1/17 Ruby AMPS 136/+4 92/+7 60/+9 91/PMPS 60/+2 66 vet report

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/1-16-ruby-amps-118-3-146-6-130-9-91-pmps-86-3-66.257919/

Took Ruby to the vet this morning for her arthritis. Doctor didn't really tell me anything I didn't know already. Suggested massage, I'm getting her Snuggle Safe warming pads to put on the cat beds, and a short term supply of 25 mg tabs of gabapentin. I ordered Moxxor Omega 3 oil capsules with green lipped mussels recommended by the holistic vet, Dr. Jean Hofve, because they are small and easy to pill a cat with (Ruby doesn't like the taste of fish oils in her food).

Came home and gave her the gabapentin and she is currently pacing around the house, being super restless and yowling. She has been going to the litter box, staring at it, digging around and then leaving without pooping. Her last deposits were small and hard. Time to do the Lactulose again!

Vet wanted to see how she did with the gabapentin, Omega 3 supplementation, resuming Dasuquin, massage and warming pads before moving ahead with Adequan. She said she would be fine with giving me Adequan and injecting it myself instead of bringing Ruby to the clinic twice a week for it. It's pricey though, as you said, @Wendy&Neko, and I don't know that I can afford it right now with her oncology visits every other month. Vet also brought up Solensia, the monoclonal antibody treatment that Elise linked to the board a few days ago, and said she was very excited about its potential as it would only be once a month injections.

I still have some visits left on the package of visits I bought from the vet acupuncturist, but she doesn't work on Mondays so it's hard for me to bring her there. Sigh. So many things going on with this cat.

 

You can buy Adequan elsewhere than the vet (maybe with a prescription), but it's a lot cheaper in the US than in Canada. Check around on pricing, here is one on Allivet that's not too pricy for a vial.

Sorry to hear about the gabapentin reaction, it's definitely not my favourite drug. I hope you find a solution that works for Ruby.

One of my best investments was a four inch thick memory foam bed. Neko loved it! Another arthritic kitty love purr padds.

 

Thanks, Wendy! I did see Allivet has the Adequan, I think I need to bite the bullet and try it. Thankfully the pacing and yowling has stopped and now she is sprawled on the bed napping. I do have a 4 inch memory foam bed! But only Olive seems to like it. Hoping the warming pad will make it more attractive to her.

 

Checked the litterbox and now I know why the yowling stopped.

Ruby seems to be fine on the gabapentin. Last time I gave it to her it was too high of a dose and she stumbled around. She's definitely doing better on it now. She was nagging me for food and I tested her and fed her after and she licked her bowl clean and is very alert. She might actually be feeling better!

I asked the vet about bupe for the arthritis and she said she is hesitant to give it because it can be very constipating. She also mentioned low dose injections of ketamine--has anyone had experience using that for an arthritic cat?

 

I would stay away from ketamine. From (2015) AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats a quote on page 258 says is has been used in dogs but there are no studies on cats. Of course, that could have changed since then. But I haven't seen anyone here using it. I have also heard some say that over time the reaction to gabapentin gets better.

 

Thanks, Wendy. They gave ketamine to the cats as anesthesia when they were spayed as 12 weeks old kittens and it took them a good day or so to recover from it. I had never heard of it being used for pain relief, though it's a very popular drug these days as a prescribed psychotropic.

The vet also mentioned Amantadine, discussed in the paper you linked, in case the gabapentin and all of the other things I am throwing at her don't work.

 

Yay for poop! I hope the new treatment plan helps her arthritis.

 

Katherine, sorry, I had not seen Elise's post in Health regarding the Solensia. It does sound promising though. I was very surprised to see Adequan is cheaper here in the US than in Canada, I hope it gives good results though if you try it.

Ruby's numbers look so good today, especially since the vet visit and as always, hooray for poop!

My FIL had Parkinson's and was on Amantadine. I am having trouble picturing what it would do for a cat with arthritis though. Too bad the acupuncture clinic doesn't fit into your schedule. You are doing such an amazing job with Ruby while juggling everything else, she is so loved!

 

So sorry to hear about the arthritis poor Ruby, hope you manage to find a good treatment for her but you managed miracles with her BG again and i see that all in all she has rare but regular poops, praying for easier ones though

 

Thank you! If nothing else, Ruby is very much loved. She and her sister are my heart. I put the arthritis issue on the back burner—I’ve been aware of it for a long time but I privileged other aspects of her care. Now that winter is here it’s been harder for me to ignore her stiffness. Meanwhile, her sister who is a smaller cat jumps onto things 4 feet up from the floor with ease and precision.

 

Thank you, Marina! And I was thinking of increasing her dose too! Glad I did not. Hope Chico is feeling good!