Pancreatitis in 8 month old kitten HELP

Help! Today our precious little 8 month old kitten was diagnosed with pancreatitis. About a week ago he fairly suddenly started just sleeping most of the day. First day we just thought, well he was up bouncing around all night, that's why he sleeping now. But it got worse, of course over Christmas weekend (and our vet is closed on Mondays). He wasn't eating much. Made him some chicken shreds in water which he did eat, and seemed to perk up for a while after that. Got him to the vet Tuesday. They misunderstood what was going on (hubby is terrible at communication) and sent him home telling us he was a little bit dehydrated and to do the water thing again. Said this was just recovery from the diarrhea he'd had some weeks ago (we treated it then, he'd been good for several weeks now--again, hubby isn't one to argue with an 'expert'). Thursday morning I called them again and spoke to the technician, as he was just still sleeping all the time and not hardly eating, so they brought him in again, did bloodwork (which was all normal), did x-rays which they sent to a radiologist for interpretation who said pancreatitis and possible ibd, no obstructions, and found he had a high temperature (105.1).

Did some sub-Q fluids, antibiotic, and pain med shots. Sent home some Hills i/d chicken and veg food, saying he had to eat low fat diet. We are spoon-feeding him the food, with added water, every couple of hours as he mostly just wants to sleep.

I'm trying to read up on pancreatitis, but I've had 5 eye surgeries and many in-office treatments in the last two years and have only blurry vision in one eye to use to read up on this, so I'm having a really tough time of it. I know this is a diabetes site, but so many of you are so experienced with diets and related diseases and all, can someone help?

From what I have been able to see so far, kittens aren't supposed to get pancreatitis. We expect he probably ate something toxic, we try to keep the place kitten/cat-proof but both he and the 2 year old cat are super high-energy juvenile delinquents that are unbelievably able to get into stuff you'd never dream a cat would mess with (and I've had cats for decades. We call the 2 year old "death wish cat". The kitten watches her, then copies her destructive ways.)

Have seen some things saying the low-fat diet is not necessary, but the vet said NO fat, if I boil a chicken breast to make broth and chicken for him, I have to skim off absolutely all fat. But the food she sent home is certainly not NO fat, tho it is lower than other canned foods. What's the right thing to do?

She gave him a shot of cerenia to hopefully get him eating again. But how long does that last? what else can we do? Right now we are basically spoonfeeding him every couple of hours, as he's just sleeping most of the time but seems to eat if we sit there and serve it to him. But I doubt that he's getting enough calories or water at this point. Hoping he picks up and starts eating more at a time, and going for food himself. Which then raises the problem of keeping him from the other cats' regular food, as the 14 year old is the borderline diabetic controlled by diet, I can't change their food to this prescription stuff or I'll kill the old cat--is there something that works for the diabetic, the pancreatitis, the ibd (which isn't acting up now, if he actually has it)? and oh yeah, the only not-sick cat, the 2 year old, is allergic to chicken...

Can someone help point me in the right direction to get a handle on all this? Or put some good information up here for me? I'm now legally blind in one eye and halfway there in the other at this point, and so searching it all out myself is slow and frustrating and difficult (and I keep ending up crying over what I can manage to read, which really doesn't help the eyesight, but he's our sweet little baby cat and he's so sick...)

 

Oh my goodness. I've never heard of this with a kitten before. So you have a copy of the lab reports you could post? I had a senior cat with pancreatitis, but never heard of it in a kitten. @Marje and Gracie do you know anything about it?

 

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I am sorry your little kitty is unwell. Pancreatitis is common with diabetic cats so quite a few here have cats who have had pancreatitis. A no fat diet is not something most of us follow..

Do you know if the vet did an FPL snap or an fPL spec blood test? They are the two blood tests which will tell you if your kitty has pancreatitis. I have not heard of a very young kitty having pancreatitis but that’s not to say it can’t happen.

If it is pancreatitis you need to keep up the pain meds as its painful, and the cerenia as the cats are nauseated with Pancreatitis. And check your kitty isn’t dehydrated by pulling up the scruff of the neck...it should snap back. And feel the gums...they should be slippery and not tacky.

Here are two links to pancreatitis
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/article-on-pancreatitis-for-uk-residents.194915/
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/a-primer-on-pancreatitis.83108/

And a link to syringe feeding. You may need to look at doing some syringe feeding.
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/a-primer-on-pancreatitis.83108/

Have they checked to see if your kitty had an infection of some sort....a UTI for example?
It is really important that you keep trying to feed your kitty as cats can’t go long without food without causes serious problems.
If you are not happy with your vets opinion...think about getting a second opinion.
Change your subject line and put in HELP after Pancreatitis in 8 month old kitten to attract attention.

keep asking questions. Hopefully more people will be online soon to help you

 

Tagging @Wendy&Neko for high calorie food suggestions since I can't remember off the top of my head.

The cerenia shot will only last 24 hours, you will want cerenia pills to take home to continue. We usually recommend cerenia + ondansetron (zofran) as well as an appetite stimulant, though I don't know if all that is fine for a kitten? Someone more experienced will have to confirm.

If you post the lab results we have a few people that can decipher it and see what's going on. Just because the vet says the bloodwork is normal doesn't mean it is (speaking from experience).

 

^ This.^ (Also speaking from experience, and from reading here about other members who had similar.)

I hope your little one feels better soon.


Mogs
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Yes, please post the lab results. The high fever has me concerned something else may be going on. Poor kitty.

 

Here is the report from the radiologist on his x-rays. I don't have the bloodwork, but she said it was all normal, it was run in-house so no special tests done. She did the x-rays, and since they looked "odd", she sent them to the radiologist for expert evaluation.

 

Don't have a copy of the bloodwork, but she said nothing was out of line, which was puzzling, which was why they did move on to the x-rays.
She gave him a shot of Covenia, which is an antibiotic that lasts 2 weeks.
He feels very warm this morning. Ate some, and is now sleeping again.

The 14 year old cat ate, and then immediately, forcefully, vomited it all up in one big vomit. Then he went and ate more. Hoping he keeps it down as he disappeared into the house somewhere, at least the vomit hit the laundry room floor today. Yesterday he vomited right back into the bowl, once. The day before he hit a rug. I am worried. Only seen him do this once before, a couple of weeks ago. What the heck...? If he was waiting and anticipating food, so his stomach was "triggered", then ate quickly, could that just cause this? It's the food he ate, ff pate, with extra liquid around the vomit.

 

Do you know what blood tests were done? I'm specifically wondering if globulins (GLOB on labs) were tested; that's usually part of a chemistry panel.

 

The receipt says CBC, Chemistry Panel, Electrolytes

 

I would ask to see the lab results yourself. I have some concerns about things this vet has told you that aren't usually true (like the low-fat diet for pancreatitis, that's for dogs--not cats). I have also never heard of pancreatitis in a cat that young.

 

If your kitten is running a fever and not eating, it may be worth biting the bullet and going to an emergency vet, especially if you think the cats got into something toxic.

 

managed to unzip the attachment she sent, found the bloodwork. Husband says they also looked at his blood under the microscope and the platelets looked fine.

IF he got into something, it was now a week ago. He eats when we spoon feed him, quite readily, but only when we hold it right under his mouth in a spoon. doesn't want to lick it up off the bowl.

 

Hi Gracie,

One possible reason for that might be nausea. Try raising his food and water bowls up a few inches so that he doesn't have to dip his head down, and see whether he might be more willing to eat/drink that way.

ETA: You could stick a few paperback books or similar under the bowls to raise them up.

Also, try mixing a couple of teaspoons of water into each meal. If you can keep his hydration levels up it might help him to feel a little better.


Mogs
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Maybe take both cats, in case they think it would be wise to also examine your older cat (after the vomiting)?


Mogs
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I agree with the ER suggestion if the kitten doesn't improve by tomorrow. The labs do look mostly normal, but obviously something is going on. I don't necessarily think the pancreatitis diagnosis is accurate; there isn't an fPL test in the labs and I don't think the pancreas was even visualized on the xray.

Is kitten fully vaccinated for FVRCP (feline distemper)? It has to be boosted at least once the first time. The symptoms to me point toward a viral issue more likely than pancreatitis.

 

yes, he's vaccinated for FVRCP. Was found by a rescue who gave him the first shot in August, got the second one in September.

No fPL because this was in house, day before NYE. Will call her tomorrow morning and see if she still has blood to send out for it.

We are mixing extra water in his food. We do that anyway for all cats, because of the 14 yo male, the one with all the health problems.

Also, fyi, he is an indoor-only cat. all three are. and no contact with strays through windows or anything. We also have two dogs who do go outside, of course, into the fenced yard. Houseplants are all in cat-proof cages and under cover (greenhouse-like things) to prevent cats from chewing on them ("oooh, salad!"). Very small chance he could have gotten a leaf that fell off and out of cage before I saw it, or something that came in on the dogs' feet, but we try to be really good about that. Cabinet with trash in it has baby-latch, as the 2yo opens doors, we use only basic cleaners and no scents or sprays (I'm sensitive). But kitten and 2yo are just on the prowl for something to get into that they shouldn't, 24/7, so it is possible that he somehow got into something. Don't know where a virus would have come from, either.

There is a specialty vet in the area. If little guy is not doing better by tomorrow morning, I guess we head to them.

 

Isn't the WBC off when pancreatitis is at play? His looks normal. A Snap fPL can be done in-house, a Spec fPL is sent out. Though where I live it took me five phone calls before I found a vet that carried the in-house test.

 

Sorry, I can't remember them off the top of my head either. And I'm in Canada, so don't have all the selection that is available in the US. For ideas for high calorie food, start with this food list which also lists calorie information.

