10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229 +4:83 +6:77

Yesterday

All 5 Ps, and he's been very happy since returning from the vet. Who wouldn't be.
The vet recommended Cosequin over B12 shots for what she thinks is arthritis rather than mild neuropathy. Anybody have any experiences with Cosequin? I have already tried Cartrophen shots (like Aquedan), and didn't see a huge improvement with them, but I'd prefer a supplement over a shot, and so would he! I have to avoid anything containing beef and green-lipped mussel; the one he's allergic to and the other makes him violently ill.

As to who this Randi person is ;-) after I'd had 3 vets give me terrible advice, I started looking for a vet I could work with. We have a post somewhere here of people who are resources, and I saw Randi's name for this area. Randi had a diabetic cat, Max, whose SS you should look at if you ever get discouraged about treating your cat, because it's a wild success story. And now Randi continues to do great things here in a behind-the-scenes but very important way to help others.

Have a beautiful Sunday, alles, tout le monde, everybody!

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315

So happy you found a vet you connect with, Lara. I used to love my vet before Cleo's FD diagnosis, now not so much. I was thinking about switching, but then my DH said, You can get her to do anything you want. What if you switch and they refuse to follow the clien'ts advice? Makes sense, so I will stay where I am for now.

Nice to hear that River is feeling fine after his vetty visit. I have no experience with Cosequin, but I know it has been around a long time. A chiropractor I used to work for years ago, always recommended the human version for our arthritic patients.

Have a wonderful Sunday!!

Jane

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315

Bob took Cosequin for about a month with no ill effects. One cap per day sprinkled on or mixed into his dinner. The vet gave it to me as a preventative "in case" his lack of mobility was part arthritis/ part low potassium. Once his potassium got to normal, he was moving and jumping like he used to and I stopped both at the same time. So I can't definitely say it "fixed" things. It didn't hurt anything though. And he didn't seem to notice his food had been "spiked". It is supposed to be chicken and tuna flavored, but I've never verified that ;-)

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

I'm glad River is feeling happy today. Hopefully his numbers will come down soon. I'm glad Randi was able to help you find a good vet. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

Carla, he always listens to you! He went from +8:299 to +10:297. I hope this is one of those yellow plateaus before a dip.
And thank you for the holiday greetings. Today is Happy Birthday and tomorrow is Happy Thanksgiving, so I get to combine two holidays, and have lots of pumpkin pie

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

Hi Lara,
I'm very happy to hear that River is very happy today.
Good luck with the new vet and new meds.

Who's birthday is it today?

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

Bon anniversaire!

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

Happy Birthday, Lara! That is so nice that Randi is helping you find a good vet. We give Cosequin to Tillie and it seems to really help. About a year ago, she started laying around on the floor, not jumping on anything. We took her to the vet, who recommended 2 Cosequin per day for about a month ( the exact time has been forgotten). Then we went to 1 capsule per day and she is doing fine. It takes a while to have an effect, like several weeks. We mix the powder in yogurt.

The video that you posted in Zener's condo is cute. And Zener did a slide, as requested.
Liz

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

Thanks so much for the Cosequin advice and birthday wishes!
My greatest gift is the two brothers, my dear River and Sam. They make even the most awful day a good day.
They make me remember, in the words of Mary Oliver,

http://www.bemindful.org/poems.htm

Everybody got some turkey, and the l-tryptophan is making them zzz.

Randi's eardrums have healed, thank goodness. I have to stay on her good side so that she'll share her vet with me :lol:
The magnifier she gave me (courtesy of her Max GA) is helping a lot with dosing.

If I don't see some good numbers tomorrow, I'm thinking an increase is needed. I've been muttering "increase" all day, so I hope the threat works.

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

happy birthday, lara! sounds like it's been a delicious one! love that quote, too.

i gave punkin cosequin, but can't say i saw any difference with it. then we changed to adequan, which i do think helped. it's hard to know because we were doing so many things at once, so you never know what's really helping. but i don't think the cosequin did anything. my understanding is that the level of strength (progressively stronger intervention) is cosequin, adequan and then dausequin.

