Pig 7/13 pmps 133

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by LuvinThisPig, Jul 13, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. LuvinThisPig

    LuvinThisPig Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2017
    Yesterday's

    Okay. I think we are on the mend over here. Finally! This was a rough run. I was very worried because Tail is literally NEVER sick and for something to get to him as well.. I was sweating it.

    I spent literally the whole day yesterday tracking down diet and bladder solutions. I have come into contact with a gentleman who has a neuro compromised cat with many of the same issues as Pig has. This is fantastic as I have struggled to understand much of how these things work with Pig. He gave me some great solutions for megacolon and working to help stimulate the gut walls to help Pig pass stools better. His kitty struggles to pass loose stools as well. In regards to the bladder, we were on the right track with the Prazosin and Bethanochol, but my vet (and dude concurs) thinks that we should add in a very mild sedative to relax the sphincter muscles allowing Pig to release better. I will discuss this with his vet and find out exactly what sedative she had in mind.

    However, as far as diet goes these are the add ins I am looking at:

    Nutrivee Phages - To help the probiotics along. It is a prebiotic and actually targets rampant e. coli, basically clearing the way for the probiotics to do their thing. I really feel we has some sort of bacterial thing move through bc the way they both came down with it. This will also help in digestion.

    Animal Essentials (per @LizzieInTexas suggestion) - To help take some stress of his pancreas and to better process his food.

    NOW Pets L-Lysine - Immune system support. Also, when used in humans it is used for collagen and tissue maintenance, which can only be an added benefit for Pig. I feel this will help to support arthritic joints (collagen support) and also possibly rebuild damaged tissues. This has to be good support for organs.

    Jarrow Lactoferrin - Another powerful immune system support. It helps to bind iron. This helps to promote growth of those beneficial bacterium in the gut, which in turn help to fight off both bacterial and viral infections.

    Holistic Horse Ultra Pure MSM Powder - Manages pain and inflammation throughout the body. Powerful joint rebuilder. By decreasing inflammation and increasing circulation many who have seen damage to organs have noticed significant repair. I have had this MSM powder for a while, but all changes with Pig need to be made slowly and we have just not had the chance to start this yet....

    This is where we are at right now. Someone said to start Milk Thistle and Sam-e for the elevated ALT values, but I am more concerned with improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and working to help this bladder function better. Also, and tissue repair that MIGHT happen would be a plus. I feel very strongly that a lot of his bladder retention is owed to the fact that he just doesn't want to move. When I had him in regulation for a month his bladder was flat and his colon functioned. At WSU he had no bladder retention and an empty colon. He was not always like that. Something changed that aided in his healing. Regulation and pain management I am sure of it. We can get back there.

    Now, Tail on the other hand, finally pooed! He had two poos a day apart, each the size of a Labradors and as heavy as a black hole!! :eek::eek::eek: There was a small hard piece towards the front of the first one and I can't help but think he was on his way to impaction. I have added lactulose to his regime... :rolleyes:
     
    JeffJ likes this.
  2. JL and Chip

    JL and Chip Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Not sure about a sedative, but our IM specialist put TomTom on phenoxybenzamine for that purpose. It relaxes the sphincter muscles and can be used with bethanechol.

    I'm glad to hear you're making progress. Sometimes we just have to tinker around until we find a combination that works (I am, admittedly, a charter member of the "master tinkerer" club). Some people call it crazy, the ends we go to for our cats. I think it's just being creative, resourceful, and dedicated to these little lives we take responsibility for.
     
    LuvinThisPig likes this.
  3. LuvinThisPig

    LuvinThisPig Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2017
    Oh! Thank you for this suggestion! I will certainly look into and discuss phenoxybenzamine with my vet! She was a little lost on what to do and to be honest, I am too. It is so frustrating because, how do you make a cat pee??? I have tried expressing the bladder like you suggested, but he just will not have it. Also, he seems to have a lot of control over that urinary sphincter (or its malfunctions??) because I use to 'massage' his bladder with only a little output from it... Its frustrating.

    It was your post that helped a lot in this. I sent it straight away to my vet... She is beginning to really trust the judgement of many people on this board. I cannot say thank you enough!
     
    LizzieInTexas likes this.
  4. JeffJ

    JeffJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2016
    Holy Poop-a-saurus. I am so glad our kittehs don't have these issues.

