Old age — and often, arthritis — comes to all of us, especially if you’re a cat.
Based on USA Today, arthritis is so common in cats that about 45% of cats will develop arthritis. Basically, this rate will double by the time cats turn 12, 90% of cats have pain from arthritis.
And while there are ways to Helps relieve your cat’s arthritis, including supplements, acupuncture/massage, and anti-inflammatory treatments, these options only provide temporary pain relief.
Furthermore, cats with kidney disease should not be given anti-inflammatory medications, which are also common in older cats. This dilemma leaves older cats with few options for pain relief from arthritis.
Thankfully, this may be changing.
Based on USA TodayThe FDA has approved the first pain treatment for cats with joint pain. The new drug, Solensia, doesn’t treat or prevent arthritis (which is caused by a damaged joint cartridge) but it does ease the pain surrounding the condition – helping cats with arthritis enjoy a better quality of life .
“This is absolutely groundbreaking” speak Duncan Lascelles, a professor from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. “I have been studying pain for 30 years and this is the most exciting development that has happened.”
Lascelles described the new treatment – which will also be the first monoclonal antibody approved for pets in the US – as a “gamechanger” that could extend the lifespan of older cats.
“Finally, for the first time in the US, there is a highly effective treatment for managing joint pain in cats,” he say. “And thus prolonging life, prolonging happiness and prolonging the good relationship between cats and their owners.”
The drug’s effectiveness was confirmed in two clinical trials that showed cats with more active and mobile joints after monthly injections, to be performed by a veterinarian.
“Mobility is incredibly important for quality of life,” says Dr. Lascelles. USA Today. “Cats are described as needing 3D space. They need to move on the ground, but they also need to be able to climb. ”
Does your cat have arthritis? How do you treat his or her pain?