 

It looks like bloodwork can appear fine even when the cat does have pancreatitis. It's also odd that he had such a high fever yet the bloodwork was essentially fine, also. His foot pads looked a little like they were heading towards "pillow feet", and the x-ray looked "odd" in an area of the upper small intestine, that's why she sent it off to the radiologic expert to get his diagnosis, which came back with the pancreatitis, as in the report I attached above.

This morning he felt really hot to me, but has cooled down some since. Hubby says his feet look better, tho still not quite normal. We've been helping him eat the food, with extra water, by spoon, every hour or two, and he's eating, even if just a few teaspoons full at a time. Has gotten up to pee in the litterbox twice. Had a very short mutual grooming session with the 2yo (they do this, tho it usually degrades into a wrestling match, the little monsters). Is now asleep again.

Will continue to try reading through the info you all have given me, above. I cannot imagine losing this little guy. We've had him 4 months. He's too cute and too sweet.

He's the white one, Yeti, the other is the 2 year old, Maggie.

 

Update: We continued to spoon feed him every hour or two all day and way into the night. He went pee twice during the day, and finally pooped once for the first time in nearly two days. By late last night he was clearly fighting nausea, he'd recoil from the food, then lean in and take a bite, recoil again, take another bite.....and when he did get up to walk and go to the litter box, he was walking stiff and a little hunched with small steps, like our old arthritic cat. So, I called the vet again, and they had us bring him in. They gave him another shot of Cerenia (which evidently burns like hell from the way he screeched) and then at my description of his movements and insistence, sent us home with pain meds to give him, six doses of buprenorphine and some cerenia pills for him. At 8 hours per dose of the pain med, we have enough for 2 days, 3 if we can stretch it, and the office isn't open Sunday or Monday.....and why did they give him a shot of cerenia that hurts so much if we could have just given him a pill?

I think we might need a new vet. Why didn't she give us pain med for him right off, if it is well known that pancreatitis is so painful? Why didn't she send home cerenia pills when he was barely eating to the point of it being dangerous for his liver and other organs? She saw and diagnosed him on New Year's Eve, knowing her office would not be open the next day, and he'd have to wait 2 days to get more meds for him?

She insists he needs the low fat diet, but everything I've managed to read says that's for people and dogs, not necessary for cats. And looking at the food chart here, the Hill's prescription i/d food is still 44% calories from fat, that's not low fat, is it?

I asked about the fPL test, at first she didn't know what I was asking, then she went, "oh, the C-PL test?" That's canine, right?

She's really sweet, but I'm getting the idea she's not great beyond the basics of pet care. We also have the older cat who was hyperthyroid, got the radioactive treatment and ended up hypothyroid now (which is fine, all indications were that his thyroid tumor was transitioning from benign to malignant, so over-killing it off is just fine with me) and her understanding of treating thyroid, dosing schedule, target range, etc, is not the greatest, either (have a really great cat-thyroid site, as well).

But....what I have managed to read seems to indicate we just ride it out at this point, keeping him fed and hydrated and treating for pain and nausea as needed. After getting properly medicated today, he has started eating much more, and moving around more until by dinner time he was actually playing with his buddy Maggie, the 2yo cat. Still running a bit stiffly, but he was indeed running and tumbling with her, when all he's done for a week is sleep. I hope he's not overdoing it and wearing himself out. But we are continuing to offer him food every couple of hours and he's continuing to eat it, so at least he should have energy for whatever he's doing.

So now I guess we just wait it out and hope it goes away completely, with no permanent effects, right?

 

Had to sit my head against the desk for a moment after reading that. Did she honestly not even know there was a feline version.

Yes, cerenia shots sting like crazy. I don't know if the shots are faster-acting than the pills or not, but if she thought he had pancreatitis she should have given you cerenia pills and bupe the first day.

I would find a new vet, it's common for vets to be inexperienced in things like diabetes but pancreatitis should be a little more straightforward. And it still doesn't sound like pancreatitis to me, though I could be wrong.

Not sure about the hunched walking, unless it's abdominal pain? It sounds like he's improving at least. If it IS pancreatitis and he is getting better I'd just be wary of it coming back in the future since it can become chronic and recognize the warning signs.

 

I would immediately start looking for a cat-friendly vet near you. It sounds like this vet knows absolutely nothing about cats, and pancreatitis is HIGHLY UNUSUAL in a cat that age--so much so that in my 4 years overseeing feline medical where we had easily gosh at least 50 kittens a year go through the system I *never heard of a kitten with pancreatitis*. I am suspicious if it is pancreatitis, it has an unusual cause, possibly an infection.

https://catfriendly.com/find-a-veterinarian/

Also yes cerenia injections sting--that's why most vets that know what they're doing inject it after doing fluid therapy into the fluid bubble, so the sting is diluted. Or they administer it in such a way that the cat doesn't scream. I've done it myself once with a very cantankerous senior cat, and he didn't scream.

 

Pancreatitis can sometimes cause severe pain in the back. That might make it uncomfortable to move around.


Mogs
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