Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis - back to normal

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Tisha's_Person

Tisha's_Person

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Tisha's curve 2 weeks ago was so wonky that the vet had us do an every hour curve last weekend. (Sorry - I haven't had a chance to update numbers since I can't access her spreadsheet on my work laptop.) The numbers were totally up and down and the vet made the observation that her curve looked more like it should if you gave insulin to a cat who was not diabetic. I, of course, contribute this to the wonderful advice that I've received from all of you and the transition to eating only wet food instead of the diabetic dry food.

Wednesday night, she just seemed a little off from her usual self. Sometime during the night, she vomited twice. So I called the vet yesterday. For whatever reason, the phone didn't ring and I didn't get her message when she called back, but she seemed fine last night. We did go refill supplies since we were COMPLETELY out of strips and had 2 lancets left. This morning, she vomited 6 times in an hour. i was worried that her sugar may have gotten high so I tested her and she is at 194 with 4 days of OTJ. Still, the vomiting was concerning, so I got the joy of stuffing her into her carrier and taking her back to the vet (but not before she made a painful escape attempt over my back.) So the bad news is that her chronic pancreatitis is flaring up and she was very sore today. The good news is that we get to start an OTJ trial if her numbers stay low on tomorrow's curve AND since we've been so good at the insulin shots, the vet has entrusted us with subQ fluids, anti-nausea meds and a pain killer to be administered by injection at home. (No, I don't remember the meds, but I will post when I am home with the names.) She is very hopeful that if we give her the anti-nausea meds as soon as we see signs of pancreatitis, we can get that into remission too and have a healthy cat again.

I am praying that she is right and I'm so excited about the possibility that I just had to share it with you all! dancing_cat
 
Re: Pancreatitis flare - but an OTJ trial

Saoirse and I have paws and fingers crossed for Tisha. Looking forward to hearing more about her progress.

I'm really sorry to hear that her pancreas is flaring up. Send her some of these from us ---> cat_pet_icon
 
Re: Update - not eating; Pancreatitis flare - but an OTJ tri

Well, what started out as a promising day has now gone horribly wrong. I came home from work to find my cat huddled in a corner. She hasn't eaten all day. She doesn't want to move and she won't eat. When I pet her, she doesn't even purr. (You have to understand that Tisha's nickname is "The Purr Factory" because usually she purrs just to see us or if she thinks we might do something she likes.) She won't greet anyone. I called the vet and she suggested trying the sub Q fluids and anti-nausea meds. I did those about 3 hours ago, then had to leave again for my daughter's performance. I left food out, which she hasn't touched. We have Odanestron to give her at home. She got Cerenia earlier at the vet's.

Can anyone give me any suggestions or help? I don't know what else to do. I've tried encouraging her, spoon feeding, and giving her juice from her favorite wet food on my fingers, but she just turns away. She has an appointment tomorrow at 10:20. Do I just wait?

I don't know if this matters or not, but her ears are usually hot. Today, they are cold. Also, her fur is wet where I gave the sub Q fluids. We had a little trouble getting the needle in right when we started, so some/all of the liquid could be from that. I know the fluids went in, because she had the "camel hump" just like she was supposed to. Is it possible that they all leaked out with the medicine because I'm inept at giving them still? If not, then she's been sitting here with wet fur on her back/side for 3 hours and hasn't groomed herself to clean it off.
 
Re: Update - not eating; Pancreatitis flare - but an OTJ tri

If it makes a difference, I don't think she's used her litter box since she got home from the vet either. The Breeze box is dry and she generally uses that anytime she urinates. The one with non-clumping litter does have a dark spot in it, but it's on a different floor and I'm pretty sure she hasn't been down there.

It has now been 16 hours since she ate anything.
 
Re: Update - diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

After staying up half the night trying to coax Tisha into eating SOMETHING (food, yogurt, treats, the old high carb treats, liquid from the canned food off my finger, anything), and hitting refresh every few minutes, I finally decided there was nothing more I could do and got some sleep. This morning, Tisha seems to feel a little better, but she still refuses to eat. She is using her litter box and moving. I called the vet and moved our appointment up, so we will be leaving in a minute. (Just spent $200 yesterday, going back today...)
 
