FDA New Treatment for Osteoarthritis for Cats

Hi. I just received this. It sounds promising but the skin side effects trouble me as I have a young cat who gets dermatitis and EGC. I am sharing but be cautious.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/pre...SSasR6PGWkhwoidfSQE0XckxGMg_nP7Zt2IAITze8TDhU

 

Cautious indeed. I'm not an anti-vax or anti science nut, if not for science we wouldn't have insulin and we'd all be in a very sorry state right now. So...
Solensia is made by Zoetis. Zoetis Inc. is the world's largest producer (income 2021 was 6.7 billion) of medicine and vaccinations for pets and livestock and was once a subsidiary of Pfizer. Big companies don't like bad investments and often turn a failure into a success because of a drug's side effects. Viagra was a flop as a treatment for hypertension, Marco's thin bladder walls can be treated as a side effect of Metacam. I have doubts about a huge corporation financing any drug's development for the sole purpose of feline pain control. Having five seniors myself I'll gladly accept a wonder drug, I'd just like to know what it was originally intended for.
Googling "what was Solensia originally made for" gets you nowhere.
This is a UK.gov report on Solensia but the Google header clearly states Do not use in animals intended for breeding. Well why not?
https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/productinformationdatabase/files/SPC_Documents/SPC_2034950.PDF
This is dry reading, the annual shareholders meeting of Zoetis. What they call "Companion animal products" grew 25% operationally last year while livestock declined 5%.
https://s1.q4cdn.com/446597350/files/doc_financials/2020/q4/ZTS-US-20210216-Corrected-Transcript.pdf

 

As always buyer beware!

 

I actually think it’s great that a pharmaceutical company is trying to develop something for osteoarthritis in cats as the options for pain treatment are few.
All drugs have side effects. So I think In deciding whether to use it or not, you have to decide whether the pain relief outweighs the side effects.

 

It is great, long term pain is debilitating and painful to watch. I didn't want to sound like a 'big pharma' conspiracy nut but the line "Do not use in animals intended for breeding" concerns me regarding the genetics. Good science always comes at some cost but it's not just our little ones that may benefit, think of all the old big cats in zoos and rescues that could live longer and less painful lives.

 

Lots of medications have that comment about breeding.

 

The FOI Summary in the first link included this:
Safety Warnings Solensia™ should not be used in breeding cats or in pregnant or lactating queens because the drug may pass through the placental blood barrier and be excreted in milk. Women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breastfeeding should take extreme caution to avoid accidental self-injection of Solensia™. It is wellestablished that NGF is important in the normal development of the fetal nervous system, and laboratory studies in nonhuman primates have shown that human antiNGF mAbs can cause reproductive and developmental toxicity. Fetal abnormalities, increased rate of stillbirths, and increased postpartum fetal mortality were noted in rodents and nonhuman primates receiving anti-NGF mAbs.

 

Thanks Larry. That's a scary list but important to know.

 

Elise - I've copied this link onto the Health Links page.

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

I know of several UK folks who've used this in their kitties with very good results.

 

Hi Liz. Did any of those cats get skin allergies from it?

 

I've heard availability here is late spring/early summer.

 

Hi Elise, I've so far only heard good reports of it; and have seen people encouraging others to try it for their kitties. No mention of any adverse effects as yet. It seems to have been tried mostly by people when oral pain meds didn't work in their kitty or couldn't be used for any reason. And some have been pleasantly surprised by the good results.

 

I have used it for my 11.5 year old non diabetic cat who had very stiff and sore hips but no skin problems. It has transformed her life and knocked 6.5 years off her. She had not been jumping much and after one week did a huge jump onto the kitchen table and landed in my husbands dinner!

 

I'm glad there is something new. I'm sad it is several years too late for my cat. We did everything we could at the time, but I laid her to rest in November 2018 because the arthritis was no longer manageable and it wasn't humane to keep her going any longer. Adequan worked for a while and gave her about 5 extra years, but eventually there just wasn't anything more to be done. I would have welcomed any other options than saying goodbye at the time. There was nothing wrong with her other than arthritis.

 

So glad to hear such positive news about Solensia from our British members!

I gave Ruby her second Adequan shot today and she's been a very different cat since we started it this week. She did the same thing your kitty did, jumping onto a kitchen counter from the floor, something she has never ever done. I'm glad though that in case the Adequan doesn't work for her anymore that an alternative is on the horizon for us in North America.

