within one to two weeks of beginning treatment with Syn-Flex. Depending on your cat's condition, it could take up to a month. We fully expected that we'd have to be patient to see results with Squeeky considering that she is 19, and has had problems in her hind quarter for some time.
We were pleasantly surprised - no, THRILLED, is a better word - when we noticed a change in her personality and demeanor, indicating she is more comfortable, within days.
The change, albeit, is subtle. She's not flying through the air like a kitten. She does still appear stiff, but knowing her very well, we can see a subtle difference whereby she doesn't appear quite as stiff.
But the change in her demeanor is very encouraging. She looks and seems much more at ease and content. She's more alert and engaged instead of sleeping ALL the time. And a bit of a spark is coming back into her personality. We can tell she is feeling more comfortable.
Every cat is different, so you may notice more dramatic improvements with your cat, or it may take longer to notice that he is feeling better. It depends precisely where his arthritis is, how long he has had it, how severe it his, and his overall personality, etc. Give it the full 30 days, and watch for even subtle improvements and signs that your cat is responding. Does he look more comfortable or at ease? Is he perkier? Does he seem more content and less grumpy. Is he moving more? These are just some possible signs that the product is helping your cat.
We look forward to seeing how Squeeky is doing once she's been on Syn-Flex for a full month.
Its really important to make sure your cat gets his Syn-Flex every day. If you only give it sporadically you aren't giving the glucosamine and other ingredients the opportunity to rebuild the cartilage in your cat's joints, and so he won't feel better, or as good as he could. The product has a fresh, citrus-type smell which would be very pleasant to humans, but your cat make not like it mixed in with his food. You can try to administer it that way, but if he doesn't eat all his food (canned food ) with the SynFlex mixed in, he won't be getting his full dosage - and that's so important. Therefore we feel its best to use a small syringe (you can get them at the vet's office usually for under $1, or your local pharmacy) to place it directly in his mouth. If you have any trouble with this process and need further advice or instruction on how to do this properly, feel free to email Angels4Animals.com - we're happy to help. Its quite easy once you get the hang of it. It takes us about 5 - 10 seconds to give it to Squeeky.
One bottle costs about $27 (US dollars) but will last for close to a year. We compared prices on other glucosamine products sold in local drug stores and health food stores and found prices to be comparable - and the Glucosamine products in the stores did not contain the same quality of glucosamine, nor did they contain the other beneficial ingredients.
$27 is a small price to pay to help your kitty be pain free, content and comfortable. Wouldn't you spend this on yourself to stop or at least improve a year's worth of pain and discomfort? Of course you would. Kitty can't do this for himself, as we humans can, so as a compassionate cat guardian, he depends on you to do it for him. Thank you for caring for your cat!
If you have any questions about our experience using Syn Flex, or anything else related to helping your cat (or any cat) with any problem at all, as always please feel free to contact us. We're happy to share our experience and advice to help any cat.
If you try this product for your cat, please do email us to tell us how your cat is responding. We'd really love to know if this information has helped your cat!
Thank you for caring for your kitty companion!
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