Feline degenerative joint disease (DJD) is common, and there are no approved therapies for the alleviation of the associated pain. We tested a diet high in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and supplemented with green-lipped mussel extract and glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for its pain-relieving and activity-enhancing effects in 40 cats with painful, mobility-impairing DJD.

The cats were randomly allocated to the test diet or control diet (C-diet). The primary objective outcome measures indicated that activity declined significantly in the C-diet group, significantly increased in the test diet group and there was a significant difference between the groups.

Dietary modulation might be one method to improve mobility in cats with DJD-associated pain.

Source : B.D.X. Lascelles et al., 2010. Evaluation of a therapeutic diet for feline degenerative joint disease. J. Vet. Int. Med. 24: 487-495. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0495.x