Septic Arthritis or Mediated Polyarthritis?

[DeesCats]

Sorry Molly isn't still feeling well.

As far as the litter box goes, can you make a small platform in front of the box so she doesn't have to step as high?

I used a couple pieces of 2 inch thick rigid foam insulation board to create height to get into the litter boxes when my angel cats were getting old and couldn't quite step over the lower front of the boxes. I just covered them with a washable puppy pee pad/mat to hide the pink foam color and provide traction for the cats.

You may have to make a series of different heights to make it easier for Molly to get in the box. I am still using one piece of the 2 inch foam board as one of my newer cats has short legs and it makes it easier for him to enter and leave the box.

 

[Mac and Cats]

Don't stop the gabapentin abruptly, even if you are considering eliminating it. If there is any way that you can give her a low litter box and prevent the guy who raises his rear end from using them, it would be worth a try.

Oh, sorry that wasn't clear. I am not considering eliminating the Gabapentin at all. She gets it twice a day, but I think it's not helping as much. I am not opposed to giving it to her 3 times a day, it's just that the timing doesn't quite work out very well. I'll look around and see if I can find a good litter box solution that would work for all the cats. Thanks!

 

[Mac and Cats]

Sorry Molly isn't still feeling well.

As far as the litter box goes, can you make a small platform in front of the box so she doesn't have to step as high?

I used a couple pieces of 2 inch thick rigid foam insulation board to create height to get into the litter boxes when my angel cats were getting old and couldn't quite step over the lower front of the boxes. I just covered them with a washable puppy pee pad/mat to hide the pink foam color and provide traction for the cats.

You may have to make a series of different heights to make it easier for Molly to get in the box. I am still using one piece of the 2 inch foam board as one of my newer cats has short legs and it makes it easier for him to enter and leave the box.

That's a good idea, although two of the litterboxes don't have much space in front of them because they are on two small kids tables that are stacked and we have stairs on the wall going up to both of them. I may have to re-think our current set up. I'll see what I can come up with this weekend. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Mac and Cats]

Small update: I took Molly to the vet today. They did a senior blood panel, urinalysis, gave her fluids and also gave her a Solensia injection. I previously did not think I wanted to continue trying Solensia, but it truly improved her life before and she has been absolutely miserable the last couple of days. Molly is NOT a picky girl and has just eaten anything I put in front of her the whole time we have had her. She has been turning up her nose at previously favored foods/treats except Temptation treats. She has been eating a small amount of Fancy Feast here and there. I have been giving her Cerenia daily and it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. The doctor thought it was a good idea to try Solensia again with caution. We should have the blood/urine results sometime tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. I right now have her set up in our guest room with a litterbox/food/water/comfy bedding just so no one (ie. other pets) bother her. I will give her the option to leave the room a couple hours before we go to bed to see how she's feeling/if she wants to sleep with us (she usually sleeps at the foot of our bed or on me). The doctor said that if the Solensia does not help and nothing shows up on her tests, that we should probably have a conversation about quality of life and saying goodbye to her. I don't disagree as the only enjoyment she has had over the last few days is when I brush her. Please keep your fingers crossed that we don't see any serious swelling. She peed in her carrier on the way home with about 10 minutes left to getting home (she had a very full bladder). Poor girl. I put a folded quilt at the bottom so at least she didn't have to sit in a puddle for too long.

When we first started getting her Solensia injections, we noticed she felt better very quickly compared to what others have noticed in their cats. I wish I had taken notes (I have started taking notes now), but I feel like it was within a week or two. So, I'm hoping for a quick turn around. Her behavior is very similar to how she acted when we first had her diagnosed with hyperthryroid, which is why I also wanted to do a blood test even though she just had her T4 tested in January and it was fine. Please send us good vibes for her to feel better soon.

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[Mac and Cats]

Just an update for you. Molly has been doing SO much better since we've put her back on the Solensia. Her swelling has been staying down for now and I'm giving her 5mg of Pred at the moment. I will be reducing it this weekend. She goes in mid-month to get her vaccines and another Solensia shot. I know that we are playing with fire, but she improved within 4 days after her last shot. She was so miserable before, I was seriously thinking we needed to be considering that we might need to let her go. I know it may not be great for her in the long run, but I think this is the only way we can extend her comfort. I think at this point we just need to do what we can to make her comfortable until she is not. So, I we will just proceed with Solensia and keep an eye on her ankles. We have more stairs around for her now and she is using them provided someone (another cat) isn't blocking her way. I also re-did her litter box stairs so that they are bigger and she feels more stable. I've watched her go up and down several times and she seems much more comfortable. I attached some photos of the stairs in case anyone is interested. The photo with the two extra "steps" (the stool and the wooden box) are the upgraded stairs. She insists on using that top box or I would just remove it and put it on the floor. I think she feels "Safer" from the other cats using that one.

Anyway, just wanted to update that Molly is doing much better now that we have started the Solensia again. I'm aware of the risks and I don't like taking them, but unfortuantely, the only other option is letting her suffer. So, I'm considering this comfort care until it doesn't work any more or that the treatment is worse than her condition without it.

Edit: I forgot to say from my last update that all her bloodwork/urine tests came out "beautiful" according to the doctor. Her kidney levels were good and stable, her T4 was stable (she's hyperthyroid and takes meds) and her urine was also good. So, we concluded it was her arthritis making her miserable, which wasn't shocking to me.

 

[DeesCats]

Thanks for the update and I hope Molly continues to do well on the Solensia.

I love the stacked litter box set up and the stair wall to get to them as well as the added stool and box for access for her.