Help! My newly diagnosed diabetic cat won't eat.

Mona is 8 years old. She was diagnosed two days ago with diabetes and a secondary urinary tract infection. She was hopsitalized for a day, given IV fluids, insulin and an antibiotic. She seemed to perk up earlier but now that we're home she's barely moving, not eating or drinking water at all. I'm so scared for her. Please help.

 

Does her breath smell fruity or like nail polish remover? If yes, she could be in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) which can be fatal and is usually expensive to treat. Take her to an emergency vet now. She will need hospitalization if she is in DKA.

If you gently pull up the scruff at her neck and release it, does it stay pulled up (tented)? If yes, she is moderately to severely dehydrated. Take her to the vet now to figure out why and get rehydrated.

Are the pupils of her eyes dilated? If yes, take her to the vet now. She may have had a retinal detachment or stroke or something else.

Basically, there isn't a lot you can do at home without the supplies a vet will provide (ex subcutaneous fluids), and some things such as DKA generally cannot be treated at home

What insulin, dose, and frequency?
What food?
Are you home testing the blood glucose?

And welcome to the board.

 

Thanks for the reply. Her breath does not smell fruity. She was at the vet's about 5 hours ago and they gave her subcutaneous fluids and checked her blood - she seemed slightly dehydrated but not in DKA.
She's on ProZinc, 3 units twice per day, but the vet instructed NOT to give insulin if she hasn't eaten (which she has not). Her eyes do not appear to be dialated, but she's mostly keeping them closed.
I have offered both her old favorite (dry Purina One Beyond) and Science Diet m/d wet food. She shows no interest in either nor does she drink water, though she has sniffed at it a few times.
I am not home testing. We're due back at the vet's office in 10 hours for a blood glucose test.
I think it's possible that the stress of being in the animal hospital and/or of riding in the car and her brother hissing at her has made her feel bad. Also, the antibiotic she was given could have made her feel a little yucky.

This is our first health problem in her life. She is not accustomed to veterinary hospitals, pokes and prods and rather than being her usual feisty self she's just really quiet and still.

 

The glucose level is probably quite elevated, even without eating, and knowing what that is will help determine what is happening. Note that there are 3 kinds of ketones and only 2 of them have a detectable odor.

Is there a 24 hour WalMart near you or other large grocery/pharmacy type store? WalMart has a few inexpensive glucometers called the ReliOn Prime, Confirm, or Confirm Micro. Meters with True or Free in the name have had some issues when used on cats, if you go to a different store. Pick up a meters, matching test strips, and 26-28 gauge lancets.

Read the instructions and test yourself to get a feel for it. If you have an apple or other soft fruit, test that too, for practice. Then take a look at your cat's ear. There is a small vein that runs along the outer edge. Between that vein and the edge of the ear is where you make a small prick to get a blood drop. Fold up a tissue to place behind the ear and brace it. I prefer to free hand the prick, other folks will use a lancing device which works when you push the button.

Once you know what the glucose level is, we may have more ideas for you.

PS. hit the Refresh key for your browser to look for new responses to the thread.

 

I'm so sorry that you're going through this. We just brought our cat home from the hospital for not eating. There's a long condo about it here, if you want to see what others had to say: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=125191

BJM is right that you should check her BG level if possible, although I would hope that your vet would not send her home if her level was very high. If you have any doubts about her condition, call your local emergency vet. Ours was surprisingly helpful about answering questions over the phone about whether Tisha really needed to come in and I felt much better after asking.

Do you know if she got food while she was in the hospital? Did they syringe feed her at all? If she ate earlier in the day, she should be okay for just overnight. Cats need surprisingly little food to keep them from developing liver complications, but they do need to eat something with fat and protein in it each day. Did they give her any pain medication? UTI's can be painful, which may discourage her from eating.

