#cartrophen

[ask-a-vetblr]

What are your opinions on dasquin/cartrophen type medications for arthritis? I know they’ve really helped my seniors, but was wondering how widespread their use is and what vets think of them.

gettingvetted here.

Dasuquin/cosequin and other oral glucosamine/chondroitin supplements are used by vets worldwide. I use Dasquin for one of my cats. I’ve not heard of Cartrophen but a brief Google search is telling me that it is along the same lines as Adequan and Legend, and all three brands are injectable supplements intended to decrease joint inflammation in various ways. Adequan is used regularly for both dogs/cats and horses in the US and seems to have good results. None of these should really be used as the only therapy if arthritis already exists, they should just be complementary therapy (for example, my cat on Dasuquin is also on Gabapentin).

Ferox here.

We use Cartrophen (Pentosan Polysulphate, you’ll find more info looking for pentosan than for cartrophen, and it’s not to be confused with Carprofen) quite a lot, both for osteoarthritis and after joint surgery.

Overall I’m pretty happy with them as a secondary therapy for arthritis (as in, you start them on pain relief at the same time as starting cartrophen). Some arthritic patients can be maintained on cartrophen only for a while, but it’s very variable. Clinically it seems to either work very, very well, or not at all. It seems to do bugger all for spinal arthritis cases.

The greyhound vets also love pentosan.

[the-k-alien]

My cat is starting Cartrophen

My 17y/o cat is starting to have signs of arthritis. She doesn’t come upstairs as often as she used to and when she wants to jump on something, she really hesitates and calculates before she decides to jump or not jump. I once saw her really wanting to jump on the bathtub edge, but after calculating that jump a few times, she decided to quit. Also, I saw her back leg missing a step when she goes down the stairs 2x in the past few months. Another incident that really pushed me to get her treated is when she jumped off of my leg, she landed in a weird position and kinda twisted her back leg. Luckily nothing happened that day, but I started doing some research on cat arthritis and if there is something that I can do to help her, I will!

Last week I brought her to the vet. The vet agrees that she prolly has arthritis (given her age and some other signs), but suggested to still do a blood test beforehand. The blood test results came a few days later and everything is still looking good: no diabetes, no thyroid problems, only a slight sign of kidney problem, but very early stage and not too concerning according to the vet :)

So the vet decided to start her on Cartrophen injections to treat her arthritis. I already knew about this meds cuz I consulted another vet last year (prior to deciding if my kitty should get her dental treatment) and that vet had already recommended me Cartrophen. However, at that time, my main concern was her dental problems, so I left the arthritis problem aside. Besides, my baby wasn’t really showing signs of arthritis at that time... But this year is different lol

Anyway, today she got her very first shot of Cartrophen. She will need 1 shot/week for the first 4 weeks, and then 1 shot/month afterwards. The vet said if I see no improvement after 3-5 months, then I can stop the treatment cuz usually that’s the time it takes to see if the meds helps or not. There are almost no side effect and it doesn’t cost too much (about 16$/shot). I will probably learn to do that on my own instead of bringing her to the vet every week cuz it’s extra stress for my kitty and I gotta drive her there and wait in line (due to COVID, everything is just extra slow...). They wouldn’t let me in to show me how to do the injections (due to COVID), but after talking to the vet tech, she decided to show me outside next week so I can learn and make sure that my technique is good.

I will update in a few months to see if my kitty is feeling better and if this meds really helps :)

P.S.: I’ll probably start wearing braces soon lol. I figured this would be the BEST time to get braces as an adult cuz no one would see these braces when you gotta wear a mask everywhere you go :D   

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Cartrophen update #1:

My cat just had her 2nd shot yesterday and I’m already seeing some improvement (I think). Last night and today I saw her running like a crazy kitty across the room (you know when a cat has a random shock of energy and runs around for no reason). She hasn’t done that for a while so it’s definitely refreshing to see her do that again! Of course she didn’t run many laps around the house, she just ran a bit and scratched the wall and jumped away lol

Anyway, we are only at week 2 of the treatment so things might improve in the next few weeks 😊

_______________________________

Update #2:

As I wrote last time, her 2nd injection was a success. However, the 3rd and 4th injections didn’t do anything. She was back to her pre-Cartrophen state, or maybe even a little worse cuz she wouldn’t even jump on the couch anymore.

