Adequan For Feline Arthritis? Any Reviews

sugarwookie

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My cat has become worse with her arthritis and I've been told that it's bone on bone in her shoulder. She's on Gabapentin twice a day, but the limp has gotten worse the last few weeks. I'm wondering if anyone has tried Adequan with any results?

I'd appreciate any feedback or anything else you have run across. I'm already doing Cosequin.
 

FeebysOwner

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My vet suggested Adequan if I didn't think what I am using currently is working. I use Glyco Flex Plus (glucosamine, chondroitin, green lipped mussels), but it seems to help her so I am keeping Feeby on Glyco. She has two nearly fused veterbrae in her spine and some arthritis in a couple of toes and one elbow. I believe he thought Adequan would be more beneficial for her fused vertebrae than other products like what I am now giving her.

I didn't like the idea of Adequan because initially it has to be injected once a month for the first 3-4 months, thereafter it is quarterly. The only side effect that concerned me was thinning of the blood - but, the vet said it is rare and he has not seen any issues with his patients that are on it.

Until other members come along and offer their input, here is a link to previous threads on this site about Adequan that you might be interested in taking a look at. I've also included links to a couple of articles, in case they might be ones you haven't yet seen.

Search Results for Query: adequan | TheCatSite

Managing Feline Arthritis Pain with Adequan
Adequan for Cats
 

neely

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I use Glyco Flex Plus (glucosamine, chondroitin, green lipped mussels), but it seems to help her so I am keeping Feeby on Glyco.
I used Glycoflex for our dog and it worked very well for him.

Our cat has some arthritis in his back end and one of the treatments our vet suggested was laser therapy. It's non-invasive which is a plus but if this is something you're interested in it's very important to go to someone who is knowledgeable and reputable. Here's a helpful description of it:
Arthritis Treatment in Cats | petMD
 

katachtig

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We have been using Adequan for 3 or 4 years for my 17 yo cat. She has thrived on it. She moves without as much pain and we know when she is needing another one because she will get cranky when touched. We haven't seen any sort of side effects. She does get it monthly. Cosequin did nothing for her. Gabapentin caused her to become mentally distressed.
 
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fionasmom

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I have never used it in a cat, but have in dogs. In the dog world, everyone I know is injecting subcutaneously now as opposed to intramuscularly. That opens up a discussion about effectiveness when administer that way but might be something to discuss with your vet, especially if you were concerned about the intramuscular injection.

Cosequin and Dasuquin never did anything except add to the collection of failed meds that I have in my cupboard.

One of my shepherds was given it years ago more frequently than indicated by a vet who was trying the "throw something at the wall" approach and I never saw any side effects that threatened his health, even at that.
 

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my cat has been taking gabapentin for over a year. last week she decided she didnt want it anymore. she does have arthritis and she has had a couple of shots of adequan.(a month apart) and it does seem to help. BUT she suddenly had 2 bad liver panels so i am reluctant to do the adequan again? does anybody know if it affects the LIVER? her onco says no but i read it is not advisable in dogs w/liver prob
 

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My cat has become worse with her arthritis and I've been told that it's bone on bone in her shoulder. She's on Gabapentin twice a day, but the limp has gotten worse the last few weeks. I'm wondering if anyone has tried Adequan with any results?

I'd appreciate any feedback or anything else you have run across. I'm already doing Cosequin.
my 18yo has had 2 shots and it really helped her. i have never tried any otc because she is under the care of an oncologist and i dont like bombarding her w/meds unless it is a sure thing?
 

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Why I Love Adequan for Cats and Dogs | PetMD.

Don't be deceived by the title as they cautions are stated in the article.

You may have seen this in your research. My dog has an oncologist as well and I understand where you are coming from. My previous GSD who was given the huge doses of Adequan suffered no liver issues from it but maybe we were lucky. As I said, the vet I saw then was using the "he has a fatal condition so don't worry too much about the side effects" mentality. However, I did discontinue it once the new vet figured out that it was never going to do anything for him. It is accepted that high doses of adequan in dogs can affect the liver.