 

I would just like to update this thread
1 month ago we started Duke on Solensia due his bad arthritis and let me say the results have been amazing, he actually runs upstairs now without stopping and the other amazing thing he's started doing now (bad Duke lol) is jumping up onto the table, he's never being able to do that before and he does it with ease and he's quite pleased with himself doing it.
We have not noticed any side effects and it's not affected his BG so we are very very pleased with it.
He's due his second dose tomorrow and i will update with his progress in a months time.

 

Wonderful news. Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks @tiffmaxee
It's transformed him, it's early days yet but fingers crossed this works for him and keeps him out of pain.

 

How is Solensia administered? I started Ruby recently on Adequan and she's improved a huge amount, with no hesitation to jump onto tables and kitchen counters like she used to.

 

It’s a once a month injection by your vet.

 

s Solensia available in the US?


Solensia, which is approved in the European Union and has been available to veterinarians there since May 2021,will be available to veterinarians in the United States in the second half of 2022.Jan 17, 2022

 

All of Ruby's vets have spoken to me about it and are very excited to start using it.

 

As @tiffmaxee says, it's given once a month just under the skin like giving insulin.
We did ask if we could do it at home but the vet wouldn't allow it, UK regs i suppose.

 

https://www.solensiavetteam.com/

 

Hi Tee I think it has to be done at a vets office no matter where you live by reading about it

 

Just a quick update on Duke's progress with the Solensia.
He had his second injection on 9th March and everything was fine he ate his supper no problem but next morning he was really off it and struggled with his breakfast and same with his supper so we ended up giving him an appetite stimulant just so he would eat something. I don't know if it was coincidence or not but he was fine the next day.
As for the Solensia it's still working wonders, he still jumps up onto the table at every opportunity he gets, runs up the stairs and chases our other cat George all over the place. He's just moving so much better and not walking with any stiffness and as i said in my previous post his life has been transformed.
He's due his next injection next week after a 5 week interval instead of the normal 4 weeks because the vet is so impressed with his movement, obviously if 5 weeks is too long then he will go back to the recommended 4 weeks between injections.
No side effects to report other than the day after his injection but i can't say if the Solensia caused that, next injection will probably tell, but if it is that then i would rather have him off it for a day or so than be in pain, also his BG has not been affected by the Solensia.
I will report back in a few weeks on his progress.

 

Thank you so much for the update. This is so encouraging! Good luck with 5 weeks.

 

If you are/were giving other drugs for arthritis (adequan, gabapentin) do those stop if you start Solensia? Is there a withdrawal from either of the previously mentioned drugs? Currently Rascal receives gabapentin twice a day in her food and adequan every 2 weeks (administered at home).

 

Yes you would stop the adequan and gabapentin. There wouldn't be any withdrawal period for the Solensia as it would just carry on from the adequan but the gabapentin i can't say. Your vet would best advise on that sorry.
The Solensia has been a life saver for Duke, he's had three injections so far and he's a different cat.

 

In humans who have been on gabapentin for long term, they do taper of the drug
https://www.ridgefieldrecovery.com/drugs/gabapentin/related/gabapentin-taper/
https://sdtreatmentcenter.com/neurontin/tapering-off/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tapering-off-gabapentin/

Talk to your vet about your schedule.

 

Larry and Kitties,
Thank you.

 

Thanks for the updates @tiffmaxee on solensia!
I have my name on the list to be notified when it arrives to the US!
I am so hopeful it’s soon. I’m not sure what “second half of 2022” means … maybe fall? Praying for that!!!

 

Update on Duke with his Solensia.
He's now had 4 injections and it's just magical for him, no side effects at all.
He's running about, he's still loving his new game of jumping up onto the table and he gets up and down the stairs with ease with no bunny hopping up and down or stopping half way and limping up the rest of the way which he used to do. He can actually swivel and jump at the same time now and he's so much happier.
I think the time when he struggled with his food the day after was just a coincidence because he's been fine since.
We have reverted back to 4 weeks intervals instead of 5 weeks for the injections because you could see he was starting to struggle a bit after 4 weeks.
All in all it's just fantastic stuff and i can't emphasise enough just how much it's changed him.

