Melissa and Sassy

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Ok, another day at the new job done and I am pleased to report that my fiance Bill has been doing his best to monitor Sassy and try and get her to eat.
He decided to dilute the baby food, since she was having no problem wanting to drink.
She ate about 2 teaspoons of food diluted today. Her number this evening after shooting her this morning is 108, no shot tonight.
Going to keep trying that, she is still lethargic but she is more alert and responsive, she responses to me when I talk to her.
Breathing a sigh of relief, this is the best news for me to come home to.
Thank you for all your ideas, researching and most of all prayers and support. We need all we can get right now.
I will rest again before I go to bed and report her numbers and if she has eaten more.
 
Oh BTW, I saw the posts about Pedialyte, I will stop tomorrow on my way home and grab some from the store. I wish I had been able to see the posts before I headed home from work.
 
@mfrancis69, so glad to hear she's showing some interest in water and food!

@Merlin, I get plain chicken with chicken broth baby food. No veggies or garlic or onions. I always have a jar on hand in case of emergencies.
 
I'm so happy to hear that Sassy is feeling a little better and has managed to eat something. :) That really is good news and must have made your day a whole lot better when you got home to hear about her progress! :)
 
mfrancis69 said:
Oh BTW, I saw the posts about Pedialyte, I will stop tomorrow on my way home and grab some from the store. I wish I had been able to see the posts before I headed home from work.
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Yes, do get the pedialyte. I suggest getting several.
 
I am wondering if there's a high calorie nutritional supplement like Nutri-Cal but without the sugars (corn syryup, molasses, etc) that Melissa could get tomorrow to feed Sassy.
 
So glad to hear that Sassy is responding when you talk to her & starting to eat! Keeping fingers & paws crossed for you ...:)
 
Feeding frequent small meals of kitten food (higher protein and fat for growth), like Fancy Feast Kitten Turkey & Giblet may help
 
She will not touch her cat food at all no matter how we make it.
She did eat a little more baby food (diluted). And she is drinking water on her own.
One thing that I did forget to mention, her breathing does not sound labored anymore.
She has the normal motor running, and still is responding to us talking to her.
Another day down, tomorrow's another day.
Goodnight all, and thank you for all your support, it really is appreciated.
 
Will she eat any dry food/treats? Some cats find these more tempting. Keep making kitty soup if that's what she'll drink. Its some calories at least. When max was very sick, I put dry food in his water and mashed it all up and he was able to drink that.
 
That's a really heartening update, Melissa.

Baby food's good news. If you can warm up the baby food/water slurry a little that might help. Maybe dilute the food with some warmed water, perhaps? (Not tried this method, but when Saoirse's a bit queasy warming the food seems to make it more appealing to her.)

Remember to pick up some Pepcid AC or Zantac 75 and maybe a cat-friendly B12 supplement (Vitacost?) when you're getting the Pedialyte. ;)

Wishing you a peaceful and refreshing sleep.



ETA: Now that she's drinking under her own steam it may make it easier for her to get the Pedialyte down easily when you get it to her.
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She will not touch her cat food or any treats. The diluted baby food was working yesterday. Today not so much.
It warmed my heart and gave me hope nut last night she climbed into bed with me to snuggle, a normal bedtime ritual.
She snuggles up like a child and I wrap my arm around her, she nuzzles my arm and touches my face.
Today no on the baby food. After Bill tried many things to get her to eat, he found a can of Newman's Own dog food in the back of the cabinet, and she ate it, at least some of it.
He didn't dilute it either, all good signs though.
Her number was high tonight at 315, after a morning shot but I attribute that to the fact her was trying any kind of food he could think of to get her to eat.
I gave her an evening shot and she is resting comfortably on my bed, waiting to snuggle at bedtime again.
 
Delighted to hear Sassy's snuggling with you and doing some 'Sassy things'. What a lovely image of her reaching out to touch your face. :)

How is she behaving around the food? Did you manage to get her some Pepcid? (I don't mean to sound like a scratched record, but I think it might help her with eating.)
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I'm so glad to hear she ate some food. Dog food may not be nutritionally complete for a cat, but it's food, and she needs food in her.
 
Whatever she can eat, that's what is important right now. I think Nutri-cal for cats or something similar would be worth a try. It is high in carbs but it also has vitamins and is a high calorie supplement. I have used Nutri-cal when my cats aren't eating and are ill to "jump start" them again. Just don't give too much if CKD is involved because of the high level of Vitamin A in it. But right now, she needs whatever nutrition she can get in.
 
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Thanks so much for the update, Rhonda. Great to hear the little one's still hanging in there. Did Melissa get anywhere with the Pepcid?
 
Hello Everyone, Sorry I have been off the grid for a few days. Thank you to Rhonda who has kept you update to date somewhat on everything that is happening.
Sassy is still alert, responses and still wants to climb into bed and cuddle with me. Not sure if the Pepcid was helping much, she still wasn't really eating anything.
Pedialyte failed, even diluting it she wouldn't touch the water if anything was in it, it is flavorless and odorless, not sure how she knows. So, I switched her back to water. Now she is drinking again.
Her sugar levels have been extreme high or extreme low. So not sure what is happening there. Just shooting as neccesary.
On a good note I got her to eat some canned dog food today. You can tell the things I bring her she has an interest in but then she turns up her nose and won't eat.
But she did eat some on her own even and I plan on giving her some fresh this evening for dinner. I still need to test her for the evening, and get dinner going for us.
Thanks for all your support and prayers.
Oh, also before I forget I found a vet close to my new job and have an appt to drop her off Monday morning, maybe we can find out what might be really happening.
I applied for Care Credit and with poor income over the last few years, I was declined. We will have to see what happens, they won't take payments either.
But after reading about the vet, I have a good feeling. Fingers crossed.
 
