Arthritis relief/pain management?

My 16 year-old cat Sebastian has very bad arthritis. I give him Synovi G3 granules supplements and Cosequin for cats. He is still having so much trouble. He has been licking his hind quarters excessively lately, causing mats. I think he is in pain. His last bloodwork was fine, he just has arthritis. Is Adequan used in cats? I know many of the supplements/meds available for dogs cannot be used in cats.

I want him to be comfortable, it is very difficult to watch them age, isn't it? Any advice would greatly be appreciated!

Have you tried:
Metacam (very commonly used 'off label' for cats)
Cartrophen injections
glucosamine/chondroitin supplements

I give him Cosequin for cats and also Synovi G3. I have not tried anything else you mentioned, but we have an appointment with the vet tomorrow afternoon to discuss options.

Have you thought about accupucture it is doing quite well for my 18 yr old cat Kandie

look at this link ... I tried it but kandie may be allergic ..www.trixsyn.com

accupuncture is a great option... my vet loves homeopathic remedies when they can be used in place of medications and if/when my black lab's legs get any worse, she'll probably be getting accupuncture... kitty massages will probably help to, you should be able to get info from your vet/online on how to safely give your kitty soothing massages

Well, I took Sebastian to see my preferred vet today regarding his arthritis. His xrays not only show arthritis in his hips, but terrible knees, compressed/bulging vertebrae all down his back, bone spurs, the whole nine yards. He is in quite a bit of pain. The vet also did bloodwork, as Sebastian's kidneys looked a bit suspicious, and got a urine sample, as it appears he may have a small bladder stone. They also think Sebastian is older than 16, maybe 17 or 18 (this is the first anyone has ever said that). The excessive licking of his hips could be due to diabetes, as it causes sciatica (sp?), where the nerves become inflamed and painful in the hip area. So, I am possibly dealing with a multitude of problems here. The vet did mention Metacam, but also wants to wait for the test results to see what we are really dealing with.

I'm a bit stunned, it was a lot to digest. This has all progressed so much within just the past year. I know he is uncomfortable.

I've had him for over 15 years, found him in college. He has been through very good and very bad times with me, and has patiently moved all over and accepted new four-legged family members. This will be my first pet I will have to make that difficult decision about. I just want to do the right thing for him, and I don't know what that is. I will wait for the blood test results.

Meanwhile, I have pet heat pad for him that is on low heat, he seems to like that. I'm also doing gentle massage, but he does not tolerate me touching his hind legs well. He had a good day yesterday, I even got him to play some. Waiting for these results is so hard!

Aw! I'm so sorry to hear your kitty is in so much pain... I know its difficult to deal with. Hopefully when the tests come back, you and your vet can put together a plan that will help him to live comfortably, until then just keep givin him all the lovin you can and wait for the results....

I'm so sorry to hear about the problems your kitty has. Hopefully the vet can suggest some good meds or alternative meds. Villy has recently been diagnosed with arthiritis and she is on a short course of metacam and also has a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement.