Imagining a pain-free future
September 6, 2024
Lindsay Knoll adopted Finley as a 12-week-old kitten. “She was my little rebellion,” Knoll says, “because my mom had said ‘You can’t adopt a kitten in college!’” Twelve years later, Finley and Knoll have been through a lot together—and Finley has started to show her age, including developing osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease where cartilage—the cushion between the bones in a joint—breaks down, leaving the bones to rub together. This rubbing can damage the joint and cause pain, inflammation, swelling, and decreased range of motion. OA affects many mammal species, including humans, horses, dogs, and even dolphins. In cats, osteoarthritis prevalence increases with age, becoming very common in the geriatric population.
Knoll isn't only a pet owner—she's also a graduate student at CVM, and she's now working on a clinical trial for a new pain treatment for feline OA. She's not the only CVM researcher who has a personal connection to the study.
