Arhtritis

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Heather & Shooter

Heather & Shooter

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Hello everyone! Poppy is now 14 1/2, and I can tell he has arthritis. Some days are worse than others... The vet recommends Adequan injections and Cosequin supplements. What are your thoughts on these meds?
 
Cosequin was a waste of money. Gandalf wouldn't eat the food I put it on, although it's supposed to have a palatable flavor. Same with the other kind Dasuquin.

He's been receiving Adequan injections for over 1 year now. I think it has helped stop the progression. I noticed his joints pop less after a shot. There is a "load" period where you give the shots every few days for a month or every week for 8 weeks (I think those are the choices my vet gave me) then you see how they do at 1 dose a month. I administered it to him in the beginning, but it gave me the heebie-jeebies 'cause it's in the muscle and I was unsure I was giving it in the right spot. And I did not want to hurt him and make him leery of the more important insulin shots. The needle needs to be bigger for the Adequan, possibly a 25 gauge or so. And it's 3/4" long.

I also take him for acupuncture about twice a month now. I started that for pain because there wasn't any pain medication he could take.

It's a good idea to have the arthritis confirmed via Xray before getting any treatment.
 
Hi, Heather! Where you been hiding?

Well, totally non-medical here, but I had one cat a long time ago that got arthritis as she aged. At the time, they just weren't giving pain meds for that sort of thing. I found that heat helped her feel better. She would get under the covers with me and my husband (ex now, in case anyone wonders) and sleep next to me, but between us - and purr and purr. She was a lap kitty so was on my lap if I was home and I suppose that kept her warm too. These days I would make sure the kitty had a bed with sides in a non drafty place to sleep in. But I would also look into some sort of pain reducer too.

My vet thinks that Beau may be getting arthritis as he has been getting under the down comforter to sleep all the time. I think it was from medical hypo thyroid as he has stopped doing it for the most part now that his dose of methamizole was reduced.
 
I used Cosequin and to avoid possible avoidance, I mixed it with water in a 3 ml syringe and just orally dosed it. It did not want to take any chances of the Cosequin adversely effecting the taste of food.
 
I agree on dx per xray before treating in case it is something else that has similar symptoms...had a cat bind up so bad during a food transition that she could not walk and vet dx blood clot in legs until we saw poo build up in xray.

you never can be sure unless you are sure, ya know?

I used Cosequin for all of 2 seconds...the young cats that don't need it, love it, the two that have arthritic joints WON'T touch the stuff...go figure!

There is something called happy hips- it is a dried chicken jerky type treat that claims it is the natural glucosamine from the chicken...EVERY cat in my house loves it, I just find it annoying b/c you are supposed to give 1 piece per pound of body weight, but every piece is a different size- length, width...not very precise or scientific!

But they eat it.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
I used Cosequin and to avoid possible avoidance, I mixed it with water in a 3 ml syringe and just orally dosed it. It did not want to take any chances of the Cosequin adversely effecting the taste of food.
Click to expand...

I tried that too for a while, but for me it was a hassle and the stuff does not mix well! Agree this is one way to administer it however.

Did it help? Unsure. The Adequan is not any more expensive because they get such a small dose a $90 bottle has lasted for over a year.
 
I don't know what I'm gonna do... I don't like the idea of giving a shot in the muscle AT ALL!!! Isn't there some kind of pill I can give him? :(
 
Heather82372 said:
I don't know what I'm gonna do... I don't like the idea of giving a shot in the muscle AT ALL!!! Isn't there some kind of pill I can give him? :(
Click to expand...

Not of the Adequan, but the Cosequin and Dasuquin come in capsules, though they are large to give a cat and would stick in throat. It is possible to mix contents with water or tuna juice and syringe in mouth as Larry suggested.
 
Regarding Adequan injections, there was discussion a little while ago (maybe on old board) that concluded the SubQ injections worked fine.
 
