Arthritis may be worse

Just when I thought Jake's arthritis was a little better after just starting Adequan a week ago (he just had his second weekly injection two days ago), I noticed today that his left leg is "limping" causing him to wobble. Could his arthritis be getting worse faster than the Adequan is working? Could this left leg impairment actually be an unusual side effect of Adequan? I would really appreciate some input on this!

Thanks,
Judy & Jake

 

Hi Judy

Are you giving him the injections in the left leg muscle? What do you mean his leg is "limping" and causing a wobble? Do you mean that he is limping on that leg? (And I assume you mean a rear leg?)

Adequan is not a pain treatment. It can help certain types of joints to be more lubricated which may slow the progression of arthritis and keep the already-there arthritis from causing more pain. It does not treat pain, though. Animals feel better because their joints don't feel as bad, but it doesn't neutralize or block pain, if that makes sense. If he was diagnosed with arthritis based on x-ray and physical exam, it may be that he also needs treatment for the pain. If he was not diagnosed definitively with arthritis, I would get him to your regular vet or an orthopedist for a thorough physical exam. Cats can tear ligaments in their knees, though it is uncommon, and they can have slipped kneecaps and other things that cause limping so it's good to pin down the cause of the limp if you haven't already.

 

Yes, Jake is limping on his left rear leg. He has had a thorough exam and has been diagnosed with arthritis. His all cat vet prescribed the Adequan and said that it would help the arthritis AND the pain so I am a little confused that you say it makes kitty feel better, but doesn't take away the pain. I am also wanting to know how long Adequan takes to be effective. One person said that she noticed a difference in 48 hours - is that the norm or does it usually take longer?

Thanks,
Judy & Jake

 

Hi Judy

Yes, sorry, I knew that would be confusing but I couldn't articulate it better. It does not block pain but it can help create a less pain-inducing environment in the hip. Adequan takes repeated doses to work (unlike a pain blocking medication like an opioid or NSAID). What kind of schedule are you on? It can take a few weeks to see results. Have you discussed other pain control with your vet?

 

Yes, I just spoke with my cats only vet a little while ago. I asked her about the pain, and she said that Adequan does help with the pain. So I am still a little confused on the dynamics of pain in relation to Adequan. I also asked her how long it takes to work since Jake is only getting 19units (he weighs about 10 lbs.) one time a week rather than two (which she says in best - maybe because of his age? Jake is nearing 20 years). She said that I will start to see the benefits at about 2 weeks which will be next week. Oh, by the way, his left rear leg appears to be fine today - no limping. Maybe a fluke or a temporary arthritis flareup?

Thanks!
Judy & Jake

 

The adaquan helps the joints by restoring liquid "lubrication" to them. It is usually prescribed like "one shot per week for 4-8 weeks". Normally, a pain reliever is also prescribed to help with the pain. Think of it as if you took chondroiten (sure I spelled that wrong) to help with arthritis pain or to prevent arthritis, but also needed a steroid or NSAID to help with pain flare-ups. Adaquan will help with the pain, eventually, because it will make the arthritis lessen or go away. The other pain relief is to take the pain away until that time.

Vets can also prescribe steroids, NSAIDS, or pain meds like Bupe that will relieve the pain while the adaquan helps fix the problem. If he's limping due to the administration of the shot itself, a pain med can take away that pain too.

Is your cat dehydrated at all? Sometimes just sub-q fluids can help. Are the shots sub-q or IM? Aduquan is also used on dogs and horses, and in some cases with horses (according to what I read last night) they inject it directly into the joint in bad cases.

 

No Jake is not dehydrated. He is getting Adequan via sub-q. He has not been limping all day and is much better tonight. It must have been a short-term flareup. My vet is not prescribing steroids probably because she thinks he will do just fine on Adequan without taking the risk of having the diabetes return by giving steroids. Jake has been in remission for almost two years.

Judy & Jake

 

HI Judy, its my understanding that Adequan takes a month to start kicking in (although I have heard of anecdotal stories of it working sooner). The normal dosing protocol is two times a week for 4 weeks then once a month maintenance. Just giving one dose a week for 4 weeks I would think it would take longer to kick in. For acute pain, ie limping, I think getting some buprenol from the vet would be a good idea - this is a pain medication that has a really good track record. I hope Jake is feeling better. Jan