4/3 Mo - Update and Cerenia question (pics!)

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I just wanted to pop in and give an update on how Mo is doing. Since weaning him off the bupe, he has improved significantly! His appetite is back full force and he is spending more time with us too! He has also got into this bed we bought him that he hasn't been in since 2018, so that was quite a surprise! Mo has also been enjoying his time with bags (he loves bags...).



QUESTION TIME! Pru has Mo on 1ml of liquid Cerenia every day. Just 3 days of this costs us about $90. In short, we cannot afford this especially since she wants him on this indefinitely. Are cerenia tablets cheaper? Is there a cheaper alternative?

Have a great day all!

 

Such a handsome boy! In the past, Minnie has had cerenia tablets and ondansetron tablets though you'll need the experts to advise the difference. Sorry I don't remember the cost difference either, drop in the ocean of the hospital stays.

 

Hi Katy!
I was only thinking about you today and wondering how things were going. I’m so glad that Mo is eating so well again.
Are you still testing for ketones?
I am concerned though that you are not testing the BGs and have not increased the dose. I know you said the fructosamine test was good but I find that really hard to believe when the BGs are still so high.

Re the cerenia liquid and tablets. I would imagine the cost of the cerenia is about the same as in Australia. I haven’t bought cerenia for about 3 years now but I remember buying a box of 4 tablets which I think I cut into 4 (so that was 16 doses and it was about $45 to $60. I remember thinking that was very expensive but not nearly as much as the liquid!

The other option is ondansetron (called Zofran in Australia). It is a human drug and you need a script from your vet and then you buy it at the pharmacy. The box of zofran (I think there were maybe 10 wafers in the box and you give 1/2 wafer or I did for Sheba ....she was 6 kg) and the cost was around $20. Zofran can be given up to 3 times a day and is a good antinausea medication.

Bron,

 

Hi Katy he is a handsome boy.
@Bron and Sheba (GA) might be the best person to give you an idea of costs.
What dosage are you giving? (concentration of the liquid)
Is it the full recommended dose or has she reduced it to a maintenance dose?
Did Mo's blood work show problems with his liver? Kidneys? I can't remember what or if you said.



I don't recall other folk using this type of med long term/indefinitely, usually I see folk weaning kitty of once the episode of Ptitis has passed, though it is done slowly to prevent symptoms returning.
It is available in tablet form.


Did Pru say why long term? What is her thinking? I would want to understand why I was giving my cat long term medication, since all meds have side effects and would want to weigh up the risk/benefit. (much as I would if a doc was asking me to take a long term med)

I believe they work on different receptors to control nausea and vomiting, not sure if the latter can be used long term, though as it is a human med outside of patent it is probably cheaper??

 

The whole testing thing is something I'm working through with someone on the board. I will address this at a later date.

The tablets sounds like a much more reasonable cost! Mo is on a double dose so for 8 doses of let's say around $50 is much better than 3 doses at $90 :\ Thanks Bron!!

Mo's liver, kidneys, thyroid, etc are all normal

Sorry, I should have mentioned. Pru wants Mo on Cerenia long-term to help with his tummy and to help with underlying pancreas pain. I don't really know how any of this works, so I've just gone along with what she said. He is on a double dose of it. Honestly, when we started Mo on Cerenia I noticed absolutely no change in him. He could probably even come off it? He doesn't have any nausea that we can tell. He's eating really well. The nausea, we believe, actually came from the bupe which upset his tummy and he is off that now.

I've emailed our vet asking for advice on this as well. Pru is on a 2 week holiday now and we won't be seeing her until the 23rd.

 

Cerenia tablets are about $30 for a box of 4 tablets but the tablets have to be cut into pieces so a box goes a long way. Phoenix had pancreatititis and I think he had an episode of epi as well. My vet only had me give cerenia when he was nauseous. It does help with inflammation though.

I hate to say this but I am wondering about your vet. Phoenix was in a lot worse condition than Mo but the cost they are charging for medications and the doses seems a little off to me. This is just my opinion. Take advice from a moderator that you trust.

 

Love the pictures. It's great to hear Mo is feeling better.

 

Love the pictures of Mo! He sure is a cutie-patootie!

Hang in there and do your best at working with Mo to get him accustomed to the whole idea of what's going on there when you try to test him...I had a heck of a time with Luci...but with practice and patience you'll get there - soon, like Luci, he'll come willingly! The first time Luci got up on the testing towel by herself I just about fell over! I took a picture since I didn't think anyone would believe me! I think that took 3-4 months...the first month or three were the hardest - took two of us to coax her into being still so I could get that little drop from her ear...

Just always always reward with food...just a little dab of FF will do it...soon he'll forget about everything else and will know that he's going to get a treat for a little bit of 'holding him on a towel'...just make sure everything is the same from one time to the next - and do it as often as you can - it's that routine of repeating the activity multiple times a day - whether or not you actually poke him will help him know it's not about torture, it's about FOOD! Keep trying Katy!