Re: Arthritis

I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow for Adequan. However, a friend of mine was kinda coming down on me about giving him ANOTHER type of shot. She doesn't think Poppy is bad enough to need that strong of a medicine. She gives her kitty glucosamine/chondroitin and thinks it helps a lot. What do you guys think?
 
Hi Heather - while i don't have experience with arthritis, i just wanted to jump in and say hi!

I think Pamela may have some info, regarding glucosomine and FD - hopefully she will be around soon.

Let us know how it goes at the vets. Nice seeing you!
 
Really depends on the severity. My vet clearly sees Gandalf's arthritis in his hips and spine on Xray. He has difficulty walking up steps now, often trips if he tries to go too fast, and cannot always get up on the couch, which is fairly low. So it's a combination of the clinical presentation (is it hampering movement/jumping) and evidence via Xray as to what treatment course is best. Gandalf's severity is still only moderate, plus his age is up there as he will be 17 in May, but the Adequan is helping him maintain this level rather than it getting worse.

My recommendation is have the vet evaluate and give their recommended treatment course. If you have not tried the supplements it's probably best to go that route first.
 
I don't knoa about the dasequin, but the cosequin is opened and poured on food or mixed in.

No one I know that uses it actually gives the cat the pill...it apparently is chicken flavored, so intended to be palatable.

If you are concerned about turning the cat of the regular food by mixing the cosequin, maybe pick a canned food not normalkly given and mix in the cosequin as a treat.

MOST of the cats in my household liked it in the food, it was the one it was intended for that didn't like it ( go figure :roll: ) so maybe grab some form the pert store or online and give it a try.

But, again, why not get an xray to confirm the arthritis and also get an idea of how bad it is first...may not be arthritis, may be mild and need only the powders, may be severe and need the Adequan ( sp?)

Also, if i were considering Adequan, since I know noting about it other than Vicky uses it for G man, I would want to research to see if it has tissue rebuilding properties like glucosamine or it is purely pain control or ?

my 2 cents
 
Re: Arthritis

Heather82372 said:
I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow for Adequan. However, a friend of mine was kinda coming down on me about giving him ANOTHER type of shot. She doesn't think Poppy is bad enough to need that strong of a medicine. She gives her kitty glucosamine/chondroitin and thinks it helps a lot. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

That may be alright if her kitty doesn't have diabetes. I read recently about the effects that glucosamine/chondroitin MAY have on human diabetics. There is a lot online about it.

I am not aware if this has been brought up here on the board previously, so if it has been then this is not new news to those who are using this supplement, so I apologize in advance. I hope others will weigh in if they have knowledge of this and their experiences. Maybe it is a non-issue.

Or maybe you could ask on the Health or Community forum if anyone has had good experiences with it and/or if it had any effect on the diabetes for their cat?

You also might ask your vet what he thinks. I am sure there are a lot of cats that have diabetes and arthritis that manage to work out the balancing act with this supplement, if there is one. I would think you have to weigh the advantages of using this and how it effects the diabetes. Like with steroids, sometimes you just need to do it and adjust for the diabetes. In other words, if it makes him feel better, then go for it. But again, ask your vet.

So with that said here is just one link I found:

http://www.healingdaily.com/conditions/glucosamine.htm

Safety considerations for glucosamine

No study so far has found any serious side effects from either glucosamine or chondroitin. The most common side effects are increased intestinal gas and soft stools.

However, an editorial in the British publication the "Lancet" (Volume 354, Number 9176 July, 31 1999) suggested that glucosamine might contribute to insulin resistance in diabetics or those at risk for diabetes. Insulin resistance - a decrease in the body's response to the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin - is a condition which is a precursor to type-2 (adult-onset) diabetes. Increasing insulin resistance may result in more difficult to control blood sugar levels.(3)

So it would seem prudent to monitor blood sugar levels in anyone taking glucosamine regularly who is at risk for diabetes.

Here is one that says it doesn't effect diabetes....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12860582

And another one from pubmed:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1713 ... rom=pubmed
 
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