 

That’s wonderful! @Teetee (UK)

 

I have questions about this. Was baseline bloodwork taken prior to starting Solensia? And has any post-Solensia bloodwork been taken. I have the obvious concerns about anything new and being VERY cautious about anything that could potentially damage kidneys.

 

Hi Suzanne,
Duke has his bloods done every 3 months.
If you look at Duke's spreadsheet he started Solensia on the 7th Feb and he has the start of Kidney disease, infact as you can see his kidney values started to go up prior to his starting Solencia. In September his kidney values were slightly up but raised quite a lot at the start of December and up again slightly in March but going by those dates i don't think the Solensia has caused that.
He has his quarterly bloods taken again in a couple of weeks so it's a case of see how his numbers are and i will report back.

 

It does sound like Duke's quality of life has vastly improved on the Solensia, so that is very good to know! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

 

Hi Tee!
So pleased that Duke is having good results with Solensia. ...Bonbon had her first Solensia shot today, and we're keeping fingers crossed for some improvement too...
...My vet actually suggested that I buy it online from now on (with prescription from her) and give it to Bonbon myself, since I can already give insulin injections... And I have a friend whose vet suggested the same to them...
So, it doesn't seem to be against any regulations...
Just wonder if it's worth asking your vet again whether you can do this at home...? The difference in cost would probably be considerable... x

 

Hi Eliz,
Fingers crossed Bonbon has the same results as Duke, it's a wonder drug for Duke as far as i'm concerned.
We saw a big improvement within a couple of days with Duke, hopefully Bonbon will do the same.
Keep me informed on how she is doing please.
Kim says she will ask the vet about giving Duke his Solensia at home.
I think the nurse gave Duke his last injection and it cost £75, so even with the vets £25 prescription charge it will work out a lot cheaper.

 

How's she doing Eliz, have you seen any improvement yet with Bonbon?

 

Aw, bless you, Tee.
No 'obvious' improvement yet in terms of her mobility... ....But...I wonder if she is actually a bit 'happier'.... She is a bit more responsive than usual (she usually lives in her own little world). And her eyes seem brighter. So I do wonder if she is in less pain. That would be good!

 

That is great news!
I actually give my baby her Adequen at home myself too.
I can’t wait for this Solensia to arrive in the US!!!

 

Does anyone know if it’s possible to order Solensia from a European or Canadian supplier if you are in the US? I am desperate to get this stuff for my kitty and suspect “latter half of 2022” is going to end up meaning December—which is a long time in the life of a cat!

 

Hi
I think probably the best thing to do is to talk with your vet about that as it's prescription only so ordering online wouldn't be an option without your vet.
I've had a quick look around and i have seen that it's just become available in Canada so maybe not too long for the US.

 

Thanks! I was just wondering whether if my vet would give me a prescription, I could send it to a Canadian pharmacy—I know I’ve ordered prescription medication for myself from Canada, and I wondered whether it was possible to do something similar with pet meds. So far I haven’t found a way.

 

Duke had his 6th injection yesterday and as before he's still doing brilliant on it, in fact i would go as far as to say he's doing even better with his movement but one thing i have noticed is that he does slow down towards the end of his monthly cycle.
@Elizabeth and Bertie
We asked the vet about giving him the Solensia at home and she spoke with the practice manager but she refused saying it was different to giving insulin which is rubbish.
How's Bonbon getting along 3 weeks in?

 

Ugh, I am sorry, Tee... The vet nurse has shown me how to give it. It does mean injecting 1ml at a time, and that means bigger syringes. But the principle is exactly the same as insulin injections in that they are both given under the skin. And the vet nurse injected into the scruff just as with an insulin shot... Bonbon is due her next (second) shot in the near future, so we will see how that goes!

We are seeing 'some' definite improvement now, I think. She's got up onto my bed a few times and hasn't done that for a very, very long time... But her jumping 'down' hasn't improved as much, haha, so she has some steps to help her down, bless her...

BTW, the vet nurse said that in some cats it doesn't last the full month, and may only last 3 - 3.5 weeks....

 

The manufacturer specifically says "Solensia is a monthly injection administered at your vet's office that can help control the pain your cat may experience from OA.".
https://www.zoetispetcare.com/products/solensia
However, the detailed prescribing documents says nothing about vet-only administration.
https://www2.zoetisus.com/content/_assets/docs/solensia-pi.pdf
The Solensia comes in 1ml single-use vials with the full vial given for 5.5-15.4 lb cats two vials for heavier cats. Thus, dividing mup vials is not a reason for not being able to inject at home.