Re: Update - diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I'm honestly not sure if anyone is even reading this, but just in case, I did take Tisha to the vet. She apparently had a bad reaction to the Cerenia she got yesterday. She is also running a fever today, so the vet added penicillin (injectable) to her list of meds. She got another dose of the Ondansetron at the vet's and did eat about 1 tbsp of food an hour later. We have food and a syringe to assist feed if necessary. She is back to refusing food again now.

Once she starts eating again, the vet DID agree to reduce her dose to .5, per all of the advice received here, if her BG is over 200.

I'm incredibly frustrated and tired.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I would start syringe feeding this evening. Not eating much for a few days makes it harder to recover. I have been syringe feeding my Patches all or some for over two years.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I hear you and feel your pain. Melly also has chronic pancreatitis. Syringe feeding was a constant battle and he kept losing weight. We recently had a feeding tube inserted. Now I am getting some sleep, he is eating on a regular schedule and is maintaining his weight. Also feeding time is now happy time. He has lots of purrs and gets lots of pets as his tummy fills up with warm food. He still follows me in the kitchen and begs for food, but rarely eats more than a bite.

This is our second experience with a tube. Melly had one five years ago with acute pancreatitis, but it was removed when he started eating on his own. Now he also has a severe potassium deficiency and the only way I can get the potassium in him is through the tube. I think this time the tube is here to stay. I am sure the tube is not for everyone, but if your vet recommends it...
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Hello,

I just read your posts. I had a diabetic cat with pancreatitis and a non diabetic cat that went into liver failure and had to be PTS from not eating for two days(cause unknown).
It is imperative somehow that you get something into your cat. What is the vet saying? do they know how long it has been since Tisha has ate?
I agree with Melba Tee, you might call back and ask about a feeding tube. My cat Andy went into liver failure after two days of not eating.
You must call the vet or take her to a Emergency vet who may be more experienced with this type of thing. My cat Lilly who had the pancreatitis would not eat anything either and I had to have her PTS. My vet did nothing to help me with her or my other cat Andy both passed within 5 days of each other. You might ask them about an appetite stimulant as well. Cyproheptadine works very well in cats.
I sure do hope she starts eating soon I am praying for you. I have been in your shoes. Please update when you can.

Terri
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I am wondering why your vet wasn't more worried about your kitty not eating for this long! I am not a veterinarian, but I do agree with the others, I would take the cat to an ER Vet ASAP- a cat not eating for this long is headed for disaster! When my kitty Tiger stopped eating and started vomiting back in April, I could not get her into the regular vet until the next day. To this day, I kick myself for not taking her immediately to the ER vet that day!!! When she finally got in to see the vet, Tiger's conditon had deteriorated to the point of almost having DKA, she needed hospitalization, IV fluids plus anti nausea and appetite stimulants. This was only one day of not eating and vomiting!
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

2 or more days of not eating risks hepatic lipidosis, a potentially fatal, expensive to treat condition.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I seem to be off-schedule on this. I was on all night when everybody else was sleeping, then I slept while you were posting. Sorry for the delay in updating. I desperately needed the nap.

She did eat a tiny bit more sometime during the day, although I'm not sure when. Just noticed that her food was moved around a little bit in the bowl. We were able to get her to eat some after she got the anti-nausea at the vet's this morning, and we just gave her another dose. I am hopeful that we can get her to eat something in about an hour when it kicks in. The sub Q fluids went much better this time, and she actually purred through them. Since the meds she had the bad reaction to have gotten out of her system, her behavior is better. She slept with me, and she is purring and responding to us, but she's still not back to her normal activity level.

The vet actually was very concerned about not eating. She ate a bite at the vet's, so she gave her until 2:00 PM today and said if she hadn't eaten, we were to syringe feed every hour, starting with 5 ml. But then she did eat, so we haven't started that yet. Our vet typed out detailed instructions, then we somehow managed to leave without them and I didn't realize it until after they closed. (I'm sure some of that was the effect of being sleep-deprived, frustrated, scared and overwhelmed.) So I'm doing my best based on memory.

I am really hoping we don't have to syringe feed her. I will, if necessary, but I am really NOT looking forward to it. Trying to get a pill down her throat every day for a week resulted with me in tears and required 3 people in the house. She is a very loving cat, but she seriously HATES to have anyone touch her mouth or put anything in it. She tolerates the shots very well, so all of the meds are injections now.

