need Murphy advice again

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Carol & Murphy (GA)

Carol & Murphy (GA)

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After a few days when I thought bounces were a thing of the past, he's got a big time bounce now
his pmps was 566 just now. When I tried to feed him, he ate some quickly - then vomited while he was eating a little mucous along with the undigested kibble - he then went to pee (ketones negative) but now he wont' look at food - I have about 30 minutes until I'm off schedule but not sure what to do - assuming he won't eat the rest of the night, how much insulin (I had already drawn up 3 units)
 
Hi Carol, wish I had an answer for you, but as you know I'm clueless. Do you think he kept any of the food down?
 
Well, I definitely wouldn't skip. Going into the night, on an empty tummy, I think I'd reduce (maybe 2/2.5) and continue to offer food. Maybe a favorite treat?

What are you thinking?
 
I think I'll wait another 10 minutes and see if he eats any more - if so, I'll give him full amount - if not, 2.5 Of course, as soon as I shoot, he'll gobble up the rest of the food (but it's not looking like it now)
 
The other day in your thread, Bobbie(I think) said how much they had to eat,I think it was a tablespoon, before you shoot. Does he like the Parmesan cheese or anything like that?
 
I haven't tried it yet The parmesan cheese (the good stuff) was moldy so I threw it out - we have some of the Kraft junk in a green container (not sure if it really is parmesan cheese or a bunch of artifiical ingredients - I'll try it and see what happens - so far, he's still not eating
 
I think that will be fine. You said he threw up because he ate quickly, have you tried feeding very small amounts at a time in a large bowl so he can't grab a mouthful all at once? I have to do that with one of my horses that gobbles food to fast, they can't throw up, so it can be very serious.
 
Sharon14 said:
I think that will be fine. You said he threw up because he ate quickly, have you tried feeding very small amounts at a time in a large bowl so he can't grab a mouthful all at once? I have to do that with one of my horses that gobbles food to fast, they can't throw up, so it can be very serious.
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Good idea, maybe just put a a tbsp. at a time and see how that goes.
 
He has eaten a little more so I decided to give him the whole 3 - since his bounce was the highest one yet!! Egad He doesn't really have a favorite treat now that he has diabetes - I got Pure Bites and Bonita flakes - he's not that interested in any of them I also got freeze dried salmon- not much of a response question on Pure Bites - are you supposed to re-hydrate them before giving it to the cats?
 
I don't think you have to rehydrate them. I give freeze dried chicken as a treat to my kitties just out of the bag.

Keep heart! I know that bounce was discouraging and his not eating was worrying, but it'll be okay!

Does he like tuna? Maybe a bit of tuna water (or a bit of tuna mixed in!). That's worked on mine before.

Don't stress. More than likely, he just needs a bit of time to recover from his tummy being upset. I have one kitty that vomits at least once a week (though it's been a little less often since we switched foods) but still fairly frequent. She eats, throws up, and walks away. She usually goes back about an hour later and eats more. Just needs some time to feel better I guess.
 
What about human tuna? I don't know about Pure Bites...
Also, I would just offer him food slowly until you go to bed. He seems like he's safe with at least some food in him, for now. No body wants to eat a whole bunch after barfing, so he probably won't seem too excited about anything for a bit.
 
Vanessa, wasn't it you that told me about the slippery elm bark? Do you think it could be of help to Murphy?
 
Yes! That was me. It's good for general GI and bowel problems/discomfort. If Murphy has a lot of tummy issues it would likely be soothing. Also nutrient rich so it's good for animals that aren't eating. I would definitely give it a try. Also, like pumpkin, it helps with diarrhea and constipation. It's a wonder bark!
 
William's Mom said:
Yes! That was me. It's good for general GI and bowel problems/discomfort. If Murphy has a lot of tummy issues it would likely be soothing. Also nutrient rich so it's good for animals that aren't eating. I would definitely give it a try. Also, like pumpkin, it helps with diarrhea and constipation. It's a wonder bark!
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I haven't tried it yet, Colin's constipation cleared up, but I've been reading about it and am going to get some for myself. All this worry about Colin has my stomach in knots!
 
