Lahomay: Dental surgery, diabetic & not the same cat!

Hello all. Ugh...where do I begin? Lahomay was diagnosed with feline diabetes 12/30/17. He had dental surgery (tooth extraction) one week ago today, 2/8/18. He is still NOT eating like he should! Nor is he pooping/peeing like he should. He still refuses tuna. TUNA! I tried baby food. I've tried every suggestion that's been given me. I have been cooking straight chicken for him, which he will eat, but not all of it. It's like he is a different cat. He lays on rugs he's never laid on. He faces the wall and just sits there. He is SO SKINNY. He doesn't meow anymore. I am so confused! He is not vomiting, he does eat, just not like he should. He gets his antibiotics (clindamycin) as prescribed. I thought he was not interested in eating because he just had a tooth pulled, but come on. I just cleaned his litter box and only ONE clump of pee. That was from last night, I know because I was there. He just looks at me like "Mama, what's happening?" It's not like he doesn't want to eat. He does. If I'm in the kitchen, he's in the kitchen. If I am eating something, he's in my face. When I go to share or feed him, he sniffs and walks away. I am SO frustrated with this. I am not a girl with unlimited financial resources. I have tried to read about these symptoms, but I can't find anything that points to anything as far as I can figure. He is a young boy, only 6 (April 20) and he was never obese. I switched his food to all wet as soon as learned of his diagnosis. In the beginning, he LOVED the canned food. Now, he will not have anything to do with it. He just seems uninterested in EVERYTHING. I got some mineral oil and gave him some so hopefully he would poop. He did, but I thought it should have been more. I also thought he would be peeing more. I have never had to deal with this so I am truly at a loss. Is it all because of the surgery?? I apologize for my scattered thoughts. I have tried several times to test his BG to no avail. I will be getting ketone strips tomorrow to see if MAYBE ketones are an issue. He just doesn't display any of those signs. He seems to be ok, he jumped up on my bed last night and slept by my side, other than him not eating and going to the bathroom. I am losing sleep over this. I welcome any comments/suggestions/etc. Thank you.

 

The problem may very well be the antibiotic.....they can cause a lot of cats to be nauseous and who wants to eat when you're sick to your stomach?

Sniffing at the food and walking away is a classic sign of nausea.

I'd ask your vet for some Cerenia or ondansetron and see if that helps

 

Go easy with the mineral oil, it coats the stomach and blocks absorption of nutrients from what little food he does eat. If he's not eating much, he won't be pooping much. I agree with Chris, I'd ask the vet forsome nausea meds and see if that helps.

 

Antibiotic can cause inappetance. Maybe has pancreatitis? Ask your vet for some cerenia or ondansetron for the nausea. When does he go back in for dental check up? Maybe see if you can go back in sooner to makes sure his mouth is ok.

 

Syringing (if you did that) mineral oil is not recommended since the oil can go down the trachea to the lungs instead of down the esophagus to the stomach.

 

I agree with the above and especially adding ondansetron. If you do get it be aware that most vets do not dose it high enough-
I will tag @tiffmaxee as she knows more about this-
I also want to add this has been a true blessing for all 3 of my cats as well as myself when I had tummy issues.
FWIW the AB you were given although effective is very hard on the digestive system-
If you are giving it orally I would try to get the pills and make your own capsule with the AB and ondansetron in it. If kitty is good for pilling I would give ondansetron before AB....
Sometimes you have to be creative and it is very stressful--sending prayers for you.
For constpation I give my diabetic natural moves
https://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/natural-moves-for-pets-support-digestive-health.html

 

Could there be lingering pain from something the vet missed? Was it just the one tooth, which tooth, any other dental problems? We all respond differently to pain, Noah needs all his teeth pulled but can't be put under so he'll be on pain meds for the rest of his life. I hate the dentist, I've gone through the same thing.

 

Were labs done before the dental? Do you have a copy? If not get one and post the results. While ECID, Max had teeth pulled and resumed eating after a few days. He was on the same antibiotic a few times after extractions. It definitely could be effecting the appetite but I’m concerned more is going on. You say he’s so skinny. How fast was the weight loss? It could be the experience led to pancreatitis but I’m wondering what else is going on. How’s the BG? I don’t see a spreadsheet listed. Are you testing? If he’s eating a lot less he may need less insulin. On the other hand if he’s in pain his BG could be high. When do you see the vet to check his mouth?

I used Miralax for constipation.