I will update with another post when we try to feed her. Pain meds aren't due for a while yet, so hopefully she's still getting a benefit from those too.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

On a less urgent side note, the vet also thinks that Tisha's pancreatitis could be related to IBS. I know there are some IBS kitties on this forum. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to avoid adding a third complicated, expensive diagnosis to the mix? Tisha is only 5, but she seems to have all of what the vet tech refers to as "old lady problems." Is this really ALL food-related?
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I also could not pill my diabetic cat. I could test her and give the insulin shot but pills no way whatsoever. So I so understand. Its great that all of the meds you have to give her now are injectable. If you have to syringe feed just don`t give to much at once it may cause her to throw up. 5 ml may be a little to much to start just go by how she is acting. Just a little at a time. I had to syringe feed one of my cats after he had 9 teeth pulled and would not eat on his own. I think I gave him about 3ml at a time.
I know this is all very hard for you. We are all praying that Tisha gets better and starts eating. At this time I would not worry about the IBS and just get her through the pancreatitis, diabetic cats are prone to it. No this is not food related, I would think its more related to the diabetes.

Terri
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Good news! Tisha turned up her nose at her regular food, but I was able to get her to lick some yogurt off of my finger. (Yogurt is one of her favorite treats, although we rarely let her have it.) Then I snuck a little bit of food into the yogurt, then I was able to get her to lick some of recovery food off of my fingers, then she actually ate about 2 tsp of the recovery food from a paper plate. After that, she resumed not eating, but hopefully this will be the turning point and she'll start eating again. I will try again in an hour and see if I can get her to eat a bit more.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Okay, she is back to not eating. Next dose of the anti-nausea meds is not due until about 1:00 AM. Does anyone know if I can give it earlier than that safely? Like around 10:00 PM so that I can feed her at 11 and get some sleep? Last dose was at 5:00 PM.

Also, how much does she need to eat to be out of danger? She ate about 1 tsp of yogurt, then about 2 tsp. of Recovery RS. Is that enough? Or do I need to syringe feed her? If she eats about the same amount after the next dose, how long can I wait before we try again?
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

What's the glucose level?

How is she acting?

She needs to eat a bit more - can you hand or assist feed her again? Sometimes warming the food helps, as may a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Picking up, stirring, and re-offering the food may help Its like "Hey look! New food!"
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Good to hear she ate a little but I am still very worried and wonder if she doesn't need a trip to the ER. Hugs to you, I know this has to be stressful!

http://www.felinecrf.org/pancreatitis.htm

I copied this from Tanya's Website, yes I know you aren't dealing with CKD but the part about calories is pertinant:

Whilst it is hard to be precise, a cat needs approximately 30-35 calories per day per pound of body weight, or possibly more if the cat is particularly active. As an example, a 9 lb cat would need 270-315 calories a day. Therefore, as you can see, feeding a teaspoonful of food a day is not going to be enough to maintain your cat's weight, let alone increase it if your cat is too thin.

Calories matter. If you are just trying to get food into a cat who isn't eating much voluntarily, it makes sense to use a calorie and nutrient dense food if at all possible. There is information below about foods that your cat may be prepared to eat which provide additional nourishment.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I'll try the yogurt again. That seemed to work pretty well last time. I'll let you know what happens.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Warnng: Long Post Ahead

Hi Lisa,

When I read your post about the OTJ trial while negotiating a flare I was keeping everything crossed for you but I also felt a tad nervous for you, because Saoirse was in exactly the same position at the end of July when I had to stop giving her Caninsulin on safety grounds. I didn't think that Saoirse was ready to stop insulin therapy at the time and it took a while to sort out trying to get her onto a longer-acting insulin with the vet. In the meantime she lost her appetite. From reading your subsequent posts, it sounds like you might be in a similar position with Tisha to the one I was in with Saoirse at the end of July.

