Solencia for cats? One experience

Do you have an arthritic cat, and are you considering whether to put your cat on monthly Solencia shots for arthritis pain? Here’s what I’ve found after having my old girl Stelli on it for a few months:

She’s moving better, can get up on a chair she hadn’t been able to. At age 19 and plump (“Hey, I’m just built stocky!”) she’ll never be agile like slender whipcord Sally (my 17-year-old other cat), but there’s improvement in mobility.

Beyond that, her attitude has improved, no longer grumpy at times, getting along fine with her feline roomie (not always the case before), more affectionate toward me (she’s currently busy scent-marking this laptop). And her coat has shown a BIG change – no longer rough-looking and prone to mats. Now it’s got a sleek shine and doesn’t mat at all, even without being brushed. The groomed-bare patch on her belly has grown back completely.

So, it’s a hundred bucks a month to keep her on the Solencia, but I’d say it’s worth it. I don’t know anything about the use for dogs, but if Stelli’s case is anything to go by, I’d say it may well be worth a shot (monthly) there too.

This is a great thing to know! We have a middle-aged cat who is starting to show just a few signs of arthritis, so I’ll tuck the information away for a later date.

Good. My vet has had a number of suggestions over the years, ranging in cost and effort involved. One pain reliever to be wary of: gabapentin. My late little tuxie rescue adoptee, Greybeard, had intestinal problems that could have used some pain relief, but just the first small dose of gaba turned him into a tottering zombie.