1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & New Worries

I thought I had posted this at 10:30 a.m. but just returned to find that it had not posted because of an error message: The submitted form was invalid. Try submitting again. So I did and here it is:

Yesterday: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2931

Well, the reason the vet didn't call with instructions on Saturday is because the dental is scheduled for NEXT Monday, the 25th. And no, I didn't screw up the date, the next surgery date was the 25th and the person sceduling the appt. didn't tell me last week when I made it that there were no surgeries on the 18th, just went ahead and scheduled for the 25th.

Called them first thing this a.m. and because there were no surgeries my vet was on-call this morning so I got right in to see her. She agrees that if the diarrhea is still present next week, he shouldn't be having the dental. They drew blood to run a CBC chemistry profile, as well as T4 and free T4 for thyroid (because he has never had one done and he has lost so much weight). Actually he put on 1/2 oz. since last week, and this while having four times a day liquipoo. He is also NOT dehydrated. The test results won't be in until Wed. night.

I gave Morris the slippery elm bark, about 1/3 of 800 mg capsule, in his food yesterday afternoon. During the night he had a somewhat formed poo....and he had it on my bathroom rug so it was nice and easy to see it. The vet prescribed the flagyl as chriscleo surmised and said to also keep on the probiotics. I showed her the info on Ultimate Flora with the bifidobacteria suggested by Cassandra and she said it might be worth a shot so will pick that up today too at GNC.

As for diagnosing IBD, she said that the diagnosis had to be done by endoscopy to get a biopsy of the colon. That will remain to be seen whether we need it (if the diarrhea keeps up and/or depending on test results).

So his morning shot was delayed 2 hours and the preshot was extremely high (395) due to vet stress...before we left for the vet he was 207 and he did not eat.

So there you have it...the update on Morris' situation...and now I have to leave for a lunch date and will bbl.

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

Well, glad you got all the proper information at last. Hope Morris feels better. Sending snowflakes and feeling better vines.

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

I am glad to hear you were able to get in to see your vet this morning! Too bad there was a mix-up on the dental date though. Hopefully your Morris will have some improved LB action in the near future!!!!

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

Very happy your vet drew for the T4 and Free T4. Good vettybean! :smile:

I've used slippery elm quite extensively too, for both vomiting and diarrhea, and it can really help. I'm sorry Morris decided to poo on the bathroom rug, but it is promising that it is semi formed!

When you are giving the Flagyl, do try and space the Flagyl and the probiotics out by about 4 hours per administration. With the Ultimate Flora, I usually gave about 1/2 of a capsule to a full capsule per day, spaced out BID.

Unfortunately IBD cannot be diagnosed with blood alone. Oftentimes nothing actually shows up in blood. Sasha's was/is concentrated in her small intestine, and the only abnormal blood elevation was her eosinophils (white blood cell showing an allergic response). Due to her age and my fears of anesthesia with her CRI, I did not opt for a biopsy, although if presented with the same symptoms in a different cat without as many other concurrent diseases I probably would have. Hopefully you don't have to get to that point. Sometimes they will just have a die off of the good bacteria in their GI tract that leads to continued diarrhea, and repopulating with good bacteria corrects it.

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

I'm glad you have a week to try and get the diarrhea under control. I hope the meds help. I know that liquipoo management is no fun at all.

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

Brenda,

Sorry to hear that Morris is having problems right now. Good thing is the dental is a week away and the vet got you right in today.
Hang in there.

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

Well Brenda. i hope tht new stuff works for him....How was your lunch?
Guess we all feel better about the vet not giving you directions for the dental... :lol: It seemed a little strange...
Hope Morris feels better soon...

 

Re: 1/18 Morris AMPS 395 & Dental/Diarrhea Update

Feel better soon Morris! ((hugggss))

 

Now I have new things to worry about....the Mirtz wore off and now he is not eating...the pill pockets no longer work because he found the new pill in it (even 1/2 of the Flagyl is pretty big) and now he suspects everything I give him. I have enticed him with everything in the cupboard with a new dose of Mirtz in it and nothin' doin'...he's NOT having it! I even brought out the big gun...the FF with gravy reserved for hypos...no dice.

He ate a bit of chicken juice with the slippery eel...oops slippery elm...bark and that was OK because I guess it has a sweet taste...to me it smells like maple syrup. Maybe that will firm up the poo but it's not going to kill the bugs in his intestinal tract.

I had a heart to heart talk with him but I don't think he understood that this is SERIOUS and he needs to stop being such a CAT...I'm trying to make funny because I'm almost in tears, this is so frustrating!

 

((Brenda)) Glad to hear that Morris has a little more time before dental.. and nice to hear that your vet is right on top of things in helping Morris get better..

I'm so sorry to hear that Morris is refusing his pill pockets..

Is he unpillable with a pill popper and a tuna chaser to wash it down with?
Pepper hates me pilling him, but I have found that when he doesn't feel well that pilling him is much easier.
I know some use parmesan cheese as an appetite tempter!

I think I have heard of Mirtazipine coming in an injectible form??

I'm sure that others have some ideas!

Come on Morris be a good kitty... eat and take your medicine!

