Rotted Black Teeth / arthritis

[Cat.mama]

Yesterday one of my girls went in for nail clips and some blood work. I decided to make this a vet visit vs tech as all my cats were seen 2 months ago for vaccines and arthritis was mentioned in my older cat who shows no signs. This girl however I often see her flench he lower back and will often roll over on her back to have her tummy pet vs back. She doesn’t like the touch of the back anymore. Soo I thought let’s get the vet to give her another look. She did notice it this time on exam. She also pointed out she has 3 black dissolved teeth that need to be removed! We were there 2 months ago and at the time she was only suggested for a dental cleaning. I don’t think this is something they would have missed? Could there be any reason in just two months her teeth would dissolve like this? Or was it more likely that it was missed? I was not there for the appt. But I have messaged the vet to ask if this could be something wrong with their food and if we need to bring sisters back in for double checking. Has anyone ever seen this happen so fast? She will be 9 in December.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I didn't have it happen to me, but my sister-in-law's kitty (who lived longer than anyone expected) had just been in to the vet and then a couple days later stopped eating. Do to her age and other things, we didn't immediately figure out what was wrong but finally discovered a very bad tooth and since it was right at the front of her mouth it was easily visible. The vet hadn't seen anything during the visit.

Hang in there, and it's so good that you're getting your babies in, bless your heart!

 

[FeebysOwner]

The teeth could have been missed - wouldn't surprise me. Plaque can mask issues, which is likely what prompted the vet to suggest a dental cleaning in the first place. Did the vet take dental x-rays to determine the extent of damage to those teeth? I would have that done just to see what is going on. It would likely be one of the steps in preparing your cat for tooth removal anyway.

But you also need to pursue the potential arthritis - perhaps another x-ray to see what is going on with her spine and joints? There are so many OTC joint supplements on the market that you might be willing to try to see if any of them help. Cosequin, Dasuquin, Glyco Flex, to name the ones I am most aware of. They can take some time to show results but may very well be worth pursuing if they can help support her bones/joints. There are other recourses as well if these don't help, or if x-rays show something that needs more attention.

 

[Cat.mama]

The teeth could have been missed - wouldn't surprise me. Plaque can mask issues, which is likely what prompted the vet to suggest a dental cleaning in the first place. Did the vet take dental x-rays to determine the extent of damage to those teeth? I would have that done just to see what is going on. It would likely be one of the steps in preparing your cat for tooth removal anyway.

But you also need to pursue the potential arthritis - perhaps another x-ray to see what is going on with her spine and joints? There are so many OTC joint supplements on the market that you might be willing to try to see if any of them help. Cosequin, Dasuquin, Glyco Flex, to name the ones I am most aware of. They can take some time to show results but may very well be worth pursuing if they can help support her bones/joints. There are other recourses as well if these don't help, or if x-rays show something that needs more attention.

I think they plan to do X-rays on the teeth before they start. At least last time that we talked about it They gave a low and high end on the quote. Said it would be worst case if they found something that needed to be removed. This quote has two totals as well. There was some talk about about the arthritis. Last visit with my older cat she talked about a new injection they were soon to be getting in. They now have this in stock. I will say I am very hesitant about injections, especially something new on the market. Years ago when apaquil was new we started my late dog on this. It brought out tiny tumors all over his body. My cats are extremely picky eaters. I remember doing the omega with my pup. That oily stuff! Even he wouldn’t eat his food with that so I’m not going to try that. Last she mentioned a capsule that I could sprinkle in the food. They tolerate probiotics in their food so i am inclined to start this route. I asked when I would see results, she said about a month. She did not bring up X-rays. She actually called last night to go over blood work so I was able to ask these questions! I did ask the name of the capsule so I could google more info, she said she would email it over with the blood work. She forgot to add it. I just moved to this smaller city. I am unsure if the injection is a new thing or just new to our city. She did send home a pamphlet I will look over today. I worry some that she missed the teeth and the arthritis in the first visit. I hope we are in good hands here! I also come to find in talking to her myself it’s not 3 teeth, it’s one with a black spot. She said the others around are likely to do the same ?? Do you ever wonder if you vet is a member of this website haha. Wouldn’t that be awkward.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The new injection for arthritis is probably Solensia; I am going to guess that is probably what the pamphlet is for. Solensia is relatively new - only around as of this year, as far as I know. There are a number of members who are currently using it for their arthritic cats. Feeby received her second shot last week, and it does seem to have helped with her mobility. Some of the data states it can take up to 3 injections (one monthly) to see the best results. I opted to go this route because she will not eat Cosequin or Dasuquin - nor Glyco Flex Plus which she took for 3 years before rejecting it. I think the Glyco Flex helped for as long as she would eat it. I also tried Gabapentin (from the pain aspect) but no matter how it was compounded to mask the taste, Feeby hated it so much that she got to the point of throwing up right afterward. So, I gave up on all of these options and chose to try Solensia. There is another injection that has been around longer called Adequan and there are also members on this site who use it. It works differently than Solensia, but I don't know much about it otherwise.

