Hay Aqua!

[Boris]

Whoa.

Sorry to hear that.

How do you measure and monitor his blood glucose? Dad tells me that overshooting with insulin can be a bad thing - hypoglycemia can cause a seizure.

I've also been concerned about arthritis. We Coons are prone to it because of our big bones and big stature. Hip problems can be common. Any thought that that's Meatball's issue? However, he's kind of young, isn't he?

PLease keep me posted on how he's doing.

Thanks!

[Aqua Letifer]

@Boris said in Hay Aqua!:

Whoa.

Sorry to hear that.

How do you measure and monitor his blood glucose? Dad tells me that overshooting with insulin can be a bad thing - hypoglycemia can cause a seizure.

I've also been concerned about arthritis. We Coons are prone to it because of our big bones and big stature. Hip problems can be common. Any thought that that's Meatball's issue? However, he's kind of young, isn't he?

He is, he's about 7.

Both very good points; nothing to monitor the glucose, just going off the dose the vet prescribed. Will be asking about all these things on Thursday, tell dad thanks for the list!

PLease keep me posted on how he's doing.

Thanks!

Will-do.

[Mik]

Hoping for good results. It breaks your heart to see them ill.

[Jolly]

Started the sheltie on an injectable for arthritis a week ago. The difference has been remarkable.

There was a drug for cats, before dogs:

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-treatment-control-pain-cats-osteoarthritis-first-monoclonal-antibody-drug-use-any

[Mik]

Excellent.

[Jolly]

George might can explain the medical part much better than I, but the vet drug blocks a protein which helps generate pain signals.

On the sheltie drug, the cost is $75/month. Don't know what a cat would cost...

[George K]

@Jolly said in Hay Aqua!:

the vet drug blocks a protein which helps generate pain signals.

Close. It blocks the pain signal from reaching the brain. Slightly different, but close enough for government work.

I see that it's been approved in humans as of 1/2022, but was stopped because of worsening osteoarthritis.

Nice - you give a drug that stops your pain from arthritis while making your arthritis worse.

Last year the FDA refused to approve tanezumab, a monoclonal antibody and NGF inhibitor, as a treatment for OA in humans after two of its advisory panels said the drug caused OA joint damage to accelerate. Rapidly progressing osteoarthritis (RPOA) was so severe that some patients in clinical trials had to stop taking the drug and needed total joint replacements.

The side effects of NGF inhibitors have been known for over a decade. The FDA slowed the development of NGF inhibitors in 2010 because of concerns they make osteoarthritis worse in some patients. But under pressure to approve more non-opioid pain relievers, the FDA allowed clinical studies of tanezumab to resume in 2015.

Eli Lilly and Pfizer invested heavily in tanezumab research, but ended their joint development of the drug in 2021 after the FDA and European Medicines Agency said they would not approve tanezumab for humans because of safety concerns.

But, I see this as a potentially beneficial type of drug in humans.

ETA: For someone like Mrs. George, I could see this as being a really great drug. She's had 5/6 major joint replacements, and her fingers are all gnarly because of OA. The risk of this, IMO, would be small for her.

[Jolly]

Back to the dog and cat side of things...This is going to be given mostly in the last year or two of life, I'm guessing, after other treatments are no longer as effective. Wonder what the damage profile looks like...If it takes several years, it's probably a moot point.

[George K]

Update?

[Aqua Letifer]

Insulin worked some, not entirely, so trying a higher dosage.

His back legs are still noticeably messed up. ️

On the plus side, he seems totally himself again.