In terms of food, there are lots of different things that can coax a cat to eat. My cat would lick food off of my fingers when she wouldn't eat out of the bowl. She then decided that she would only eat yogurt. I have heard the baby food can coax some cats to eat, and that some like parmesan cheese on top of their food. Basically, the vet told us that anything she eats is better than not eating at all. Just keep trying. I know that it can be heart-wrenching and terrifying to see her clearly feeling poorly, but she should get better with time, some loving attention, and appropriate medications.

 

She ate a few bites of the Science Diet at the hospital and they did not syringe feed her. Her blood sugar at last testing (about 5 hours ago) was 184.
I'll try yogurt and baby food. It really is terrifying and gut-wrenching. Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

 

Baby food, stage 1, nothing but plain meat, or poultry.

 

And make certain there is no garlic or onion

 

When you get back to the vet, you might buy some Forti Flora there if they have it. It is a probiotic many cats find tasty. In the long term, you can get less expensively at our shopping partner Amazon through the SHOP link at the top of the page. It is in an animal digest, which is the same stuff sprayed over dry cat food to make it appealing to cats.

If you can pop out to a store tonight, canned Fancy Feast Classic pates are low carb and more interesting than M/D (and quite possibly better quality), so she might be tempted to eat.

And just a couple notes -we have had reports on the message board that switching to a low carb canned or raw diet may drop the glucose about 100 mg/dL and 1-2 units lower in insulin dose. The dose of 3 units may be too high now. Also, stress from being at the vet may increase the glucose level 100-180 mg/dL, further increasing the likelihood the 3 unit dose could be too high. We find that starting around 0.5 to 1.0 units may be safer, especially if the person is not home testing the glucose levels. (Would you give a child insulin if you did not know it was safe? How about yourself?)

 

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your kitty. I've been through similar very recently with Saoirse. I haven't time to post much now, but I note that you're going back to the vets imminently. If your vet hasn't already done so, I'd suggest getting your kitty's B12 and folate levels checked. If the B12 is down, I'd ask the vet about getting treatment for it as soon as the vet says it's Ok to do so. It's helping Saoirse enormously.

Will check back later to see how things are going. We're off to the vetty bean for Saoirse's next B12 injection.

You've come to the right place to get help. The people here are wonderful.

 

Thank you for your reply and I hope Sairose is doing well. Mona is back from the vet's office. She diagnosed pancreatitis and her blood sugar is about 300. She got more subcutaneous fluids, an anti-nausea shot and an appetite stimulant. We'll be back at the vet's late this afternoon to see how she's doing. We have chicken cooking and will blend it and try feeding it (with a syringe if necessary) later. She perked up a bit when we first got home and had a little water but wouldn't try any baby food, cat food (dry or Fancy Feast classic) or yogurt. She's resting now. I'll try to get a little food in her within the next hour.
I got the Relion meter but haven't checked her yet since she just had it checked at the vet's office. If I can get some food in her I'll check it and then give her some insulin. The vet said maybe .5 or 1 unit of insulin unless it's really high.
I'm really emotional but I'm trying to hold it together so Mona and her brother don't get more scared than they already are. Murray (her littermate and best friend for life) won't go near her and hisses when he smells her.

 

Well I got some of the Fancy Feast mixed with water in her with a syringe - maybe 1 tsp total, not including what ended up on the towel under her and her paw. She drank a little water on her own. She's resting now. I'm going to give her 20 minutes or so and try the blended up chicken.
Thank you all for being so helpful and supportive. I'm a mess but I feel better having ideas of what to do.

 

I got another 6 ml of the Fancy Feast mixed with water into her with the syringe. She refused the blended up chicken and broth and the baby food. She's keeping the cat food down and drinking some water but tires really quick of even holding her head up. I hope I'm doing the right thing by going back for another 3 or 6 ml every 15 or 20 minutest

 

Good work. Syringe feeding can be hard at first. Just keep it up.

 

Thank you. I think I needed to hear that.

 

Ok just got 12 ml down her, some water and carried her to the litterbox and she peed quite a bit.

For anyone who's getting ready to syringe feed for the first or second time, it really isn't so bad and I seem to be getting more into Mona's mouth now than on the towel or her paws.

 

Sorry to hear your troubles.