Why won't the cat take gabapentin? Was there a reaction to it or is she refusing the means of administration that you have been using? To what is the oncologist attributing the liver numbers if not to the adequan?
 
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nanniecat

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Why I Love Adequan for Cats and Dogs | PetMD.

Don't be deceived by the title as they cautions are stated in the article.

You may have seen this in your research. My dog has an oncologist as well and I understand where you are coming from. My previous GSD who was given the huge doses of Adequan suffered no liver issues from it but maybe we were lucky. As I said, the vet I saw then was using the "he has a fatal condition so don't worry too much about the side effects" mentality. However, I did discontinue it once the new vet figured out that it was never going to do anything for him. It is accepted that high doses of adequan in dogs can affect the liver.

Why won't the cat take gabapentin? Was there a reaction to it or is she refusing the means of administration that you have been using? To what is the oncologist attributing the liver numbers if not to the adequan?
she will no longer take the gabpentin brcause i had to give her Denamarin for Cats (BAD liver values 2 mo in a row in spite of reduction in daily pred)she has associated the 2. when i realized what had happened i stopped the denamarin but cats dont forget.i tried a different flavor of pill pocket(it is in a #4 gel capsule fr pet pharm) but she still refuses. she had major surg 4 yrs ago for fgesf has been on pred since. her color started to enlarge(?) a sign of the fgesf coming back so she increased her pred to 7.5 daily fr 5. she thought that was why the liver prob. rec denamarin. i was bringing her to vet to admisister but i finally got her to take it. i thought we r ok. blood test back to normal colon normal. i am the one that questions the adequan, not the onco. she did not get her monthly shot while that was going on but she does need it. it did help. i research ev thing with her, as i do for myself. i manage her health care. the visbiome saved her fr an endoscopy. i am going to get her the shot, c how she does.
 

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Cats don't forget....definitely! You have your hands full. I looked up fgesf as I have no experience with it.

Gabapentin Transdermal Gel

Gabapentin transdermal?
i wish! she came fr a breeder that never socialized her. she was alone in a kennel for her first 6 mo! try as i might she never allowed me to touch her fr an upright position! only laying down.she is so smart! for 15 yrs i did not pet or hold her and then GABAPENTIN! a different cat. but fooling with her ears is not possible. she attacked me 2 nites ago when my hand came fr behind her to pet her. that is how they hold her head to pill her! it is why i try reformulation of her drugs! i think? the change in flavor of pill pockets might be working? i managed to get her to take one! PROGRESS and she is calme as i heal! cats r OFTEN misdiagnosed with ibd when it is really fgesf. her reg vet diagnosed her with inoperable cancer. i took her to MedVet. the tumor was removed and sent out. diagnosis fgesf! grateful for her and them ev day going on 5 yrs! always get a second opinion!
 

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My cat is on what seems like everything for her arthritis: gabapentin, laser, dasuquin, glycoflex, and Adequan. It's hard to know if, among all these things, Adequan is helping. But I will say that when we tapered off to one shot every 6 weeks, her mobility was far worse. So now we are back to every month. Again, not sure if it's the Adequan or something else (she has a lot going on). To be honest, I really want to try NSAIDs at a low dose for my cat, which is allowed in Europe. The kidney damage that is feared and that rules it out as an arthritis treatment option in the US doesn't seem to actually happen when the small dosage for maintenance is used properly, from the studies I've read.
 

