? Opinions about Denamarin?

My vet was doing some research about pancreatitis for Jester (with no urging from me) and emailed me that he was recommending and prescribing Denamarin.

He gave me some kind of discountn (cost was $30) to help with Jester's weight loss issues.

I'm supposed to give Jester one pill daily on an empty stomach starting tomorrow morning.

Any thoughts and/or opinions to share with me before the first pill?

 

I've never used Denamarin. What's it for? Is it just an appetite stimulant?

Might want to post in Main and say something like Denamarin Opinions in your title with the question mark...to get more eyes on it.

 

The vet's email to me was this:

 

Denamarin is usually given to support the liver, but it might be used for other issues. I don't know. Many of our members have given it to their kitties upon their vet's advice. I gave it to Alex for liver issues and felt it helped her a lot.

"For optimal absorption, tablets should be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before feeding, as the presence of food decreases the absorption of S-Adenosylmethionine. For those owners who have difficulty administering tablets to their pets, Denamarin tablet(s) may be disguised in a small bite of food. Studies have shown that, in many cases, tablets or capsules given as a "dry swallow" do not pass into the stomach in cats but may become lodged in the esophagus. It is recommended for pet owners to administer 3-6 cc of water immediately following any tablet administration to speed passage of the tablet into the stomach. 1, 2 Denamarin for Cats and Small Dogs tablets are ideal for cats because of their small size. If the pet is to receive more than one tablet daily, the total number of tablets may be divided between morning and evening for ease of administration."

Up to 12 lbs - 1 pill a day
Over 12 lbs - 1 pill twice daily

Reference: http://www.denamarin.com/#cats

Edited to add: If you end up giving Denamarin long term, check around for the best price. Amazon was always less expensive than the price my vet gave me. I think Chewy.com carries it, too.

 

How long did you need to give it to Alex? And how long until you started to see any results?

Jester isn't a happy pill taker. I usually have to use a pill gun and it's a real chore.

 

Alex was diagnosed with severe liver disease and an acute renal crisis of unknown origin. She took denamarin off and on from 3/2010 until I lost her to oral cancer in 9/2014. There was a noticeable improvement within weeks. I doubt the improvement seen was strictly due to denamarin, but it was always a "go to" supplement and it seemed to work every time. The combination of all that was done to treat her liver and renal issues probably had a lot to do with it.

She also had p-titis and experienced many flares over the years... some mild and others were severe.

ETA: I didn't answer your first question about how I pilled her. I syringed a couple mL water first so her throat wasn't dry... then I opened her mouth and stuck the pill back as far as I could... followed by syringing 5 - 6 mL or more of water to wash it down. It's such a little pill that it wasn't difficult.

 

Little? Seriously?!

This is the biggest pill I've ever had to give him. I'm actually afraid it could choke him.

And I totally missed the part on the instructions about no food for one hour. I am *not* a morning person and I'm getting up at 6:30AM as it is just because it takes Jester nearly two hours to eat enough before I leave for work.

This is about going to kill me.....

 

I guess they're making them differently now...