We're all rooting for you

 

I agree, Phoenix does the same thing. He sits and waits in his testing spot because a small treat is his reward. I do the same thing for his shot. I hold back a portion of his dinner till he finishes eating and it is shot time. Then, I pick up his bowl, put the remainder of his food in it and show it to him. He sits and waits for his shot and then gets the rest of his meal.
.

 

It took me a solid three months of being incredibly patient and working with butters on the testing. For us, consistency was key: always testing in the same spot...and always a tiny treat before and after the test. I cannot emphasize enough the need for patience and consistency.

 

Katy – with all the tsunami warnings in NZ, please let us know you are okay.
Stay safe.

 

Pills are a much better solution for Cerenia. It's bitter, I can't imagine an oral solution would be easy to give. There are different size pills, so maybe a larger pill cut in pieces would be more economical. Cats can be full time on Cerenia and it does have some mild anti-inflammatory effects. Ondansetron (Zofran is the brand) works better for strictly nausea, which it sounds like Mo thankfully doesn't have anymore.

I hope this isn't a conversation going on via PM. Anything to do with dosing must be done on posts, not PM's, via FDMB policy. I too share the concern about lack of testing. Keeping Mo in high numbers is not doing his organs any favours.

I thought you were done going to Pru?

 

I'm sorry I haven't responded, the notification emails aren't coming through. There is a lot to unpack here...

Yes I'm safe The earthquake was loooong but I live far away from the areas the tsunami warnings were for. Thank you for your concern!

The conversation has nothing to do with dosing, don't worry.

Honestly, Pru is the only one here helping me with Mo's pancreatitis. So I will keep seeing her about this. Otherwise it's slim pickins with vets in my area and Mo doesn't travel well.

Thanks for the Cerenia advice. The vet is happy to dispense the pills thankfully, so it should be much more economical for us. Otherwise, we just wouldn't be able to afford it. Mo just will not let us go near him with the liquid Cerenia anymore. The other night he was running away, fighting me and hissing that I just didn't bother giving it to him. It was far too stressful.

Thanks Sue Mo's aggression is getting a bit wild lately. I don't know if his pancreas is causing him grief again or if he's just pissed off with us. We haven't been able to give any of his oral meds apart from the gabapentin because of this, so testing has been near impossible. Hopefully he's feeling better tomorrow so I can at least go near him? He gets worked up when I pat him these days. Maybe it's our relationship we need to work on. I don't know. It's all very upsetting

 

I am so glad to hear you are ok. Earthquakes are so scary. Also, I think it is good news that Mo won't let you give him the cerenia in a syringe. When Phoenix had pancreatititis, they gave him a throat salve for the burned esophagus from the pancreatic powder. I had to squirt it down his throat 3 times a day. He didn't put up a fuss until he started feeling better. Then, Phoenix did the same thing as Mo. He would sit up on his haunches in attack mode. There is no way I could get that medicine down him. I continued to try for weeks but I finally gave up. I had that liquid all over walls, the floor, the furniture .

When Mo can put up a fight like that, I believe he is on the mend. Phoenix started feeling better after that. Hang in the Mo ! The best is yet to come.

 

Thank you so much for this!!!! That gives me a lot of hope that he probably just doesn't need the medicine. He's certainly still eating very well, and not showing signs of nausea which is the main sign with Mo that something isn't quite right! Ah yessss, we are getting the expensive, smelly liquid all over our floors. So much fun
Thank you

 

One other thing I wanted to mention. My vet that retired frequently gave me samples of medication. The salesmen give them to vets just like they do physicians. He has given me over 6 boxes of Heartgard and numerous medications.

Don't be afraid to ask. As much money as you have spent at the vet, you deserve a break. Just say, the expense of all this is really hurting me financially. I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. Do have any samples of the cerenia ( or other medications) you could give me? I really need a break. Most of the samples are given to employees who give them to friends and family so you are not cheating anyone.

I know this may scare you or embarrass you at first, but believe me, it will get easier. You may be surprised to find that a lot of vets will even give you a break on your vet bills.

It is kind of like being a politician which I hate. But the older you get, the more you learn to work the system. Try using this for other services as well especially when buying things. You would be surprised how much money you can save. I was in an antique shop several years ago. The had a Louis IV settee that I just had to have. I would have paid double the price to get that settee. Instead, I said I would love to have it but I can't afford the price. I walked out of the door and got in my car. Before I could leave the parking space, the sales lady came running out. She took $200 off the listed price. I was thrilled. I had planned on driving off and waiting 30 minutes and then gone back and bought it.

You have got to learn that if you don’t ask, you will never get.

 

I was going to say that Cerenia tablets are much cheaper, but I see you are in New Zealand. So I don't want to go run my big mouth off! I see you are getting some help though. I have also have VERY good luck treating nausea with Ondansetron, but you have to give it more frequently (sometimes just twice a day was enough for us, but you can give 3 times). Tiny pill. Is it the pancreatitis that is causing the nausea. Best wishes to you and Mo!

 

Mo is just too adorable ♥

 

Mo is so darn cute!!! I just want to squish him so much!!!