Newish Member - Should I push for Spec fPl if I am worried about Pancreatitis?

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Sam Q

Member Since 2021
If too long to read - Should I push for a Spec fPl?


I guess if I am being honest I have been avoiding a deep dive into my baby's health because he has been a little health disaster since I adopted him in Feb 2020. I went with a friend to adopt her kitty 6 weeks after my precious cat Chicken had died of complications of Acute Pancreatitis. My new Baby could just not be left at the Rescue, even if I was not ready. We all thought my new baby had been abused but one vet believed it might be a genetic issue. They think he was 4 at the time with 4 teeth, ¾ of a tail and big patches of fur missing. His little body was riddled with worms and various infections. After a long and hard fought battle with a yeast infection in his ears we had pushed him into Diabetes with steroids at some point in October 2020….I had no idea that was a thing. I am both blessed and in a socially complicated situation in regards to my kitty’s care. My sweetheart works for a specialty/emergency vet hospital so he “Takes Care of Things” regarding the testing and Vet Communication. From November until the end of March 2021, I just did what they all said and it turns out so much of it was perhaps not in the best interest of our baby. Prescription food that was high carb and then a switch to lower carb...that turned out to be pretty high carb too! It was very hard to stand up to my very caring sweetheart and say, “I think we have been doing this wrong.” I told him about this group which I follow mostly on Facebook and the AAHA 2018 guideline updates. We had been increasing too much too fast on Lantus and caused the Somogyi effect. So when the Vet switched us to Levemir, in March, I was Googling and came across this amazing community. I followed the SLGS protocol and then came across a thread on Facebook about a family starting Levemir and a few of the members there gave amazing advice on TR. I have switched and it is scary flirting with numbers close to 50 at the low points. He seems to have some insulin resistance so I want to find out if it is a concurrent disease.. I am worried that he will have chronic pancreatitis or worse because of Chicken’s death in January 2020. Last week when our baby seemed off and vomited bile, he took him to work, did an x-ray and found that he was a little constipated, thank you for your advice on that last week! Since he had been fasting I asked that they check for Chronic Pancreatitis. When the tests came back I didn’t see some of the things that were mentioned here like Spec fPL. When I asked they said that it is not reliable and that they ran other tests which I have updated in my spreadsheet. Should I be satisfied with the tests they have run or push for a Spec fPL? Am I obsessing because my other cat died of complications of Pancreatitis? I so appreciate your advice.
 
Hi Sam
I am going to tag @Marje and Gracie as she is very knowledgeable about lab results. She may not be online a lot at the moment though.
I don’t know why they said the spec fPL would be unreliable though. An ultrasound is another way to a check for pancreatitis.
Why specifically are you concerned about pancreatitis with Mouse? Does he have any lethargy, or loss or appetite, nausea, pain or is dehydrated?
I can understand after all you went through with Chicken that you are concerned.
 
Hi Sam
I am going to tag @Marje and Gracie as she is very knowledgeable about lab results. She may not be online a lot at the moment though.
I don’t know why they said the spec fPL would be unreliable though. An ultrasound is another way to a check for pancreatitis.
Why specifically are you concerned about pancreatitis with Mouse? Does he have any lethargy, or loss or appetite, nausea, pain or is dehydrated?
I can understand after all you went through with Chicken that you are concerned.
Thank you for tagging them. I think alot has to do with PTSD of Chicken. Back then I read some information that they could have Chronic and show almost no signs so I have developed some paranoia. I heard it can be one of the main reasons they can't get regulated and Mouse is a little all over the board. Since these are close friends "helping me out." I might politely ask again or take him to another vet privately and not tell.
 
Max had chronic pancreatitis for a couple years and then became diabetic. What symptoms are you seeing that concern you? The SPECFpL is the test to run. Max always became inappetent with episodes. Some cats get diarrhea and most are in pain. Look at the pancreatitis handbook if you see symptoms.

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/a-primer-on-pancreatitis.83108/
Thank you for the link. He gets lethargic, sits in the meatloaf position and occasionally does the foamy clear vomit. Not a lot but I get triggered. They told me to give him Pepcid which I do and occasionally he seems to be better but the high BG persists. They all pat me on my head because they know I'm triggered and this is their area of experience but now that I know why they call it "practicing" medicine I feel like I need to advocate for him more.
 
If you are concerned, I would push for the test. It’s just a simple blood draw. After two ER visits, I told the vet I wanted the test. He told me there was no way Sophie had pancreatitis because the ultrasound they did when they diagnosed her with IBD showed her pancreas was normal. I said I was the one paying, so I would like the test done. And what do you know, it showed she has chronic pancreatitis :rolleyes:

I have heard that the snap test can be unreliable but I have not heard that about the spec fPL. I’m pretty sure it has to be sent to a special lab. Ours was sent to Texas A&M
 
I have heard that the snap test can be unreliable but I have not heard that about the spec fPL. I’m pretty sure it has to be sent to a special lab. Ours was sent to Texas A&M[/QUOTE]


It’s not that this SNAP test is unreliable . It’s just that if in the gray area it will register negative whereas with the SPECFpL you get a score which means they might have pancreatitis.
 
It’s not that this SNAP test is unreliable . It’s just that if in the gray area it will register negative whereas with the SPECFpL you get a score which means they might have pancreatitis.

Yes, thank you for clarifying on this :cat:

Sophie has had snap tests come back as “normal” when she definitely had pancreatitis, whereas the spec just gives a value that will either be within normal range or not
 
Yes, thank you for clarifying on this :cat:

Sophie has had snap tests come back as “normal” when she definitely had pancreatitis, whereas the spec just gives a value that will either be within normal range or not
That’s why my vet never did a SNAP.
 
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