Relaxants for cats?

[Ela]

Yes the trial pack's expensive but as I'm not too convinced it will work, just wanted to try it out.

Not too sure though than 10 would give you a balanced view I think  usually a course is  recommended  for 2 – 4 weeks then re-assessed.

If  I am honest I (well a cat)  tried it but I did not really notice a difference but I know of others who have had a bit of success.

[swampmaxmum]

Yes the trial pack's expensive but as I'm not too convinced it will work, just wanted to try it out. They told the vet's nurse that it is used for short term stress alleviation, so that it should work quickly (if it does) unlike some.

JS I do so understand about the pill-popping. Dementia is just a total nightmare, like anything it seems to do with the brain going wrong. There's so little they know and so little they can do. xxx 

[Ela]

just ordered 10 Zylkene to try, the link below has it in a trial pack of 10 for £6.99 incl postage

That is very expensive, and of course these things usually take a time to kick in. At the moment you can get 100 for less than £30  and of course if you order from Vet UK via one of the Charity sites mine included we get a 5% commission.
 
JS. I have PM''d you. or I will in a min.

[Kirst]

I dont really have any advice ar whats been said on here , but sending you and Carrie some of these anyway.

[JackSpratt]

Nope, she has nothing else wrong with her - was given a clean bill of health by the vets two days ago apart from the possibility of very mild arthritis.

It's such a nightmare for her and for us. She's actually sat watching me type now - she does that a lot!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes I understand completely and how the shouting really gets to you and gets you down...........I personally even now would not like to make them any more confused than they already are, however hard that is for the human. The only side to that would be, if something new and proven to work, came along.

I dont believe in pumping cats full of medication just to alleviate the human distress unless its safe for the cat, with no nasty side effects for them and has a track record of assisting.

Kocka deterioated quite quick in the end, possibly aided by my change of house which nothing could be done about and also the weather was so bad, against the weather both of us were used too. Cold and very windy all the time.

I think dementia is the hardest think to deal with in cats and of course in humans. Kocka was also ill with other problems which I dont think beautiful Carrie is so this makes things so hard.

I do hope that something can be found soon to help 

[JackSpratt]

Thanks Kate, this is the specialist whose number I passed on to my vet. This bit is key unfortunately:

"As yet there are no drugs licensed for the treatment of CDS in cats, and no drugs that have been proven to work in the treatment of CDS in this species. However, a number of drugs have been used ‘off label’. These include selegiline (Selgian®; Pfizer), propentofylline (Vivitonin®; Intervet) and nicergoline (Fitergol®; Merial), all of which have been used in cat with varying degrees of success, e.g. a small open trial using selegiline showed a positive effect and the American Association of Feline Practitioners supports the use of this drug for the treatment of CDS.

It's important to me that Carries life is not a constant pill popping episode if there's no guarantee it'll help her, if that makes sense?

[swampmaxmum]

You may already have read this, but this is what my vet suggested that I read, from the fabcats' site http://www.fabcats.org/owners/elderly/senility.html

Interesting that it's not vivitonin but another drug they prefer from American studies. I've not heard of the other one. Buspirone's been used quite a bit too (again varying success, especially if it's bad).
I'm so sorry; I know what the desperate search for 'something' that will work is like.

[JackSpratt]

I used a few drops of Rescue Remedy a day in water for her - I know more isn't especially great for a cat. I didn't try vivitonin as I took Old mog to the vets yesterday and the vet very honestly said that there was no conclusive proof that any medication aided feline dementia; they'd had breakthroughs with dogs but not cats. I don't want to plonk her on everything known to man and risk her getting horrible side effects; her life's confusing enough at the moment.

It's a bit of a tough decision to make; whether to just try something and risk it or persevere with her natural state. (Gill will know what I mean as one of her furbabes had severe dementia.)

[Leanne]

Zylkene is also cheap on VetUK should anyone need them

[swampmaxmum]

I just ordered 10 Zylkene to try, the link below has it in a trial pack of 10 for £6.99 incl postage. It might work. Did you ever try Vivitonin? It seems to be what vets are now using for dementia. As a matter of interest, which RR did you use and in what dose, when it did work?

[JackSpratt]

I actually have some valerian spray - I could give her bed a quick squirt. Liz, I googled Margicol and no medication for animals came up. 

[Liz]

Zylkene or Margicol - have worked for us with the ferals and those boys of a nervous disposition with success

[Gillian Harvey]

Have you tried Valerian? - its actually nicknamed 'nature's sedative' I use for Harry when he's being particularly beligerant  or if him and Jasper are niggling at each other, it does work at calming things and its a good 'anti anxiety' product. http://secure.dorwest.com/prodinfo.asp?number=VAL I just put it in his food, but you can put on bedding etc.

[Leanne]

Have you tried Zylkene?

http://www.buyzylkene.co.uk/

(hope its okay to post links, if not sorry mods)

[JackSpratt]

As some of you know, Old Mog was diagnosed with dementia - and the crying is getting worse. There are no physical symtpoms, I think she's crying because she gets confused and panics.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a relaxant for cats? I don't want to "dope her up" for the last bit of her life, but she's obviously unsettled mentally. Any ideas? RR and feliway have both been tried and worked briefly.