Solensia for arthritic cat, has anyone tried it?

[Buggysleeper]

My 14 yr old cat has arthritis mostly in her 2 front legs. They seem to be bowing now too, which is very sad. Last week she tried to jump onto a fence and just didn’t make it which made her limp worse. Today I took her to the vets for her injections and she suggested a new treatment, Solensia. It’s a monthly injection which treats the pain. Has anyone else tried it? Or maybe the dog equivalent Librela? It looks like it will be around £50 a month.

Cas doesn't seem to be in too much pain, apart from the occational spasm where one of his back legs goes goes stiff. We tried a different painkiller at first but that gave his terrible diarrhea. When this happens to a long haired cat with trouble keeping his bum raised, you can imagine the result.
The hardest part is he won't slow down and realise his limitations.
The vet says he has calcification of the spine. I admit he is most likely in a downward spiral but as long as his eyes sparkle and he can control his bladder I will put up with it.

One of our cats (Felicia) aged about 12 years has been on monthly Solensia for 8-9 months and we have seen improvement and quickly. She moves around more easily, jumps up on to fences and onto laps with much less difficulty, runs up stairs and for most of each month seems to get relief. I think I notice that for the last couple of days of the month some increased lethargy and difficulty getting comfortable in her bed(s) and then maybe a day or two after the jab before it fully kicks in. It’s very hard to tell with cats if they are in discomfort and also whether lethargy is just being a cat or due to pain or even to bad weather. Felicia is always happier when the sun is shining and it’s been grimly cold lately. We don’t seem to have had any adverse side effects and she isn’t on any other medication. Our other cat seems to be arthritis free at the same age but although ‘lazy’ doesn’t have the same mobility problems as Felicia.

My 17 years old cat had her first dose of Solensia 2 weeks ago and she hasn’t been herself since!
First she vomited which is quite commun apparently :-/ but then her mobility
got worse, she lost her appetite, was hiding away from us, was drinking like crazy etc etc

i will not renew the experience.
she has been on prednisone for nearly 3 years and I was given her a low dose but as her muscle mass was declining I was trying to find an alternative.
my vet mentioned this new treatment but I don’t think it is for my Tiggy.
see the info on internet about side effects…

Yes I feel the same about this drug…

My 10yo cat has been on Solensia for months and it's done wonders for her. She's been on a 4-weekly injection but it became more noticeable that the effects faded by the 4th week, so we've switched to 3 weekly. But it doesn't seem to be helping any more 😥Next step will be surgery I think?? I just wondered if anyone else has experience of Solensia being effective - then not?

Funny you should ask that! My old boy Sultan has been on it for months, and this week he seems to be in more pain. I increased his other pain relief, now back to the vet!

my boy who’s 17 got a shot a month for 7 months. Took 2 shots before I noticed it helping he could jump up on the couch or bed albeit still not easily. Then it didn’t seem to do that much with subsequent shots. Had him checked by the vet at the 7th shot the vet said his range of motion was really good with his hips & legs but unfortunately it was neurological as his hind end was completely giving out he couldn’t posture to go to the bathroom was walking really wonky & his little back legs were weak giving out slipping & sliding everywhere. So it did help with his arthritis. Unfortunately nothing can be done with this diagnosis so we’ve spent a great couple weeks with tons of love treats & the best snuggles. I know I’ve done everything to help him acupuncture laser therapy which really helps too. Today he crosses the rainbow bridge. Good luck with your furrbaby🐾❤️

@TootersMum I don’t suppose you think there’s a link between the two? My girl had Solensia for five months and it helped her arthritis but she went to sleep last week due to a rare brain lymphoma which caused her hind legs to give way. I don’t know whether it’s just a coincidence or whether Solensia may have contributed.

Our 11yo cat had her first Solensia injection earlier this week. The 2 vets we spoke to were generally very positive about it and said some owners notice a huge difference after 1 treatment but usually after 2-3. She's been fine in herself after it, and I think she looks a little bit more sprightly doing certain things, though it's hard to tell if we're imagining it at this stage! Given the alternatives were NSAIDs (which are not great long-term) and gabapentin (which seems a bit excessive for arthritis!), it was the only option really so fingers crossed. Fortunately, it should be covered on our pet insurance, as it is pretty pricey.

Yes Lou I have thought Solensia is the cause many times although he was showing signs of the neurological issues before I started it. I’d noticed things but the vet check up prior to starting the Solensia he just said arthritis no mention of what he has now. But it did worsen quickly.

As I live in Canada Solensia only became available for cats in July 2022. Always let your vet know of any side effects no matter how small as they don’t have enough data to support if it’s successful or better yet safe to give to our cats. Vets are so busy & overwhelmed sometimes our furrbabies fall through the cracks especially when the vets themselves know very little about this drug yet it does seem to help for arthritis & other mobility issues it seems to be hitting the brain causing further neurological issues.🐾🙏🏻

Yes that was my feeling too. My girl already had neurological signs but it all seemed to go downhill very quickly. It’s still very early days for Solensia. I’m glad it will be a while before I have to consider it again.

I do think there is a link. My cat died after 3 injections of solencia, she went wobbly and her legs gave way also, the vet tried everything. He concluded it was likely something neurological. I'm convinced the 2 things are linked as she was healthy other than the arthritis before taking the drug.

My lovely Beau has been on Solensia for four months as well as daily Onsior. He's 17, and has very arthritic hips. His quality of life has improved greatly, and he's hunting and playing with no problems.

