4-12 Gizmo OTJ Trial Day 4 AMBG=104; PMBG=211 & 203 Not going so well

Yesterday

Not having a good day at all. Just when I’m starting to believe this might be really happening. I even got all the pictures ready for his OTJ video ready last night and was planning on sending them tonight. Then he didn’t eat very well overnight or this morning (about half). Ate good for my husband at +3, but didn’t eat again at +6. When I got home from work around +10, he threw up a little liquid and then several piles (3-4) of white foam. Then the PMBG. I’m hoping it is just due to the not eating and throwing up (which I’m assuming is stomach acid). But there has to be something more going on here. This cat always is up to eating, his lack of appetite lately isn’t sitting well with me. I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. He wouldn’t take the few bits of food at PMBG with his cabergoline in it. And threw up again since then.

I didn’t give any meds tonight (hyperT) or any nausea meds. Not sure what I should do or give him. Calling the vet in the morning. Would not eating be a sign of his thyroid numbers being to low? I’m at a loss with him and my heart can’t take this emotional ride much longer.

 

Big hugs.
When did his appy change? Ongoing or just today?
Not sure about giving or not giving meds. A call to vet may be in order. I wish I could give you better advice.I know what an emotional roller coaster this all is. Deep breaths. Tomorrow is another day

 

Not sure that would be it. I thought white foam indicated tummy irritation like perhaps a hairball but I'm no expert.

Here you go. ❤ ♡ ♥ ღ ❣ ❥ A selection of heart boosters to help you through.

 

Huge bummer! Get better soon Gizmo!!

 

Thanks. The appy issues started about a month ago. It’s been hit or miss since then. And with his numbers drastically dropping all of a sudden ... I’m worried about cancer. I’ve lost my past 2 pets to cancer.

I think the white foam indicates that also or stomach acid from not eating. Maybe that’s all it is, but ... I’m worried. People were worried he was started on to high of a dose of hyperT meds. He has been on them for almost 3 weeks, so I am trying to stay alert to any change that could indicate his numbers have taken a dive in the opposite direction.

Thanks for the heart boosters ... I think I may need them.

 

This high number is a sign that something is bothering him, if the vomit continued then it is time to visit the vet. Hope it is nothing serious and everything go back to normal .

 

So sorry to hear that Gizmo isn't eating well and has tummy problems. I agree that you need to see the vet. Did you decrease the amount of methimazole after people thought the dose was too high? 2.5mg bid seems like a lot. I had the same issue with Stu: his vet prescribed 2.5mg twice a day and the people here thought it was too much. I decreased to 1.25 bid. But Stu had other issues, too, so I'm not sure if the Hyper T meds were a factor or not. I do know that he had lots of hairballs and vomits and he lost a lot of weight.

Sending lots of vines for Gizmo to feel better. If it turns out that you have to abandon the OTJ trial it is not the end of the earth. It is much more important that whatever is bothering him is addressed.

 

I did not decrease the dose. I stuck with the 2.5, but he didn’t get it tonight and we are calling the vet in the morning. Did he start vomiting and lose weight after starting the hyperT meds?

 

How long can should I let him go without eating? He won’t touch anything. I even tried human salmon.

 

I hope you can get Gizmo in to see the vet tomorrow. I hope he feels better soon and you can get him to eat something. Have you tried baby food? A lot of the time stomach issues will resolve in 24 hours and I think it's not as big a deal if he doesn't eat for one day. You have to be careful after that. Sending prayers.

 

I totally forgot about Gizmo starting methimazole. Now these symptoms totally fit for being hypOt. I really encourage you to cut down the dosage.

Let us know what the vet says in the morning. See if you can have his thyroid checked... Even if he missed one dose, you will get the information you need.

 

He had numerous hairballs and vomited long before the Hyper T diagnosis. He lost weight. He also, as it turns out, had CKD. When we began the methimazole (the vet prescribed 5mg; I cut it to 1.25mg once a day, but I think it should have been twice a day) Stu's bg numbers were all over the place and he continued to vomit and have hairballs.
Stu's spreadsheet is in my signature and I have comments for every day, if you want to see a blow-by-blow description. I should preface this by saying that Stu had been diabetic for 4 years before I found this board and we shot insulin (PZI vet--not a depot insulin) blind. When PZI vet was discontinued, Stu's vet started him on Lantus and raised his dose by full units in a short time (he treated it as if it were a non-depot, older style insulin). Stu almost died. That's when I found the FDMB. The hairballs and vomit were a problem, so he might have had Hyper T 8 or 9 months before that diagnosis. But I, complete newbie, was only concerned with diabetes.

