Nugget update- possible viral infection

Hi to everyone.

It has been a while since I have visited the FDMB. Things were going quite well with Nugget, until we went to the vet for her fructosamine test.

May 26- went to the specialist at the Animal Medical Center, which costs a fortune, but the doctor knows her stuff. We talk, she examines Nugget, says everything looks good, draws blood for the fructosamine, they bring her back to the room, she proceeds to pee in her carrier and all over her traveling blankets. What a mess. We get home, all is good, clean the carrier, wash the blankets. A few hours later, Nugget is acting VERY odd. Hiding behind furniture (she never does this), not really wanting to socialize.

Get an email from the doctor that same night, fructosamine is 262, which she says is EXCELLENT, and to decrease Lantus to 1 unit once a day (down from 1 unit BID, and then from 1.5 units once a day) So, yay, good news. In 3 months we went from 2 units BID to 1 unit once a day.

Fast forward 12 hours, BG has SKYROCKETED (we were in the 150s-160s, now up into the 250s and 290s). Ears are burning hot, she won't eat, drink, she is super lethargic. She stays this way for days. I am in touch with the vet the entire time, she says not necessary to bring her back in, just to monitor her carefully. She also tells me she is leaving the Animal Hospital and I should make an appointment for the end of July with any of the other internists in the department. WAHHHHHH!!! This was not news I was expecting.

Her appetite since then has sucked. She went from eating 6oz of food a day to barely 2 oz. Some days she will eat crunchy, some days nothing. Today we went to a new vet. He was super thorough, examined her up and down and left and right. Says everything appears normal. I tell him everything that is going on, he re-examines her chest and says he hears no wheezing, her nose is clear, ears are clean and good... he says perhaps a viral infection that she could have gotten from the animal hospital.

He prescribed famciclovir anti-viral for the next week. Then we put her on the scale... she has lost 1.2 pounds in 3 weeks. So he also prescribed an appetite stimulant and gave her a shot of anti-nausea medicine and 2 units of sub-q fluids. He said if I wanted to we could run labs, but he didn't think it was entirely necessary and said if the famciclovir doesn't help, then we can run labs. He reassured me that I am doing everything right (he was impressed by the spreadsheet) and that I have to focus on treating the symptoms, and not necessarily the number on her glucometer.

I can't even imagine what it will be like to have children, because this fur baby has me worried beyond imagination! I wake up in the middle of the night because I'm not sure if she is okay... she will sleep and I wake her up to make sure she is breathing...

Anyone experience viral infections with a sugar cat? Any suggestions/advice?

 

No experience with viral infections but will sending healing vines for Nugget.

 

Thank you Tracey... the vet gave her an appetite stimulant and it must be working because she is eating. But also making a weird meow. So puzzling

 

The meowing is from the food stimulate. Mirtazapine is also known as meowzapine. I found this out not long ago & someone advised to half the dose. My Baby meowed for a full day & walked & walked & ate & ate. The half dose worked well!

 

@Becky & Baby Girl Kitty HOW INTERESTING! I learned something new. She is taking 1/4 of a 15mg tablet every 48 hours. I noticed she only meows when jumping up on the couch. Any idea how long it takes for the full effects of the "meowzapine" to kick in?

 

That’s the amt I gave mine but then cut it to 1/8! Baby was eating in just a few hours of taking it. She was given that for pancreatitis. I also had her on cerenia. ECID though... I tried tuna in water, parmesan cheese sprinkled on food, baked chicken... before the meds. Then when that kicked in, she began eating. Hopefully a few days of antibiotics will make a difference.

 

Is cerenia the anti-emetic/anti-nausea one? The vet gave her a shot of that too. She is very sleepy again, and has stopped eating... I will put out some of her crunchy food tonight and hopefully she eats that. She's been drinking her water like crazy- the vet said she was dehydrated- and since we've been home, drinking drinking drinking... barely let me fill the water bowl because she was so busy drinking.

Her numbers are decent- but she is still drinking a lot. Are there other health issues that would cause her to drink a lot of water like this?

 

Yes that would be cerenia. Anything to get her to eat at this point especially when giving insulin. Have you tried the low carb dry? Young again & Dr Elseys both are low carb dry. Just lower the carbs, the better if dry food is necessary. I know hyperthyroid causes thirst. But it could also be a side affect of the meds.?

 

I sort of wish I had asked the vet to give me a few more doses of cerenia to administer at home. We have the Purina DM diabetic dry food. It doesn't have much of a smell, which I bet is the reason she keeps going for that and not the dry food. If she is having any nausea I bet the wet food is a real turn off for her.

I don't think the thirst is a side effect of the meds- perhaps hyperthyroid and I hope not her kidneys.

She ate the entire 1/4 cup of dry food I put out last night, didn't touch the wet food. I gave her a 1/2 cup of dry food this morning so she can eat all day as she pleases. Got some different wet foods for her to try from Petco, maybe she will be more enticed to eat them. I will give her another dose of the mirtazapine tomorrow.

 

We are on day 3 of the anti-viral and no improvement. The appetite stimulant doesn't seem to be helping either. She's not drinking as much today, compared to yesterday, but I am still pretty worried. Her vet at the animal hospital said to stick out the course of the anti-viral, and if after all the doses and the mirtazapine she is still not better/not eating, she needs to have a full panel run. Of course, I can't get an appointment at the animal hospital, and we don't have a regular vet (I finally found one vet I like, but it is next to impossible to drive into the city to see him- took me almost 2 hours to drive there on Friday- not to mention the cost of the appointment and parking). Though I suppose any vet can draw blood and urine for labs. I just hate to see her feeling so poorly.