Has anyone here used Cosequin?

[snowshoe2]

Cocoa has been limping for a couple of months and even though it has improved a bit since I gave him Metacam, he still limps and cannot jump like he used to.

He is 10 years old and weighs 25lbs. :eek: Yes 25! I know he needs to lose weight and we have been working on that, but I honestly believe he has an eating disorder. He can't seem to stop himself from eating everything out of all the bowls until they're empty. I have been trying different things such as giving measured amounts and picking up the other bowls, but sometimes this isn't possible when I am away for the day.

Anyway I have been told about Cosequin by a friend that is giving it to her cat and she believes her cat has shown improvement since being on it.

I would just like to know if anyone esle has had any experience with it either pro or con, before I make a decision on it.

[Medusa]

My vet told me a trick that works to keep a cat from eating too fast and thus overeating. Put a good sized rock in the center of the feeding dish. This forces the cat to eat around it, causing it to slow down. One of my cats eats too fast and therefore way more than she should and she also upchucks it right afterwards. This little trick prevents overeating and vomiting. I know you asked about Cosequin, sorry, no, I've not had to give it to any of my fur posse yet.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Cosaquin is used for the treatment of arthritis and stiffness in the joints. You can also get the same ingredients formulated as cat treats. I am using the treats for my 15yo foster and I can tell that he has an easier time moving. Before starting them he moved very carefully and slowly, now he is moving much more easier.

[Craftlady]

It's also used in treatment of and to prevent bladder infections in cats. Gave it to Skinny for several months. After awhile it was a real struggle to get him to take it, for prevention.
We havent had problems in years since.

In humans, I took it for 6 months. It didnt do squat for me. The gym and the equipment to strengthen my knees solved the problem.

[Catty1]

This was mentioned in the thread below. Sounds like a great idea...put your $$ towards this and not Cosequin:

Auto Pet Feeder (http://www.radiofence.com/pet-feeders/2_meal_pet_feeder.htm)

http://www.radiofence.com/images/pet_feeder_two_meal_pic.jpg

There is a 5-meal feeder also - just $9 or so more:

http://www.radiofence.com/images/pet_feeder_5_meal.jpg

ALSO - my cats were getting kind of 'fluffy', and one needs a UTI preventative (though both are neutered males, so it will help both). My vet said that Hill's Dental cleaned the teeth, was great for weight loss, AND had just been shown to have UTI prevention.

Oscar went down to a good weight in several months! :D

[snowshoe2]

Thanks for the replies.
The rock trick sounds like a good choice, because I have noticed that Cocoa will eat out of the bowl until he has made a hole in the center of the food. Then he moves on to the next bowl, does the same and on to the next etc...
Not sure if the timed feeder would work for us, as Cocoa's brother Bandit is such a nibbler that I fear he would not eat enough. It's strange that two litter mate brothers can have such different eating patterns. Bandit barely maintains his weight at 12lbs. He will eat about 6 pieces at a time frequently throughout the day.

Emily, can you tell me what kind of treats have the Cosequin ingredients in them? I might like to give them a try, just to see if it benefits him any.

Thanks again,
Janet

[Catlady711]

I'm assuming your vet prescribed the Metacam for your cat?

Cosaquin is a MUCH safer product to be using in cats than Metacam. My Dusty had been on Cosaquin for several years and not only did it help her osteoarthritis alot but she loved eating it!! You have to understand Dusty was the pickiest cat on the planet preferring to litterally starve herself for 3 or more days rather than eat anything with meds in it she didn't like! That is not an exaggeration, she had baffled several vets with her unorthodox behavior in the past.

Cosaquin comes in nice capsules that you break open and sprinkle on the food (I put it on a bit of wet food for Dusty every morning). No pill splitting or crushing like with the Restor-a-Flex we had been giving. And Cosaquin worked much better for her. Cosaquin is a glucosamine/chondroiton supplement formulated specifically for cats (although there is a dog formula out there too).

Up until the last few months of Dusty's life when we had to resort to Metacam injections and Tramadol pills (neither of which are approved for use in cats) we had great success with the Cosaquin and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Dusty was 17 when we had to have her PTS this past July.