Carol C said:
He has eaten a little more so I decided to give him the whole 3 - since his bounce was the highest one yet!! Egad He doesn't really have a favorite treat now that he has diabetes - I got Pure Bites and Bonita flakes - he's not that interested in any of them I also got freeze dried salmon- not much of a response question on Pure Bites - are you supposed to re-hydrate them before giving it to the cats?
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Carol, I have Stella and Chewy's dehydrated chicken, comparable to Pure Bites. I just give them out of the bag as a poke treat. My cats and dogs love them. The civvie gang is happy when Bubba has to get poked because they all get a treat!
 
Murphy hates tuna and has never been tempted by tuna water -- I tried giving him the dehydrated chicken and salmon just as a treat, and it seems so dry - same with the Bonita flakes I guess since I can't give him canned food (only dry) everything seems so dehydrating He had a small hairball this morning, and it takes him awhile to recover from that. I always used to give him hairball medicine, but I guess all of that is out of the question now? I wonder if slippery elm helps hairballs? I am definitely going to get some - thanks so much for the links I hesitate to bring this up, because I am quite skeptical about some (maybe most) homeopathic Rx, but I also use Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences - I don't give the Happy Tummy one every day (I should) mostly I'be been using the Easy Breather since he has seasonal allergies. The CRF slippery elm link talks about flower essences. I spray it on his brush a few times a day, and then brush him.. Hard to tell if there is an effect, but it can't hurt
 
Carol C said:
Murphy hates tuna and has never been tempted by tuna water -- I tried giving him the dehydrated chicken and salmon just as a treat, and it seems so dry - same with the Bonita flakes I guess since I can't give him canned food (only dry) everything seems so dehydrating He had a small hairball this morning, and it takes him awhile to recover from that. I always used to give him hairball medicine, but I guess all of that is out of the question now? I wonder if slippery elm helps hairballs? I am definitely going to get some - thanks so much for the links I hesitate to bring this up, because I am quite skeptical about some (maybe most) homeopathic Rx, but I also use Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences - I don't give the Happy Tummy one every day (I should) mostly I'be been using the Easy Breather since he has seasonal allergies. The CRF slippery elm link talks about flower essences. I spray it on his brush a few times a day, and then brush him.. Hard to tell if there is an effect, but it can't hurt
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Since you are concerned about everything being dry, then why don't you rehydrate the chicken and salmon and see if he likes it. My cats like it both ways. I am just using it as a quick no carb treat for him.
 
It's good to be skeptical, always research anything you're going to put in your kitties body, natural or not. But don't overlook something that can help just because it's natural. God gave us some amazing remedies! I didn't see any negative side effects when I looked up the slippery elm bark. As I said, I'm going to try it on myself and if it may lower Colin's numbers a bit, he may get some too!
 
Do you know Jackson Galaxy who does "My Cat from Hell" on Animal Planet? He has a line of spirit essences - mostly for things like aggression and bullying but a few for health related problems. They seem to be very safe - I don't really understand it - go to his website - I think it's www.Jackson Galaxy.com
 
I've never watched my cat from hell and now I've gotten rid of Directv and just have an antenna and netflix. Will check out the website though.
 
Sharon14 said:
The other day in your thread, Bobbie(I think) said how much they had to eat,I think it was a tablespoon, before you shoot. Does he like the Parmesan cheese or anything like that?
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Yeah, I believe it was Cindi (Merlin) who told me she felt safe to shoot if they eat at least a TBST. Also, in Think Tank a few weeks ago was the following discussion about does no food mean no insulin. Check it out, it was very enlightening about DKA being much more dangerous to our kitties than a hypo event.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/some-bad-advice-for-newbies.9070/
 
Yep - if Merlin can at least eat a tablespoon, then I am shooting. It seems that once his numbers go down a little, then he feels a little better to snack some more later in the cycle.
 
Yes, I panicked last night and gave him a mirtazipine - now he will eat for 3 days - he's ravenous - won't eat the Young Again though - so frustrating
I'm happy because his amps was 420 (not in black) and I see you had an almost yellow amps - good luck today, Sharon, are you going to take Colin to the vet to get clipped?
 
If she calls me today I'll try. Problem is, I have to work some today, so hopefully I'll be able to get it done. Yes a low 300 on a day when I may not be here to test and see how low he goes... Hopefully I'll finish up in town and get home by 1 or so. Glad Murphy is eating and had a lower AMPS.
 