 

Fingers crossed that this is just a blip. White foam usually means stomach acid. Do you have any SEB? Maybe mix up an individual dose and see if you could syring it into him?

My Gizmo's issue was undetermined but I strongy suspect it was a kidney infection. What ever the infection once I got the Convenia into him (and he got a Cerenia shot) his turn around was about 12 hours (after sbout 3 months )

3 urinalysis with cultures were all negative but his wbc count was way high so there was something was going on.

Gizmoooo, feel better soon, your bean is stressed

 

Do you think it is safe to cut dose in half tomorrow morning or should I skip it again? I don’t want to mess up the blood work either. He isn’t schedule for another few weeks, but that is definitely something I want checked tomorrow if possible. I’m praying that his vet that he sees is working tomorrow and able to see him. I think I figured out he has been on the meds 3 weeks on Saturday. Is that long enough for him to go hypoT already? If he is hypoT, how long will it take to get him stabilized and how is it treated? Just lower the dose of the meds?

i will take a look at the spreadsheet. Just not tonight. I’m exhausted and I still have lunches to pack for the morning and a few other things to do. FD is a full time job ... I don’t have time to work. Lol. Gizmo really hasn’t had to many hair balls or vomiting eposodes since switching to wet food. Now before FD, hairballs were a huge issue!

i don’t have SEB. I remember reading about it, but at this point I can’t remember what it even is.

Ok, my plan is finish up a few things. Then sleep (yeah right), and hopefully get him to the vet in the morning. He just emerged from the closet! Maybe that is a good sign.

 

SEB is slippery elm bark. You get it from health food shops. Comes as a fawn coloured powder. Some mix it to make a thick slurry. I just sprinkle on food.

Glad he has decided to leave the wardrobe.

 

SEB=slippery elm bark it MMR (marshmallow root), they both coat the GI track (think Pepto but for cats)

https://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#slippery_elm_bark

Get some sleep. Hope you can get him in tomorrow

 

If you want to check the thyroid tomorrow (no am dose), then do so. If you aren't going to check, then skip a couple days to let the overdose work its way out of the system. Then start again at 1.25 mg twice a day. It's the fastest way to get the thyroid stabilized and the symptoms to go away. Then re-start the count for 3 weeks to check the thyroid. I started noticing my civvie Tanner not being himself after 2 weeks, but I pushed through it because I was testing at 3 weeks. I regret it.

 

I'm so sorry Gizmo is feeling off, very glad to see @Mandy & Rex offer her opinion, sending you and feel better vines for Gizmo, he'll get back on track, don't fuss the BG too much, that's not the priority right now. Tomorrow will be a better day

 

A lot of what I seeing about hypoT, is weight gain with poor appetite. He has the poor appetite part, but definitely not the weight gain. Did anybody else notice weight gain or weight loss with a hypoT diagnosis? I’m still going to request to have him checked, just curious.

 

Sending vines for Gizmo, hope the answer is easy

 

Tanner did not gain weight when he was unwell. He didn't want to eat either. I'm adjusting his thyroid supplements right now because he was hypOt again and again, did not want to eat and he lost weight. When he was hyper-t, he didn't eat more than normal and didn't lose weight. ECID

 

Good to know. Also what I’m seeing on @Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)’s spreadsheet is that Stu did seem to eat better on the lower dose of hyperT meds. Ok, I think I am really off to bed this time or I am not going to function in the morning. Thanks everyone. I will update as soon as I can tomorrow.

 

My pickle is, yes, I have experience with hypothyroid but in my dog. In my recollection, the weight gain wasn't overnight, so with Gizmo, you wouldn't necessarily see that right away, if indeed the dose was too high and is making his thyroid levels increase. I suspect you'd see the poor appetite first.

 

That makes sense.

 

Sleep well, try not to fret

 

Hugs...

 

Vines for you to both be feeling better tomorrow.

 

My cats are super picky. Have you tried FortiFlora? Sprinkle on top, they devour the food. But I mean if something is bothering him, who knows.

I lost a Siberian Husky to blastomycosis (don't look it up...you'll be sad -- your cat won't have it).--but he wouldn't eat, but he was in a lot of pain, so I know this not eating stuff pretty well.

FortiFlora can be bought anywhere, even Amazon.