 

I don't understand the 10ml since the prescribing info say is comes in 1ml vials.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Cats should be dosed by weight range according to the Dosing Chart (Table 1) below. Cats are given the full content of 1 or 2 vials based on body weight to target a minimum dosage of 0.45 mg/lb. (1 mg/kg) body weight, administered subcutaneously once a month. Aseptically withdraw the total dose into a single syringe and administer immediately. The product does not contain a preservative. The full content of each vial is for single use only. Once punctured, contents of the vial should be used immediately and any remaining solution should be discarded.
Table 1. Dosing Chart
Weight of Cat (lb.) Weight of Cat (kg) Volume Number of Vials*
5.5-15.4 2.5-7 kg 1 mL 1
15.5-30.8 7.1-14 kg 2 mL 2
*1 mL frunevetmab injection per vial
https://www2.zoetisus.com/content/_assets/docs/solensia-pi.pdf

 

Sorry, that was just a typo and should read 1ml, not 10ml. Have corrected it.

 

That's great news Eliz that she's improving and even jumping up onto your bed after only three weeks, fingers crossed she keeps improving as i'm sure she will.

 

Hi Eliz @Elizabeth and Bertie
How's Bonbon doing 6 weeks in?
Have you seen any more improvement?

 

I'm so happy I found this page! Dallas' vet recommended this for him, but warned me that it is a new drug so there are a lot of unknowns. I've been reading up on it, but couldn't find much on how it could affects a diabetic kitty with kidney disease. If this works on Dallas, I think it could really improve his quality of life. We have A LOT of stairs in the house, which he uses very slowly and won't play with his toys for more than a few seconds before laying back down or limping away. And thank you @Teetee (UK) for giving us monthly updates! I am looking forward to trying this on my boy.

 

Hi Tee, how kind of you to think of us.
No 'further' improvement so far that I can see. And I am wondering if the injection is lasting a full 4 weeks... But, it's still relatively early days, I guess...
Is Duke still doing well on it? I do hope that he is.

 

Hi Eliz
I'm sure she will improve as time goes by, as you say it's still early days.
Perhaps you can't see any further improvement as yet but i'm sure she will be in less pain now.
We have also noticed that the injection doesn't quite last the full month because we can see him slightly struggling up the stairs towards the end but otherwise he's doing really well on it, thanks for asking.
He has his next injection on Friday.

 

Dallas just had his first injection today. Fingers crossed it'll help him!

 

Good luck Dallas, i hope it works for you. Stairs, what stairs.
Keep us updated on his progress Michelle as i'm sure that when it eventually arrives in the US there will be quite a few on here interested.

 

I definitely will! He is close to remission and a kidney cat. He had bloodwork done yesterday and will get more in 6 months. I will share that as well in the lab section of my SS

 

Love reading these great experiences! My 4 kitties are 15-16 and 2 struggle with arthritis pain, the other 2 still okay so far. Adequan helps a bit but not as much as we had hoped, so I’m keeping a hopeful eye as well on Solensia. Thanks everyone for sharing how your kitties are doing on it <3

 

It's only been a week since I've given Dallas his first injection and I already see a difference. He's jumping on the window ledge again, runs down the stairs without limping afterwards and will leap off the bed and couch. His front paw will still shake at times, but who know if that's even caused by arthritis.

Edit: I should add it isn't affecting his BG numbers. He is still on his way towards remission!

 

Yay! Great news that there is already some improvement!

 

I was told today that our vet clinic (small, rural) is awaiting a visit from a pharm company representative regarding Solensia next week, which most likely means that the drug will be approved in the US in a month or so.

 

that’s amazing news!!
I’m on the email list to be notified when it arrives to the US… I hope it’s soon. Keep us posted.
My Chloe is 14 and does well with weekly Adequen and acupuncture visits but would like to try this new treatment too

 

So, I see that one forum kitty has received a Solensia injection last week! https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/finally-some-good-news.269064/#post-3004423

 

Yes. It’s finally available in the United States. What about Canada? @Wendy&Neko ?

 

No clue, don't currently have a cat with arthritis. Anyone who is interested should contact their vet.

 

I’m glad you don’t know then (meaning I am happy your cats don’t have arthritis.). I just thought you may have heard it through the grapevine or read something. Sorry.

