[Lou12355]

My cat, Coco, had her first Solensia dose two days ago. Has anyone else noticed lethargy and increased thirst as an initial side effect? I know the dog equivalent, Librela, has both but I haven’t seen anyone mention it with cats.

 

[Lou12355]

Just checking again to see if anyone has noticed an increased thirst with Solensia? I’m three weeks in to first dose now and she’s still really thirsty. (Urine tests and blood tests done so I know it’s not anything else).

 

[huckybuck]

Sadly Solensia didn’t make any difference to my boy and he is a good drinker anyway so it would have been hard to tell if it increased.

Aside from the warmer weather do you think any other change could have prompted the thirst (such as extra dry treats or dry food)?

 

[Lou12355]

Yeah I think it could possibly be the heat and dry food and maybe just conincidence that it happened at the same time. Interesting you said Solensia didn’t make any difference. I haven’t noticed any yet either which seems at odds with most other people’s experiences. Thanks for responding.

 

[sirensynapse]

It's nice to see reports that some cats are being helped by solensia, but the actual big study (which was not actually very big) showed only an 11% improvement over the placebo, and that improvement was only 2 points on a scale of 3-15. So I remain a bit skeptical of its efficacy.

You should really read and understand this article about the placebo effect in cats. Basically it proves that the cat owners are very highly biased towards seeing improvement, when their cats are or may be getting a real drug. And the owners are the ones making the call on whether the cat improved or not, since the cats can't speak English. Very interesting read.

Never Underestimate the Placebo Effect | PetMD

 

[Lou12355]

I read the report on Solensia myself and other than the high percentage of itchy cats, the other thing I noticed was how similar the results were from the placebo. I also read another report which said that 50% of cats with lots of arthritis showing in X-rays don’t actually feel any pain from it. My cat is 17 and wasn’t having any issues with running upstairs or jumping. Her arthritis seems to be mainly in her elbows and spondylosis in her spine. So things I had noticed were that she was slow to lower herself into a sitting position and she has twitches in her front legs at the elbow when in a relaxed position.

At one point last week I did think she was twitching a bit less but this week the twitches are back. Whether that was the initial effect of the Solensia or not I am unsure. As I have paid for the box of two I will get the second dose next week and see how that goes. My vet was pretty clear that if there was no obvious improvement after two months then it was likely there wouldn’t be any improvement from it. But it was worth a try. I think I’m skeptical enough to only see improvements if they are really pronounced! Thanks for sharing the article. It was an interesting read.

 

[Lou12355]

Speaking of my personal cat, Bagpuss is a year into his monthly Solensia treatments and, as far as I can judge, he seems to be doing well. He's not on any other medication for his arthritis, currently.

He was a week late for his last one, though (logistical issues). Whether related to this or mere coincidence, I had to clip him last weekend. I find I have to do this sporadically as he gets matted on his lower back. This is the first time I've had to do it in many months.

View attachment 493707

Sadly, I've seen so few cats on Solensia compared to dogs on Librela. Feedback I've seen from vets has largely been positive, both in their own cats and their patients - though of course there are some cats who unfortunately don't seem to respond so well.

Facial itching has come up as an occasional side effect; I've not seen that myself.

Do you find that immediately after the injection that your cat is a bit zonked out? Mine has just had her second jab and is flat out and I seem to remember the same happened after the first one.

 

[CinnamonSoup]

Hi there. I’m new and specifically joined so I could ask this question…

Has anyone’s cat had a severely negative reaction to Solensia?

My cat had mild osteo, getting a bit stiff in the joints, but still gets around the house and yard and plays… and her vet recommended Solensia. She made it sound like the best option, said my cat was in great health otherwise, so I agreed to it.

5 days after her shot, I noticed my cat wasn’t eating well, and was sleeping more. She seemed to be a little stiff when she walked.

6 days later, she was having a hard time getting up the stairs, and getting onto the bed and couch.

Now 8 days later she is in so much pain and is so stiff that she can’t handle walking at all. She can’t take the 3 steps to her food dish or litter box. The vet seems to think I should give it time, but I feel like I’m watching her die in front of my eyes, and she’s in so much pain, it’s killing me. It has been a sudden, dramatic change, since the shot. I regret it so much and now I’m terrified I’ll have to put her down because she is in incredible pain now.