I really could care less if one of the vets I have seen is on this site - if they are, it should be a bit of an education about cat owners' perspectives, and to me that is not a bad thing.

Good luck with the dental issue! I hope it turns out to be the best-case scenario.

 

[daftcat75]

Do you ever wonder if you vet is a member of this website haha. Wouldn’t that be awkward.

I promise you they are not. It would be unethical for any vet to provide any guidance without seeing your animal. That would leave them to a read-only role, and I'm sure they have other things they want to be doing in their free time besides reading about cats and clients they are not working with. If you were a doctor, would you want to be providing unpaid medical advice on the internet to strangers outside a clinical setting?

Nurses and techs are another story. We almost certainly have some of those on this site.

 

[Mighty Orange]

Good luck with the procedure.

 

[Cat.mama]

I promise you they are not. It would be unethical for any vet to provide any guidance without seeing your animal. That would leave them to a read-only role, and I'm sure they have other things they want to be doing in their free time besides reading about cats and clients they are not working with. If you were a doctor, would you want to be providing unpaid medical advice on the internet to strangers outside a clinical setting?

Nurses and techs are another story. We almost certainly have some of those on this site.

Very good point!!

 

[Cat.mama]

The new injection for arthritis is probably Solensia; I am going to guess that is probably what the pamphlet is for. Solensia is relatively new - only around as of this year, as far as I know. There are a number of members who are currently using it for their arthritic cats. Feeby received her second shot last week, and it does seem to have helped with her mobility. Some of the data states it can take up to 3 injections (one monthly) to see the best results. I opted to go this route because she will not eat Cosequin or Dasuquin - nor Glyco Flex Plus which she took for 3 years before rejecting it. I think the Glyco Flex helped for as long as she would eat it. I also tried Gabapentin (from the pain aspect) but no matter how it was compounded to mask the taste, Feeby hated it so much that she got to the point of throwing up right afterward. So, I gave up on all of these options and chose to try Solensia. There is another injection that has been around longer called Adequan and there are also members on this site who use it. It works differently than Solensia, but I don't know much about it otherwise.

I really could care less if one of the vets I have seen is on this site - if they are, it should be a bit of an education about cat owners' perspectives, and to me that is not a bad thing.

Good luck with the dental issue! I hope it turns out to be the best-case scenario.

Yes it is Solensia! What’s weird is none of my cats have any issues with mobility. Today I’ve been sitting with her sister who is a litter mate and I notice her flench also. I’ve always kind of noticed this with this cat but.. up until the last two years she has always kept to herself. She never liked to be pet. I’ve just thought with this cat it was her body reacting to my touch. Maybe I’ll skip the sprinkles and just try the shots for all three.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Solensia is to help with arthritic pain - but as far as I know does nothing to help support joints like products such as glucosamine. Feeby flinches a lot of the time when I pet her back end, but that really has not changed significantly with Solensia. Maybe a question for your vet about how it can help your cat who shows no other signs typical of arthritis.