You've gotten plenty of good advice, and I don't mean to chime in late in the conversation, but you said your kitty was on antibiotics for a UTI? Just an observation -- Clavamox did a real number on my kitty's appetite and GI tract: http://www.felinecrf.org/treatments_ant ... illers.htm

Unfortunately I didn't put it together until he was done with his cycle, but as soon as he was, it was like someone flipped a switch and his appetite was back. Might be worth asking the vet.

 

I appreciate any help I can get. They gave her Convenia for the infection. Apprently it takes two weeks to get through her system, so I'm not sure we'll know until then if it's affecting her appetite. I've written down Clamavox as a medication to refuse in the future, though!

 

If it helps, my vet's instructions on the syringe feeding were to feed her 5 ml the first time, then add 5 ml every hour until we got up to 30 ml. Once we got to 30 ml., we were supposed to switch to feeding every 3-4 hours. Currently, she is up to 20-25 mls. each time, and the vet said to keep it at 3-4 hours during the day, but not to get up at night to feed her. Also, every time we syringe feed, we are to offer her food first and if she eats even a bite of food, then she gets to skip that syringe feeding. According to our vet, that way she will learn that she is rewarded for eating, which will encourage her to eat on her own even if she doesn't really feel like it.

I hope that's helpful and you find something that she will eat! We haven't yet, but I'm still trying. I have to admit, though, that this is an exhausting and frustrating process. Hang in there. Tisha got better from her first pancreatitis flare within a few days.

 

Thank you for the words of encouragement and I'm so glad Tisha got better within a few days. I hope Mona does the same.

She's eating the FF clasic pate pretty well - I got about 20 more ML in her over the course of the afternoon. She's still very lethargic and unsteady on her paws. We're headed to the vet now.

 

Hi Beth,

I'm pleased and relieved for both of you that Mona is eating something for you. Well done, Mona! cat_pet_icon

It is very distressing to see our little ones so poorly, and it's draining physically, mentally and boy-oh-boy emotionally. It might not feel like it but I think you're doing great with the syringe feeding (Saoirse only got to the licking-mommy's-fingers stage and that was really tough to deal with). You've found the FDMB so you're not alone with this and you'll get lots of help and support. (I'd be lost without the people here). Mona and Murray know that you love them and they trust you. This is very new and challenging for you all but hopefully soon you will all get into a routine and it won't be so scary then.

 

We're back from the vet and she was more encouraged than I expected by Mona's progress today. Mona is still very lethargic, weak and not at all herself, but the food and water have helped a lot. Her blood sugar was around 284, so the vet said give her one more unit of insulin if I can get another half can or more of food into her. I just offered a little more food in the syringe but Mona refused it for now. I'll give her another half hour or so and try again.

 

Glad you're getting some numbers. We have a grid that we store our test numbers in which is shared in a read only version so that others may give feedback on what they see. Instructions are here

Understanding the spreadsheet/grid:

The colored headings at the top are the ranges of glucose values. They are color-coded to clue you in as to meaning.

Each day is 1 row. Each column stores different data for the day.

From left to right, you enter
the Date in the first column
the AMPS (morning pre-shot test) in the 2nd column
the Units given (turquoise column)

Then, there are 11 columns labeled +1 through +11
If you test at +5 (5 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +5 column
If you test at +7 (7 hours after the shot), you enter the test number in the +7 column
and so on.

Halfway across the page is the column for PMPS (evening pre-shot)
To the right is another turquoise column for Units given at the evening shot.

There is second set of columns labeled +1 through +11
If you snag a before bed test at +3, you enter the test number in the +3 column.

We separate day and night numbers like that because many cats go lower at night.

It is merely a grid for storing the info; no math required.

