Problems in elderly cat

[Sleepingboynexttome]

My cat has lived a long life. She has had diabetes that we have kept under control with insulin but now her kidneys are starting to fail and she’s drinking lots of water. The vet suggested that we put her on ‘kidney food’ rather than ‘diabetes food’. We are happy to try that, has this happened to anyone else? Was the food helpful?

Secondly, she’s developed arthritis. I have no idea how much pain she is in. She’s not moving much but that’s also because she’s old. She passes her days on the bed/sofa and moves only to eat or use the litter. She still loves cuddles and purrs lots and does not show signs of pain but I know that cats often hide their pain so I’m worried about that. The vet has suggested vitamins pills that are absolutely useless as are massive and if I break them up into food/water she doesn’t eat/drink so that’s a load of wasted money. They also suggested a shot of painkillers each month, which we are happy to try. Do you have a cat with arthritis? Has anything helped? Maybe a heated blanket? She always moves into a sun area if there is any.

Thanks a lot. We had her for more than 10 years but she’s older than that so I’m dreading what’s (hopefully still slowly) coming.

Vet nurse here. The monthly injection your vet is talking about will be solensia. It's a fairly new arthritis treatment and is proving a bit of a game changer. 90% of cats aged 11 and over suffer with arthritis and unfortunately it often goes unnoticed /untreated. So yes please do get some treatment asap.
The traditional non steroidal anti-inflammatories like metacam are not great for cats with kidney disease, although it's still preferable to no pain relief.
There’s a lot you can do at home too. Yes to heated beds, old cats love them. Make sure they can access their favourite spots (makeshift steps and the likes). Raised bowls can help with spinal arthritis and make sure your cat doesn't have to negotiate stairs to access litter tray/food.

I'll ask my vet about Solensa as girl cat reacts to Metacam and another one we tried and broke out with wet eczema.

@Anonaymoose

Vet nurse here. The monthly injection your vet is talking about will be solensia. It's a fairly new arthritis treatment and is proving a bit of a game changer. 90% of cats aged 11 and over suffer with arthritis and unfortunately it often goes unnoticed /untreated. So yes please do get some treatment asap. The traditional non steroidal anti-inflammatories like metacam are not great for cats with kidney disease, although it's still preferable to no pain relief. There’s a lot you can do at home too. Yes to heated beds, old cats love them. Make sure they can access their favourite spots (makeshift steps and the likes). Raised bowls can help with spinal arthritis and make sure your cat doesn't have to negotiate stairs to access litter tray/food.

This is all very helpful thank you so much!