Still confused.

I will read posts from people stating their cat has “chronic pancreatitis” or “has lived with pancreatitis for ‘x’ amount of years”

what does that mean? I thought it was something that happened like a sinus infection and you took antibiotics for it.
I guess my fear is If Mimi got it once- she’ll definitely get it again?

I can’t afford any kind of hospital stay again..
Should I do a gofundme?

 

My cat has chronic pancreatitis and is currently having a flare up. I’m not sure why it happens, but she just periodically gets them. The first two were 4 months apart and this one is 8 months from the last one, so they are getting less frequent. And now that I know what’s happening and catch it earlier, the treatment is less expensive because I know what to tell the vet to treat for

 

Most diabetic cats have at least some pancreatitis too. Chronic pancreatitis is always there and you may not even know your cat has it without having a Spec fPL test run.

Acute pancreatitis is very painful and requires aggressive treatment that includes fluids, pain medication, nausea medication(s), appetite stimulants (if needed) and antibiotics (if needed)

Milk Thistle, Slippery Elm Bark, B-12 supplements, B-complex supplements and getting as much fluid into your cat as possible (adding water or bone broth to food) can help.

 

So I should get her tested periodically?

 

I don't think it's necessary to test every so often. I think if you get a positive result on the Spec fPL, you can just watch carefully for signs that it's going from chronic to acute and try to catch it early. It's a good idea to have the meds around so if necessary, you can try to head off an acute attack.

 

What is the specfPL? And meds like, antibiotics and such? Would a vet know what I’m talking about? (Sometimes I feel like they don’t know a whole lot)

 

The specfPL is a serum pancreatic lipase which is what they can use to diagnose pancreatitis. The meds are usually anti nausea/vomiting, appetite stimulant if they need it, and pain meds. They can also give fluids. I find this page about pancreatitis to be super helpful

https://www.idexx.com/files/spec-fpl-treatment-for-feline-pancreatitis.pdf

Some vets may know what you’re talking about, others may not. Sophie’s vets looked at me like I was insane when I asked for the specfPL and GI panel, but I insisted so they did it anyway and it confirmed she has chronic pancreatitis, so

 

Read Marje’s Primer on Pancreatitis.