 

[nanniecat]

Yes it is Solensia! What’s weird is none of my cats have any issues with mobility. Today I’ve been sitting with her sister who is a litter mate and I notice her flench also. I’ve always kind of noticed this with this cat but.. up until the last two years she has always kept to herself. She never liked to be pet. I’ve just thought with this cat it was her body reacting to my touch. Maybe I’ll skip the sprinkles and just try the shots for all three.

placide did not like to be touched on her lower back either. enuf at bites finally broke me of the habit! i was clueless abt arthritis at the time. it was other signs that prompted a vet visit,xrays. arthritis was in lower spine! and her elbows. i believe it is now in her front paw joints. since then)a few yrs!) i noticed her slowing down a lot, she rarely would sit tucked. she has had 3 shots of solensia. it is a pain/nerve blocker. it is not treating the disease. Adequan helps relieve the pain of arthritis by soothing and lubricating the inflamed joint in addition to stimulating joint cartilage repair

 

[Cat.mama]

Solensia is to help with arthritic pain - but as far as I know does nothing to help support joints like products such as glucosamine. Feeby flinches a lot of the time when I pet her back end, but that really has not changed significantly with Solensia. Maybe a question for your vet about how it can help your cat who shows no other signs typical of arthritis.

That was actually my first question to her two months ago when she brought it up for the older cat. She has mentioned the new drug would be coming in and did I want to schedule once it came in. I told her I see no signs in this cat. She mentioned signs of slowing down and that cats don’t show signs. I did not want to argue with her, yes this cat is 16 but when she plays she plays just as hard as the rest of them. At the time I was not connecting the flinching of the other cats yet so I didn’t have that to compare.. but seeing it in the other now .. my older cat does not flinch in the least. My first thought was she wanted to test her new medicine lol. My final question to her at the time was… if I’m not seeing anything how am I going to see results or know if it’s working. He answer was, good question, we will have to schedule another exam. I think that’s maybe also a big part of what turned me off about this whole injection process. I know they want what is best for my pets but I am unfortunately at a chain facility in a small town where up sale is key on many things. She said she could feel her arthritis? How do you know it has helped your cat if she still reacts? Did she have issues with movement? Is glucosamine the sprinkles? She has still yet to send me the name of the sprinkles..

 

[Cat.mama]

placide did not like to be touched on her lower back either. enuf at bites finally broke me of the habit! i was clueless abt arthritis at the time. it was other signs that prompted a vet visit,xrays. arthritis was in lower spine! and her elbows. i believe it is now in her front paw joints. since then)a few yrs!) i noticed her slowing down a lot, she rarely would sit tucked. she has had 3 shots of solensia. it is a pain/nerve blocker. it is not treating the disease. Adequan helps relieve the pain of arthritis by soothing and lubricating the inflamed joint in addition to stimulating joint cartilage repair

i had a dog with severe arthritis. I did adequan injections myself at home. It was a green box? Along withdasuquin chews. It seemed to kind of help butwe Were already so far to the end by the time we tried these I couldn’t really say. Of course he also had rimadyl for years and gabapentin too at some point. Anyhow.
Are you doing both injections? If not why would you pick solensia over adequan if it does not heal? It’s sounding like you are suggesting adequan?

 

[FeebysOwner]

She said she could feel her arthritis? How do you know it has helped your cat if she still reacts? Did she have issues with movement? Is glucosamine the sprinkles? She has still yet to send me the name of the sprinkles..

I don't know what they 'feel' for to determine arthritis. Initially, many times it is seen on x-rays, but somehow, they can feel it to some degree. That is how an orthopedic vet said Feeby had a hyper-extended wrist. So, there must be things about how the joints feel.

The joint support supplements might be the best bet for your cats at this point. Cosequin or Dasuquin come in capsules that can be opened and sprinkled onto food. They also have chews in both of these, as well as Glyco Flex. In your case I would be inclined to try any of these before moving to injections.

 

[nanniecat]

That was actually my first question to her two months ago when she brought it up for the older cat. She has mentioned the new drug would be coming in and did I want to schedule once it came in. I told her I see no signs in this cat. She mentioned signs of slowing down and that cats don’t show signs. I did not want to argue with her, yes this cat is 16 but when she plays she plays just as hard as the rest of them. At the time I was not connecting the flinching of the other cats yet so I didn’t have that to compare.. but seeing it in the other now .. my older cat does not flinch in the least. My first thought was she wanted to test her new medicine lol. My final question to her at the time was… if I’m not seeing anything how am I going to see results or know if it’s working. He answer was, good question, we will have to schedule another exam. I think that’s maybe also a big part of what turned me off about this whole injection process. I know they want what is best for my pets but I am unfortunately at a chain facility in a small town where up sale is key on many things. She said she could feel her arthritis? How do you know it has helped your cat if she still reacts? Did she have issues with movement? Is glucosamine the sprinkles? She has still yet to send me the name of the sprinkles..

we did an xray. but 2 vets told me they could feel it in her paws! but i went for an xray. i can say tht she no longer tries to bite me or has any reaction when i pet or brush her lower back? what i really began to notice was how she would lay on the bed. arms stretched out. then i started paying close attention to other changes. it was so subtle.i really had to look for the signs. i realized the only place she was jumping was on my bed. no chairs, no using her cardboard claw thing, couldnt get out of her way in the litter box. poop on her fur. the first thing was i got her a walk in litter box. but the times she tried to get on the bed and fell had me in tears. i couldnt wait for solensia to hit the market. in the pic she has her limbs stretched out

 

[nanniecat]

i had a dog with severe arthritis. I did adequan injections myself at home. It was a green box? Along withdasuquin chews. It seemed to kind of help butwe Were already so far to the end by the time we tried these I couldn’t really say. Of course he also had rimadyl for years and gabapentin too at some point. Anyhow.
Are you doing both injections? If not why would you pick solensia over adequan if it does not heal? It’s sounding like you are suggesting adequan?

we r doing both. i am not making a suggestion. just saying what our experience was and is. but i have never noticed any improvment with adequan. but ev cat is different. in the beginning i tried laser, then accupuncture,then gabapenti along with adequan. still doing gabapentin with adequan and solensia

 

[Cat.mama]

we did an xray. but 2 vets told me they could feel it in her paws! but i went for an xray. i can say tht she no longer tries to bite me or has any reaction when i pet or brush her lower back? what i really began to notice was how she would lay on the bed. arms stretched out. then i started paying close attention to other changes. it was so subtle.i really had to look for the signs. i realized the only place she was jumping was on my bed. no chairs, no using her cardboard claw thing, couldnt get out of her way in the litter box. poop on her fur. the first thing was i got her a walk in litter box. but the times she tried to get on the bed and fell had me in tears. i couldnt wait for solensia to hit the market. in the pic she has her limbs stretched out

Oh wowone of my girls lay with legs stretched out like that. I had no idea that was a sign. Thank you

 

[Cat.mama]

I don't know what they 'feel' for to determine arthritis. Initially, many times it is seen on x-rays, but somehow, they can feel it to some degree. That is how an orthopedic vet said Feeby had a hyper-extended wrist. So, there must be things about how the joints feel.

The joint support supplements might be the best bet for your cats at this point. Cosequin or Dasuquin come in capsules that can be opened and sprinkled onto food. They also have chews in both of these, as well as Glyco Flex. In your case I would be inclined to try any of these before moving to injections.

Okay thank you. I will look for these sprinkles. I like the idea of non invasive. Do you know how to sew results?

 

[Cat.mama]

we r doing both. i am not making a suggestion. just saying what our experience was and is. but i have never noticed any improvment with adequan. but ev cat is different. in the beginning i tried laser, then accupuncture,then gabapenti along with adequan. still doing gabapentin with adequan and solensia

Your cat must do well with vet trips! Two of mine take that stress very hard. One has had to do laser treatments twice in her life. Multiple rounds due to vaccines given in her sciatic never. It made a huge difference and she healed fast but it was so stressful for her. Two of the cats are very high strung about that kind of stuff. Anything that includes trying to give medicine or multiple vet trips would be like torture.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can your talk to your vet about a calming product?