Hooray, he finally peed! UPDATE

Squallie finally peed, a lot! I guess the little amounts of liquid I was managing to get into him helped some.
He seems to be feeling Much better. He just suddenly got up, jumped off the bed and started strolling around the room. I guided him out to food and water, he wouldn't drink but he lapped up a little more watery canned food - don't think he was hungry, tho' - then went and peed in the LB. Whew, that's one relief down! Oh, yes, negative for ketones, too.

He is still going in to see his vet this afternoon, because something isn't or wasn't right with him, to cause this in the first place, and I want to make sure we've got him on the road to recovery. I will post the results of his visit early this evening.

Thanks, all, for helping and caring, it means a lot to me.

 

Oh Lucy, I'm sorry I missed that something was going on with Squallie. I'm glad he peed and that he's negative for ketones. And I'm glad you're taking him to the vet this afternoon. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Sending healing vibes to little Squallie.

 

Yeeeeeeeeeehah!

I'd suggest asking your vet about an anti-nausea med (e.g. generic ondansetron) and maybe some cyproheptadine for appetite stimulation to take home with you. You may not need them, but if Squallie's appetite is off it's better to have something to hand at home to address it sooner rather than later, especially when you don't always have transport available for vet trips. (Been there, done that. )

Look forward to getting the post-vetty-bean update later.


Mogs
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Well, I pretty much had my a** handed to me by my vet and her receptionist/assistant. ...Shouldn't have taken him off the Proplan DM dry, regardless of high crabs, "it's made for diabetic cats"; FF is like feeding McDonalds to a person, I shouldn't be feeding that, either; I'm testing way too much, can't regulate a cat so tightly, like a person; "no such thing" as 1/2 units, "we don't do that"; she basically told me everything I've done since I was last in the office is all wrong.

Aside from that, she told me he had a fever, because his ears felt hot - he probably did, I'll grant that, but it would have been nice if she'd actually taken his temperature. He started to tremble quite badly when she and the assistant rolled him over to draw blood from his leg to test his BG, I guess she thinks that he's having febrile seizures, she said if he did that again to bring him straight back. Interestingly, I'm the one who pointed it out to her or she would have missed it entirely.

She gave him an anti-inflammatory injection (Loxicom), an antibiotic (polyflex) and sent him home with metronidazole and sucralfate, and cans of Dm and w/d food. She was going to send me home with a bag of DM dry but I told her I still had some left.

So I still don't know what's wrong with my cat but I may need a new vet. All in all, not a good day at the vet's and I'm angry and discouraged and just want to pull the covers over my head and sleep through the rest of this week.

EDIT: I thought at least she'd be pleased that his BG was down, I don't think she even cared because I had done it "the wrong way," I guess.

 

Oh, and I asked about him not drinking and she gave me a syringe to get water into him; I asked how frequently and she said it didn't matter, whenever. The assistant said, "Just wait until he looks thirsty." Bet you all can guess where I wanted to put that syringe when she said that!

 

Mogs, I didn't see your post until I came home. Somehow I doubt she would have given him any of that, anyway.

 

Please please get a new vet. The last thing you need is more stress than you already have from worrying about Squallie. You've been through enough as it is and need a vet that supports you, not one that chides you for doing everything right.

 

Says a lot. (Of the wrong things.)

Doesn't mean it's any good for diabetic cats.

w/d is like feeding your cat Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. Using such a yardstick, McDonalds would be more nutritious. (BTW, I'd avoid feeding the w/d canned if Squallie were mine.)

Oh, yes you can! (With home testing; the right food and insulin; and a published, evidence-based dosing protocol.)

Oh, yes there is! (What does she think whole units are made of? )

Her assertions or Squallie's data and clinical signs*? Which are more convincing?

Maith an cailín!

"My way or the highway" is not what you want or need in a vet. If that's how she operates with a feline diabetic, I say get your kicks on Route 66.

I'd have happily volunteered to hold her down for you.

Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Now repeat after me:

"I need a new vet who knows how to treat feline diabetes."

Got that? Great. Now write it out 100 times, then go grab Yellow Pages.

In all seriousness, I'm really sorry that you've had such a rough time of it today, Lucy. I can remember how crestfallen and frustrated I felt in the early stages at the vets where Saoirse was (eventually, thanks to her mama) diagnosed with diabetes. If I were in your shoes and it was feasible in any way, I would be looking for a new, conscientious and considerate vet with an up-to-date approach to feline diabetes treatment; one whose overall style is progressive and collaborative, not ill-informed and dictatorial.



Mogs


* (with the exception of this current (hopefully temporary) setback.)

 

Thanks so much, Mogs, you made me smile, and I sure needed one.
The first thing she said to me when she came into the exam room was,"You're going to kill you cat." Then she said how much she hated "clients" having glucometers (she sold it to me!) because they test too much. What really got me was that she, herself, had told me to check him every other day and that's pretty much what I was doing with the Alphatrak. [EDIT: (she doesn't know I have a Relion and check him regularly)] I took her in the #s for the last week, and thought she'd be pleased that they were low, except for today's which was 277 (I figured it was up because he was sick). All she said was, "Well, 277 isn't low." And she made me feel like it was somehow my fault that Squallie was sick with diarrhea and had a fever. I just felt crushed.

I have no intention of giving him the w/d food, I don't even know anything about it but what I have heard about Hill's isn't good. Besides which, switching foods in the midst of a diarrhea attack is never a good idea, unless it's the food causing it, and in his case I don't think it is.

I would definitely like your help to hold down the assistant, she's skinny but she looks wiry and wily to me, lol!
Also, I think Squallie really wants to say HI because he won't stop traipsing acrsoss my keyboard and entering random strings of letters!

Thanks for cheering me up, Mogs.

 

I'LL Help!

The dry food salesmen have a huge long spiel AND 'training session' about how the food is exactly what a diabetic needs. They are GOOD too. My vet's reply to 'low carbs' and Hills being 34%/too high - "It's not the carbs, it's the 'science' behind it. It's complex carbs"...my reply: "Uhhhh....cat's can't use complex carbs. That's sales bulls*it". He looked at me like I had 2 heads but quickly changed the subject. We long ago agreed to disagree on treatment of diabetic cats. He does general medical stuff, I treat diabetes....

HUGS!!!

 

My work here is done.



(Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, Squallieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!)

 

How about I sit on the vet tech while you guys introduce her to the syringe?

I'm so sorry you had such a bad visit with the vet, Lucy. I agree with Cat Ma. You need a new vet. Even if Squallie is totally fine now and he just had an upset stomach, you need a new vet for future visits.

She gave him an antibiotic but what did she say it was for? Just for fun? Grrr. I don't like the sound of her at all.

 

Thanks! I had kind of hoped maybe my vet and I could get to a similar point, but I don't think that's gonna happen.

 

She also gave him meloxicam.

 

Thanks. You're so right! The biggest kicker for me was when she walked thru the door and said, "You're killing your cat." Wow, talk about a punch to the gut!

 

Which one is meloxicam, the anti-inflammatory? I take Meloxicam. Is it not good for cats? It's basically ibuprophen, isn't it?

 

She wouldn't say. I asked and she just said he had a fever, but she never took his temp.

 

Squallie seemed ready for dinner, but apparently decided not to eat much. I don' t think I'm going to push the issue. His BG was 216 tonight, shoud I go ahead with one unit (he ate a very small amount of dinner) or just give it a miss altogether?

 

Said the vet who had Squallie on the 7IU Vetsulin BID that caused him to hypo.

In answer to your question about meloxicam, Lucy, it is an anti-inflammatory. There is controversy over its effects on cats' renal function.

Re dosing, did you report earlier today that Squallie's jumbo pee was free of ketones?