 

Mona and I are back from the vet's office. I was up with her until 1:30 a.m. and felt like she'd eaten enough at that point to go a couple of hours. I got up at 3:30 and got her to eat about 6 ml at 4:15. She wouldn't eat when I got back up at 5:30, but at 6:30 she ate about 10 ml and drank a little water. She ate another 5 ml at 7:30 and drank and peed quite a bit. Her blood sugar was at 299 so I gave her one unit of insulin. She's slightly less droopy than she was yesterday and even moved around on her own a little more. She's still quite weak and seems unsteady like she's dizzy or off balance.
The vet gave her more subcutaneous fluids and an anti-nausea shot. She's concerned that something else (possibly a kidney problem) is going on as Mona is not getting better as quickly as the vet expected. I had read about hepatatic lipidosis, but it sounds like that would certainly cause yellowing of the eyes, which Mona does not have.
I'm exhausted and so are Mona and Murray. I'm to feed her every two hours now so I'm going down for a nap. We're due back at the vet's office at 4 for full blood panels.

 

Hi Beth,

Very glad to hear that Mona ate a little for you.

I've been thinking back to when Saoirse was diagnosed. The insulin made her very lethargic indeed while her body was getting used to it (Caninsulin - very harsh on a cat's system). She was a bit slow with eating but the inappetence didn't happen with her for nearly two months (just after she had to stop Caninsulin her pancreas flared up).

I'm glad that you're going to the vets for further diagnostic checks. Crossing fingers and paws over here that your vet will be able to find out what's happening and get the right things in place to help your little one. I'll keep an eye out for an update on Mona when you have one.

:YMHUG:

 

I feel like we're taking one step forward then two steps back. Mona is back to being very lethargic and not moving around much at all. She seems very weak and dizzy/off balance. Her last real feeding was 7:30 a.m. We went to the vet but have been home for nearly two hours now and she's only eaten a couple of ml and not drank any water. She hasn't pooped either, but I'm not sure if that's because she hasn't been eating much (not even a full can in two days) or something else. She just ate about 2 ml but seemed too worn out to continue. I'm so scared and frustrated. Also, she kind of keeps her head at an angle (cocked to about 4 or 8 o'clock ish most of the time. I'm not sure what that's about and the vet wasn't sure either. That started yesterday - could it be one of the medications she's on (insulin, Cerenia, convenia)? I haven't found anything online listing that as a side effect, though.
I did lie down for a bit and Murray got in bed with me and let me pet him and purred, so he's maybe a little less anxious.

 

I just did a quick search for had a quick look online for 'lethargic cat with tilted head' and it came up with a lot of hits for ear infection and vestibular disorders.

Here's a link to the VCA Hospitals article:

Feline Vestibular Disease

From the article:

I've never heard of this before so I have no expertise or advice to give. But if it were something affecting the ear, maybe the nausea could be like motion sickness? Might be worth researching a little more and asking your vet about it.

 

Motion sickness actually makes a lot of sense. We haven't taken a great many car rides in several years, other than moving here from about 400 miles away six months ago. She didn't have much to do with me for a day or two after the move. I attributed that solely to being scared and in a new place at the time, but now I wonder if she wasn't motion sick at first. These twice daily vet visits are more car riding than she's done in years (and also WAY more vet visits). Depending on how she does this afternoon, I may insist that we stay home all day tomorrow and return to the vet no sooner than Saturday unless her condition gets worse. Is that nuts?

I've also been reading on other threads about B12, which I can't find anywhere in her paperwork has been checked. I'll ask about that this afternoon at the vet's office, too.

I'm totally exhausted, haven't gotten but about 20 minutes sleep today and have a raging neck and headache. I'm going to try an epsom salt soak and shower after I eat and see if it helps.

Mona is now moving around from one place to another, refusing food and water and generally acting like she feels awful, much as she did Tuesday night. I'm really concerned and will have my Mom keep an eye on her while I bathe. I'd really appreciate any other tips or suggestions anyone has - she's regressed since this morning.

 

It might be worth asking your vet to check for an ear infection. It could affect her balance and hence produce symptoms just like motion sickness.

Hope you feel better after your soak.

 

Mona is giving me mixed messages. She's more coordinated and her eyes seem more focused than they were. The head tilting is gone, which makes me suspect it was motion sickness.

