Glucosamine?

venus · Mar 19, 2010

Hey

So my cat Venus is somewhere between 10 and 13 years old- I can't remember right now lol. He's in overall good health a the moment. He's a diabetic but in remission. For months I was giving him insulin twice daily and weighing out his portions. Since I had to switch him onto wet food to get him into remission, his teeth took a little toll and he drools a bit now, so I'm giving him a few tablespoons of dry food daily to help him work up his tooth strength, and I'm gradually getting him used to the idea of me brushing his teeth. Thankfully he loves to rub his face against the toothbrush and any other brush I have (as most cats would) so his gums are getting a good massage.
Now to the point. I've noticed over the past couple of months his bones have been crackling/snapping like when you stretch in the morning and you hear those crackling sounds. But it happens more than I presume it should. Would it be OK for me to supplement his diet with a bit of glucosamine? We give it to our two senior dogs with arthritis, and I don't believe it's harmful in any way. Just looking for some input. Do any of you give your seniors glucosamine? If it hasn't come on yet (thank god I haven't noticed any signs of pain out of him from this), can I use it as a preventative measure?
Thanks so much have a great weekend!

mrsgreenjeens · Mar 19, 2010

We give our senior Joint Max Liquid for Cats. I think we get it from HealthyPets.com. Our cat has CRF and the Vet says it's perfectly ok to give it to him, but I would suggest that you check with your Vet to make sure it's ok since your kitty is diabetic. You just never know!!

You might not see actual signs of pain in your cat, because they are good at hiding it, but you might just notice they don't jump as well, move slower, etc.

Good luck with you furbaby!!

otto · Mar 19, 2010

yes indeed glucosamine is very good for arthritic cats. Cosequin for cats, made by NutraMax is the best product, in my opinion.

Ootay (rb 5/09) had dramatic improvement from her arthritis pain when I started her on cosequin when she was 13 and slowing down a lot from pain. Her energy level and ease of movement increased greatly.

stephanietx · Mar 19, 2010

I've been giving my kitty Cosequin for the past several years and I saw a drastic improvement in her mobility, attitude, and playfulness after being on it consistently for a month or so. In the winter months, I give it to her twice daily. During the warmer months, she gets it once a day.

sharky · Mar 19, 2010

Originally Posted by Venus

Hey

So my cat Venus is somewhere between 10 and 13 years old- I can't remember right now lol. He's in overall good health a the moment. He's a diabetic but in remission. For months I was giving him insulin twice daily and weighing out his portions. Since I had to switch him onto wet food to get him into remission, his teeth took a little toll and he drools a bit now, so I'm giving him a few tablespoons of dry food daily to help him work up his tooth strength, and I'm gradually getting him used to the idea of me brushing his teeth. Thankfully he loves to rub his face against the toothbrush and any other brush I have (as most cats would) so his gums are getting a good massage.
Now to the point. I've noticed over the past couple of months his bones have been crackling/snapping like when you stretch in the morning and you hear those crackling sounds. But it happens more than I presume it should. Would it be OK for me to supplement his diet with a bit of glucosamine? We give it to our two senior dogs with arthritis, and I don't believe it's harmful in any way. Just looking for some input. Do any of you give your seniors glucosamine? If it hasn't come on yet (thank god I haven't noticed any signs of pain out of him from this), can I use it as a preventative measure?
Thanks so much have a great weekend!

While in general glucosimine is helpful with older cats ... Please consult your vet as any Drug natural or otherwise may interact or counteract other medicines

icklemiss21 · Mar 19, 2010

Generally speaking, cats with diabetes should NOT use glucosamine, I adopted a very obese cat and was worried about his bones as he lost weight and the vet said not to give glucosamine under any circumstances, even after we stabilised his diabetes and he no longer required insulin as glucosamine can increase their natural insulin levels and cause them to go into diabetic shock.

there are other treatments they can use for arthritis in cats that do not have adverse effects on their insulin levels but you should speak to a vet before changing any medication or supplements a diabetic cat gets

otto · Mar 20, 2010

Thanks to those of you who spoke up about the diabetes aspect. I missed that somehow.