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My cat is on what seems like everything for her arthritis: gabapentin, laser, dasuquin, glycoflex, and Adequan. It's hard to know if, among all these things, Adequan is helping. But I will say that when we tapered off to one shot every 6 weeks, her mobility was far worse. So now we are back to every month. Again, not sure if it's the Adequan or something else (she has a lot going on). To be honest, I really want to try NSAIDs at a low dose for my cat, which is allowed in Europe. The kidney damage that is feared and that rules it out as an arthritis treatment option in the US doesn't seem to actually happen when the small dosage for maintenance is used properly, from the studies I've read.
thats a lot? i cant dose my cat that much. but i will say that i dont really think gabapentin helped her arthritis. but it had other attributes! the fist dose of adequan months ago didnt help at first but after a couple wks i did notice she as jumping up more! so i did the second dose and she was more active. but then the liver tests were bad so i quit it while i dealt with that. but now that is resolved so i am going to try the adequan again. i read it affects dogs liver but nothing abt cats? after 2 months, i will get her blood tested again? if it is ok, i will continue. is it once a month forever? i did try laser treatments and i could see it helped. but it was a challenge getting her in for the treatments so often. have u tried that? i aso had mobile vet coming for accupuncture but she was not amenable to that. she is very shy. it is stressful for her. i do not like to stress her out. my girl sees an onco ev 6 mo but arthritis is not her repertoire! she doesnt know anything abt adequan.
 

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It's frustrating, and you are definitely trying so many things to help your cat, nanniecat nanniecat . I feel your pain! My cat has a really tolerant nature, but she is getting pretty fed up with her every two week visits for laser therapy. It's gotten so that she has to be doped up on gabapentin when she goes for laser treatments, or she won't put up with it. Sometimes she seems to perk up for a couple of months, and then she will have a set back. She is actually in a set back phase now. The gabapentin might just sedate her more than help with her pain, that is possible. My kitty is on the young side, too, and I want to find a pain solution for her that is both effective and doesn't require all these vet trips. My vet just is not willing to go down the Meloxicam road, but I may just have to keep working on her. My kitty deserves not just more life, but best quality of life!
 

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It's frustrating, and you are definitely trying so many things to help your cat, nanniecat nanniecat . I feel your pain! My cat has a really tolerant nature, but she is getting pretty fed up with her every two week visits for laser therapy. It's gotten so that she has to be doped up on gabapentin when she goes for laser treatments, or she won't put up with it. Sometimes she seems to perk up for a couple of months, and then she will have a set back. She is actually in a set back phase now. The gabapentin might just sedate her more than help with her pain, that is possible. My kitty is on the young side, too, and I want to find a pain solution for her that is both effective and doesn't require all these vet trips. My vet just is not willing to go down the Meloxicam road, but I may just have to keep working on her. My kitty deserves not just more life, but best quality of life!
what does your cat not like abt the laser trtmnt? or is it just going? gabapentin is a neurological drug. i dont think it helped placide w/pain. i noticed that when she refused it that she was a tad more active? and walked better? she was only on 12.5 2xdaily. but it has helped her stress(mine too!) i did notice an improvement on the adequan. have u tried that? because of her mental issues i am VERY guarded abt how she is handles. i stay with her and make sure she is not forced or handled roughly. even her onco knows that if she gets upsets or resistant then stop what u r doing. we will try another day. i think the stress is bad for an animal. i am very selective with vet techs. i am my cats only advocate and i take it seriously. the only place i cant be with her is at the hosp. but THEY KNOW! meloxicam is a nasid, and i agree with her. but isnt adequan different.? is she ok with that? i didnt realize young cats had arthritis. is it genetic?
 

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what does your cat not like abt the laser trtmnt? or is it just going? gabapentin is a neurological drug. i dont think it helped placide w/pain. i noticed that when she refused it that she was a tad more active? and walked better? she was only on 12.5 2xdaily. but it has helped her stress(mine too!) i did notice an improvement on the adequan. have u tried that? because of her mental issues i am VERY guarded abt how she is handles. i stay with her and make sure she is not forced or handled roughly. even her onco knows that if she gets upsets or resistant then stop what u r doing. we will try another day. i think the stress is bad for an animal. i am very selective with vet techs. i am my cats only advocate and i take it seriously. the only place i cant be with her is at the hosp. but THEY KNOW! meloxicam is a nasid, and i agree with her. but isnt adequan different.? is she ok with that? i didnt realize young cats had arthritis. is it genetic?
Placide is a cool cat! 😎 My cat doesn't like being poked and prodded anymore (she used to be a vet office favorite due to her sweet nature). Because of where she needs to be treated (hips, elbow, low back), she has to be very patient for about 10 minutes or so (even with the highest class lasers). Honestly, I think the fact that I am not allowed in the treatment room with her anymore because of the COVID rules has made her more anxious and crabby during the treatments. When I was able to be in the room with her last year, she was still prone to wandering around, but would put up with it. I was just reading an article on SkeptVet that indicated that latest studies showed gabapentin didn't really treat pain well in dogs, cats, or humans, despite vets prescribing it a lot, especially for cats since cats can't technically get meloxicam in the US for long term pain management. My own vet even said, they do use it in Europe and seems to be fine. Vet still doesn't want to prescribe it for my cat, and I understand her perspective. I still sometimes fantasize about somehow taking my cat to Europe for their treatment options. but, I think you're right that at least the gabapentin maybe takes the edge off the kitty's stress.