However, she won't eat anything or drink water offered in any way (I've tried dribbling it from a feeding syringe, putting it on my fingers, lifting a small water cup to her mouth, letting her go to her water dish). She's also moving around the house like she's trying to get comfortable but can't; she did that Tuesday night, which was a terrible night). She keeps moving toward her litterbox and has even gotten in it a couple of times, but doesn't stay in for long. She does not cry out like she's in pain. I wonder if she could be constipated, but she hasn't had but 4/5 of one can of food in two days, so I don't know.

I called the vet (we're due back in in a few hours) to see if she could give me any ideas over the phone, but she's at a long lunch (must be nice). I'm not sure if I should be scared or not right now. She hasn't eaten or drank significantly since 7:30 a.m. (it is now 12:40), but did eat a tiny bit from the syringe (maybe 2 ml) around 10ish.

 

I feel for you. It's awful not knowing what to do next (been there).

I've no experience of syringe feeding. When Saoirse was really bad I just kept trying to comfort her and offering her food from my fingers at frequent intervals in the hope she'd lick it off. Have you any chicken breast? Maybe you could poach a little and see if she might drink some water mixed with the broth?

I hope other members will post some suggestions for you, Beth. I didn't know what I was doing when Saoirse was really bad. :sad:

 

Thank you for your kind words and advice. My mother just reminded me that Mona has not had 4 uninterrupted hours of rest in days. That rung true so I have decided to give her time to rest without bughing her. I am getting into the soak I said I was going into hours ago. Let's hope this is right.

 

Does she have a cat bed? You could bring it into the bathroom with you and settle her into it to keep an eye on her, maybe?

And yes, I am a helicopter sugar kitty parent. :roll:

 

I am out of the bath and feeling just about human again. Mona is resting in a nice sunny spot in the guest bedroom, and she's in a much more natural looking position than that head-down meatloaf position she was doing before. My mother has kept an eye on her and she seems fine. (I, too, am a helicopter mom and would never have taken my eyes off her if there wasn't someone else I trusted completed to do so for 45 minutes.)
At this point, I'm seriously considering insisting on staying home with Mona tomorrow. I think these car rides and vet visits are exacerbating all of her other problems. If her blood work this afternoon doesn't show anything alarming, does that sound right?
Now it's been four hours since she ate or drank anything. She's only really had about 1.5 hours of solid rest at this point. I'm not sure at what point I should wake her to try to feed her. My inclination is to give her at least a solid 3 hours sleep before I bug her again. Does that sound reasonable?

 

I'm glad you're feeling better and that Mona seems a bit more comfortable. Great that you had your mom there to watch over her.

The head-down meatloaf posture is a classic clinical sign of nausea. It would be a good idea to mention this to your vet as that could indicate something that she could prescribe to help Mona. The blood work is one thing, but the inappetence needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Cats must have food regularly.

BJM gave me a great tip about having food ready to offer and then waking your cat. Sometimes they get 'tricked' into forgetting they're feeling queasy and some food is in before they realise it.

Ultimately the decision about whether or not to travel with Mona needs to be reached between you and your vet. Perhaps if you ring the vet and discuss it first thing in the morning, between you you'll be able to decide what is best for Mona. It might be that she needs a physical exam, or you might find that the vet can prescribe something that you can collect. You'll only know what to do when you speak with your vet.

I don't have any real experience about assist feeding. Hopefully other members will be able to advise you on the best thing to do about that. All I know is that Saoirse gets problems with stomach acid build-up if she fasts for more than a few hours, but that's how she is. Mona might be different.

 

Well that stupid vet never called me and we're due to leave in 20 minutes for the appointment. I love the other vet at that clinic, but she only works one day a week now. Meh.

Mona slept for 3 hours and then I went ahead and got her up and got 3 ml of the FF into her. I'll try for another 3 ml before we leave.

Mona hasn't been vomiting or even trying to. She had Cerenia this morning so I think the nausea must be more or less under control. I wouldn't go to this appointment if I didn't think we needed to see what her bloodwork turns up. Tomorrow I'm pretty well set against it - she needs rest, like any sick baby.

