Our Birman cross (and suspected ragdoll) cat Miss Soph had her twice yearly check-up recently. We used to take her in annually when it was time for her cat-flu jabs, but now that she’s 14 and turning 15 later this year, we’re taking her in twice a year to make sure that she’s trucking along as best she can be (at her old age).
My veterinarian aunt and I took her in to our usual clinic to see her usual vet. Sophie was very well-behaved (as usual). On our way to the clinic, she sat quietly in her carrier decked out in comfy blankets. In the waiting room, she still sat quietly in her carrier. During the consult with all the medical stuff that needed doing she took it all very well. After her appointment she was also very patient in her carrier in the waiting room while my aunt caught up with some former colleagues.
Miss Soph had her bloods done and the next day I got a call to say that there was nothing untoward about them and they all looked fine, which was a relief.
Miss Soph gets attacks of cleanliness often, especially when she has her chest shaved to have bloods taken. The vet had trouble getting blood out of one side so he shaved the other as well which was more successful. She had double the shavings and double the alcohol wipe (and vet or nurse perfume) by the smell of things.
When we got home that afternoon we gave her a little wipe down with a warm flannel so there wasn’t so much for her to lick off.
She’s been grooming the spot quite a bit but it wasn’t quite serious enough grooming that it required another round of the collar (below on the left). Instead, I made her a little temporary collar from an old tank top made of jersey cotton fabric – very lightweight and she doesn’t seem to mind it (below on the right).
Miss Soph fashion. Left: Sophie’s modified buster collar from the vet clinic to prevent aggravated licking of blood test site in 2021. Right: Miss Soph rocking an upcycled tank top in 2023 for the same reason.
Upon inspection the vet said everything looked good, and her eyesight hasn’t deteriorated any further since last year. Over the past few years her eyes have gone from a vibrant blue to a more speckled grey but this hasn’t affected her vision too much. The word that floated around last year was hyperpigmentation.
Our main concern this visit was her arthritic walking, particularly the loss of definition and the bony look around her back end. She’s getting the thinness of an elderly cat as they lose their muscle.
For the arthritis, particularly as we are heading into autumn and then winter when the weather cools right down and her arthritis might cause her further pain and difficulties, we’re trying Solensia.
Solensia (apart from sounding like a Harry Potter spell) is a newish drug that, as the information packet indicates, is “a felinised therapeutic monoclonal antibody that neutralises Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). The inhibition of NGF-mediated cell signalling has been demonstrated to provide relief from pain associated with osteoarthritis.” In a nutshell, the Solensia liquid administered as an injection acts like a naturally occurring antibody to reduce osteoarthritis inflammation.
It’s more biological based than a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that, now that we know Miss Soph’s bloods are okay, is also an option in her treatment. For now, we’ll continue with the Solensia and keep monitoring.
We’re seeing an improvement already with her being more active and keener to jump on things with less hesitation. This is both good and bad.
Related Reads
- Introducing Miss Soph
- Meet Brown Tabby Cat Sapphy
- Meet Silver Tabby Cat Sylvie
- Keeping your senior cats warm in winter
- Keeping your senior cats cool in summer
With the weather getting cooler, I’m out in the garden more, which means that when I’m out the back, so is Sophie. Usually she’ll just supervise.
Other times she’s making sure that the spotted doves are staying in their lane up in the back garden held up by a retaining wall. Russell the blue-tongued lizard is happy not being bothered by Soph and living his best life in passageways in the rotted wood of the retaining wall (which has been needing maintenance for years, but not so much that it’s a huge priority).
We’ll see whether Miss Soph goes back to jumping up said retaining wall with the Solensia, which she hasn’t done since her last vet visit. No jumping so far.
Sophie still enjoys her cuddles and lap naps, vocalising outside and watching the goings on in the backyard, and of course curling up in her sunny spots and comfy spots.
There’ll be more of an update on her as things progress, but in the meantime, let me know about your animals!
Have you had any experience with Solensia for your cats?
You can let me know in the comments below or at [email protected].
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