 

I hope you were able to track down the probiotic Cassandra suggested. I found it at Whole Foods -- GNC in my area didn't stock it in my area. Paula mentioned that she heard of an injection form of mirtazapine. I came across this info -- it's available as an oral liquid and as a transdermal gel: mirtazapine

I guess the good news is that you're now prepared for the dental. I really hope that Morris starts feeling better.

 

There it is! Thank you Sienne..
I knew I had heard of it in other forms beside pill. hmmmm... bacon flavor! Yum!

 

Morris is unpillable...period! ohmygod_smile That's why I was so thrilled with the pill pockets...I got him to take the first dose of Mirtz with no problem. Now he suspects anything that is in a pill pocket since he found that 1/2 Flagyl tab there. :sad:

He also does not care for parmesan cheese...tried it. :cry:

I will call the vet tomorrow for injectables of the Mirtz as well as the Flagyl if possible. I can get the probiotics in him because I guess it is tasteless...same for the slippery elm but the Flagyl is important. I don't really need the Mirtz if I can get injectable Flagyl.

Thanks for the suggestions !

 

Brenda,

I have found that putting a pill in just a tiny bit of butter can help. Don't do it often but in my old girl that just passed - i had so many pillds to put down her and she was sooo good at rejecting them - this sometimes helped.

 

Have never heard of an injectable form of Mirtz....it is usually a pill that is quartered or you can have it compounded into liquid or chew treat, but maybe there is an injectable?

Re: Slippery Elm - Not sure if anyone mentioned this to you, but you must give this a few hours away from each medication you give too, as it can lessen the absorption.

Both BCP and Wedgewood Pharmacies would be able to compound the Mirtz into the chew treat or liquid for you. (Sasha really likes the liver flavored treats from BCP). Both ship very fast and have overnight available.

BCP Pharmacy
Wedgewood Pharmacy

 

Re: 1/18 Morris PMPS 298

I got the mirtz in him!!! :RAHCAT Thank you Roni....the tuna water worked! Maybe now I can get the others in him once the mirtz takes hold...probably about 3 a.m. :evil: No problemo! I'm there!

 

Woo hoo!!!
Glad to hear this..

 

I don't have much to offer in suggestions; I wish I did. I have mashed Shadoe's pepcid in the past with a bit of yogurt. Now that I have the pill shooter, it seems like I will have better luck.
I hope you can find a method or form of med that works.

Sometimes these kitties are too smart for their own good.

 

brenda if ever you are between a rock and hard place with a pill again that you have to get in, crush the pill into powder and mix with a bit of tuna water and use a feeding syringe (free from vet, always good to have a bunch on hand) and squirt the mixture in.

haha i looked at SS before reading opening post and first thought was 'geez i wonder if this vet went hyper-t?' so was pleasantly surprised to see that you had the blood drawn today for T4/freeT4. good! when one of my cats became suddenly hyper-t oh boy did the liquidipoo fly. but once he was on the meds it was controlled.

btw, are you still using shorties?

~jojo

 

Not to be dumb but...what's a shortie???

And thanks for the tip about the feeding syringe...but how do you get their jaw open when it is clenched tight...and how do you keep it from going down the wrong tube (into the lungs???)

 

Hi Brenda..

A shortie is a 5/16 needle on insulin syringe and long is 1/2 inch.

I haven't had to syringe feed Pepper.. but, I am sure there are others that have will be happy to explain

 

{{{{{HUGS}}}}} Brenda.....I am so sorry to read of all the difficulties you are having right now. Sure hope your Mr Morris starts feeling better soon & then perhaps he will be a little more cooperative!!!

 

Glad you got him pilled and that he took a little tuna water, too. Hope you both feel better soon.

 

yes a shortie is a short needle. i saw on SS that you had switched to them. (they don't work on all cats, like i soooo cannot use them on my big boy, the insulin simply does not get to where it is suppose to and his perfect numbers fall apart every single time i've tried to use shorties).

with the feeding syringe that has meds in it all you have to do is shove the tip in that space between cheek and teeth, the 'cheek pouch', press plunger and stroke throat and cat will swallow. if you are only adding 1 ml of tuna juice it is not so much liquid that they could possible choke on it as it dribbles in from cheek pouch into mouth. if kitty is being really stubborn about swallowing you can place two fingers over nostrils and cat will have to swallow. and i usually am holding the real tough cat in a scruff hold with other hand while doing all this. but seriously it is over and done with in about 5 seconds total and meds are where you need them to be, in cat. much better than trying for hours to pill a tough cat or hiding a pill in everything under sun and having cat laugh at you.

 

Thanks jojo, I will try that and see....if I'm not back here tomorrow you will know what happened :lol:

And about those shorties...yes, I'm still using them but I got them by mistake and don't like them...just too frugal to not use them but will go back to the 1/2" when they are gone. I keep thinking I'm not all the way in .. cat(2)_steam

Just realized that I shot two hours early!!! I was delayed this morning at the vet by two hours and forgot all about it with the trying to get him to eat and everything and shot at the old time. Now what??? That constitutes a dose increase, right? So I guess I'm having a pajama party again tonight!? Maybe it will be all right since he seems to be running high today anyway....but then with no food on board, maybe not??? My brain is fried right now grr_red .