Previous condo Thank you for sharing this. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I am barely keeping myself together as it is. Cats have so many issues..... the moms and dads that stick around truly are so special and strong. Even in the beginning he was very hungry, which is why the vets didn't think it was Pancreatitis. It was actually the message board that thought it might be. So I did the test even though my vet said he shouldn't have it and he did. Except at the points he felt nauseas (I think the Ondan helps more than the Cerenia did in the beginning for him). I tried to take him off the Ondan and he did throw up, it wasn't very much but he did once, maybe 3 weeks ago. Since then I have kept him on the Ondan. I am honestly confused about this whole Pancreatitis situation. You say "still had" pancreatitis - but I thought it doesn't go away? That's what I have read on here and that's what the doctors have said. Do you mean a flare? I don't know how to tell is he's having flares or has it chronic but I assume it is just all the time now. He still doesn't really like it if I pick him up, and he's moody, but I don't think it is as bad as it was when we first found out. I don't really know if the Bupe gel ever did much for him so I stopped that a while ago. I have been giving him CBD for an anti inflammatory. Dr. McCue has lowered his Pred. and cannot lower his Lev. I don't think they would do this surgery and required supplements that would make them act starving for their entire lives? Ugh I wish it was easy to call the doctors in the UK and get their thoughts on this. @sbluhrs I don't think I have heard you mention that Sophie is extremely hungry? That is why they think something must be wrong, plus the fact that he is just not himself and never really in a good mood. People on here (as well as on my vets long list of things that could be wrong) said EPI and B12 is a good place to start so I was going to get those bloodwork tests done. I just texted Dr. McCue. because I am confused about everything too. I asked how many other cats are very hungry after this and if he thinks it could just be the pred and lev. He said he will call me tomorrow so we can talk. His SS is updated. I just did another BG test today and it was 51. Since I haven't given him the Bupe in a while maybe he is just in pain and I need to order the liquid. Which I really didn't want to do since he already doesn't like me but I probably should. My vet is actually suggesting some weird thing that happens in humans called hypothalamic obesity which can occur in people that have had pituitary gland surgeries - where their brains never feel full, and one drug that has been "looked at in experimental studies" is Prozac, which she said might also help his personality changes and aggression. I don't want to do that though. That sounds like an obvious stretch to me..... although she did say a side effect of Prozac is often decreased appetite so in the far future if we still cant figure out what's wrong I might consider it. Even though I really don't want to.
I almost suggested prozac on a previous condo. Don't write it off just of what it is. Give it some serious thought. You know the mirtz everyone gives for appy enhancement? It us actually a very powerful human antidepressant. Side effects include hunger. I took it for depression. My FIL took the same exact med for migraines, now I give it to Gizmo to help him eat when I need to. Have you tried to call the vets (I can't remember the name) in the UK? Or emailed them? Don't give up trying to get answers. We are here for you guys.
Sophie really isn't super hungry. She was much more hungry when I first got her - starving - would snatch the food off the plate before it even got to the floor. She is enthusiastic now with her food, but not the glutton that she used to be over 20 months ago when I adopted her. She still eats 6 meals a day, but they are smaller than before and she doesn't cruise for food afterwards. We used to have to make sure that all the dishes were put away and everything was cleaned up after we ate or she was into it. She even attacked corn cobs to gnaw on a few months after we first got her. We still are in the habit of cleaning up right after dinner, but we don't have to stress about having the dishes all put in the dishwasher and the pots all cleaned up as she simply isn't interested in those anymore. She does still clean up our other cat's plate for the bits he has left, but we feed him in our sunroom, with the door closed so that he can take his time eating.
I like Lizzie’s idea of emailing the diabetes remission clinic at RVC. They were always good at answering questions, even those not customers. It wouldn’t hurt to do a bupe trial. Pain can make some kitties (and people) grumpy.
@Ana & Frosty (GA) not all cats stop eating with pancreatitis. My Smokey was long term chronic p'titis and ate everything. Just yesterday Olive was dx with p'titis. Something not on our radar. She had senior labs done and fructosamine done (follow up since starting caber) the precisionPSL (not my preferred test for this) is done automatically. In Feb it was 97, in May it was 46 and now it's 92. She eats great. Some days she grazes but appetite is ravenous. Pred (high doses or long term) will create ravenous appetites, even in humans. My DH ate non-stop when he was on pred high dose for 6 months. So it's possible for Shmee to eat through a p'titis episode because of the pred. Checking in with Shmee doctors and letting them know is a good idea.
My civvie Tanner was diagnosed with p'titis, although he had no symptoms other than weight loss. It's a hard concept to understand, but it does happen.