I agree that one should not start a cat on any medicine or supplement without speaking to the vet first, especially for a cat with special needs.

I'd never heard before that glucosamine was bad for diabetes. That's important information, I think I'll ask my vet about it.

icklemiss21 · Mar 20, 2010

It depends on how bad the diabetes is and the dosage of glucosmine, spikes to dangerous levels are rare but can happen and are worse in eyeballed measurements of supplements since such a small amount can make a difference
Even with the supplement Scully was on, we always checked his blood (we home tested) after the supplement, the spikes can also mean that the cat is prescribed more insulin treatments than they need because it can show an overall higher curve, studies on rats also showed an increase in insulin resistance when on glucosmine

otto · Mar 20, 2010

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

It depends on how bad the diabetes is and the dosage of glucosmine, spikes to dangerous levels are rare but can happen and are worse in eyeballed measurements of supplements since such a small amount can make a difference
Even with the supplement Scully was on, we always checked his blood (we home tested) after the supplement, the spikes can also mean that the cat is prescribed more insulin treatments than they need because it can show an overall higher curve, studies on rats also showed an increase in insulin resistance when on glucosmine

Would this mean, conversely, that a young cat on long term glucosamine is more susceptible to diabetes in later years? The reason I will bring it up with my vet is because Mazy cat takes cosequin for her FLUTD. I've asked my vet about cutting back to every other day now, but she says Mazy should be on it daily, for life.

I wouldn't stop it, based on that possibility, (IMO,for cats, it more about the now, meaning current quality of life is more important than what may come,) but it is good to know in advance what I might be facing later.

icklemiss21 · Mar 20, 2010

I did some research on it and most studies found it was only in diabetics and not leading to it, although there were some animals that had elevated but not quite diabetic levels who developed diabetes - but nothing to say they wouldn't have anyway.

We decided after all that, that at 30+ lbs the damage done to his bones wasn't reversible anyway and it just wasn't worth the risk, but the others have been fed foods with glucosmine and it doesnt bother me

venus · Mar 20, 2010

Thanks for the replies everyone. I did some research and found places stating that glucosamine administration in diabetics can increase insulin resistance, but nothing about it increasing insulin efficiency. Increases in insulin resistance would mean glucose level peaks (as opposed to drops) which are rarely immediately life threatening (though are generally quite uncomfortable), while low sugar levels (drops) are more dangerous short term.
I'll speak to my vet before doing anything. I just feel terrible. He has trouble standing on my bed and other soft surfaces (I have a bad back so I know what it's like to support a weak skeletal structure on a soft surface and it is very painful) and his movement is somewhat slower now that you mention it. I'll see what the vet says, though they have never been a positive help to my cat's diabetic situation in the past. They seem to operate on guess work and trial/error.

otto · Mar 20, 2010

I'm sorry you don't like your vet. Maybe it's time for a change? It took me seven years and four practices before I found my vet I love so much. Good vets are out there.

venus · Mar 20, 2010

Yeah the thing is I don't live in town where most clinics are. I'm in the suburbs. So my choices are limited but I may have no choice but to look around. Thanks again for all the input!

icklemiss21 · Mar 20, 2010

I am in the suburbs too but found a vet I liked when I thought I was going to use them for one emergency visit, I fell in love with the clinic, staff and vet and changed all of the cats to that vet, even my BF's cats

ldg · Mar 21, 2010

You may also want to look into acupuncture or aquapressure for you cat. Some regular vet practices actually have staff that have been trained, though you may need to see if you can find a holistic vet. It has been shown to help with arthritis - in fact, the AVMA recommends it for "chronic joint degenerative" diseases.

Glucosamine?

venus

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mrsgreenjeens

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