I started researching online and found that human clinical trials of antiNGF (nerve growth factor) medications (the humanize version of Solensia) were cancelled due to too many cases of this medication causing severe accelerated osteoarthritis.

Now this has appeared to have happened in my cat as well. I did find one feline clinical trial where this medication caused “lameness” in cats, but they didn’t explain further. Why is no one talking about the potential of this medication causing severe disease in cats? Had I known this was a possibility, I never would have subjected my cat to Solensia.

 

[OrientalSlave]

@Ceiling Kitty any thoughts?

 

[white_shadow]

.
Hi @CinnamonSoup and welcome to the forum !

Right off the bat, why isn't your immediate concern and focus that of relieving your kitty's immediate pain? Personally, I couldn't bear to passively watch this apparent progression - for heaven's sake, get her in and seen and treated now/ASAP for the acute pain! Then, you can ruminate over what may have happened and discuss relevant drug/treatment trials.

Based on your diary there and, were she in this house, I would have had her in for an exam and been advocating for anti-inflammatory treatment on day 6......today, I'd be insisting on an opiate, likely buprenorphine, for immediate relief, and meloxicam for the mid-term. You only have a day and a half before the long (Labour Day) weekend.

Once you've attended to that, perhaps we could look at the specifics of the scientific studies you've found...you referenced two there. Links to those would be essential.
.

 

[Semele]

.
OK........another attempt to rustle up some feedback:

@Ceiling Kitty - do hope all's well with you - any observations to be had from your experience ?

@urbantigers - when you posted, your Vet was assessing for Metacam, but you seemed pleased that this (Solensia) might be an alternative. Did you try it ?

@planetwriter - in June/July you were 'juggling' a number of meds............did you ever try this product ?

@Semele - your kitty had her first dose mid-July.............could you post about what's happened since ?

@Babyshoes - Levi had his first dose July 31...........what's your experience been since then ?

@CyberMouse - you started with Solensia in early August while she was also receiving Loxicom.....would you share what's happened since ? (hopefully, at least the price would have dropped, LOL!)

Meantime.....Zoetis continues with their p̶r̶o̶p̶a̶g̶a̶n̶d̶a̶strident marketing !
.

Sorry for the late reply. My kitty has been on it for a year and she’s done absolutely fine. 14 months in fact. Now her symptoms are getting worse so the vet added amantadine as well.

 

[TriTri]

Hi there,
I’m new and specifically joined so I could ask this question…
Has anyone’s cat had a severely negative reaction to Solensia?
My cat had mild osteo, getting a bit stiff in the joints, but still gets around the house and yard and plays… and her vet recommended Solensia. She made it sound like the best option, said my cat was in great health otherwise, so I agreed to it.
5 days after her shot, I noticed my cat wasn’t eating well, and was sleeping more. She seemed to be a little stiff when she walked.
6 days later, she was having a hard time getting up the stairs, and getting onto the bed and couch.
Now 8 days later she is in so much pain and is so stiff that she can’t handle walking at all. She can’t take the 3 steps to her food dish or litter box. The vet seems to think I should give it time, but I feel like I’m watching her die in front of my eyes, and she’s in so much pain, it’s killing me. It has been a sudden, dramatic change, since the shot. I regret it so much and now I’m terrified I’ll have to put her down because she is in incredible pain now.

I started researching online and found that human clinical trials of antiNGF (nerve growth factor) medications (the humanize version of Solensia) were cancelled due to too many cases of this medication causing severe accelerated osteoarthritis.
Now this has appeared to have happened in my cat as well. I did find one feline clinical trial where this medication caused “lameness” in cats, but they didn’t explain further.
Why is no one talking about the potential of this medication causing severe disease in cats? Had I known this was a possibility, I never would have subjected my cat to Solensia.

Thank you for your feedback on Solensia and I do hope your dear cat has made some kind of recovery. I hope you managed to change vets and get her some painkillers. ‘So sorry you have had to go through this. I have been considering the drug for my cat and right now I don’t think I’ll be going ahead with it!