As far as weight loss goes 25 lbs is a great deal of weight. While 10 years old isn't ancient as far as housecats go, the cat could be getting the start of arthritis particularly with that excess weight. Extra weight adds stress to the joints and seriously increases the risk of diabetes and other weight related diseases.

What kind of food/treats is the cat getting now? If you are gone long periods of time during the day and the other cat is a nibbler I'd highly recommend trying to keep the cats separated when you aren't home so the nibbler has access to the food but the fat kitty doesn't.

[emily_the_spoiled]

They are called Hip Action. Here is a link (I didn't not buy it from here but this explains the product).

http://www.doctordog.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=B-079045

Although the best thing for him is probably to lose some weight, that will take time and this might provide some immediate assistance.

[snowshoe2]

Yes the Metacam was prescribed by the vet, but I don't want to give it to him long term. That's why I was wanting to try the Cosequin. As far as I know there should be no ill effects from it, right?

I feed all the cats the Purina Indoor formula. After much trial and error, this is the one food that they actually eat and don't toss up afterwards.
An exception is that Bandit tends to get allergies with vomiting spells and occaisionally has to eat Hills Prescription Diet i/d and Cocoa will finish off what is left in the bowl. This is only occaisionally.
Treats are few and far between and are Whisker Lickens, at the most one or two a week. I was giving Cocoa one after his Metacm, just to help him get it down and relieve any after taste he would have from it. Oh, I should mention that when I say one treat, it is actually a half, because I break them in half so they are easier for him to chew as he has no molars for chewing. But he can still eat dry food...go figure. :rolleyes:

The vet had me try him on Purina Prescription Diet O/M canned, but he would vomit that quite often. I have to say these two Snowshoe cats have been the most challenging cats I have ever had when it comes to finding a food that agrees with them. So he said as long as they are doing well on the Purina Indoor, lets leave it alone.

I have been feeding less through measuring and trying to set scheduled feeding times, so hopefully this will help get him to loose those extra pounds.

Both these Snowshoes are tall cats and Cocoa is just a big cat, big head, big shoulder and paws, but he still needs to loose about 10lbs according to the vet.

Here is Cocoa in his bed, as you can see he really fills it up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/shap_shot/Cats/DSCF0408.jpg

And here is Bandit in his bed, he only takes up about half of the bed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/shap_shot/Cats/DSCF0409.jpg

[columbine]

Smudge has been getting Cosequin for a little over a year, mashed into his wet food twice a day, although he gets it to protect his urinary tract, not his joints.

As with humans, Cosequin (glucosamine/chondroitin) is a supplement, not a quickie cure. Its bioavailability (the amount a cat or human absorbs out of the amount they ingest) is low, so it has to become a routine part of the diet, and it's more for preventing further deterioration than repairing extant damage (although it does a bit of the latter as well).

If Cocoa's appetite is out of control, you can try giving him Vitamin E. Just puncture a capsule and let him lick it off your finger once or twice a day. It's totally safe for cats, and its only known effect is diminishing appetite. (Smudge says "and tasting really good.")

[Vermontcat]

Snowshoe2, I don't have an answer to your question about Cosequin but I just wanted to say that I think all 5 of your cats are just gorgeous! :D
I would love it if you could post some photos of them in Cat General and tell us more about them.
Cocoa and Bandit both look so cute curled up in their beds. :)

[Emeraldgreen]

