25-Feb: Tyler &M : AMPS 247 : +2=225 : +8.5=270

Yesterday condo, Saturday submitted today.

It is now Sunday evening !

Update:
+warning+warning+warning+
Quite long.​

Tyler's vet was pleased with Ty's progress. He was better than the entire clinic thought he would be given the past few weeks & Ty is something of an elderly gent celeb now.

There was a discussion about Triaditis where the pancreas & liver are inflamed , which they are and that there is a thickening of the bowel causing absorption probs. When food is unable to be absorbed properly then diarrhea will ensue, muscle mass is lost, appetite increases - as I have seen at length.
Put this with his BP , CKDII and diabetes and Tyler presents something of a dilemma for a good treatment plan that can reasonably address all issues.

It was explained to me from a vet point of view why a diet too high in protein can place a load on kidneys with reduced function. That is not to say that quality protein is not important but that it can be too high in some circumstances , just as it can be too low.
The role of fat was also mentioned.

We also discussed the diabetes and I gained an understanding or insight as to why vets, or this vet at least, look at the BG numbers as they do. I came away with the notion that they look for safe stability which will "Do No Harm" . That means the numbers they are comfy with will be higher than the one's we/I might be comfy with. He certainly understands diabetes /insulin.
It has made me think a little as to where Tyler needs his numbers to really be. Not maybe where I want them to be , if you get me. Low numbers mean good for diabetes and also kidneys re renal threshold, however they may not be so good if messing with diet and making the cat's body & organs in general feel under stress and a state of flux.

@Jill & Alex (GA) touched on something like this in Juliet's condo today & it is all a part of a huge change of mindset I think that I am currently grappling with.

Vet is ordering some milk thistle - forget the name - which should help detox Ty's liver a bit.

Vet also talked about a phos binder in the struggle to get a right balance for Ty's diet. It was a HUGE long visit and discussion. I have to say the bloke is a bit good. *nods head*

As well as the above, he mentioned a very expensive test for Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency <--- I have started a separate condo about this

Also talked about the pro/con - risks of steroid intervention & assorted types of pain relief .

Ty was given the B12 shot .

I was able to tell the vet that Tyler is at present walking on his toes again. The neuropathy itself has lessened although he still has quite some muscle mass wastage and so tends to wobble on his pins. It is different though from the planter gait neuropathy or an arthritic joint stiffness .
Ty has stopped the heaving and plonking himself down due to an inability to control his limbs and has once again taken to curling him for rest as a cat does.

He gave up two monstrous cow pats yesterday overnight to the extent I did wonder if Daisy was hiding in the wardrobe. Neither were logs but they were not diarrhea either.

Am plonking in the pumpkin and rice with his food. The food remains too high carb but at the moment there is a bit going on to be looking to alter his food too much. He eats it. That does us both.

He is due back to the vet on Tuesday where his inner eyelid ( haw) will be unstitched. The vet did a check last Friday and said it was looking good. Think we will both like that. It has given him a rather un-nerving alien from outer space look at times .

On that short note, off for a cup of tea.

Laters.

 

Sir Tyler is certainly keeping you on your toes. Best of luck finding the magic mix to keep him safe.

Oh thank you for the "laters" Paula and I are Anglophiles and just love that expression but don't here it here in the States!

 

S'ok and thank you back at you.

 

Silver used to do the same. I thought I had a horse in the house not a cat! Dunno what started it or what stopped but it was a month of huge cow pats. Then my civvie as well. Vet never did figure it out either and after two rounds of antibiotics and steroids poor Silver lost his remission (that he’d held onto for three years).

 

It sounds like you have a good vet that is willing to consider all options. I hope you can find a balance with treatments for Ty and get him feeling better. Sending prayers.

 

I myself have had a few come to Jones' (cat god of the house) meetings about food, numbers, protein, fat, carbs.

Jones' IBD/pancreatitis is the biggest issue. He too has severe muscle wasting due to the absorption issues (leaky gut is what our vet called it). To me, his numbers are kind of secondary to the requirements to keep the IBD inflammation at bay.

It is a complicated dance then throw in FD - it is a seesaw act. It has taken me about a year and a half to get to a point that Jones "seems" stable with both his food, his poop and his BG's.

And now you have a couple more issues to throw on the pile! My heartfelt hug for you.

Our usual vet went on maternity and her replacement sent me to a IM vet as she didn't want to deal with such a complex case. The IM vet has helped a lot, though that ment more steriods and higher BG's.

A funny...the vet that just did my civvie's dental was talking about a seminar she just went to that had the top feline vet of Canada there. This specialist indicated dogs are easy. They get sick, they barf on your feet and it is usually one medical issue to be addressed. A cat is a like a woman - not only does it hide that it is ill but likes to go shopping and picks like 3 illness to put in the cart and puts 2 more at the check out.

Vines for Ty and hugs for you.

 

@Tracey&Jones

I'm with you ... at least I think I kinda grasp it after several days of brain ache. The balancing act is complicated and I have come to understand that something has to give in order to allow for a general balance, the best it can be . It may be possible to reach the compromised balance which results in a happier cat.

A refocus exercise . Diabetes was the top of the importance list. Now it must be about the bowel and pancreas/liver. Of course, whilst keeping a wary eye on the diabetes........ and the kidneys too. lol

 

I think most of us whose kitties are dealing with more than one health issue learn to prioritize treatment plans... we have to. We also spend a whole lot of time thinking about and then giving a lot of consideration to quality of life for our kitties. Quality of life becomes just as important as everything else. The process itself is deeply personal and always in the best interest of the individual cat. Once I was able to accept and then act on this, everyday left with Alex (turned out it was a few years) became a gift... a celebration... with no regrets. Hence the Dr. Seuss quote in my signature, "Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened."

 

Was it denamarin? If so, it should be given on an empty stomach and at least 2 hours before a meal. You don't want to crush or cut the pill. It's tiny. Give it whole followed by 4 - 5ml water in an oral syringe.

Ask your vet if ursodiol would be appropriate for Ty. It seemed to really help with Alex's liver issues. It's generally prescribed for dogs, off-label for cats, but more and more vets are realizing how well it works in cats. It helps to increase the flow of bile. However, use is contradicted if a duct is blocked. We had it compounded into a chicken flavored liquid. If prescribed, you'll want to supplement with taurine. I no longer remember the dose.