Matt here-- Caitlin is at work and trying to guide me. the last few days pita's numbers have been consistently mid 100's and yesterday Caitlin tested him and amps were 132 and we decided to shoot .1 since we could monitor. As you can see his numbers stayed consistent all day and PMPS was 112 - NS. He woke up this morning and amps was 206- he didn't want to be tested and hasn't eaten his breakfast. I just did a +2.5 test and he was 335. He still has not eaten. He seems lethargic/ off. We both talked it out and decided to NS this morning in case he did bounce yesterday. At this point he has no insulin so we are not concerned about hypo. He just started dry heaving... Should we shoot .1 even though its past the time or just continue to monitor him?
he ate and drank normally last night. I did just go over and pet him and he purred a bit, but his stomach was gurgling. Maybe a stomach bug? Do cats get those?
You said he is not eating and is now dry heaving. Do you have anything for nausea like Cerenia? I don't think his BG would cause this.
To answer your initial question, I would not give insulin at this point, unless you want this to be your new shot time going forward.
Caitlin here- I believe we have something for nausea, however he doesn’t pill well (or at all) so I don’t want to force that. Since he won’t eat we can’t even sprinkle it into anything. I am wondering if we should try to feed him the FF Gravy or some tuna juice even though they’re both higher carb, but to see if he’ll eat anything.
This is guesswork on my part. If Pita is not eating and has an empty stomach I would not shoot. High numbers later are much better than low numbers now. A stomach bug could mean anything but like all mammals we all get sick sooner or later and sometimes it just goes away without us every knowing why. Could he have gotten into anything from garbage to even a dead bug? Is his breathing okay? Do NOT let him crawl into the back of a closet where you'll have trouble getting him out. If you're into a little bit of grossness you could check his temperature but it will have to be the old fashioned way. Temperatures can normally range from 100.5 to 102.5 degrees but because 101.5 degrees is right in the middle it's often referred to as a “normal”. The dry heaving. Make sure he hasn't snuck into some hidden location and yakked up anything unusual. If so a clear mucus like film is nowhere near as bad as something yellow or green. Your common sense about what is gross counts for a lot. Hi Caitlin, just saw you got home. Never mind the higher carbs for now, it's a better sign that he wants to eat at all. Keep us posted. Everyone remember Caitlin is on Pacific time. That's all I can think of right now other than it's good to have a boyfriend who actually cares. Good work Matt.
He is breathing normally and his bile was white/clear. He also isn't deep into the closet and every time I go over and check on him her purrs a bit when I pet him.
Is he prone to hairballs? My old guy goes off his food, dry heaves, and projectile vomits clear fluid a day or two before the presentation of a hairball. I usually let him lick butter off my finger or go for the hairball remedy but not sure if that stuff is ok for diabetics. Maybe try some meat baby food (no onions or garlic) to see if he'll eat that.
And then there's that evil thing, pancreatitis. It can present with inappetance, vomiting, lethargy and because it's inflammation, elevated BG. Vets often treat "as if" with Cerenia or similar and pain relief. A Cerenia injection by the vet often acts faster and better than the pills. Buprenorphine is a good pain med but it's a yucky tasting oral liquid you squirt into the cheek pouch - easier than pilling.
We do have Bupe from when he hurt his leg! I think I’ll need to evaluate and touch base with Matt when I’m home and see how he does tonight also. Nooo pancreatitis!
The bupe suspension can lose its effectiveness over time. You might need a new prescription but you could try using what you have later if needed.
Hi Caitlin and Matt - the dry heaving could also be from the empty stomach - cats will do that a lot, or just a little clear foamy liquid. Do you have any freeze-dried treats? Will he eat those? As was already mentioned, baby food can entice, and tuna juice on a small amount of food is good as well. Try to get him to eat something, even if it's only like a teaspoon. Yes, cats get stomach bugs. And hairballs as Linda mentioned. Constipation could be a cause as well. Since you're in California, I would suggest getting a CBD/THC tincture if you don't already have one. Make sure it's flavor-less - just CBD and olive oil or coconut oil is ideal. Cats can tolerate a small amount of THC and I find that helpful for Sam - I use a tincture that is 250mg CBD/5mg THC. There are some folks who use a little more THC than that, but I haven't tried it yet, so can't recommend. It helps with appetite and pain. I really hope it isn't pancreatitis. Hopefully he'll be eating again by the time you get home!
Well, good news! just gave Pita some tuna and he ate it all. So I am going to test him again in about 20-30 minutes and see where he is at. Thanks, everyone for the help!
Good morning all- Caitlin here. When I am home later today I’ll sit down at the computer and give a full update. Many thanks for all the support yesterday!
A full update? I'd like to see the cake you baked for Matt. Cynthia wasn't squeamish but had been through enough with the eight cats and a dog before Noah so until the very end I always told her a partial lie. "Everything's fine Honey". It's more than helpful to have someone who cares at your side. You're a big softy Matt, the secret's out.
Hello! So Pita had projectile vomit after drinking water yesterday (before the 6:39 post) but Matt said it was mostly water with a bit of clear/white bile. He did say that it came from the depths of his stomach and immediately after he started acting better/differently. Which is when Matt gave him tuna and he ate it up. We think it's almost like when you have a bug and you have that god awful throw up but then it feels like it left your body and you're human again. When I arrived home his behavior was so much better than when I left in the am and he ate his dinner as well. 125 AMPS today and we decided to NS. He's currently at 117 @ +5 and he's acting like nothing ever happened! In a good mood, already went outside for an hour and walked/sunbathed. Is doing great. I'm sure some of you may still have some hesitations but for now, we are just letting him be. If it happens again, we will absolutely be bringing him to the vet but it seems like it may have truly been a weird bug.
Stating the obvious. Andrew had some life long bug that no one could diagnose, throwing up something I'd never seen before. I had to scoop up some puke to make the doctor realize I wasn't exaggerating about the yellow/green colors. What looks like nothing is always something and having a sample might help you not look like a drama queen. Every vet is different and they've all had to deal with people with colorful imaginations. Andrew once swallowed a staple, we think it fell from the insulation into the litter and then he cleaned his paws. We can't watch them all day. The staple was bent over and he pooped it out, the only luck the little guy ever had.
Sounds like a good plan. No reservations on my part. I think you guys are doing great. Having the numbers go up when he doesn't feel good makes perfect sense. And as long as they return to Pita's "normal" (which it looks like they have), then just keep doing what you're doing. Hugs to you both. And Matt....it was nice to "meet" you!
Sounds like a perfect plan to me. One day Elektra was throwing up white foam every 30 min for several hours...I gave her some pepcid and that night she was back to normal. She probably just had an upset tummy from something and couldn't stop feeling vomit-y...I've had that happen to me before. If she's eating and acting fine now, no reservations here. It's exactly what I'd do. Matt, so glad we finally got to "meet" you. Pop in anytime!
Can I pick your Brain about CBD oil? I got some for pets but haven’t used it because I’m not sure on the dose
My cats also act like this when they have a empty stomach. ( dry heaving , then throw up clear fluid, etc )