Hi Snowshoe2. I sure know how you're feeling. Our newest adoption Paddy has the same eating issue. He acts as if he is ravenous and eats until there is nothing left. He was a big guy when we adopted him and now he is bigger. I just weighed him a few minutes ago and he is 18 pounds. I'm very concerned about his future because I know it's not good for his joints like your Cocoa is now dealing with and as someone else mentioned, diabetes etc..
I can't leave out a timer feeder either when we're not home because he shares space with 3 other cats and the others need to eat regularly due to their own health issues. I don't want to separate Paddy when we're not at home because I know it would stress him out as he is still getting used to his new home and pals and he doesn't like to be alone. I'm thinking of trying Medi-Cal Weight Control dry food but then again that means everyone has to eat it and Paddy is really the only one who needs it.
Another option I'm thinking of that might work for you too is to feed everyone their crunchies in the morning and at night and literally supervise the munching to ensure that there is no overeating going on or 'stealing' from other bowls. I'm also going to try to come up with some kind of exercise program for him. If anyone has any suggestions on how to exercise a cat please let me know! I've already tried running through rooms with a long string and Paddy just laughs at me, or at least I think he's laughing! :)
I saw a show the other week about cat agility. These people set up a really cool indoor agility course for their cats and to initially get them going on it they bribed them with treats but then soon after the cats did it just because they wanted to.
I think I might start a new thread asking people for ideas to make an agility course for cats (i.e. teeter totter thing, tubes to run through etc...)
The vitamin E thing is worth a try too I think.

[Catlady711]

Snowshoe - When you've made the food changes in the past did you do it gradually over about a weeks time rather than just an abrupt change? Sudden food changes frequently cause vomiting and diarrhea.

The purina indoor formula is supposed to be less calories than the regular cat chow version. I'm not fond of the indoor version for several reasons particularly the dyes, however if it's truely the only food you can get the cat to eat without vomiting then I guess that's the food for Cocoa.

Cosaquin is a safe product with no side effects I've seen from the many cats at out hospital on it. Metacam was only approved for use in cats as a one time injection. The oral dosages are strictly off lable use. Many vets have used it in cats with various ranges of success but it can have side effects in cats as they can't process NSAID's the way dogs do. We don't use it orally in cats at work unless it's a last resort comfort medication, as in Dusty's case. Cats on Metacam should have regular lab work done to monitor liver/kidney functions.

I'd say that Cosaquin (with your vets approval) and a weight loss program is probably your safest and best method.

If you can't be home for a long part of the day, either separate the cats so Cocoa can't eat all the time, or have a friend/neighbor stop by a few times to feed them measured meals rather than free feeding.

Good luck.

[snowshoe2]

Hi CatLady,
Yes the food switch was made gradually and like you I hate dyes in food, but since the Snowshoes were eating it and keeping it down and doing well, I've stayed with it. These cats seem to have very sensitive systems.

Now you've got me wondering if I should discontinue with the Metacam. I gave it to him once a day for 3 days, and then gave it once every other day for 3 days.
I stopped it for about a month and the limping started again, so I started the regimen again and this was the first of the every other day doses. In that months time he gained another pound and seemed bloated. I mentioned that to the vet, but they didn't seem like it was a concern.

Back in August before he had his dental work done, his blood work came back with everything fine. Then it was mid September he went back in with his limping and that's when the Metacam was prescribed. How often is it recommended to have lab tests?

Anyway, I don't like giving it to him even though he is so good about taking it. That's why I was looking for something else that might help without the worry of side effects. I called our pet supply store today and ordered a package of the Hip Action treats and next week when they come in I will start giving him those.

I am home most of the time, just maybe one or two days a week when we'll be gone for several hours. I have no place to separate him and don't know anyone that would stop by to check on them.

Emeraldgreen, I walk the boys on leashes. They love going outside, but now with winter nearly here they won't be going out much. Of course, when Cocoa goes out, it's straight to the catnip patch he goes. :rolleyes:

Columbine mentioned vitamin E as an appetite suppressant. That's something else I might consider.

[Catty1]

Dollar store. Cheap little laser pointer thing - about half the length of a ballpoint pen, and thicker. My fat boy was NUTS about it!

With five cats, I think the idea above was good - measured feeding in the morning, put the stuff away, same in the evening.

Good luck!

[Emeraldgreen]

Snowshoe2, taking him for a walk! That's a great idea. I hadn't thought of that. We have a big outdoor enclosure for them but as you said, with the weather turning cold and wet and now with some snow, they sure don't want to be out there. But if a sunny day comes around I might try taking him for a walk. I'll have to find an extra large cat harness first though. Hope they make them that big! :)
Catty1, the laser is also a really good idea too. I'll pick one up and see how it goes.