I'm beginning to think these vets are not altogether trustworthy.

 

I haven't seen if anyone has shared this with you yet, but here's a Primer on Pancreatitis you might find helpful.

Treatment is short and sweet: 3 things are needed for at least 4-5 days for a chronic flare.

• Something for the pain (i.e. buprenorphine)
• Something for the nausea (i.e. ondansetron, famotidine, or cerenia)
• Something for the hydration to flush the system (i.e. sub-q fluids)

 

Mona and I are home and I have had a revelation.

This past week has been disastrous for Mona, Murray and me in every way. Of course I want Mona healthy, but I don't believe that adding all of the stress of car rides, vet visits and hospitalization are going to achieve that at this point. I think I need to focus on the quality of their lives. Whether this is the last day I have with my best friend Mona or the first of 15 years more, I want every day I have with her and Murray to be as happy as I can make it.

The vet took blood and claims she'll call after hours to give me the results (I doubt this very much as I called at noon and never did get a call back). Whatever the results are, I can treat her at home. We got sub-q fluids and needles to administer that at home, and I can get more from a variety of sources whenever we need them. I have plenty of insulin and needles. If we need other meds, I can get those and give them to her here. I want her quality of life to be the best I can make it, and I now believe that I can do that best in our home, where she and Murray are the most comfortable and safe.

We need to figure out how to get into a routine and stick to it - if I know anything about my cats, it's that they like routine. We will make these happy days, no matter how many there are.

 

HI Beth,

Hopefully now that you've had the blood sample taken and you have your starting supplies you should be able to treat Mona at home (unless something unexpected crops up). Our vets are absolutely fantastic in this respect. They recognise the additional strain that vet visits put on diabetic kitties and they do consults for Saoirse over the phone most of the time. She goes to the vet once a week at the moment because she is having a course of B12 injections but before that I managed her care OK at home. With the right meds and other supplies at home, it will be far better for Mona.

I hope the test results are OK.

There's a bad electrical storm here tonight and there's a chance the power and/or phone lines might go down. If you don't see me checking in to see how you're doing over the next few days don't think I've forgotten about the two of you. It'll be because I can't access the net.

 

Thank you so much. I'm glad you have such a great vet. That has to be so reassuring. And I hope you don't lose power.

I heard someone say once that when you do the right thing, the universe works with you. I feel like now I'm not fighting against all of the forces in the universe. Mona is resting and we'll eat a bit when she's had a bit of rest. The things that are meant to happen will if I can just go along with the right things. The vet just called as I was writing this post to tell me that her blood work is EXCELLENT. Her kidneys and liver are functioning well, her blood glucose is coming down, and her white blood cell count (the UTI she got the antibiotic for) is going down as expected at this point after the antibiotic administration.

*Exhales* :smile:

 

Yay for good test results!

 

Great news about Mona's test results. The feeling of relief when they come back OK can't be beaten.

Have a look at the links in BJM's signature. The Secondary Monitoring link has some great advice on tools you can use to chart Mona's progress. I use the tools and the information recorded is invaluable in helping me to nurse Saoirse at home on a day-to-day basis. Having the historical record is great, too, because the data can help you spot trends or solve problems as they arise.

 

I am so happy to report that Mona is drastically better. I let her rest all night and she ate 19 ml first thing this morning. Her BG was 275 (using the human Relion meter)so I gave her one unit of insulin. She rested for another hour and just ate another 9 ml. I also gave her 100 of saline. She is so alert and normal looking that I cannot believe the difference from yesterday afternoon. It really was just the stress of running her to the vet twice a day for a week that got us to that point. I don't really believe she ever had pancreatitis at this point; she's never had any signs of pain, even when the vet poked around her abdomen pretty hard.
With this much food, I think I'll give her 3 or 4 hours before I syringe feed her again unless she shows an interest before then. I'm still a little nervous about the ear stick - we got it, but I guess we're just not used to it yet.
My inclination is not to bring her BG down too fast. I'm thinking I want her no lower than 150-200 at this point. Is that about right?