 

[Lou12355]

After my initial concerns, my girl is now two weeks into the second jab and she is doing really well. She’s behaving like her old self and is into everything and very mischievous again. I guess it takes a while for their systems to become used to it? Just thought I’d share another positive having been quite negative and sceptical prior to this for anyone experiencing the same ill effects I did at first. I’ll keep updating as I go along.

 

[planetwriter]

Hi there,
I’m new and specifically joined so I could ask this question…
Has anyone’s cat had a severely negative reaction to Solensia?
My cat had mild osteo, getting a bit stiff in the joints, but still gets around the house and yard and plays… and her vet recommended Solensia. She made it sound like the best option, said my cat was in great health otherwise, so I agreed to it.
5 days after her shot, I noticed my cat wasn’t eating well, and was sleeping more. She seemed to be a little stiff when she walked.
6 days later, she was having a hard time getting up the stairs, and getting onto the bed and couch.
Now 8 days later she is in so much pain and is so stiff that she can’t handle walking at all. She can’t take the 3 steps to her food dish or litter box. The vet seems to think I should give it time, but I feel like I’m watching her die in front of my eyes, and she’s in so much pain, it’s killing me. It has been a sudden, dramatic change, since the shot. I regret it so much and now I’m terrified I’ll have to put her down because she is in incredible pain now.

I started researching online and found that human clinical trials of antiNGF (nerve growth factor) medications (the humanize version of Solensia) were cancelled due to too many cases of this medication causing severe accelerated osteoarthritis.
Now this has appeared to have happened in my cat as well. I did find one feline clinical trial where this medication caused “lameness” in cats, but they didn’t explain further.
Why is no one talking about the potential of this medication causing severe disease in cats? Had I known this was a possibility, I never would have subjected my cat to Solensia.

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat - it must have been really terrifying and I could tell from your post that you were extremely concerned with preventing her pain. In your place, I would also have been trying to learn all I could about Solensia and related studies, in addition to talking to your vet and reaching out to this group for advice and to share. I truly hope that things improved, but am worried that they may have worsened as you haven't posted again. Please let us know what's happening, and if the worst did happen then you have my deepest sympathy.

Related to your research:
Before I started my cat on Solensia, I read the same about human studies, but also read that severe acceleration of osteoarthritis wasn't a known thing in cats [and that was in general, not particularly regarding this treatment] - I wondered if that was due to a lack of data on arthritis in cats in general, though. I hadn't read about a trial in which lameness was found - but was it clearly related to the Solensia use, do you know? Could you please post a link to the study? [Also, I thought that in humans the acceleration might have been associated with people who were taking NSAIDs in addition to the monoclonal antibody treatment, but I'm not sure about that.]

 

[planetwriter]

My cat Sparky has been on Solensia for almost exactly a year now, and things have changed a bit recently, so I thought I should post another update. It was great for him for many months: he came off Metacam and we virtually stopped the Gabapentin too. Unfortunately, his arthritis seems to be worsening - and/or possibly the efficacy of the treatment is lessening - because for the last 2-3 months we really haven't seen the usual improvement when he has the injection, and he's been gradually slowing down and grooming himself less and less. He's now on double the [low] dose of Gabapentin he was on before, and it's likely time to restart the Metacam. At our next appointment in a week or so we will decide whether to stop the Solensia or keep it as well; I'm guessing our vet will either suggest another month of Solenia plus Metacam (+Gaba), or go straight to Metacam only (+Gaba) [especially if there is any concern about combining Solensia with NSAIDs long-term].