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As someone who's had to feed W/D canned for the past several weeks (only thing that helps my kitty's diarrhea), I absolutely agree with Mogs and Squalliesmom that W/D canned should be avoided if possible. I think I wrote before that it's terrible for a dehydrated cat and makes the dehydration worse (even if it controls the diarrhea). Not even Hill's themselves recommend it for dehydrated cats. I cannot wait to not have to feed it, and I think my kitty agrees (he's been trying to steal my other kitty's food!). Anyone who does end up using it, please be hyper vigilant for dehydration. Dehydration sounds like it's not a big deal, but when it severe, it can scare the heck out of you!

 

That really annoys me. She never tells me what she's giving him, she just draws up syringes and injects him!!! Yes, his jumbo pee was ketone free. Sorry, Mogs, if it seemed like I was angry with you, I'm not, at all. I'm getting more and more P!**ed off at this damn vet, tho'.

 

As you should be! Sheesh!

 

Thank you for the information! Even more reason not to feed it to my baby! Hope your kitty gets better soon and can come off the W/D!

 

Haha- I just realized it hasn't actually been several weeks on w/d. Maybe like 1.5-2 weeks...? it just feels like several! LOL

 

Exactly (expressed with a great deal of pique!).

 

Hope for you and your kitty the need for the W/D is over soon, sending healing vines!

 

@Critter Mom Mogs, he ate a little more (just on his own schedule, not mine ). Should I give him one unit ir let it go for tonight? I don't want his BG to get too high on top of everything else.

EDIT: "ir"? and I haven't even had my first glass of wine! Should read "or," obviously, lol!

 

How does this vet manage to stay in business? Her attitude, comments and behavior are unacceptable. You and Squallie deserve better.

 

@Squalliesmom - Just looking at spreadsheet. BRB ...

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Is that PMPS, Lucy?
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Oh how horrible Lucy! Yes, it is new vet time. What is with these dang vets and the marriage to these cruddy RX diets. You are such a good bean and I am proud of you!

 

I guess she knows she's the only vet for miles? I don't know. I've always gotten along well with her until now. I knew by my second visit after Squallie was diagnosed that we were going to knock heads on this.

 

Yes, it was PMPS.

 

Thank you so much! Yes, I need to start interviewing vets!

 

How well/badly has Squallie been eating in the last 12 hours?

 

He ate pretty well earlier today. He has eaten some dinner, maybe not as much as usual but I'm guessing about half.
Edit: and he is eating as we speak

 

Good boy.

How are you fixed to monitor, Lucy?

 

Always good!

 

I had a thought that was actually quite horrible, but I have to throw it out there, anyway - could I have caused Squallie to have an infection of some sort by frequently pricking his ears? I so hope not, but I don't know if I can rule it out? If I did anything to make him sick I will feel just awful!

 

Aw, bless you!

Status Summary:

* Long period without being able to confirm whether or not Squallie peed.
* Urine tested earlier today - large volume, ketone free.
* Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory given at vets today.
* Appetite was poor but improving.
* 1.0 IU Vetsulin given in AM.
* Blood sugars in mid-low 200s during AM cycle.

Given that you're OK to monitor, Lucy, I think you should be OK with the current 1.0 unit dose. If you're in any way unsure then drop back to 0.5 units. With appetite issues and other illness / inflammation in the mix there is an increased risk of developing ketones. Not having enough insulin would complete the risk trio. As long as numbers are high enough to give insulin it is probably the wise course of action. Other members may have different suggestions.



Mogs
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Done! Thank you for the input (and the further education re:ketones, good to know)! Love your summaries, they make everything kind of coalesce into a picture I can better see!

 

I hope Squallie has a good night and continues to get better. I'm so sorry you've had such a rough 24 hours. Hugs and scritches to you both!

 

Thank you so much, hugs and scritches back to you and Marshmallow!

 

I have yet to hear of a cat that has been infected by being poked frequently. Please don't fret about this. Your very unkind vet already did enough to make you feel awful.

