Border Collie Corner
Can Mental Health Affect Your Pets?
Solensia Helped This Cat’s Osteoarthritis Richard Parker is a very handsome 15-year-old Bengal cat presented to Dr. Knutson and her team in February for his senior exam. His owner mentioned that he had been slowing down and seemed sore when climbing stairs. Dr. Knutson recommended Solensia to help with Richard Parker’s chronic arthritis pain. Solensia is a new product that has been briefly mentioned in previous newsletters. It is the first and only FDA-approved product to control pain associated with osteoarthritis in cats. It’s an injection given monthly at the clinic that works like your cat’s naturally-made antibodies to reduce pain. Most cats show improvement within a couple of weeks, but it takes up to two doses to have full effect. Cats are good at hiding pain, and it’s easy to miss the subtle signs of discomfort due to arthritis. These signs include being hesitant to jump up or down (perform a little wiggle beforehand), bunny hopping or leading with one paw when going upstairs, reaching before jumping down, or simply not being as playful. The website CatOAChecklist.com has some helpful animations on identifying signs of pain and additional information on Solensia. While Richard Parker could still jump up and down off the counters, his owner was astute and recognized the more understated signs of pain. Dr. Knutson checked how Richard Parker was doing two weeks after his Solensia injection. It was reported that “it worked too well! He’s now jumping up high on things. He has had a limp for five years, and now he’s doing great!” With Richard Parker being 15, he also hadn’t been playing with his toys as much in the past year or two. Now he’s back to bringing toys to his owner. Dr. Knutson was overjoyed to hear how well Solensia worked for Richard Parker. All the doctors at Petersen Pet Hospital are eager to utilize Solensia to keep our feline friends comfortable and enhance their quality of life. Richard Parker on the Prowl
Hello, newsletter friends! It’s your favorite border collie, Sam, and today we will discuss how mental health can affect your furry friends. I know what you’re thinking: “Sam, can our pets really endure mental health issues just like humans?”Why, yes, we can! Did you know we can experience depression, anxiety, boredom, and other mental issues? One of the biggest differences between animals and humans is that we can’t necessarily vocalize our discomforts and concerns. Because my other four-legged friends and I can’t tell you what’s wrong, we tend to show our discomfort through our actions and behaviors. How can you tell if your pet is facing mental health issues? The main thing canines and felines face is boredom — especially in the winter. We want to be outside, digging holes and watching the birds and Hairball Control Cat Treats
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