Solensia for arthritis

[margotrose]

Our 8.5yo MC cross was diagnosed with arthritis in his back legs today. He's been struggling to jump and to get in/out of his litter tray for a few days and on Saturday, he was really bad and growling at anyone who touched him - something he's never done before.

He's been given a month of Metacam to see if that helps him but we have to go back in a month for blood tests and the vet mentioned getting him on monthly Solensia injections as well.

He's a big boy and he could do with losing weight so we are working on that as well, but he has limited motion in his back legs so the vet suggested the injections on top to try and get him some mobility back.

Does anyone else have a cat on Solensia and is it worth it? Cost isn't an issue as he's fully insured and luckily he's great at going to the vets, but I guess I was hoping for some success stories or warnings about potential side effects. Apart from his arthritis he's very healthy and has never been in the vets for anything other than a minor eye injury six years ago.

Hopeful bump

My 13 yr old cat has been on Solensia for the last 6 months or so due to arthritis and we definitely have seen a vast improvement in movement. He has been dropping weight month in month since the injections started and not sure if that is connected tbh. He has also had bouts of extreme sickness- not a normal way that a cat is sick, it is literally projectile vomiting. I wouldn’t say enough to warrant the amount of weight lost though. Vet has done blood tests and says he’s the epitome of health though so I do think this might be a result of the Solensia. Give it a go but proceed with caution maybe. I am going to ask to try our cat on an alternative this month.

My 15 year old cat is now on her 3rd month of Solensia, the best thing we could have done for her. She had stopped grooming herself and was out of sorts. She is now fully grooming herself and wandering all over the house.( she had stopped going upstairs). We have been lucky and had none of the side effects. Worth every penny ( also have Insurance ). She is an older and this means her last few years with us will be pain free.

She also has Yumove supplement daily, which is also helping .

Thank you both! The vet didn't mention YuMove but we've used it on our dog in the past with great success so might get some in anyway.

He does need to lose weight but it's a bit of a vicious cycle as the pain means he's reluctant to move. He started his Metacam today and already seems brighter and more active which is great.

My little old cat is in it, combined with daily metacam on the vet's advice. She is very much happier since starting the solensia about six months ago.

My 16 year old diabetic cat has been on Solensia for months now and it’s made a great difference.
He used to have difficulty jumping onto my lap, claws out trying to get up ( my poor knees) now he can jump onto table though I try encourage that.

Thanks! It looks fairly promising so we'll see how he gets on ☺️

My cat is 15 & she's been on solencia for 3 months & I don't think it's working for her, she's still limping & her front leg is bowing too. She has arthritis in her shoulder.

Vet has given oral painkillers for her too which I hope will make a difference.

Last visit vet said other than this she's in good condition although she does have daily meds for thyroid problems. They're suggesting that she undergo an op to remove the thyroid so she doesn't have to have daily meds. Not sure about it, still thinking.

My 11 year old boy has been on it since July and it's made a huge improvement to him.

I just thought I'd come back and update this.

He's been on Metacam for about six weeks now and his mobility is much better. He had blood tests a few days ago and they came back clear and the vet said he's basically in perfect health.

We're just going to carry on with the Metacam for now and they'll do another set of bloods in six months. Obviously if he gets worse we'll consider Solensia but he's only eight and I don't want to put him on unnecessary treatment if we can manage him on the painkillers.

My 17.5 year old started on Metacam and moved to Loxicom (which I buy online with his prescription because its much much cheaper!) He has arthritis in all 4 legs and spine which probably started when he was young but we picked up 7 or 8 years ago when we noticed him limping but without an injury. We are allowed to increase the dose slightly if wet weather or cold appear to be affecting him. No side effects other than he's pain free and can chase the pigeons again!

The best thing I have bought for him is a heated pad (for pets), plugged into a timer switch so it's on all night for him in the cooler months, under his favourite faux fur blanket. Oh how he loves it! Only cost about £20 but after 5 years of use it's still going strong.

I keep thinking about a heating pad or something for him - his favourite spot is in a box on the dining table right next to the radiator the main issue is finding somewhere to put it so the kitten can't chew the cables!

Mine loves her heated bed! Problem if they chew cables though. Perhaps run the cables through a pipe arrangement? Ours stays on virtually 24/7 unless she's on my lap or in my bed. Spoilt old lady!
Thank you for the update @margotrose

We've never had a kitten that chews before so this is new to me! He's a ginger menace and seems to be able to get everywhere