Also, an update on other things in case they strike a chord with others: He's about 19 and has recently been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (in addition to CKD; we had to check three different thyroid-related things because the CKD throws off some, but it was definite in the end). He had a bad reaction to the initial thyroid tablets, but is now on transdermal Methimazole for that (applied inside his upper ear) and having no issues - and it's sooo much easier than giving tablets too. For the CKD he's on renal food + a phosphate blocker. His latest blood tests came back great. He also has some thickening of his heart wall, but a big cardiac workup showed it's barely affecting the blood flow so he doesn't have any meds for that. He also started having some head twitches (best described as "intention tremors") perhaps as much as nine months ago - they started very gradually so it took a while for me to register them, even though I watch him carefully, and sometimes they go away for over a week - and he also had one nystagmus episode a couple of months back (head and eyes going from side to side for about 25 minutes). He had a meningioma removed (which caused seizures and many other symptoms) in Dec 2020, and we can't rule out something neurological going on again, but his neuro exam at Langford recently was great [we didn't do any imaging] and his anti-seizure meds are at the correct levels, so we're hoping these aren't something we need to worry about too much. We thought maybe hyperparathyroidism might be a factor, but there's no obvious sign of this.

 

[urbantigers]

Well Mosi has today had his first injection of Solensia. He will be 17 in December. His arthritis doesn’t stop him running around and jumping on to things, although he can have days when he’s reluctant to jump up, but he has obvious stiffness in the hips. He’s not been on any pain meds up to now and we were going to start him on metacam but I wanted to ask about Solensia. Before I got a chance she mentioned it and said it was the best thing to try. So I said yes I’d like to try him on it. Hopefully no side effects and if it helps him I’ll keep on with it. He doesn’t have any other diagnosed health issues, but he’s had bloods done today as it’s been 4 years since he last had any done.

 

[huckybuck]

I hope it works for him.

I was disappointed it didn’t for Huck though it wouldn’t prevent me trying it again on another one.

I’m taking Little H to see his specialist tomorrow and will be interested to see if it’s a suggestion for his limp.

 

[Lou12355]

Well Mosi has today had his first injection of Solensia. He will be 17 in December. His arthritis doesn’t stop him running around and jumping on to things, although he can have days when he’s reluctant to jump up, but he has obvious stiffness in the hips. He’s not been on any pain meds up to now and we were going to start him on metacam but I wanted to ask about Solensia. Before I got a chance she mentioned it and said it was the best thing to try. So I said yes I’d like to try him on it. Hopefully no side effects and if it helps him I’ll keep on with it. He doesn’t have any other diagnosed health issues, but he’s had bloods done today as it’s been 4 years since he last had any done.

It’s a funny thing, the Solensia. After dose one I saw little change and then after dose two my cat was rejuvenated for three weeks. She then seemed to have a lull in the last week and I expected her to pick up again after dose three but a week and a half in and she hasn’t. She does have CKD so there is an underlying health issue there. Like your cat she never had any trouble jumping or running upstairs but X-rays showed pretty bad spondylitis of the spine and in her elbows. It’s hard to know what to do for the best - in terms of ‘would she be worse without it - but at present I will continue to the end of dose four and then make a decision I think. Some cats do amazingly well on it and use it for months to years but I’m not sure that will be a thing for my cat at present.

 

[urbantigers]

As long as there are no adverse side effects, I will give him a few months on this to see whether it helps. I’m not sure what I’d notice as improvement as he runs and jumps ok and grooms his rear end without problem. He can lose balance easily as his back legs can’t keep him steady sometimes. My vet said that it starts to take effect on day 2 and reaches maximum effectiveness on day 8. So I’m looking out for any signs of improvement over the next few days.

His blood test results came back quickly - everything is fine except for “mildly raised” renal values. I don’t have the figures but we’re going to do urinalysis to investigate that. Hopefully that will not do anything to change it from “mild” to more serious. Overall he seems in pretty good health for his age.

 

[Lou12355]

As long as there are no adverse side effects, I will give him a few months on this to see whether it helps. I’m not sure what I’d notice as improvement as he runs and jumps ok and grooms his rear end without problem. He can lose balance easily as his back legs can’t keep him steady sometimes. My vet said that it starts to take effect on day 2 and reaches maximum effectiveness on day 8. So I’m looking out for any signs of improvement over the next few days.

His blood test results came back quickly - everything is fine except for “mildly raised” renal values. I don’t have the figures but we’re going to do urinalysis to investigate that. Hopefully that will not do anything to change it from “mild” to more serious. Overall he seems in pretty good health for his age.

Any updates on how your kitty is doing on the Solensia?