I had the fear of hepatic lipidosis uppermost in my mind. I lost my beloved Danú to it 4 years ago. (I brought her in time to the vet I was registered with at the time but they did not treat it fast enough or aggressively enough, and her loss will haunt me forever more because I let the vets intimidate me and I didn't fight hard enough for her.) I was tunnel-visioned on getting food into Saoirse and I made matters worse because she didn't have the appropriate medications to help her at the time and she ended up with major pancreatitis (and possibly IBD) symptoms for the first time. It's over a month since then and her diarrhoea still hasn't resolved. :sad:

I received great advice about suitable medications from FDMB members and went back to our current (different) vet. He gave Saoirse a Cerenia injection and prescribed metoclopramide for continuing home treatment. (So-so effectiveness. I believe ondansetron is superior and I haven't given up on possibly getting it for Saoirse: I'm worried about metoclopraminde extrapyramidal side effects.) He also prescribed the most important piece of the jigsaw: an appetite stimulant. We went through the scary false start of 1 dose of mirtazapine (which can cause potentlally life-threatening serotonin syndrome - I didn't know that when I administered it or it would have been ZERO doses). I went back to the vet again and got a prescription for cyproheptadine and the ant-nausea/appetite stimulant combo is the cornerstone of Saoirse's current treatment regimen. I'd suggest going back to the vet for an appetite stimulant Rx rapid-fashion. That and the anti-nausea medication work hand in glove for Saoirse. She takes 1/8 of a 4mg tablet of cyproheptadine once or twice a day. Saoirse is as easy it gets when it comes to pilling cats, so I don't know how you would address that given Tisha's difficulties with tablet medications. Pill pockets/gel caps/cream cheese maybe? Maybe other members could suggest something.

I've just had a look at Tisha's numbers. They're much higher than Saoirse's were when I had to stop giving her Caninsulin. I know I'm only a novice sugar kitty parent - and I'm sure that experienced FDMB members will have much better advice to give you - but if Tisha were mine, as wonderful as the prospect of seeing her OTJ might be, I would revisit the decision to attempt an OTJ trial at this time with the vet - quadruply so because of the pancreatitis flare (see the Roomp Rand TR documentation on second remission and pancreatitis). Saoirse deteriorated in less than a week after cessation of Caninsulin treatment and got really ill. Less than a week later her BG levels were in tatters. (If you want to read more there are daily mini-condos for what happened with Saoirse in the detailed daily log of her spreadsheet. The pertinent period starts at the end of July.)

I hope this helps you. I would hate to think of Tisha and yourself going through similar. It was awful. If Saoirse had been given the appetite stimulant and anti-nausea Tx as soon as she became inappetent I don't think she would have ever have become so poorly. I dearly wish I could wind the clock back and do things differently. At the height of the flare I got the vet to do a full workup including the IDEXX Feline TLI test. I got the result back last week and it was over 130: her poor little pancreas was absolutely frotzed. :sad: She was also deficient in B12 and the vet put her on a course of injections for same.

After all that doom and gloom I'll finish by adding that Saoirse, while not out of the woods, has improved a good deal. It took a lot of time and anguish to find a food that she can semi-tolerate and her bowel movements are still very problematic but she is at last on a complete food again and her coat is thickening up again. The new growth is soft and the black fur is black, not rusted like it was pre-Dx. She has regained the weight she lost, the B12 is helping her, and she is properly hydrated. Although she is uncomfortable at times, she has stopped pulling fur from her sides and the meds are helping her to eat regularly and well. And she's responded very well to her glargine therapy. She does seem to get a bit of what I now call the 'insulin blues' at times, but an unexpected benefit from her cyproheptadine Rx is that it seems to offset the mood-lowering effects of the Lantus. (She gets buzzbox purry sometimes! :smile: )

Edited to add:

If you go to the emergency vet and they consider an anti-nausea/appetite stimulant combo Tx is appropriate, the appetite stimulants work really quickly.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

At this point if she does not start eating more soon I would take her to the ER vet. She really has not eat any thing for almost two days. They are going to have either insert a feeding tube or syringe feed her. She must eat or she will die.
I am, not trying to scare you but this is the realty of it she could be in liver failure by morning or already be there. There is no wait and see at this point.
My first cat Lilly was in the hospital for a week with pancreatitis on IV and pain meds. I can`t even remember what its been so long ago, that's the first time she had it and she was not diabetic at the time.
A bit here and there will not get her through this after not eating for two days.

Terri
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Tisha's_Person said:
On a less urgent side note, the vet also thinks that Tisha's pancreatitis could be related to IBS. I know there are some IBS kitties on this forum. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to avoid adding a third complicated, expensive diagnosis to the mix? Tisha is only 5, but she seems to have all of what the vet tech refers to as "old lady problems." Is this really ALL food-related?
Click to expand...

