How Much Does It Cost to Manage Feline Osteoarthritis? Diagnosis, Solensia Injections, and Why NSAIDs Aren't a Long-Term Option
Radiographs show joint disease in about 22% of cats over age 1, and roughly 90% of cats 12 and older -- yet most owners never see a limp. Cats just climb less. That gap is why feline osteoarthritis (OA) stays undiagnosed for years.
Cats hide arthritis pain, so it goes undiagnosed for years
Diagnosis: an exam plus $100-$300 in radiographs
Joint palpation and a gait check happen alongside the visit fee. Radiographs to confirm the changes add $100-$300 for two to four views; more joints, or an ER visit, can push that to $400-$500. CT and MRI stay rare, used only when surgery might help.
NSAIDs aren't a long-term option -- the FDA says so directly
Drugs that manage a dog's arthritis don't translate to cats. The FDA says no NSAID is approved for safe, long-term OA pain control in cats. Meloxicam carries a boxed warning after repeated dosing was linked to kidney failure and death; injectable meloxicam is approved only as one pre-surgical dose, and oral meloxicam isn't approved for cats at all.
Solensia: $75-$115 a dose, priced by weight
Solensia (frunevetmab) is the alternative: a once-monthly injectable, the only OA drug the FDA has approved for cats. It blocks pain signals instead of suppressing inflammation body-wide. Cats under 15.4 lb run about $75 a dose, heavier cats closer to $115. Add the exam fee and most visits land near $120-$250 -- on top of the screening senior cats already need after age 10.
A full year: roughly $900-$1,380 in medication alone
Monthly injections at $75-$115 add up to $900-$1,380 a year before any visit fee. Solensia manages OA rather than curing it, so most cats stay on it for life -- no generic yet, no cheaper option with the same safety record.
Cheaper add-ons: supplements and free home changes
Cosequin and Dasuquin run roughly $10-$22 a month at retail; they supplement Solensia but don't replace it. Cheaper still: weight loss, ramps, low-sided litter boxes, raised bowls. Hydrotherapy or laser therapy adds a few hundred more where a policy reimburses it.
It usually overlaps with kidney monitoring and insurance timing
OA shows up in the same age group as chronic kidney disease, so a vet starting Solensia typically checks kidney values that visit. OA diagnosed before a policy starts gets excluded as pre-existing.
Bottom line
Diagnosis: an exam plus $100-$300 in radiographs. Treatment: Solensia at $75-$115 a dose, $900-$1,380 a year, plus $120-$250 per visit. Skip NSAIDs beyond one pre-surgical dose. Compared with arthritis costs in dogs, the cat version is narrower: one approved drug, not several.
Sources: FDA on feline osteoarthritis and the meloxicam boxed warning; Lascelles et al. radiographic prevalence studies; MetLife Pet Insurance and Cats.com cost data (accessed September 2026). General cost information only, not veterinary advice.
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