ARTHRITIS GEL MADE CAT SICK

Q: At the beginning of the pandemic, my doctor prescribed Voltaren gel for arthritis in my thumbs and wrists. I used it for three weeks, and it really helped.

Then one day our cat was not right, acting listless and not eating. We took her to the vet and discovered her creatinine was over 3 and her BUN over 100. She was near death.

The year before, all her bloodwork was normal. The vets couldn’t understand how it could change so much in less than a year.

She spent five days in the hospital and had to get regular subcutaneous fluid infusions for six months. Her kidney function eventually came back to normal, but all this care cost about $4,000.

What happened was Voltaren gel residue got on her fur from my skin when I pet her. Then she would groom herself, which meant she was getting the drug. I found an article about this in a veterinary journal, but our vets had never heard of it. Now that Voltaren arthritis topical gel is available over the counter, your readers with pets might want to know this.

A: Thank you for sharing your story. We are relieved to hear your cat recovered. Cats are very sensitive to NSAIDS like ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac (Voltaren). What’s more, our veterinary consultants warn that both dogs and cats can get into trouble if they lick certain topical medicines, like hormones, corticosteroids or minoxidil, off their owners’ skin.

To keep your cat safe, you might want to consider other ways to manage your arthritis pain besides topical NSAIDS. In our eguide to Alternatives for Arthritis we discuss several home remedies along with herbs such as ashwagandha, boswellia, turmeric, ginger, stinging nettle, MSM and SAME. This online resource may be found under the Health eguides tab at Peoplespharmacy.com.