WRT to your comment about possible relationships between pancreatitis and IBS, I'm convinced that in Saoirse's case her pancreatitis is not idiopathic. Based on all that I have learned and researched thus far, I think she has had undiagnosed IBD for a couple of years. Here are my reasons. Saoirse gradually lost all the fur on her tummy after being put onto a succession of dry prescription diets. The first one was an oxalate urolith preventative prescribed after she had had three uroliths surgically removed, and subsequent prescription foods prescribed to help her lose the weight that piled on as a result of switching to the urinary Rx diet. (All Royal Canin veterinary formulations, BTW, one of which (Satiety Dry) left her coat in absolute tatters after only a couple of weeks). I raised the issue with the vet I was registered with at the time (over 2 years ago) and she told me it was down to overgrooming due to boredom because Saoirse was no longer an indoor-outdoor cat, and that it was nothing to worry about. Since Saoirse was diagnosed with FD and pancreatitis I have learned that the coat problem could have been allergy-related and that pancreatitis can be caused by bacteria migrating from an inflamed intestine up the duct. Since Saoirse changed over to genuinely good quality wet food after her Dx, every single hair on her tummy has regrown perfectly, which gives credence to the food-allergy-induced IBD hypothesis. That in turn lends weight to the argument that a food-related intestinal inflammation was the precursor of her pancreatitis.

I do question just how 'idiopathic' feline pancreatitis and IBD truly are. (I don't know enough about similar conditions in dogs to include them here.) I would dearly love to see some formal research carried out to determine whether there is a strong statistical correlation between the rise of species-inappropriate/carp ingredient/heavily processed / GMO foods and the prevalence of digestive disorders in companion animals. Indeed, I'd like to see similar for human health problems such as obesity, type II diabetes and certain affective disorders. Wassat? Flying pig??? :shock:
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I have been completely unsuccessful in getting her to eat again, but I did remember that she ate about a tablespoon of food earlier today. So all told for the day, that would 1 tablespoon of regular food, about 1-2 teaspoons of yogurt, and 2-3 teaspoons of the recovery food (which is higher calorie). I know this isn't enough long-term, but is it enough to keep her out of danger for the night? It's much more than the nothing she ate for the preceding 24 hours.

Can I give her the anti-nausea meds again early?
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Oh LIsa, I'm sorry that you're both going through this.

:YMHUG:

I don't know enough to comment on the meds. Does your vet have an out-of-hours service you could call for advice? If you made a slurry of the recovery food would Tisha maybe lick a little bit off your fingers?
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

How much earlier? An hour probably won't make much difference.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

BJM: It's ondansetron, which is the generic for Zofran.

Aine: The recovery food is actually designed for a syringe, so it's pretty thin. Licking it off of my fingers is how I got her to eat the small amount that she did earlier.

I called the emergency vet that our vet recommends. They said that she's eaten enough to get her to her next dose of medicine, but that I can't really give it early. So, I guess I will be getting up at 1:00 AM and doing sub Q fluids and medicine, then trying to coax food at 2 AM. The vet said my best shot at getting her to eat is one hour after the medicine. (I thought I already posted this, but I don't see it. Sorry if it comes through twice.)
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Thanks. I asked my sister (people doc) too. She said 8 hours is best, but at least 6 hours after the last dose. So I'm going to try to give her both the pain meds (Buprenex) and the Zofran at about the same time, then try to get her to eat more of the Recovery food an hour later, which should give me the maximum benefit of both meds and my best shot at getting her to eat something. Then we can both sleep for about 7 hours before her next dose is due.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Good sign!! Tisha voluntarily left the corner that she lies in when she doesn't feel well and walked around the house a bit. She begged for a little bit of attention while she was up, which is more than she's done since Friday morning. Hopefully, this is a sign that she's starting to feel better. (She still skirted around the food without eating any.)
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