 

Re: 10/13 River AMPS 385 +2:315 +4:274 +6:283

Happy Birthday Lara. party_cat party_cat

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229

Thank you for your messages, Julie and Carla!
I might have to take a pass on Cosequin because it contains:
* Glucosamine hydrochloride (derived from shellfish)
* Sodium chondroitin sulfate (derived from bovine cartilage)

Depending on the shellfish, the glucosamine might be okay, but if it's green-lipped mussel, about a year ago I spent $$$ on green-lipped mussel powder that made River and his brother vomit almost immediately after they ate it. A few months later I got some osteo chews that again made them barf almost right away, and it turned out to also have green-lipped mussel in it.
The chondroitin derived from bovine cartilage might not work for River, as he's very sensitive to beef anything. He had some beef cartilage in the form of beef gelatin, and it made his BG skyrocket and hurt his stomach. So I'll have to think on this a bit.

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229

Happy Birthday Lara!

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229

Well Happy Birthday Lara party_cat Hope your having a great Birthday and Thanksgiving weekend dancing_cat
River are you listening to your Mama "Dosecrease...Dosecrease...Dosecrease"
Have an awesome night Lara!

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229

Happy Birthday Lara!!

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229

Julie mentioned adaquan. Bob got that too, at the very start of treatment. But it was an injection, not a capsule/powder. I think it does come as "pills" or capsules though.

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229 +4:83

OH!!!!
It's your birthday!!!!
Happy Birthday, Lara!!!!!

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229 +4:83

Oh, nice +4 by the way ;-)

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229 +4:83

Thanks everyone! And now it's over for another year, as it's just past midnight here :smile:
Carl, I have given him some Cartrophen shots, about a year ago, before he was diagnosed with FD. At that time, he started walking with his back arched a bit and stiff back legs. The vet thought it was arthritis, so we did a course of Cartrophen. This seemed to help loosen him up just a bit, but it turned out to be a good education for me in how to give sub-q injections.

At the vet yesterday, we put him on the floor to see him walk, but he was scared and wasn't doing his usual walk. He seems to have less mobility in his hips, as he's not doing the loose, fluid walk that we associate with cats, but a tight gait: back up, legs stiff. Still, he's regained strength in his back legs, so that's good.

I think there's an acupuncturist at a very far away vet hospital, which is too bad, because that might help him.

 

Re: 10/13 River PMPS 362 +2:229 +4:83

I am giving my civie Cosequin for his cystitis, but Neko is getting Recover SA. Acrocats can get a type of arthritis. Recovery is's popular in the west for arthritis for beans and animals. I don't know it's availability out east but you can get it on line. My Buster (GA) had arthritis in many places and it made a difference to him. Has the vet X-rayed River to confirm if there is arthritis?

Very nice +4 - I think he heard the dosecrease threat.

 

That looks interesting, Wendy. It doesn't have the sodium chondroitin sulfate (derived from bovine cartilage), and the glucosamine hydrochloride is derived from plants, not shellfish. Looks like it's available in stores here. No vet has ever x-rayed him for arthritis. I didn't know about that, otherwise I would have asked, as he's had his lungs x-rayed so that would have been the appropriate time.

The slide into green this evening is great. He's been drinking a lot of water today; he's really thirsty. I wonder what's up with that. Too much roast turkey?

 

the adequan is injectible - i think only the cosequin is something you can get orally. i'm not sure on the dausequin.

punkin never got x-rayed for the arthritis diagnosis. the vet moved his joints one at a time and diagnosed by his reactions. what a nice nadir tonight!

 

My Buster(GA) was originally diagnosed as arthritic by the manual manipulation test Julie mentions. Later when he got his heart X-rayed, they found spondylosis.

Just ask my crew - there's never enough roast turkey. :lol: