Using More Cosequin Than The Recommended Dose?

[basschick]

our 19 year old cat has arthritis, and has been on cosequin for maybe 10 months as per his vet. the first 5 months were like a miracle - we gave him half the recommended dose for his weight, and he stopped falling over, started jumping up as well as down and slept without having to wake up and reposition so his hips wouldn't hurt.

then the symptoms started coming back so we upped the dose to 2 capsules per day. now he's getting worse again, and i'm wondering if anyone here knows if it's safe to give a third capsule of cosequin to a cat who's about 10 pounds. i'll probably ask our vet, but i haven't found her to be that knowledgeable, so hoping someone here knows more about this than i do.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

When was the last time your 19-yr-old kitty has had his Senior well-check visit? Cats in their aging years can potentially have multiple health issues develop quite rapidly. Since the symptoms are not going in a positive direction anymore, I'd highly recommend returning to the vet -- or to another vet that might work out better for you. ("i'll probably ask our vet, but i haven't found her to be that knowledgeable")

 

[MeganLLB]

I think what you need to be worried about is if it contains MSM. That can be toxic in higher doses. Glucosamine by itself usually isn't harmful and is hard to overdose.

 

[basschick]

When was the last time your 19-yr-old kitty has had his Senior well-check visit? Cats in their aging years can potentially have multiple health issues develop quite rapidly. Since the symptoms are not going in a positive direction anymore, I'd highly recommend returning to the vet -- or to another vet that might work out better for you. ("i'll probably ask our vet, but i haven't found her to be that knowledgeable")

he visited the vet about three months ago, maybe a little less.

we've tried a lot of vets in our area. most have dogs in the office, which scare him and i don't want that. the rest have had a variety of issues.

I think what you need to be worried about is if it contains MSM. That can be toxic in higher doses. Glucosamine by itself usually isn't harmful and is hard to overdose.

cosequin ingredients are
Ingredients: Glucosamine Hydrochloride (derived from shellfish), Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate (derived from bovine cartilage), Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Water, Manganese Ascorbate, Magnesium Stearate, Titanium Dioxide (color), FD&C Red #3, FD&C Blue #1.

 

[MeganLLB]

Uea the manganese and magnesium is the msm. So uou have to be careful about how much of that you give

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

he visited the vet about three months ago, maybe a little less.

we've tried a lot of vets in our area. most have dogs in the office, which scare him and i don't want that. the rest have had a variety of issues.
...

our 19 year old cat has arthritis, and has been on cosequin for maybe 10 months as per his vet. the first 5 months were like a miracle - we gave him half the recommended dose for his weight, and he stopped falling over, started jumping up as well as down and slept without having to wake up and reposition so his hips wouldn't hurt.

then the symptoms started coming back so we upped the dose to 2 capsules per day. now he's getting worse again, and i'm wondering if anyone here knows if it's safe to give a third capsule of cosequin to a cat who's about 10 pounds. i'll probably ask our vet, but i haven't found her to be that knowledgeable, so hoping someone here knows more about this than i do.

I like cats-only vets too, they are a lot better for scared kitties! I used to go to a cat-only vet, but it got to be too out-of-the-way, and now the most convenient vet is just a block away (dogs and cats). We might make a point of taking our cat to my fave cat-only vet next year, but I'm just suggesting that if your cat has arthritis and is again having trouble walking or moving, that he might be in more pain than usual. I'm afraid that, once arthritis is very advanced, cosequin may not do the job with pain level in your cat. It's also possible that other health issues are at play. That's why maybe another vet visit could help the vet to see what's up.