So much for staying up all night. Princess Picky Eater has decided that she will only eat yogurt licked off of Mommy's fingers. But I did get about 2 teaspoons into her. Better than nothing, right? I'm going to keep trying.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I'm glad she's eating some. Fingers crossed it improves further.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I have a new theory. It occurred to me that Tisha ate the most yesterday when I forgot to give her the pain meds on time and ate the least when I gave her the pain meds just before the anti-nausea meds last night. So I'm thinking that perhaps the pain meds are contributing to the inappetance. I just gave her the anti-nausea. She reacted like she was feeling better. The fluid wasn't flowing well, so I turned to try to figure out why, then it started flowing again. Of course, when I turned back around, I realized that was because she had moved and the needle was no longer in her scruff. So we stopped and started over, but she expressed some irritation about the process. Friday night, she let me dry her off with a towel when some of the fluid got on her. Today, she moved every time I tried to touch her with the towel and groomed herself. She finally got irritated enough that she walked off and out of the room with her tail straight in the air, sniffing her food bowl on the way out. I am really hoping that this means she is finally feeling better and might actually eat when the meds kick in. If she doesn't eat today, I'm going to have to syringe feed and I just think that's going to be a huge fight, so I'm really hoping to avoid it. Mentally, I've kind of been resetting her 24 hours every time she eats some small amount of actual cat food.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Okay, I finally gave in and did the syringe feeding. She wouldn't even eat the yogurt an hour after her anti-nausea meds. She licked the normal food on my finger, then refused to eat anything else. My kitchen is now a mess, and I have a very angry, hissing, spiteful cat, but she is a cat that has 5 ml of food in her. I also checked her BG. (I kind of figured that if she was going to be mad at me, she might as well be mad about everything.) She is at 231 now, but i obviously can't give her insulin until I can get her eating consistently.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Interesting. Post-syringe feeding, Tisha is now sitting in my lap and letting me pet her. Ears are up and tail is flipping. Maybe she can tell she feels better with food. Trying again in about 30 min.

Also, I noticed that I missed some posts yesterday in my stupor. Thanks for all of the been there, done that comments and advice. It really does help to know I'm not in this alone.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Syringe fed her again at 10:30. She fought even more, but I got somewhere around 10 ml in her. (I think the vet told us to increase 5 ml per hour until we get up to 30 ml, which is just an ounce of food.)

So, for my own sanity, I would really love it if someone would remind me that doing this will likely save my cat's life. I just need some more motivation to keep doing this, because it's already looking like another long day.

Also, I think the vet said to syringe feed as follows:

Offer regular food first, then offer recovery food. If any food is eaten, do not syringe feed.
If food is refused, give food by syringe, adding 5 ml. each time. (5 ml first dose, then 10 next, then 15, etc.) until I reach 30 ml.

Does that sound right? I feel like I just fed her and it's time to do it again by that schedule.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Usually it gets easier syringe feeding. Just be persistent and do not aggravate the cat too much.
A vet can install a feeding tube. That requires surgery but makes syringe feeding easy.
Are you giving pain meds? That is usually required with pancreatitis
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

The pain meds are every 12 hours and she got them in the middle of the night. They're not quite due yet.

She has returned to being pitiful at the end of the hallway. :cry:
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Tisha's_Person said:
I would really love it if someone would remind me that doing this will likely save my cat's life.
Click to expand...

Ok. I am officially reminding you that you are helping to save Tisha's life.

((( Lisa & Tisha)))

I've been in a bit of a heap today but I would like to have checked in with you sooner. I've been thinking about the two of you all day and wishing for Tisha to eat for you. I'm glad you managed to get some bit of food into her but I'm sorry it's such a struggle for you both.

Is Tisha grooming herself OK? If things get more tricky, you could try putting dabs of the food mixture onto her front paws for her to lick it off.

WRT Tisha getting stressy, if you have some catnip and Tisha finds it soothing rather than stimulating you could try sticking some crushed catnip leaves into a small sock and leave it near her. I do that for Saoirse because I noticed her hovering over her catnip toys sometimes when she was uncomfy after eating. It seems to help her a lot. Sometimes she licks at the sock and it seems to make her much more comfortable. From what I have managed to glean on the web, catnip is supposed to be good for digestion and may have some analgesic properties. Just a thought.

I really wish there was something I could do to help.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Thanks, Áine. I feel like you and I are in the same boat, unfortunately.