My cat has been on Solencia for 3 months and we have seen fantastic results. She is also on gabapentin (only .5ml 2x daily). I am thinking of taking her off the gabapentin. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is the Solencia enough for pain management?

Hi, is your cat better, mine has been lethargic since he had solensia, not sure if it’s related but he was fine before the injection and very bad since then

Hi, is your cat better, my cat had had 2 injections and came from being able to jump on the table to barely be able to walk. He wasn’t that bad before the injection, I am wondering if it’s related. His deterioration has been to quick and he can barely hold his neck and move

Hi, my cat had 2 shots and he is not the same cat anymore. Before the first shot he was able to jump on the table but didn’t like to jump down. After the first shot, he was like dying, in a lot of pain, lethargic below the bed. With pain killer it improved a bit. He has been getting worse and worse. Now after the second shot he is not even able to walk. He always need to rest his neck for sleeping. Can’t move his front legs where he didn’t have arthritis. He is only 10 years old, I really think there is a relation with the injection. I think we are the unlucky one who got the side effects…I have stop it, not sure if he will recover…but hardly hoping he will

how Is your cat? My cat health went down very quickly since I gave him solensia. He can’t barely walk now. It seems neurological not arthritis, it really started with the first shot. I think on some cats the reaction can be pretty bad even if it’s fine for most of them. I have him on pain killer now as his life is horrible now. Stopped solensia but not sure if it’s too late

Hi Lisadawn.
My old boy is 21 next Friday.
He was on 0.4ml 3x a day pain relief. He is on an opioid as he can't have gabapentin.
After 2 months on Solensia I was able to cut him down to 0.2 twice a day. That was over 12 months ago . He is now on 0.3 twice a day. I gradually reduced the pain relief, until I noticed indications of pain, then put it up a tiny bit. As he shows pain, I increase the pain relief again. He has bad days and good days. It's winter in Australia, so he is using a little more than summer time.
Good luck with your baby. My beautiful boy hasn't got much time left, but I truly believe Solensia gave me more time with him.

A week ago I lost my beautiful Calico after 3 shots of Solensia. After recovering from a slipped disc she began Solensia treatment. All was fine until 2 weeks after the third shot. She was dragging rear paw. After rushing to ER was told flair-up from previous injury. A week later she ate her dinner, began cleaning and had a seizure. We rushed her to ER but there was nothing we could do. She had no issues other than the slipped disc in January. I will be reporting this to FDA and manufacturer.
So upset over this. I’ve had cats my whole life and have handled medically many issues. I’ve never seen anything like this. Please be careful with this drug.

My Lexie is going on 17. She was diagnosed with idiopathic hypercalcemia in fall 2021 and we could not find the cause (she underwent a parathyroidectomy and there was no change in her calcium levels after). The hypercalcemia has now put her into stage 3 kidney disease...so she had pre-existing health issues prior to starting Solensia for pain and arthritis. I started Lexie on Solensia maybe 5 months ago after she injured her foot - which has actually gotten worse, not better. After the first two doses, I did see some improvement in her mobility, although she was still limping on her foot. By about the 3rd dose, she would get severe pain at the injection site for a few days after. At this point, I don't know that Solensia is even helping her anymore. For me in the U.S., it costs $90 an injection. If I knew the injections were making her feel better, I would pay twice that amount....but I just don't know at this point. Has anyone noticed the efficacy of Solensia diminishing after the first few doses?

No, I haven't, but it did take a while before I noticed an improvement.
If you are not sure, you can always stop, see if there is a decline and restart if there is.
If no decline, obviously don't restart.
Sometimes it is easier to see a decline as it is sudden, whereas improvement can be slower.
I sware by Solensia, but that's my experience, you may have a totally different experience.
My boy is 21, and thanks to Solensia..he also has dementia and declining fast. So everyday is a blessing at the moment.
Good luck

Can I ask anyone who’s experienced mobility issues after their cat had Solensia, how long after the injection did the side effect become evident?

My little boy, who is 20, had his first injection of Solensia on Monday, and seemed fine. But this morning he is suddenly really wobbly, staggering and leaning against the wall for balance as he walks. He’s fallen over several times, as his back legs just seem to slide out to the side. He’s walking very slowly (obviously), and pausing to wobble/apparently gain better balance.

Is it possible to have a reaction 5 days later?

Particularly like to hear from @Minouche62 @TootersMum @Lou12355 @Philipamy @Ladona @Runninggal3 .

Thank you to everyone.

Hello, I am sorry your kitty is having trouble with their legs. I know it's difficult watching them go thru this and that we only want the best our babies.

My girl appeared to being doing fine on the medication until the fourth injection on May 28th. On June 8th I found her unable to move. I rushed her to the Urgent Care vet to make sure it wasn't a blood clot and they unfortunately brushed it off as possibly a back issue. She was trying to get around, but her rear leg was sliding out. I was attempting to nurse her back as if it was a back issue. On June 19th after having dinner she unfortunately had a medical event and passed. She had no known medical conditions other than what was diagnosed as slipped disc in January that she fully recovered from. She saw the vet yearly and had blood tests yearly.

I know the June 8th incident was not a back issue as she was being monitored constantly. There was no where for her to jump, she had a camera in her room and was gated off at night and when we were not home--which was rarely with work from home.

I reported this to the drug manufacturer with no response other than a case number. After hearing nothing I reported to the FDA. I don't ever expect to hear anything.

Please anyone who has had a bad experience with this medication report it to the manufacturer, and more importantly the FDA or other monitoring agency so they can keep track of the adverse reactions of this medication.