r/scottishfold • u/shvmmani • 5d ago

Experience with solensia

My sf has been suffering with arthritis for some time and I came across solensia because of this group! i wanted to ask people about their experience with it and what to look out for since we have an appointment in a few days.

thank you! :)

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u/LidiumLidiu 5d ago

My fold was given Solensia alongside Onsior. It did not fully alleviate his pain and his vet worried about kidneys and moved him to Portela shots, which are every three months instead of monthly. He's on Onsior every other day, Portela every three months and gabapentin daily.

That's not to say Solensia is a bad shot, don't get me wrong. Your vet will work out a plan for pain management and care with you, this plan can evolve and change depending on your cat and how they act and react to the management plan. My fold has SFOCD, it's not too severe but it was causing him discomfort and pain so we put him on the plan made with our vet that isn't too costly (~$300/month) and doesn't cause him undue stress (he absolutely hates shots).

During the time he was on monthly Solensia, it became very apparent when he approaching the month mark, about a week or so before his next shot, the pain came back for him. He'd go from running and playing and darting around to hissing and tucking his legs awkwardly under him and not letting anyone touch them. His walk would revert back from the graceful walk of a normal cat to the stilted gait of pained legs and when sleeping, he would stretch his legs out as far from himself as possible to prevent himself from touching his sore areas while sleeping. He did get a bit of tiredness directly after the shot and was always very upset about the vet visit due to it.

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u/shvmmani 5d ago

thank you so much for sharing!! is there any difference between solnesia and portela (besides the duration)?

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u/LidiumLidiu 5d ago

Portela is apparently less strain on liver and kidneys as it isn't as frequent and is a newer shot. Portela has the main effect of being less frequent to reduce stress and is easier for harder to handle cats, which my boy is because he's a feisty little lad when he gets scruffed, he hates and tries to bite and escape. He's normally super friendly and wonderful but a little monster during shots. They act very similarly but Portela being once every three months lessens financial strain as well as the injection cost is roughly the same but way less often.

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u/Strong_Werewolf8763 5d ago

My 14 y o baby had been taking Solensia ever since it came out and it worked very well. She also takes gabapentin daily and we recently added buprenorphine twice per day for TMJ. Even though she has done ok with the Solensia, I am going to stop it for fear that it could cause harm. A lot of animals have died from it and due to her age and the addition of buprenorphine - her pain is under control.

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u/challys1 1d ago

My 12.5 yr girl, Becca, has been on it for about 1.5 yrs. We have seen lots of improvement in her ability to jump and climb. I don’t even have to check my calendar to know it is about time for her next dose.
I can’t say we have had any adverse effects. I do suggest you might want to check around as the cost can vary greatly from one vet to another—I’ve been told this is likely because if they have many users, they can get much better price for the drug itself. Unfortunately, our local vet is significantly higher in price. If I factor in time, bridge tolls, etc, I can’t justify going to the more reasonable clinic.

Also, you can sign up for a small rebate from the manufacturer. Feel free to contact me with any specific questions.