Three New Veterinary Products for 2023

Three New Veterinary Products for 2023

               There are dozens of new drugs and products for pet health produced each year. Patton Veterinary Hospital cannot carry every new product, nor would we want to. But we do review products and choose those we feel may benefit out patients. Here are a few that we have started using in 2022 and will continue to offer in 2023.

• Solensia—Solensia is a new arthritis drug for cats. A majority of cats over the age of ten suffer from some degree of arthritis. Cats cannot use NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) on a regular basis as they do not process them well. Steroids have many side effects and other pain medications may be sedating. Solensia targets and binds to a protein called nerve growth factor (NGF) which is partly responsible for regulating pain. When the drug is bound to NGF, pain is reduced.  Solensia is given as a monthly injection under the skin and is a safe, effective way to reduce arthritis pain in cats. As many as 77% of cats show improvement after one to three treatments. We have seen excellent results so far in our feline patients who have used Solensia.
• Stelfonta—Stelfonta is a chemotherapy drug used to treat mast cell tumors without surgery. Mast cell tumors are cancerous skin tumors. Usually, surgical removal is recommended with a wide margin of skin removed around the mass. Stelfonta is approved for use in dogs with mast cell tumors. The drug is injected directly into the tumor (the dog is sedated to allow for careful injection into the mass) causing tissue death, destroying only the tumor.  We have used Stelfonta several times with good success. There are some criteria that must be met to use Stelfonta such as tumor size and location, but it is an alternative to surgery for many dogs with mast cell tumor.
• Kit 4 Cat—Kit 4 Cat is not a drug but is a new type of urine collection product. Urinalysis is a diagnostic test often used to determine if a patient has a bladder infection, kidney disease or other medical issues. Urine is sometimes collected at the veterinary hospital by inserting a needle directly into the bladder (cystocentesis). However, this is not always possible, or the cat may have an empty bladder. As you may imagine, it can be difficult to collect urine samples from cats in the home environment.  In the past, a product called NoSorb has been used—plastic beads replacing cat litter in the litter pan that do not absorb urine.  However, some cats do not like to urinate in a litter pan containing NoSorb since it does not feel much like cat litter.  Kit 4 Cat is a substance that can be used in the same way to temporarily replace cat litter in order to collect a urine sample. However, it is a non-absorbent sand rather than plastic so it mimics cat litter and is better accepted by most cats.

These products are helping us provide better care for our patients reducing arthritis pain, treating mast cell tumors and collecting urine samples from cats for important diagnostic tests. Ask our staff or veterinarians for more information about these products if you feel your pet may benefit.

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.