12/13 Gabby AMPS~267, +8.5~130, PMPS~220

Yesterday's Condo

I reduced Gabby's dose this AM given a brief visit to the 30s. I have absolutely no doubt her insulin needs are lower given her appetite. She's eating -- not quite as much as usual -- but she's grazing. It's almost like I need to remind her to eat. At the last installment of breakfast, she decided Gizmo's bowl was more interesting.

 

That's how Trix became after her diagnosis, too. She used to be a good eater, very food-oriented, queen of CPC. Now she'll eat small amounts on her own, but not nearly enough, so I have to hold the plate for her. In fact, she'll start eating enthusiastically on her own, walk away after several bites, I'll pick up the same exact plate, re-pile the food, hold it for her, and she'll start eating again. I'm afraid try to let her "get hungry" to see if she'll start eating more on her own, because my vet told me that with her kidneys, one day of not eating cause her to spiral downward very quickly. So, I hold the plate, and sometimes even follow her around the house to get enough calories into her. And, she's still here after almost 2 years of barely functioning kidneys, so while it is exhausting, it is absolutely worth it...I am sure that eating is (obviously) a huge piece of the puzzle.

I don't know if you saw my comment the other day about how Trix's numbers started tanking when she started fluids, too. I tried all sorts of timing experiments - even with 4-6 hours in between insulin and fluids she would still drop like a rock. The only thing I found that kept her out of the 30s was doing her fluids over her shoulders and doing her insulin in her flank. Once I did that, her numbers stabilized.

Eat for MamaBean, Gabby, OK?

 

We definitely had to work to get Zener to eat, we called it "bowl chasing". Tillie can be quite picky about her dining location, too. Sometimes I think she does it just to see us jump. Crazy cat. Many appy vines for Gabby.
Liz

 

@Amy&TrixieCat - I did see your note about changing shot location. There's so much that's changing for her that I didn't want to try yet another change. I suspect it's in the cards, though.

 

I know - it is so challenging and stressful when so much happens at once.

 

After the endoscopy, we had to start doing the same for Gracie.....piling the food back up and holding the plate for her. There were times she wouldn't eat the food off the plate, but she would lick every single morsel off my hand. It is very time consuming but so worth it to get them to eat well. Oddly, she never dropped low after fluids but then I wasn't giving them every day.

You should get a box of goodies from Gracie tomorrow...or so the PO said.

 

Our thoughts and vines are with you and Gabby. Maybe her wanting Gizmo's food is a little "payback" for the times he teases her.

 

We have musical food plates here, too. Same food. But the other cat's plate is better. Polly starts her meals on the vanity. Test. Eats a smidge. Then I have to put her plate on the floor. She eats most. Then I come back, put her plate on the vanity again. She eats more; I shoot. Plate goes back on the floor. I leave. She eats most of the rest.

All of us here have the light beams targeted for you and Gabby, Sienne. Hope this new normal becomes the normal normal soon.

Marilyn and Polly

 

We had such troubles getting Zener to eat that we added Cypro to his "cocktail". It relieved our stress of him not eating enough to give his shots on schedule.

 

@Anne & Zener GA - Gabby's getting 1/4 of a cypro x2/day.

She was refusing about half of breakfast. I gave her a different food and she ate. I do wonder if she's having some taste aversion to Wellness.

 

Sending many many appy vines to Gabby.

Lucy always blamed food too. She always associated not feeling so good and the food she was eating at the time.
I had to give her a different flavor until she forgets about it.

The trick Amy mentioned worked for Lucy too. I gave her insulin shot closer to her back end on a fluids day, and gave fluids right about the middle of a cycle, so around PM+6.
Maybe this was doable because I wasn't giving fluids every day....

 

Sending appy vines to your GabbyGirl!

 

I just looked at Gabby's SS. Oh my do you have a lot of new things/meds going on. Paws crossed the new BP medicine works soon. Didn't you mention prednilisone at one point? The one good side effect is increased appy. Civie Theo's vet says she prefers injectible pred because there are less side effects and at least for us, easier to give. It's given SID.

Piling on more appy vines too. I find fuds flavor rotation means less pickiness.

 

@Wendy&Neko - When the vet thought the appetite/weight loss was due to IBD, we were considering starting red. Right now, the prevailing wisdom is that this is all due to the CRF so we didn't start pre.

 

Thanks goodness for one less med!

 

Sienne, I've been meaning to get on her and tell you about our experience with giving fluids to cats. We've had to give them to two cats. The first was Wally, who was a little angel. We'd put down a bowl of fuds and he'd eat away while we gave fluids. Then there was Duncan. This guy was a tiny cat with a big attitude. Once time he saw something while we were giving fluids. He jerked around, the needle popped out, and Don and I got absolutely soaked. So did our entire kitchen. However, not one drop got on Duncan. It was hilarious! I'm sure by now you've got the fluids thing down to science. I hope they give Gabby lots of help.

 

Rusty is a grazer and has to be encouraged to eat, too. Especially now when he is losing weight. We hold the bowl for him. In the evening we sit on the couch with him, watching TV with his bowl of dinner on my lap, and he usually finishes it by the time we head off to bed. Interesting that he almost always eats all of the food we leave out for him at night. If I wake up and around 2 A.M. and check his bowl, it is often untouched, but by morning it (the food!) is gone.

Sienne, I'm so sorry that you have all these new meds and procedures to deal with. Sending you lots of s, sending Gabby vines, and sending scritches to both Gabby and Gizmo.

Ella & Rusty

 

I had to finger feed Tiger too, and she would sometimes also lick food off a spoon but it had to be warmed up. After her pancreatitis attack, she stopped eating the Purina DM and Wellness Chicken. I do think they associate a certain food with being sick. Sending my strongest appy and feel better vines for your girl, hugs for you too, none of this is easy.