Advice very much appreciated!

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Sue (Mo's Mum), Apr 19, 2018.

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  1. Sue (Mo's Mum)

    Sue (Mo's Mum) Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2018
    I did an intro on another thread but it was suggested I post this here too....

    All advice very much welcomed!

    My cat is named Mo (Morrissey in full!). He's a smallish ginger tom, 10 years old and weighs 4.2kg and we are based in the UK in Kent.

    We've been to the vets 8 times in as many weeks.

    A bit of history - Mo had been being sick every day for quite some time, six months ago it was once or twice a week and then gradually became most days, usually overnight. He was well otherwise.
    I changed him to a sensitive tummy food (dry kibble) around January and about the same time he became very thirsty, sitting by the kitchen sink tap and drinking from it whenever anyone would turn it on for him - I invested in a water fountain and noticed he was drinking even more. We also noticed he drooled when he was sleeping, and was very hungry. He would also try to steal food and began to be very interested in chocolate and sweet foods. He was also losing weight.

    About 8 weeks ago we took him to the vets (post googling!) and asked if she thought he might be diabetic. She had seen him back in November for an abcess on his face, and when she saw him this time she said she thought his liver was enlarged and wanted to do blood tests. She also gave him an antibiotic shot, and some zantac to help his tummy. We were told she'd call with the results, see him in two weeks.... but to bring him back if he was sick again - she suspected hepatitis.
    He was sick a week later, we returned and she said he needed another antibiotic shot and gave him another medicine - Famotidine - for his tummy. We again suggested Diabetes, but were told although his glucose levels in blood were high this was probably due to stress. It was suggested an ultrasound was a good idea, so we returned for that and at that apt it was suggested that as she saw nothing other than a slightly enlarged liver, a different blood test be carried out for a feline virus (?). He was sick again and so she put him on a longer course of Famotidine and he's not been sick since taking this every morning.

    I explained again his now incessant thirst, emptying the litter tray every two days as it was soaking and his desire for more chocolate (he stole biscuits!) but it was still ignored.

    I called for the latest blood results two days ago and it was suggested a urine sample be done (I understood it had been done during the ultrasound but they said in this call his bladder hadn't been full enough so they hadn't done it... So, back to the vets to collect a special litter kit to collect the sample! I handed that in and was told it would be two days for the result. They called me before I had got home to say he had a very high glucose level in his urine and I need to bring him in 'now' for a fructosamine blood test.

    I took him back last night where the vet told me she was 95% sure he was diabetic but the fructosamine test would confirm! I did then comment that perhaps we could have started with the urine analysis before we ran into £800 of vets bills and that it had taken eight weeks to get to where I suggested back then! (no insurance :-( ) The vet countered this with "well, it could still be pancreatitis as he has a slightly enlarged liver and it's not sure that if he is diabetic that it's caused by the possible pancreatitis or vice versa"....

    Is it time for a new vet?! What are your experiences of diabetes/pancreatitis diagnosis?

    He is happy enough in himself - doesn't avoid being picked up, likes his tummy being stroked, eats well though still very light (but he always has been!). He's been quite sleepy and not quite the bird chaser he was.

    Thanks

    Sue
     
  2. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    Has he been tested for pancreatitis? There’s a simple test that can be run in the vets office that would tell you within a couple of minutes yes or no (snap), and a more accurate test that needs to be sent off (spec). Either way if he is diabetic with or without pancreatitis, he needs to be treated for it. Start with getting him on a low carb wet food diet, and pick up a human meter and start testing him yourself. Since you’re in the U.K., I’ll tag a couple members from there to give you info on specific brands @Elizabeth and Bertie @Diana&Tom
    Here’s a link to some U.K. specific info
    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...-including-link-to-low-carb-food-list.137376/
     
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  3. Sue (Mo's Mum)

    Sue (Mo's Mum) Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2018
    Thanks Sharon, that's much appreciated.

    They took a further two blood tests yesterday - Fructosamine and also what sounds like a full pancreatitis one as it cost £140! (Plus £48 for the Fructosamine). I've to call on Saturday morning for the results and if either are positive schedule another apt with the vet for Monday morning when we will discuss a forward plan. I'm a little upset if there's a simple test she could have run that would have been cheaper and faster, especially as she wasn't that sure it is pancreatitis.

    I asked the vet if I should change him from dry kibble back to wet food pouches but she has said to leave him as he is - what are other's thoughts on this?

    Up until now it's felt like complete stabs in the dark and that the vet just hasn't listened to all the info I was giving her. I'm inclined now to change vets to one that is larger as this one has just one Vet and therefore doesn't see a lot of diabetes, and also to one that's closer to home as Mo gets very stressed in the car and is often travel sick.

    Hopefully we'll get him sorted out soon!
     
  4. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    A low carb wet food is the best diet for any cat, but is essential for a diabetic. It’s possible the food switch alone will get him into better numbers. You mentioned that at one point he was drooling and at another time had an abscess on his face. Have you had his teeth checked?
     
  5. Veronica & Babu-chiri

    Veronica & Babu-chiri Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2016
    HI and Welcome! !!!!

    Sorry to hear you've had so many problems

    Excessive hunger and thirst are symptoms of diabetes . I don't have experience with pancreatitis but if I understood correctly he has lost a lot of weight in a relatively short time, that could affected his liver
     
  6. Elizabeth and Bertie

    Elizabeth and Bertie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2010
    Hi Sue,

    How are you and Mo doing?
    Any update?
    How is the vet suggesting treating the pancreatitis?

    And has Mo actually started on insulin yet (so sorry if I missed that..)?

    Waving to you from Surrey. :bighug:

    Eliz
     
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  7. Sue (Mo's Mum)

    Sue (Mo's Mum) Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2018
    Hi!

    So, blood results were due Fri/Sat, but only the Fructosamine result was ready. That came in as 528, indicating Diabetes, but until we get the Spec Fpl test on Monday we don't know if we're also dealing with pancreatitis.

    I've no idea what the management of pancreatitis is and whether treating that with diet and medication could bring his glucose levels under control - or if the treatment for diabetes could bring the pancreatitis under control?!

    Monday will tell!

    In the meantime, I've had the vet send over all his test results to date and depending on how she goes forward on Monday I'll decide in moving vets. I'm still thinking the trip to the current vet is tricky - can be between 15 - 50 mins depending on traffic and he gets stressed and vomits, poor thing. The alternative vets would be under 15 mins and they are a bigger practice with several vets available and possibly more experience of diabetes.

    If anyone has any help on pancreatitis and diabetes together I'd welcome any input!

    Thanks!
     
  8. Veronica & Babu-chiri

    Veronica & Babu-chiri Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2016
    Hi I hope everything goes OK with the vet  :bighug::bighug::bighug:

    I think that if the pancreatitis test comes back positive you'll have to treat both issues in parallel
     
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