P.S. An hour later she woke up and showed an interest in food. She ate another 5 ml from the syringe and drank some water on her own!

 

Great to hear that Mona's feeling better! I'm delighted for both of you.

The testing does get easier and therefore less nerve-wracking with practice, and in a relatively short space of time.

Has Mona had the spec fPL test done?

 

Working towards gradually lower nadirs is reasonable, especially while dealing with recovery from the inappetance. Maybe work the nadirs down a bit lower each week or two if she continues to improve - perhaps 150, 100, 50.

 

Yes, she did have the spec fPL test done and it was elevated (I don't have the papers here and don't remember the exact number - I think 131). However, I read that stress can cause abormally high results and that accuracy of the test is on 80%. She didn't get the test until four days into the whole ordeal, when she was highly stressed. Given that she hasn't shown any other symptoms of pancreatitis, I'm doubtful she has it.

 

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks!

 

Saoirse was asymptomatic for pancreatitis when she was diagnosed. Saoirse had poster kitty symptoms for diabetes but no clinical signs of pancreatitis. It was only detected when she had an abdominal ultrasound to rule out any other potential causes of her abdominal distension (no pain on palpation btw). The vet treating her at the time then ordered the spec fPL to confirm the preliminary diagnosis from the ultrasound. She only showed clinical signs (vomiting foam when her tummy was empty) when the vet treating her at the time insisted that I only feed her twice a day. As I posted on Tisha's thread, I stopped that fairly sharpish and switched to mini meals.

It might not be a bad idea to read up on things that can irritate the pancreas/GI tract, (e.g. excess stomach acid, diet changes and so forth) so as to reduce the risk of triggering a flare-up in Mona. (I've still got to research that more.)

 

OK, Mona went without more than something like 1-2 Tbs per day of food for 3 days and never once vomited or even tried to. That makes me think she's either not got pancreatitis or is totally asymptomatic.

She has had about 30 ml of syringe fed watered down FF in a two hour period. I am so thrilled to see her appetite coming back. I think she would have been back to eating a lot sooner without all of the stress of going to the vet twice a day. She's acting more like herself and even meowed at me a bit (she's normally a VERY vocal cat). I'm feeling great.

 

I'm so glad to hear that Mona is better!

I don't know what to tell you about the pancreatitis. Prior to this summer, Tisha would just have a flare-up where she was painful in her abdomen, avoiding the litter box, and sometimes vomiting. Her first vet thought that the litter box avoidance was behavioral, then they thought she had a UTI, then they got a good sample and figured out she had struvite crystals, now they think that pancreatitis may have been there all along. Every cat is different, and that appears to be even more true with pancreatitis.

I would be cautious about disregarding the diagnosis altogether and not following through on treatment. The vet believes that Tisha had mild pancreatitis last fall, but she has had two very serious acute attacks since June. The first one, she spent a couple of days at the end of the hallway where she hangs out when she doesn't feel good, was barely eating and clearly in pain, then started feeling better. This one was much worse (as you know) and I wish we had put some things in place to try to prevent it before we got to this point. I hope that Mona doesn't have another attack, but it would be good to be prepared just in case.

 

She just ate 17 ml in one sitting, which is the most yet. She was really alert, walking well and drank a good amount of water on her own.

Then she went around the corner just as Murray was coming around the other way and he started hissing at her. She was trying to get around him but he kept moving toward her and hissing, so I had to step in and chase him off. She went into the closet; I think she's sad. :sad:

I would like her to eat more but I don't want to stress her out with it. She also hasn't peed all day. I guess I'll give her an hour or two then see if we can eat some more.

 

If she still smells of the vet, he may attack her.
You might damp mop her with a warm damp washcloth. Then take a soft cloth and wipe your forehead with it then wipe her down with your scent. She'll start smelling more like home.