 

Has anyone checked about side effects or deleterious effects from the data from overseas? Our tough old boy Lamborghini has been arthritic for a while; we've given him step stools and ramps and things around the house to help him get up and down to his favorite places, like the big windowsill and the sofa. But it's sad to see how slowly he sits and lays himself down, and how stiffly he walks. He's gone through bladder sludge issues, and hyperthyroid (treated and ended up hypothyroid), borderline diabetes, F.O.R.L. (he's now toothless except for one fang and three lower front teeth), maybe kidney issues developing, and we're not sure how much of his cognitive skills he still has. Although hubby and I have joked that making him able to jump on the kitchen counters again is NOT something we want to enable, it would be good to see him able to move comfortably again. But I wouldn't want to do it at the expense of some other part of his health, he's been through so much in his 15 years.

 

@Teetee (UK) your Duke is on Solensia, and you monitor his blood values pretty closely. Can you comment on the above question?

 

Hi, my girl is diabetic and only has one functioning kidney, and that kidney has impaired function. She also has chronic pancreatitis and high BP.
My cat-only vet told me that Solensia has no effect on BG levels (I've seen no change), and doesn't affect kidneys. She did say that it can cause loose poops in some cats. But since my girl is prone to constipation that seems to have possibly been a benefit for us, as her poop is now about 'normal'...

...I've also read a few places online that Solensia 'may' help with other pain including pancreatitis pain. But I have found it hard to find definitive information about this in cats. ...But if that's the case that could be a great benefit for my girl...

Eliz

 

Hi @Gracie85, sorry for the late reply @Suzanne & Darcy
I can only say what i have said on my previous posts on this thread that the Solensia has transformed Dukes life and it has had no side effects on him at all, unless you can call jumping up on the table a side effect.
He's been on the Solensia since February and his quarterly blood readings are just the same as they were before he started and it has had no effect on his BG's at all.
How's Bonbon doing @Elizabeth and Bertie, it's been 4 months now since she started her treatment.

 

Thanks, Tee. I knew you had a great report on Solensia to share. That’s why I tagged you.

 

Hey Suzanne! I hope you're doing well. I'm in Canada and Frunevetmab / Solensia has been available here for several months although there wasn't a lot of supply in the beginning. That seems to have been resolved.

Butters has received four doses so far and will get her fifth in about two weeks. She was the first patient to be given it at the veterinary practice we go to, but now they have many cats who are on it.

I was going to do a thread about our experience with it but found this thread so I'll do it here for anyone who is interested.

TL;DR: It has been a game changer for her. The Queen went from a couch potato to running around and jumping and being extra demanding and is living her best life once again.

The long, detailed story:
Because Butters is a hot mess (she has....issues), her vet said he wanted me to bring her in for a full exam before she got her first dose, review her chart and everything she is on to make sure we weren't going to miss anything. And he wanted to administer it himself the first time. We discussed how it was still a risk but she was at a point where she was barely moving, limping and I was carrying her up and down the stairs. Not a great QoL. I decided the potential benefit outweighed any risk for her.

The vet gave her the first dose that day and then said absolutely I can give it to her at home going forward since it is just administered subcutaneously. The dose size is 1 mL (that's the dose for cats 7kg and under, I believe), which is a lot of fluid as someone else mentioned so prepare yourself for that especially if your cat is like Butters, i.e., not particularly cooperative about anything. I kept her busy with a giant plate covered in ground up kibble the she could lick up.

It took me a few seconds to get the full dose into her. You need to use a larger needle than you do for insulin. The clinic gives me 25g needles with the vial. It does not sting, though it is cold since it is stored in the fridge.

There was no change in Butters in the month after the first dose. Oh, except she did have a bit of GI upset for the first two days after receiving it. That can happen. Other than that, I thought maaaaaybe I saw her walking a little bit better or maybe it was just my active imagination. If you look at the studies, it is not uncommon for it to take 56 days for it to really start to work. If you're going to try it, then stay the course if you don't see a magical change in the first month.

About one week after her second dose, I started to notice a change. Nothing major, but she was definitely moving around and jumping a little bit more than she had been. Her baseline was that she would barely move around and only jump on and off the couch without issues, so I guess what I was seeing was a big deal for her. I did think that the medication waned toward the end of the month, though. She seemed to move slower again.