Very happy to hear about the new vet and Sassy eating and drinking whatever she can. Will continue to keep fingers and paws crossed.
 
What Cat Ma said.

Rooting for you both. :bighug: Assuming they're not contraindicated, push for anti-nausea meds with the new vet.
 
Well, one thing I liked about this vet is she doesn't push prescriptions. She also does some holistic treatment as well. Maybe without spending a fortune on meds, she can recommend things I can give her I already have.
 
I second the anti-nausea meds. I used Ondansetron which you can get at Costco (without a membership) pretty cheaply (like $0.33 a pill) and I used to give 1/4 pill twice a day, but it depends on the cat. I'm so glad you found a vet you might like, and I wish you The Best Of Luck with them.
The next time you get a 27, please test again in like 15 minutes to make sure she hasn't gone lower. 2 units is too much, obviously.
 
I second Dyana on a dose reduction. 2 units is way too much insulin. You want to find a dose you can shoot every 12 hours and the dose is based on the nadir, or low point, not the preshot numbers. It's hard to tell with the skipped shots, but even the 1.0 unit got her two low. How about trying something like 0.5 units?

Good luck with the new vet.
 
Thanks for keeping us updated, Melissa - we're sending you some AZ sunshine + healing vibes for Sassy. Hoping your experience with the new vet is a good one! :bighug:
 
I hope the new vet can help with Sassy. On a side note, this thread caught my attention because my sister's name is Melissa and her cat is named Sassy.
 
Ok, this week has been a busy one, but we are making progress.
Maybe the Pepcid helped but it took longer because WE HAVE APPETITE !!!! YEAH !!!
She is not eating a lot but she is eating, she nibbles on the canned dog food,
last night I changed her back to her canned food to see if we could ease her back into eating her normal diet, she ate some of that as well.
I am only giving her about a tablespoon at a time, so it doesn't go to waste but she eats most of it.
And during my quest to find something she would eat, I bought some dry cat food, what I used to feed her before she was diabetic, she ate almost a whole bowl,
again, not a large amount but what I gave her was almost gone when I got home from work yesterday.
Now I have to get her sugar back under control. I have only need to shoot her once a day because she is either off the charts or way too low.
I sure it has something to do with the food, but I am going to adjust the does today and see what happens.
Her vet visit is Monday, fingers crossed that this is the vet I need to dive deeper into what is going on.
I still think it is a parathyroid issue. But after mentioning that to the vet no one has tested that yet, go figure.

As for the pre-shot column, I got out of the habit of using it because I was offline so long that when I started recording again,I wasn't putting it in that spot.
I always test before a shot, and usually never test right after, waiting maybe at least an hour or two before testing again.
It is easier for me to track when I test the way I have it set up. I like knowing time frames etc.
 
Sassy is definitely more herself, I have had her confined to my room to keep the stress of the dogs and household day to away.
Before she would lift her head and meow but not much else. Yesterday, I came home from work and opened the door, she meowed and came running to me.
She is still weak, and wobbles a little but was happy to see me and wanted me to come in and spend some time with her.
I took her out int the livingroom, thinking she night want a little socialization, but only to sit her on my lap to watch some TV, she jumped down and wanted to go back to the room.
I guess not quite ready for all the commotion the dogs bring to the table.
 
mfrancis69 said:
Yes they finally came in the mail, but never got the emailed copy. At least I have what I need for her visit on Monday.
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Good. And I don't think I realized that you have dogs. I know you mentioned the dog food, but I never put it together. Who else do you have in your household? Inquiring minds want to know!
 
Sassy is the only cat and she is 16, we have a Maltese Chihuahua mix (Raider), she is going to be 19 this winter, and we have
a mischievous 3 1/2 year old German Shepherd, Shadow.
He is smart and protective, but always wants to play. He is like have a 2 year old in the house going through all of the curious stages and rebelliousness.
They all get along great. Sassy and Raider became family to each other 9 years ago and them being close to the same height the would play and chase each other.
Sassy has grown up around a dog in my previous marriage, they were the same age and grew up together, they were best of friends, so dogs don't bother her at all. She keep them in their place.
Shadow, although beautiful and extremely smart, he is our wrecking ball and only male pet. He is not fixed yet, maybe after that happens he will mellow a little.
He is gentle with Sassy and Raider, and they are all our fur babies, that we love like our children.
 
Houston, we have an eating kitty! Yessssssssss!!!



What a wonderful SITREP, Melissa! :D And such a relief. I hope you're doing OK yourself. The tone of your posts sounds so much brighter. :bighug:

I enjoyed hearing about your furry family. Scritches and fusses all round. :)


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Houston, we have an eating kitty! Yessssssssss!!!



What a wonderful SITREP, Melissa! :D And such a relief. I hope you're doing OK yourself. The tone of your posts sounds so much brighter. :bighug:

I enjoyed hearing about your furry family. Scritches and fusses all round. :)


Mogs
.
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Thank you, Yes, much less stressed, and hopeful that the new vet will shed some light on the drastic changes she has been going through.
 
I'm very glad to hear that, Melissa. Fingers and paws crossed that the new vet will be able to sort things out. You've done a wonderful job caring for your precious girl - and in such stressful circumstances: starting a new job is always a challenging time. :) :bighug:
 
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