    You are such a great kitteh Mom. If you did not go to all these great lengths, I am 100% positive your furkids would be real unhealthy or not here at all. They are so lucky to have you.:bighug::bighug::bighug:

    It reminds me of the big journey with Leo and all my research about diabetes, Acro, and small cell lymphoma. Many amazing people helped me including Wendy.

    I'm still in NYC until Saturday. Theresa is taking care of the kids while I'm gone. Leo's SS is updated and he is rolling up in BG while I'm gone. But he is safe. In the meantime, I have been treated to $130+ dinners including tonight at the Balthazar French restaurant in Soho, with some great cognac to help with any potential digestive issues.:eek::D
     
    LuvinThisPig likes this.
  5. LuvinThisPig

    LuvinThisPig Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2017
    Thank you, Jeff... Sometimes I do wonder and I can promise you my nerves never function well anymore. But, no matter what happens, I will NEVER give up on them. Ever.

    Lucky you in NYC! How fun! I am going to head over and look at Leo's SS because I just love to follow along! But, I can imagine all that rich food mixed with some fine cognac will keep you functioning quite nicely... :woot:
     
    JeffJ likes this.
  6. LuvinThisPig

    LuvinThisPig Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2017
    Okay... Tagging who I know. The vet prescribed Pig Acepromazine to help with urinary function. I think this is to relax the sphincter muscles and reduce anxiety. It is a sedative. However, I am getting nervous reading some info on it. Such as it can cause very deep and lasting sedation, cause extreme anxiety and aggression, and lower blood pressure. For starters, he is already on Prazosin which lowers blood pressure all its own and I am not sure about him being in a deep sedative state. I guess if he was I could at least express his bladder... :rolleyes: But, if it is needed to help him release this bladder.... I will update his signature to include recent additions to rxs…

    @Wendy&Neko @JL and Chip @LizzieInTexas @JeffJ and... I have no idea who to tag... :oops:
     
  7. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2012
    Sorry no experience with that med, just with Prazosin. All I can suggest is asking about it on the Feline Health forum.

    Been 11 cycles on this dose, with not even a high green.
     
    LuvinThisPig likes this.
  8. LuvinThisPig

    LuvinThisPig Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2017
    Thank you, Wendy... You beat me to my next question for you! :woot: I was waiting to see if whatever was jumping his BGs up would clear with the meds, but regulation would help all its own... He hit hypo with this dose and I was worried... But, I'll jump him up in the morning...
     
  9. JeffJ

    JeffJ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2016
    Hypos always concern me too. And with Leo, he doesn't have many symptoms with them. So we generally target 100-150 for nadirs. You have done a great job dealing with Pig's bounces.

    I am keeping Leo's SS updated for this month so we can try to track patterns. But I was in NYC this week. Leo got fed well and we think that caused the BG to rise. But who knows, it could just be his standard noncompliance with our attempted regulation.
     
  10. Marje and Gracie

    Marje and Gracie Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2010
    @LuvinThisPig

    Sarah....sorry to post on this condo but it’s the latest I’ve found for Pig. I see you already got some input on the labs.

    When I look at his labs, the ALT doesn’t overly concern me right now. yes, it’s higher but ALT has a short half life and so something else (e.g. potential pancreatitis) could be causing what is an extremely mild elevation. Most vets don’t get too worried about ALT until it’s 3x normal and even that is considered a mild elevation. I think it’s smart to watch it and with the creatinine having jumped, I’d redo labs sooner rather than later (meaning I wouldn’t go longer than three months).

    Yes, Wendy is correct that creatinine can be higher in larger, more muscled cats so the acro could be contributing to it. Of all his labs, the one that concerns me most is the potassium. His is at the high end of normal and you really want potassium to be in the midrange between 4 and 5.5.

    For me, to really see what is going on with a cat, it’s best to get the full blood panels. Next time you have labs done, I’d ask for the senior panel which is less expensive and will get you a superchem, cbc, tT4, and urine.

    It’s not possible to diagnose CKD just with what you have. If your vet has the potential to use IDEXX next time, I’d recommend it so you can get an SDMA. If not, having a urine sample will help so we can look at urine specific gravity. For USG, the best data is obtained by free catching the very first sample of the morning so we can see if he’s able to concentrate his urine.
     
    LuvinThisPig likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page