Want to start feeding Lily again, she was puking all yesterday, how should I continue to try?

(http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...for-24-hrs-advice-please.221555/#post-2475423)

Continuation from this morning's thread above...

I was able to leave my job this morning to get my cat Lily into the vet at 10:00 AM. When I came home from work at 9:45 AM to pick up Lily I noticed that she was not able to keep down the 1/2 tsp of baby food mixed w/ 36 ml of water I made. (I gave her this mix twice at 3:50 AM & 6AM) She must not have felt good as she was hiding under the bed and I saw her mat on the floor had wet spots from the liquids I tried to feed her.

The vet gave Lily subcutaneous fluids, injection medicines of cerenia, covenia, metacam, vitamin B complex, & vitamin B12. I left two tiny dishes w/ 1/2 tsp of baby food mixed w/ 36 ml of water for Lily to have while I was at work. Tonight I came home and Lily spilled them in her timed feeder and did not eat them.

I just checked Lily's blood at 7 PM and it's 164 right now. I gave her .25 units of insulin and had her drink 1/2 tsp of baby food mixed w/ 36 ml of water...

I have some boiled chicken, but i am very scared to start feeding it to her. Yesterday she puked after I did.

Do you guys think I should stick with watered down brothy baby food every so couple hours? OR should I try to feed Lily's solids? I want her to be ok and I am trying to prevent hospitalization. My vet pretty much just treated Lily as if she were having a pancreatitis attack since she has a history of it. Thankfully Lily was not as lifeless and lethargic as the last time she was sick in January. The vet said even if she took test to check all of Lily's numbers from bloodwork she would treat her the same way with fluids, antibiotics, etc.

 

I am very tired as i did not sleep last night caring for Lily. I think I will try to just stick with baby food and water to be safe. I will try a little larger portion.

 

Oh I'm sorry, what an ordeal I wish I knew more about pancreatitis but I would think if your vet gave those meds via injection, that should help with the appy, pain and nausea? Did the vet make any suggestions on when you could reintroduce more solid food? Can you try a wee but of her usual food if she seems hungry, but watered down?

 

What about the liver shake? http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30507/

 

I think they will help too. I am so tired and I don't want to pick up anymore puke. lol. Maybe I'll try a little more baby food and try to get my lunch and stuff ready for work tomorrow. If she keeps it down I will introduce her regular food watered down also. The vet said to just try the baby food and slowly get Lily eating again like normal. no time frame, just try to get her eating more.

 

Okay, let us know how it goes...it's a bit slow at the moment, but maybe others will swing by with some experience soon

I could tell you what I would do with my German Shepherd, but that's a horse of a different colour

 

That sounds like a cool shake to try! I don't have a lot of those ingredients though. I had to get the baby food at 3 AM in the morning. I have to get some rest. I was falling asleep at work today. Thank you for your replies and support! Your kitty profile picture is very sweet!

Going to do what I can before bed. lol Indeed a different color for sure!!!

I will keep you guys updated. There is always more to learn! Signing off for tonight!

 

Sleep well, extra scritches and appy vines for Miss Lily. I always thought Calicos were the best too , though my Tabbies are kinda awesome also.

 

A couple of thoughts...

If the nausea/vomiting persist, you can ask the vet for a prescription for Zofran (ondansetron) in addition to the Cerenia. They are both for nausea and can be given together since they have different methods of action. Once Lily seems less nauseated, you could also ask for an appetite stimulant (e.g., either cyproheptadine or mirtazepine).

I an not a big fan of either Metacam or Convenia. Metacam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Metacam, in particular, carries a black box warning from the FDA due to its causing renal failure in cats. If your vet was concerned about pain from pancreatitis, buprenorphine would be a better choice. Convenia is a long lasting antibiotic. The problem with Convenia is that if your cat is allergic to it, it lasts for over 2 weeks. Once it's in, your stuck -- there's not a way to neutralize it.

Did your vet happen to run either a Snap or Spec fPL. These are tests for pancreatitis. The Snap fPL can be run in the office and you get immediate results.

 

Small amounts of baby food every hour or couple is what I would try. I’m surprised she was given metacam if she’s in pain I suggest buprenex in the future as Sienne mentioned. Max did well with ondansetron for nausea for his chronic pancreatitis. Is there an infection?

 

I have never been given any prescriptions for Lily. I hear and see a lot of you always having things on hand...and I always wonder how the heck do you guys get these??? I am not as experienced and I don't know what medicines are what. Usually when Lily gets like this she loses interest in food. This is why the doctor gave Lily injections. She kept puking all day on Sunday. How do you guys administer giving your kitties meds when they are not eating? How do you get them to swallow pills?

No, the vet did not run any testing on Lily. She said she would have treated her the same way with blood results. She just acted on Lily's past history. The last time Lily was sick my vet wasn't able to get enough blood. I know there is a pancreatitis test that my vet said she would have to send off for the last time. Lily was so sick she was hospitalized. They ran blood work and did an ultrasound in the hospital.

 

OMG - this terrifying!!!! I really hope this does not affect Lily in this way.

 

How I get meds is that there are times when my vet has prescribed Cerenia, for example, and I having had to use all of the pills. I keep them on hand. Cerenia and ondansetron, both of which are for nausea and vomiting, also come as injections. I have a bottle of ondansetron and syringes. However, both of these medications sting like crazy. I also have a great relationship with my vet and she knows that I know what I'm doing with my cats. She supported my managing Gabby's FD and we worked very closely together when Gabby's health started to falter. If a cat is vomiting, injections are a great strategy. I do wonder, though, why your vet didn't suggest an appetite stimulant, as well. These are pills. It's also unlikely that one shot of Cerenia will be enough. Pills may be needed for a few days.

I have always been able to pill my cats. There are pill guns, which prevent you from getting your fingers nipped. Pilling a cat isn't really that hard. There are probably videos on YouTube.

I have always had a discussion with my vets about meds. They put information on my cats' records that they are never to be given Metacam or Convenia. My current vet doesn't allow either to be prescribed in her practice.

 

Well Lily was interested in food and was perkier still begging for food even while puking. Maybe the vet assumed she wasn't as bad.

I wish I knew this before Lily was given these meds.

 

It sounds like she was/is nauseated.

 

I had nausea medication on hand at all times, (mostly ondansetron which worked well for Max ) as my vet also knew that I know how and when to use it. I’d have a discussion with your vet about this and metacam as well. She definitely sounds nauseous. There were times when Max required help with nausea for as long as a month or two. I hope your cat feels better soon. Getting the nausea under control will help a lot I think. I also fed small meals often, even when Max was starting to feel better and seemed very hungry.