 

You are so sweet to reassure me like that, thank you. I was starting to doubt myself and feel bad that I might, indeed, have been the cause of his illness. Now I'll be able to sleep better.

 

See my signature link Vet Interview Topics!
I think it is time to find some other candidates for your business.

 

Thank you, I think you are absolutely right!

 

Lucy,

You are a very dedicated, conscientious pet parent. Please do not let a bad vet experience ruin your night or the rest of your week. Or year.

 

Thank you!

 

Lucy,I use the Neosporin with pain relief ointment after every prick, just as an insurance policy for that reason and for his comfort too. But, before I started using it, I didn't see any signs of infection such as red puffy and swelling.

 

I use the regular Neosporin, didn't know they had one with pain relief. I'll look for that next time, thanks! I used to use alcohol - my vet told me to - then I heard that it wasn't good for kitty's ears.

 

Morning, Lucy! Please tell me that the reduction in overnight test numbers means you managed to get some well-deserved kip.

 

Yes, it did, Mogs

Yes, it did, Mogs, thank you for asking! I slept a good few hours, a pleasant change, lol. Had to stall a little with Squallie this morning, but that's okay, he got his shot later than usual last night so it worked out just fine.

 

Oooh! A little kitty I know had his front paws in the lagoon this morning.
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Way to go Squallie!

 

Squallie says "Thank you!"

 

Rooting for Squallie!

 

Beautiful #'s!!

 

Thank you!

 

Lucy, I sincerely hope you kick that vet, and her assistant, to the curb. I would get another syringe for the vet too!

 

One syringe isn't enough. She'd need something larger.

 

That's better.

 

(... visions of Lucy posing in front of the mirror and saying, "You talkin' ta me???"...)

 

Hi Lucy,

How is Squallie doing today with his 5 P's (purring, preening, playing, peeing, pooping)? And how much time to go before PMPS?


Mogs
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I have visions of "I'll be back."

 

L.O.L!!!!

Hasta la vista, vetty!
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You'd probably need a small mortgage to fill it with Lantus.

 

A "small" mortgage?

 

Quite.



Lucy, is everything OK with you two?
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Thank you! Hoping he's found his "groove"!

Lol, I like that idea! She told me I was testing him entirely too much and to stop testing him at all; his PMPS tonight is 159, if I gave him the 2 units she thinks I should, without testing, it would likely kill him!

So sorry! Internet has been down out here in the boondocks! We're pretty good, quiet day, a little better tonight, I think. I love all the posts, you guys are all just awesome!

Still haven't seen him pee or poop! But he's purring and preening, and he played for a bit with the laser mouse. Getting ready to feed dinner shortly, hope he eats okay. PMPS was 159 so I'm stalling a bit.

 

I'm concerned about his #s staying so low (gosh, just can't be happy with anything, can I, lol?) Is this normal? I had to stall this morning, and I stalled tonight for almost an hour and his second PMPS reading was lower than his first! Should I be worried or celebrating? I don't know, especially in light of his recent tummy troubles/possible fever.

 

I don't know about dosing but I always thought with an illness/infection, BG #'s would be higher. But then, as we see here, ECID.

Hopefully you can celebrate. You could sure use a break from worrying.

 

That' for sure!

Now he doesn't seem to want his dinner

 

Not a good sign. What does the ** in front of the 159 mean on your s/s?

 

I retested him after stalling for an hour and hi BG was 141.

 

He won't eat his dinner or drink any broth, which he usually loves. Now I'm worried again.

 

I am wondering if appetite is off because of the medication(s) and/or fever. Does he still feel very warm? When did he last eat?

 

Thinking you should start a new thread i.e. Squallie not eating. If necessary, add a 911 to the prefix.

 

He last ate at 2:00, less than an ounce of FF Classic Turkey & Giblets. Hard to say if he feels warm, maybe, but all my cats feel warm because it's pretty hot here.