A week after her third dose is when I saw a huge change. One day she just started bounding around the house like a maniac, running up and down the stairs, jumping onto places she hadn't jumped onto in probably a year like the table and higher chairs. Zero hesitation when she jumps or moves. Grooming herself much more than she had been. She became a completely different cat and is clearly much more comfortable. I filmed her running up and down the stairs and sent it to her clinic. The vet told me his other arthritic feline patients are also experiencing very positive results.

We are two weeks out from dose five now and the med has kept her consistently moving and seemingly pain-free. She gets nothing for pain now. There was no further GI upset from the med, either. It has been amazing and I hope that more feline-specific drugs for other diseases will be developed given this one seems to be so successful.

From what her vet told me, it sounds like the exact number of days that Solensia lasts can vary a little from cat-to-cat. Some cats seem to get an extra week duration out of it, whereas others show signs of it waning earlier. I'm allowed to adjust her dosing frequency. So if she is still going strong and shows no signs of the effects waning on day 30, I can hold off on giving her the next month's dose until I see a sign that it may be waning, and then give it to her. However, I've chosen to stick to giving it to her on the same day every month. I'm just mentioning it for anyone who is interested, as a possible point of discussion with your vet.

Butters gives Solensia four paws up, 13/10, and highly recommends that owners of all the kitties out there suffering from osteoarthritis discuss Solensia with their vets.

 

Lyla! I’m so happy to from you! I’ve missed you. I am really happy to read this report on Butters. I’ve thought about you many times, but I felt like you had your hands full with Butters and I didn’t want to bother you. Thanks for writing such a detailed description about your experience with Solensia. I think it will help a lot of others with their fur babies.

 

Howie just got his 2nd shot of it last Friday. I believe I saw some positive change after his first dose (or maybe it’s just me!) but he seems perkier and less ornery. My vet said he has lots of arthritis in his hind quarters and he seems less irritable when petting him back there. I am not allowed to give it myself (jealous of Lyla!) but that doesn’t sound uncommon from others’ experience. Howie is the first patient for my vet to get Solensia (I think 2-3 more have in this past month) and they are anxious to hear how he does with this 2nd dose. Howie and I also give it 4 paws up!

 

Hi Tracy! You too! I’m happy to hear from you and to hear about Howie’s improvement already. I hope you are well. How about updating on this thread after another shot or two - to et us know hw it is going?

 

I’m glad to read all these stories.
I’m in FLorida and my vet says she has a supply on the way! So hopeful to see if it will help!

 

Today (5 days post 2nd shot) I saw him RUN out of his potty box! I wouldn’t call it Zoomies by any means but I haven’t seen him move faster than a slow trot for more than a year!

 

That’s AWESOME!!!!
so happy to hear this and for your baby to have the zoomies! He must be feeling better!
I just spoke to my vet yesterday in South Florida who states she expecting her shipment anytime (says it’s just kinda like a lottery system as to who gets it) so praying it’s soon!
keep us posted on more progress!

 

I've never heard of this one. I have a nearly 14 year old Tonkinese male and back in May we noticed he just was getting grumpy which is so not him. He's been on gabapentin for years for other reasons than pain management. His vet started him on Onsior 6mg for about 2 weeks (it's not a daily pill) as a trial and wow what a change! So now he's on that every 4th day. It's kinda pricy at $126 a box. It averages a bit over $4 a pill but it makes him feel so much better! So - if you've got a chronic pain kitty you may want to check out the Onsior. I did some looking and by far the cheapest place for me was Costco - it takes them about a week to get it in, but the vet's price was about $6 a pill so it's worth the wait.

 

I believe Onisor can be hard on the kidneys. This medication is very new with less side effects. It’s worth asking your vet. @SassyCat04

 

Yes she did mention that. His kidneys are perfect. She said when we started this we would have to be willing to do his blood work every year which I have done their whole lives any way and at his age she might want to do it every 6 months which I have zero issue with.

 

My Chloe is getting her FIRST solensia injection today. Her vet got her supply in and she will be the first one blessed to take the injection. I am so excited! I’ve been following the stories here for a while of good news with it. I’m looking forward to seeing her progress!!
I forgot to ask the vet… I’ll call back Monday… but am I still supposed to be doing Adequan weekly with that too?

 

That is wonderful news! Welcome to “being the first club” at your vet clinic. Howie goes for his 3rd injection next week and I can really see a difference. I also can tell when it’s starting to wear off and it’s time for the next one as he’s a bit more squirmy. Keep us in tabs on here of how it goes!