The pain meds should be wearing off now. I'm waiting to see if she seems better or worse without them. If she's worse, I will obviously give her another dose, but if she's eating better, I will hold off. I really wish that she would eat on her own. We only have one dose of the anti-nausea left, so I think I need to get food into her before it wears off. I can already see that we will be back at the vet tomorrow morning, which is not going to go over well at my job.

Off to force feed her again. I just wish this was over and she was feeling better. The insulin is so much more manageable than not eating. At least her sugar isn't sky high, which I suppose I should be grateful for since she's been in pain all weekend.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Sorry - I meant to say thanks for the catnip idea. I got distracted by ranting. Tisha has some brand new catnip cigars that she loved playing with a couple of days ago. I will put one of them near her to see if that helps.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

...psst Lisa....you're doing this to save Tasha's life...HUGS and HUGS! Yep starting syringe feeding stinks but it really does either get easier or Tasha gets so disgusted with it that she'll eat by herself. Have syringe fed both my diabetics and one non-diabetic thru illnesses. After a few times, all of them became interested in eating out of the syringe bowl or licking it off the end of the syringe rather than having to force it. Each time moves closer to the time it will be done and she'll be better.

BIG Hug and prayers continue from here,
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I put some food on her paw and she just tucked it back under her and slumped back onto the ground. I managed to get about 14 ml into her this time, but now she is really mad and is hiding.

I have now totally lost it and can't stop crying.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Okay, so the tears are a combination of frustration, lack of sleep, and watching her continue to spiral down hill. She seems better, then worse, then better, then worse. I don't want to lose my cat, and I don't like to watch her suffer, and it gets to me more on less than 4 hours of sleep.

So the up: on a whim, I decided to offer her old high carb soft treats. She actually voluntarily ate about 8 of them off of a plate. Crossing my fingers that means that she will start eating on her own. I sincerely hope so, because we both hate the syringe feeding. She now has a bowl with a little bit of her favorite Fancy Feast pate, and a plate with freeze dried treats, some high carb treats, and a handful of the old diabetic dry food that we still had. I am going to take a shower and, for my own sanity, I sincerely hope that she has eaten something and feels a little bit better by the time I get out.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

We're rooting for her and you.

{{Hugs}}
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Hi LIsa,

I hope you'll feel a bit better after your shower.

The not eating is very, very hard, Lisa. And very scary.

When Saoirse was at her worst, Hellen (ShadowsMom) and Elise (tiffmaxee) helped me a lot. They gave me a lot of advice about feeding and what to ask the vet for. Here's a link to the thread. There may be something in their posts to help you (including tips about assisted feeding):

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=123308

I was going to suggest the freeze-dried treats to you, but you're already ahead of me. Can you break them into little pieces (can make the aroma stronger)? Sometimes when Saoirse's meds are wearing off and it's too soon for the next dose but I need her to eat, I find the freeze-dried treats very useful to keep something in her tummy. (If she fasts too long, she runs the risk of vomiting.) She will usually take a few of them even when she's a bit queasy (kinda like kitty saltines).

BTW, try microwaving the dried food for a few seconds. If it's very slightly warm the aroma is stronger and it might tempt Tisha to eat a little more.

:YMHUG: for you.

cat_pet_icon for Tisha.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

I got 20 ml. into her this time, but I kept having to put food back into the syringe after she spit it out. She is walking around and looking outside right now, though, so perhaps she's starting to feel a bit better. I have not given the pain meds, in the hopes that she will eat. If she still isn't eaitng in an hour, then I will probably go ahead and give the meds.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

So if I get to 30 ml, then she will have had a total of 105 ml (3.5 ounces). I think that about 110 calories, plus the calories from the treats. Can I stop for the day at that point? Is that enough calories to keep her out of any immediate danger? I am supposed to volunteer tonight from 5:00 - 10:00 PM. Is it safe to leave her that long if I make sure she eats first? My daughter and step-son (15 and 16) will be here for part of that time. I think maybe I NEED to leave the house for a while for my own sanity.
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Any new progress? I know this is hard for you, but please hang in there, we're still here rooting for Tisha and you! I am afraid 110 calories isn't enough, small amts frequently works best. how much does she weigh?
 
Re: Diabetic cat not eating; Pancreatitis flare

Thinking of you both. I'm glad you managed to get a little more food into Tisha.

(((Lisa & Tisha)))
 
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