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Old 04-30-2015, 10:23 PM
 
2,873 posts, read 5,821,977 times
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I'm looking for options, opinions, and experiences with pain relief for our feline buddies. Right now my cat is going through a severe arthritis flare-up, to the point he basically can't walk.

Right now the goal is to deal with his acute pain. We've had him on Buprenorphine, which he's had good results in the past with (.2ml 2x a day.) It didn't seem to be cutting it this time, so we switched to Tramadol. That seemed to give him even less relief, so we're now back to Bup, but 3x a day instead of twice.

The vet also discussed Metacam, which is NSAID. Now, as a vet tech I was trained in a time when Metacam was regarded as a very scary drug that should only be used rarely. If you google Metacam, you'll find plenty of sites warning against using it, and many vets are still leery of prescribing it.

Lately, Metacam has come back into use as new research suggests it is safe in lower doses. When Metacam was first used in cats, the doses were too high, with the end result being kidney and liver issues. Lower doses are supposed to be much safer, and there's even been some research that suggests that it's even safe for cats in kidney failure (and may in some cases even help improve their numbers, as kidney disease can be inflammatory in some cats.)

The other option we discussed is a newer drug called Onsior. Onsior is a non-steroidal pain reliever that is not commonly used yet. It isn't advised to use it on cats that aren't eating or drinking, but otherwise is said to be safe for use in felines.

I'll admit it...I'm wary of using Metacam despite my vet's reassurances. Onsior scares me because it's new and hasn't been widely used. NSAIDS give a much better pain relief response with arthritis then drugs like Bup, though. He's in SO much pain that I have to do SOMETHING to help him.

So, if you've had a cat with pain issues (either chronic or acute), how did you treat it? Have you ever used Metacam (or would you ever use it? How about Onsior? Or did you use something entirely different?
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Old 05-01-2015, 05:01 AM
 
11,188 posts, read 19,350,872 times
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Have you looked into adequan injections and cold laser therapy? Acupuncture?

No I would not use metacam, ever, with the exception of a last resort, and if a cat was at the point of last resort I wouldn't be forcing him to keep going anyway. I am adamantly against the use of metacam in cats, vets prescribe it WAY too casually.

Onisor, as you say is too new in the USA for me to be comfortable with. Last I knew it was approved for post surgical pain only, but I admit I haven't kept up and that was a couple years ago.

There are pain patches available too, but I don't think they are anti-inflammatory.

I don't know what you feed Jonas, but avoid foods that contain inflammatory ingredients like grain (especially wheat) and carrageenan.

Krill oil and raw organic apple cider vinegar are great anti-inflammatory supplements.
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Old 05-01-2015, 09:58 AM
 
Location: Wisconsin
2,974 posts, read 3,872,185 times
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I have used both Onsior and Bup for pain, short term though. I like Bup but it has two downsides--one is that it's very expensive and two, I've heard that its effectiveness is very short.

I used Onsior for an older cat with FLUTD issues, but my vet was hesitant to have me use it for very long because it could possibly affect the kidneys.

I have not and would not use metacam. I've read too many scary stories about it.

Cats have a problems with pain relievers because of the way their bodies metabolize them. IMO I'd look at a more holistic route. Like cats mom said, fish oil is very anti-inflammatory, as is cur cumin (the active ingredient in the spice turmeric).There is a website called Only Natural Pet that sells all sorts of pet-safe supplements, and you can read the reviews. I've used them and their customer service is great.
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