 

Hello, so far at week 2 honestly it seems like maybe there is some slight improvement… definitely not worse which had previously been happening. I’m hopeful still.
I do notice this last week several instances of diarrhea not sure if that’s related or not.

 

My (cat-only) vet told me that loose poop 'can' be a side effect of Solensia. ...My girl Bonbon has always been prone to constipation, and in her case a slight loosening of the poop has actually been an advantage...

 

How's she doing with the Solensia Eliz?

 

I have a question....my vet just got her first supply of Solensia. She's thinking that it might be good for my civvie, Mouse. Mouse has a terrible time with constipation. She suspects its arthritis that is causing it. Mouse is currently on Adequan and Gabapentin. Poor girl had yet another enema last Thursday and hasn't pooped since. Even with Miralax twice daily and fluids. Anyone have Solensia help with constipation?

 

Hi Maria,
@Elizabeth and Bertie mentioned in a previous post that it does help her cat Bonbon with her constipation issues.
My cat Duke also suffers with constipation issues and the Solensia made no difference with him, so he's still on Miralax twice daily which thankfully keeps him regular.
I suppose it's each cat is different as to how they react to it.
As i have said in my previous posts Solensia has transformed Dukes life massively and even if it doesn't help Mouse with the constipation issues it's worth trying for the arthritis issues alone.

 

hi,
My Chloe had some loose poops even diarrhea for a bit after her shot. I have also heard GI can be a side effect from others here but I’m not sure it is everyone though.

 

We finally were able to get our old Lamborghini in for his first shot of Solensia just before Christmas. Within a couple of days he was up and walking around more (mostly he just eats and sleeps). Even managed a fast-walk chase of one of the younger cats who had pissed him off! He still looks old and stiff, but his being up and walking around more must mean he's feeling somewhat better right away!
Hubby had been joking we needed to change his name from Lamborghini to Edsel, but if he's had this much improvement in less than 2 weeks, he may just get to keep his name.

 

Does anyone have a cost for each Solensia injection? My vet was just telling me about it last week but he said it was around $80/mo

 

Here is some info to help determine the cost:
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Cats should be dosed by weight range according to the Dosing Chart (Table 1) below. Cats are given the full content of 1 or 2 vials based on body weight to target a minimum dosage of 0.45 mg/lb. (1 mg/kg) body weight, administered subcutaneously once a month. Aseptically withdraw the total dose into a single syringe and administer immediately. The product does not contain a preservative. The full content of each vial is for single use only. Once punctured, contents of the vial should be used immediately and any remaining solution should be discarded. Table 1.
Dosing Chart
Weight of Cat (lb.) Weight of Cat (kg) Volume Number of Vials*
5.5-15.4 2.5-7 kg 1 mL 1
15.5-30.8 7.1-14 kg 2 mL 2
*1 mL frunevetmab injection per vial
https://www2.zoetisus.com/content/_assets/docs/solensia-pi.pdf

This place
https://discountpetmeds.com.au/solensia-7mg-vial-2s/
sells 2, 1ml vials for $90

If the vet administers the injection you have to add their cost and the weight of the cat also determines the cost.

 

Our vet charged us $81 for the injection, total--medication and giving the injection. They have what they call "technician visits", so if your pet is current on exams and vaccinations and things, and it needs its yearly shots or a medication injection like this solensia, it's handled by a technician on a walk-in basis, and costs less than an appointment with the actual vet.

 

How much doses your cat weigh (did it require 1 or 2 vials.) the number of vials required should effect the price.

 

One vial. He's about 14-1/2 pounds

 

Some vets will let you inject at home... Mine does. And I read somewhere in some info about Solensia (can't find it now) that this may be possible for clients who are already injecting diabetic cats, for example.
If you can inject at home you can save quite a bit....

Cost for me in the UK is £91 for two vials from Viovet (including postage). That's plus prescription cost from my vet of £14, and that allows me to buy 4 x 2 vials (8 months supply).

 

I pay $88/month for the Solensia and the injection charge from my vet.

 

That's quite expensive compared to Adequan! Is there a reason users are choosing Solensia over Adequan? My vet is really raving about it and I said I'd look into it. I'm trying to justify spending 80/mo for Solensia vs 70/year on Adequan.