Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Benny and Adequan

Benny will turn 16 in August. For about 18 months, I’ve noticed him stumble or not be able to jump like he used to. About a year ago, I added a small step stool to help him access the counter where he eats. He took to that quickly, thankfully. 

In December 2015, with our vet’s permission, I started him on Cosequin for his joints.  (I did a comparison review of the brand I used versus the chews we received from Chewy.) It seemed to stabilize him for a few months, but then I saw him fall twice in a couple of weeks. It broke my heart. Unlike our late Tucker, who would wait for me to pick up or lift him, Benny is too strong-willed and does not cooperate in that way. I needed something else.

A friend of mine once raved about an injectable supplement she’s used on her cats called Adaquan (pronounced ADD-a-quin). I started a conversation with her and did some online research.  Here’s a little information about it: http://pets.thenest.com/adequan-cats-7255.html Using it for cats is technically "off label," but is considered accepted usage, so don't be alarmed that the bottle says "for canines." It is also used for horses.

Many pet forums raved at how much this helped their cats. Benny had a vet appointment coming up, and I asked her about it. Thankfully, she agreed and gave me a tutorial in the exam room on how to use it and give the injection.

Adequan is given 2-3 times weekly for four weeks, then weekly after that. It can be given sub-cutaneously (which is what I do) at home. The dose is on the lower end (.1 ml) but we can increase it if needed.



A filled syringe--a tiny amount of Adequan is the dosage.

Benny gets some treats to eat, to distract him from what I'm doing.

I grab some loose skin on his right flank. I could not take a shot of me giving him the injection. Most times he doesn't seem to notice when I insert the needle, but a couple of times he's felt it and looks at me.

The bottom line is, how is he doing?

So far, so good! He has not stumbled or fallen since I've started the injections. He has jumped into my lap twice while I was on the computer, something had hadn't been able to do in a long time. I've noticed he's jumped on the kitchen table unassisted, and twice he's jumped on top of the Ultimate Cat Scratcher. This is all great news.

I am hoping for continued improvement as he gets more injections. We're now giving them weekly.

I will continue this treatment. It has no apparent side effects, requires no extra trips to the vet or monitoring of blood, and won't interact with his other medications and supplements. In my opinion, it is a far safer option than daily pain medications. It is a surprise to me that this treatment isn't more known.

In case you're wondering about cost, you can purchase a vial at Foster & Smith for about $70. They were out of stock, so I bought mine from the vet for a much higher price--$130 (which included 50 needles). The bottle will last nearly one year, at the dosage we're using, not a bad price per dosage. 

Ringo wants to remind you to dispose of sharps safely! We are using an empty water jug that is marked. Our vet will dispose of the sharps for us.


Have you used this medication? Or would you try it if you haven't?

12 comments:

Connie - Tails from the Foster Kittens said...

I am so excited for you that this is working. Way to go Benny!

pilch92 said...

Thanks for sharing this information, I am glad it is helping Benny. Our vet was disposing of Spooky's needles for us at first from his sub q fluids then they said they aren't allowed to do that and I had to buy a giant container for $10 that they dispose of when it is full so you are lucky they will take them like that.

The Island Cats said...

Thanks for sharing this info about adequan. Many years ago, I had a cat with arthritis and I remember asking my vet about adequan. But I think at that time it was still not used on cats regularly, so my vet did not recommend it. I'm glad this is working for Benny. I think Wally has some arthritis now and I've been giving him Cosequin which has been working fine so far. ~Island Cat Mom

Cathy Keisha said...

I'm going to bookmark this just in case I ever get old. It's great info and you covered everything a cat pwner would need to know.

Random Felines said...

that is good information to have on hand....we are glad it is going well and Benny is doing better

Summer at sparklecat.com said...

This is good to know! Boodie is a little stiff, but so far she hasn't really had trouble getting around, and on and off the bed, etc. but it's something to think about for possible future treatments.

Cats Herd You said...

This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing it! We have had several seniors with arthritis, and it has been really frustrating that there seem to be so few options for relief for cats. It's great to know this is out there.

Squeedunk Cats and Z-Girl said...

Thank you for sharing! I found this to be encouraging and informative. Glad Benny is doing better.

Saku said...

Glad to hear Benny is doing better with meds. Sasha turned 16 this year but luckily (knock wood) he's showed few signs of slowing down. However, I'll tuck this away in the memory bank...just in case.

Dash Kitten Crew said...

Brilliant encouraging post. Thank you

Roberta said...

Benny is such a good subject and should be the spokeskitty for Adequan. I think it's great he is doing extremely well on it and hope it helps other kitties, too.

The Whiskeratti said...

Thanks for posting this! And it was nice to meet you today too. I talked to my vet and for now, we're going with Depo injections (at the vet) that last 6 weeks. If that fails, I'll talk to her about this. Also, I really hope this continues to work well for Benny. It's heartbreaking to watch our loved ones suffer.

Two kitties in a basket

 Check out this cuteness! Lucy and Ringo both squeezed into the old wicker bed. We've had this bed for many years; it was Benny's wh...