Shadow is 14 years old and has developed a limp. She was seen by the vet for it and the vet was not concerned so we started treating her at home with glucosomine(spelling).
It has seemed to increase in the amount of the limp. We are thinking arthritis due to her age and size. She is overweight but with three cats in the house it is hard to do portion control. They are all on a mature cat cat food, recommended by the vet.
My questions:
1. How do I tell if she is in pain? I know animals hid it well. She is still walking around, climbing on the bed for lovings, standing her ground with Owen by hissing at him and being a bully, eating, pooping etc etc.
2. Is it worth a vet visit? For me it is 100 bucks at least to walk in the door plus any tests they deem necessary. An average vet visit can cost around 300 to 400 bucks for us when it is them being seen for issues.
3. Can I add anything else to her diet to help out with joint issues?

I use glucosmine/condroitin (both in one pill) for my pets; as a daily habit. You know it goes by weight. It is a pretty inexpensive supplement, purchased in drug stores or health food stores. It was originally recommended years ago by a vet and I found it worked well. It helps for many joint issues. As for know when Shadow is in pain, you will know. She won't be jumping on the bed, become standofish and not herself. She sounds like she isn't in pain now.

TY tickle I will check out if we can find that right now she is only getting the glucosmine. I should add if she needs to go to the vet she will go. I have never kept my pets from the vet when needed. Just don't want to pay a bunch of money for them to say it is nothing/keep doing what you are doing.

I've been owned by cats since I was ten years old and have three rescues right now. If Shadow isn't howling or crying, especially when she moves or jumps up on something, I'm guessing she's not in pain. If she gets to the point of not being able to jump up on a couch or the bed, maybe do like we did with old cats -- set up "steps" (a sturdy box or two) for her. I don't think a vet visit is needed. Just figure out ways to make her life and moving around easier.

It is exactly what we do for the elderly. We maintain and improve if we can, their quality of life. It is the best we can do.

Tickle is spot on!

Rasputin was nearly 20, and was wobbly when he walked, but ALWAYS used the litter box -- never had an accident. During his last year, he liked to sleep under my grandmother's wooden rocker in a corner of my living room. Why there, we wondered. Then it hit us. It was next to the heat vent. So now we have two pet warming pads set up where the cats like to sleep. And Dido likes to curl up on my electric blanket in the evenings after my son turns it on to warm up my bed.

Mogrann, think heat as a remedy and maybe spend that vet money on pet/cat warming pads.

Thank you for the great suggestions.

Yes to heat! It is my personal drug of choice, and I bought a new one for myself and gave my old one to my dog. 50 watts is too much for a small pet, but I put it under a wide flat pillow on low. I also put boxes next to bed, couch, etc, as steps.

I have heard stories of glucosomine/chondroitin having almost instant effects on pets, but haven't tried it for my pets yet. (Tried it on myself and don't think it did anything after a month.)

I agree about the heat. Just make sure that it's not too hot. Pets sometimes don't feel when it's too warm and then risk burning themselves. I've gotten a burn from a simple heating pad. So monitor and make sure it's a nice warm, not hot, temperature.

Thank you all showed Henry most of these posts before he went to second job and he is picking shadow up the combo medication. I will show him the rest when I get home from my job

Oh, and I take the glusomine/controidtin myself, and have for years. Maybe that is why I can function at my age working a full time job. Who knows. The one you buy in the drug store is OK for animals too, and goes by weight. It is not expensive.

I wish you luck mogrann, we all love them so.

If he's limping, he's sore.
If the above doesn't work, it would be worth getting an rx for an NSAID like Metacam, Rimadyl or Deramaxx from your clinic.
Edit: Assuming this is a cat? The above work better for dogs - you can try a trial of cartrophen. Depending on where you live, Royal Canin makes a mobility diet that I have seen fantastic results with. My 20 year old is on it, and his arthritis is doing fantastic.
Losing weight is the big one, honestly. You can do it! Our household has three cats and two dogs, all with different diets!