 

Oh wow thanks for the great tip! I did that when she came in and ate another 17 ml (!!!) and drank some water. She didn't seem dehydrated (the vet showed me how to do the "skin tent" test and it wasn't very slack, so I skipped the sub-q fluids for now. After she ate and got wiped down, she went by herself to the litterbox and peed!!!!

I didn't get her tested at nadir because she was too quick going to pee, and now she's napping. I'll try again when it's time for her insulin shot.

 

The good news is that Mona is eating more (still only out of the feeding syringe), drinking more water on her own, hanging out in her usual spots rather than in the closet, and acting a little more like herself.

The bad news is that she's squirmy when I do things to her and I can't get an ear prick to get her BG. I tried to give 1/2 unit of insulin but she moved just as I put it in, so I'm not sure if I got it in the skin or fur. I don't want to take her back to the vet because that obviously stressed her out to the point of feeling TERRIBLE, but I'm not sure what to do now.

Also, I need to go to work at least some this week so I don't run out of paid time off (we're not wealthy and the vet bills alone have been crippling). I'm feeling pretty icky myself (I'm sure just stress). :-|

 

So glad to hear that Mona is still feeling better! Tisha is still doing better too. It really is amazing when they turn the corner how quickly things start to look up. (Although I will be updating Tisha's or starting a new post. Her BG is higher than it's ever been.)

As for the shot, if you're not sure if she got it, you need to wait until the next shot. It's safer if she got less that her usual dose or none of it, than it is for her to have to much.

I hope she gets well enough that you feel you can work again! I completely understand what your'e saying. I am SO far behind. I think I came in late and left early every day this week and I'm still SOOO tired. I figure it will take about a week to get our routines back to normal.

 

Hi Beth,

Good to hear that Mona's tipping away at her food. I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling so good in yourself, but both of you have had a tough few days. I hope you can get a good night's rest and that you'll feel better on the morrow.

 

Mona is doing better all the time. She's back to being her old ornrey self and giving me a hard time. I think she's able to eat on her own, at least the slurry (she licked up some drips from the counter as I was syringe feeding her), but refuses to try (she's always been very stubborn). We're also having trouble with the BG testing and the insulin shot - she doesn't want to be pinched and poked and I wonder if she's sore from all of the shots, subq fluids, etc. over the last week.
So I'm trying to just be calm and introduce these things slowly so maybe she'll accept them. It's become clear that vet visits are out of the question given her stress reaction, so we're just working on figuring it out at home. I've read so many great tips and ideas on this forum and am very thankful.

 

I've always done what I call "flat" shots that might work out better for you guys. Here's a great example with pictures on how that's done.

As to location, the scruff can lead to slower absorption rates of the insulin leading to a later nadir/curve (it does that with Mikey), but honestly, you shoot them where you're able to and you can worry about changing that later when you've got less going on. ;-)

 

Delighted to hear that Mona is feeling better. :smile:

Have you thought about sending the link for her spreadsheet to her vet? Our vet has access to Saoirse's and it's great: with the BG data and the daily mini condos available over the net, he does the vast majority of Saoirse's consults by phone. We only go into the surgery when she needs a B12 injection or if she needs a physical exam. It's a great help to us (I'm agoraphobic and Saoirse hates travel).

 

Is it safe to inject insulin into the skin flap between the back leg and the belly?

 

yes.

 

Thanks for the quick answer BJM. I did the skin flap shot a couple of times but now I think we have the hang of the flat shot. Mona seems to get a little better then a bit worse. She's more active, but not eating much and only out of the feeding syringe. I guess this is a journey and it will take us both some time to get the hang of it all.
Murray is doing better. I finally started putting a t-shirt I'd worn where they sleep, then swap them and put a couple of treats on his. He's quit hissing at her but is still nervous around her.
She does not appear to be dehydrated (with the tent test) so I haven't given sub-q fluids. She is drinking water reasonably well and peeing. She just weak at this point, which I guess is reasonable given the lack of eating and feeling poorly for a week.

 

Check the gums for capillary refill time. It is a more sensitive indicator of dehydration. (in Secondary Monitoring Tools link)