Joint supplement?

I had to take my cat to the ER today because she seemed to have a lot of pain in her back leg. One of her legs looked very rigid and she was swaying when she walked.

The good news, the vet didn't see any broken bones, her abdomen was fine, her spine was fine.

The bad - because she'll be 9 next month, he thinks she's in the early stages of arthritis. Her bi-annual checkup is in 10 days, so rather than spending like $500 for the ER to test for arthritis, I'm waiting until her vet appointment.

Since this is probably early on (I've never noticed any pain or stiffness in her before) I'd like to start her on a supplement ASAP to hopefully slow the progression. Even if it turns out not to be arthritis, it's probably a good idea to get her on something anyway.

Does anyone have a favorite supplement they use for their diabetic cats? If it matters, she's diet controlled, she's not on insulin or any other medication.

 

Adequan shots were life changing for my cat.

 

Dasuquin supplement can be really helpful too. I use those and Adequan for my cat Emily, who is pre-diabetic/diet-controlled.

 

In addition to the great suggestions above, I'd also add some fish or krill oil to food. This will help with inflammation that might be exacerbating the joints. I buy 500 mg capsules and cut it open to add to food once or twice a day, introducing it slowly.

 

I was giving my cat Cosequin, which definitely helped her front elbows (which is what bothers her), but it seemed to be making her stomach upset, so I stopped and ordered some fish oil. It should arrive tomorrow. I hope it works on the joints as well as the Cosequin did.