The kitty has been on adequan, yup. Again, not sure if it helping or not, but when she does go longer between shots, that's sort of when I notice her walking slowly. Could be the Adequan needs to be more frequent, or could be other factors, since she is on so many therapies. My cat is pretty darn unlucky: she has the arthritis (including an old injury at an elbow before she joined my family), seasonal allergies, CKD, and most recently, hyperthyroidism. She is still super sweet, and tries so hard, so I really have spared no treatment or expense for her. But I have to make sure not to upset her on the other hand with all the treatments, you're totally right!
 

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Placide looks so chic in those glasses! What a beauty. I have nothing helpful to add except that my GSD has been on tramadol and gabapentin and both were much more sedative than pain relieving. His vet has even told me outright that tram is basically a sedative but because it knocks the patient out it seems as if pain has been relieved.
 

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Placide is a cool cat! 😎 My cat doesn't like being poked and prodded anymore (she used to be a vet office favorite due to her sweet nature). Because of where she needs to be treated (hips, elbow, low back), she has to be very patient for about 10 minutes or so (even with the highest class lasers). Honestly, I think the fact that I am not allowed in the treatment room with her anymore because of the COVID rules has made her more anxious and crabby during the treatments. When I was able to be in the room with her last year, she was still prone to wandering around, but would put up with it. I was just reading an article on SkeptVet that indicated that latest studies showed gabapentin didn't really treat pain well in dogs, cats, or humans, despite vets prescribing it a lot, especially for cats since cats can't technically get meloxicam in the US for long term pain management. My own vet even said, they do use it in Europe and seems to be fine. Vet still doesn't want to prescribe it for my cat, and I understand her perspective. I still sometimes fantasize about somehow taking my cat to Europe for their treatment options. but, I think you're right that at least the gabapentin maybe takes the edge off the kitty's stress.

The kitty has been on adequan, yup. Again, not sure if it helping or not, but when she does go longer between shots, that's sort of when I notice her walking slowly. Could be the Adequan needs to be more frequent, or could be other factors, since she is on so many therapies. My cat is pretty darn unlucky: she has the arthritis (including an old injury at an elbow before she joined my family), seasonal allergies, CKD, and most recently, hyperthyroidism. She is still super sweet, and tries so hard, so I really have spared no treatment or expense for her. But I have to make sure not to upset her on the other hand with all the treatments, you're totally right!
 

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i did notice a diff w/adequan once a month. but if she is doped up u cant really tell? can u give her just the adequan once a month and observe her? does she really need the other med? can u find a diff vet to get her the laser trtmnt? honestly, if i cant go in the room with her i would look someplace else. i go 2 diff vets. one i quit going to because she got fleas. the other one i started going to has a vet tech that just pets her b4 giving the shot. my cat is afraid of ppl. i am confused that they dont let u in the room w/her with a mask on? r u concerned that all those meds could be affecting her kidneys? with my health and placides i know that any and all meds have side effects. i research everything b4 she takes it. does your cat really need all the pain meds? isnt the goal to fix the prob not mask it? i would be afraid i couldnt tell the diff between does she feel bad or is it the meds.dont a lot of meds go thru the kidneys? is that ok for her? poor baby. pls post a pic!
 
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