Had a similar experience with our dog. His toe swelled like crazy and we didn't want to take him to my vet because we have more pets than the city allows, and my wife's vet went off into MAGA land.

So we took him to several other vets, spending about $1500 with no answers except a shrug and "try giving him benadry" l, before we finally took him to my vet.

Took all of 60 seconds for him to say, "oh, he tore a tendon and has arthritis." Gave him an arthritis shot and he was fine in a few days.

Oh you think you sound like a commercial? Let me tell you a little more about my experience with it.

Solensia absolutely changed my cat’s life. It stopped the litter box issue, but it also turned her into a little kitten who got zoomies again.

We had a ramp to help her get on the bed, and at least once I watched her run up it and leap off the top of the ramp.

We moved into a new house about a year before starting the shots, and she basically only ever went to my office, the bedroom, and the couch—the three spaces I spent my time. After starting the shots, I found her all over the house, exploring. I also found her on top of furniture, and she hadn’t gotten up that high in years!

I think Solensia probably extended her life because of how much better she could move around. It definitely increased her enjoyment of life!

My vet had a clinic cat who was put on a clinical trial of Solensia, so the vet had over a year of experience with it before it was approved on the market. She told me how amazing the shots were, like finding the clinic cat on top of a filing cabinet that he’d never gotten on top of before. Her stories about it seemed unbelievable, but it lived up to everything she said.

So yeah, that’s more of a commercial, lol. I promise I was just a very happy customer, though.

If you're in the US try Greenies pill pockets for cats. They're highly flavored little dough things, not super expensive. My cats love them and now they're a very special treat (for when a very special treat is needed the most).

Pro tip, though: don't try to put the capsule in the pill pocket like in the picture. It's a fool's game. They say you can but it's a waste of time, even when it's not cracked or banged up, which is rare.

Your best bet is to ignore the "pocket" altogether and flatten the whole thing into a thin, even, round pancake (maybe 1" to 1.25") with your thumb into the palm of one hand, dump the contents of the capsule in the middle, and then carefully bring up the sides like you're making dim sum. Pinch the top around the med to close completely and then roll it gently around in your palm.

This method also lets you use all the broken ones in the bottom; just squish as many as you need all together. If they're a little dry add a tiny bit of water and they'll mash together as if new.

If there's too much med and you can't close it, use two, or however many. I had one pill from a vet that was far too big to just shove down his throat to start with, and I had to quarter it into four to use the pill pockets, but they worked.

They can be a pain in the ass, but as long as no material escapes from the pill cover I make with them I've never had a cat refuse one. I have, however, had every cat I ever owned tell me to fuck ALL the way off with anything sprinkled on their food. It's worth a try if you already have the meds.

Pilling a cat is a skill but one worth learning. I had two elderly cats who each needed pills and both hated it in their foods. I hold the kitty in my lap, pull back their head and poke a finger between their front teeth and release the pill down their throat. Then stroke the throat gently and release, and give them a high value treat right away. First time is rough but it gets better and becomes routine for everybody. If the cost ends up being a big difference it's something to consider

What's the pill? Lyrica? Meloxicam?

Highly recommend signing up for the zoetis pet rewards if you go this route. Get some money back. Side note, thanks for reminding me to submit my invoice!