After those weekly injections, we moved on to monthly injections. Her 1st monthly injection was a huge success 😀! I saw a big change in her behaviour. She’s happier, more playful and kinda back to her last year’s state. She would jump on the couch when I’m sitting on it, and she would even climb up the stairs when I call her from the 2nd floor! She’s also now able to jump on my bed, a thing she didn’t do for more than a year cuz the bed was too high of a jump for her!

A week and a half ago, I brought my kitty for her 2nd monthly injection. Unfortunately, the results aren’t that great this time 😕. She puked almost everyday since that injection and on Xmas day she was kinda feeling sick the whole day cuz she puked twice right after her meal 😿. I was pretty worried cuz she didn’t even wanna eat the whole day and usually she has a good appetite. Towards the end of the day, she felt better and finally emptied her food bowl. Activity-wise, she isn’t as playful as after the last shot. Tbh, I kinda regret taking her for that 2nd monthly shot cuz things were better before that. Anyway, I’ll still continue the Tx for a few more months to really test the efficiency of that drug. Maybe I’ll wait 1.5 months for the 3rd shot instead of 1 month. I’ll write the updates here.

[dogarthritisblog-blog-blog]

GAG Injectable Supplements: Injections against Dog Arthritis

Dog arthritis attacks the cartilage within joints. When the disease is left untreated, the damage to the tissue can reach such a critical level that “bone against bone” contact occurs. This condition makes it almost impossible for your dog to move without extreme pain. When your dog’s arthritis is already in a moderate to advanced stage, oral supplements are usually rendered ineffective; a stronger injectable supplement should be used.

Your Dog’s Cartilage

Cartilage makes it easier for your joints to move since it creates a protective and smooth surface between the two bones in contact. The tissue is mostly composed of the matrix which is made up of collagen, an elastic and strong fiber; and proteogylcans, a spongy material that functions as a shock absorber. Proteogylcans contain glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a molecule that retains water, and responsible for the spongy quality of the matrix. Chondrocytes are the living parts of the cartilage. These are cells that are responsible for the production of new matrix. However, they can only produce limited amounts as they only compose 5% of the tissue. Hence, when the cartilage gets too damaged, scar tissue develops. When this happens, your dog’s mobility is permanently hampered.

We don’t want this to happen. That is why it is important for you to visit your vet, when your dog starts to exhibit symptoms of dog arthritis. 

Rehabilitating Your Dog’s Cartilage

To prevent the destruction of cartilage in the joints, vets employ injectible GAGs. Now remember, GAGs are a component of proteoglycans which make the matrix spongy and an effective shock absorber. So, GAGs are very important.

As a vet, I use Cartrophen on my clients’ dogs. Although not available in the US, the supplement is popular here in Australia, and it other parts of the world. Adequan is another equally effective supplement. It is commonly used in the US, and it contains GAGs that come from the cartilage from a cow’s trachea. The dosage for the two supplements depends on your dog’s breed and condition. With Adequan, eight injections are usually given, twice a week for four weeks.

I can say that Adequan and Cartrophen are the benchmarks of injectable supplements. The two are very effective in protecting and rehabilitating damaged cartilage, alleviating joint inflammation, and in promoting joint fluid secretion to lessen the pain during movement.

Some Precautions when Using Injectable Dog Arthritis Supplements

Generally, Adequan and Cartrophen are safe enough to administer alongside other supplements especially an oral preparation like Dasuquin. Nonetheless, there are cases wherein injectible supplements should be avoided.

   When your dog has a blood clotting problem. Heparin, a common dog anti-coagulant shares a similar molecular structure with GAGs.

   When your dog has kidney disease.

   When your dog is being treated with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Administering the two alongside each other can have adverse effects on your dog’s kidneys.

The two injectable supplements are quite potent and therefore require a vet’s prescription. Although they need to be injected, the supplements are actually easily to administer by you or your vet. All you need to do is to ask your vet to teach you and for you to get over your fear of needles!

With those issues resolved, your dog can enjoy life without being hampered by dog arthritis. What are you waiting for, visit your local vet!

GAG Injectable Supplements (PDF)