Isn't that always how it goes (low when maybe you don't want it to be) but from the little reading I have done on Levemir, the nadir isn't for several hours (is there even a nadir)? so seems like you should be fine
 
I'm not too worried as he has never gone too low before, just would like to run a curve on a day when he may be a little lower than usual. Most of the time, if he gets 200's, the next day or two he goes high again.
 
William's Mom said:
Yes! That was me. It's good for general GI and bowel problems/discomfort. If Murphy has a lot of tummy issues it would likely be soothing. Also nutrient rich so it's good for animals that aren't eating. I would definitely give it a try. Also, like pumpkin, it helps with diarrhea and constipation. It's a wonder bark!
Click to expand...

What is elm bark? Buy it in a store?
 
William's Mom said:
Links for info on slippery elm. Also, there are some reports that it lowers BG in human diabetics by coating the intestine and interfering with the breakdown of carbs into sugars. It may be in my head, but it seems to have a positive effect on William's BG. Definitely helps with the tummy and poop problems.

http://www.holvet.net/slippery_soup.html
http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/slippery-elm/570
http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm
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Paula here are the links on Slippery Elm Bark. I think you have to go to a health food store maybe.
 
Yes, you can buy it in a health food store or online. The Tanya CRF site link give specifics about loose powder vs. capsules, where to buy on line, etc.. I bought mine in the loose form from the bulk section of my health food store. It's pretty widely used so it's available lots of places in capsule form ( like even Walmart, I think). Only problem with capsules is you can't mix it with water and make syrup because of the non-clumping agents, so you're left sprinkling it on food which is always more difficult with a cat, as we all know how picky they can be.
 
I didn't see it at Walmart or any pharmacy here. I'm going to try the local health food store, but they probably only have the capsules. Right now I think Colin will eat anything I put in front of him!
 
William's Mom said:
Yes, you can buy it in a health food store or online. The Tanya CRF site link give specifics about loose powder vs. capsules, where to buy on line, etc.. I bought mine in the loose form from the bulk section of my health food store. It's pretty widely used so it's available lots of places in capsule form ( like even Walmart, I think). Only problem with capsules is you can't mix it with water and make syrup because of the non-clumping agents, so you're left sprinkling it on food which is always more difficult with a cat, as we all know how picky they can be.
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Hi Vanesa, I am interested in trying this. How much are you putting into William's food and how often?
 
Health food store definitely has it. It tastes a little maple-y so maybe Colin will go for it if you sprinkle the capsule on his food. Cats like those malty sweet tasting things sometimes. And you can pop one yourself for your new feline diabetes stress tummy!
 
I have the loose powder so I mix a 1/4 to an 1/8 of a tsp and make a little slimy syrup and do it with an oral syringe two times a day when he's constipated, and down to one time for a little maintenance. I don't use it continuously, just for week or so long stretches, but that's more out of laziness than because there's anything dangerous about it. There is a recipe in one of those links that I have followed as well, but I have never given as much as they say to do because it's more for a cat that's seriously ailing, whereas William is just dealing with some digestion problems. I think it's best with these sorts of things to start slow and increase gradually so you can see what's working. He can get a sour belly from his pancreatitis and he appears to feel better after. William doesn't tend to get diarrhea, but it worked for his constipation gently and easily. He's got a bad situation in there so I'm realizing I'm going to have to be more consistent with it. I just get so bored of all the mixing and sprinkling etc.!
 
William's Mom said:
I have the loose powder so I mix a 1/4 to an 1/8 of a tsp and make a little slimy syrup and do it with an oral syringe two times a day when he's constipated, and down to one time for a little maintenance. I don't use it continuously, just for week or so long stretches, but that's more out of laziness than because there's anything dangerous about it. There is a recipe in one of those links that I have followed as well, but I have never given as much as they say to do because it's more for a cat that's seriously ailing, whereas William is just dealing with some digestion problems. I think it's best with these sorts of things to start slow and increase gradually so you can see what's working. He can get a sour belly from his pancreatitis and he appears to feel better after. William doesn't tend to get diarrhea, but it worked for his constipation gently and easily. He's got a bad situation in there so I'm realizing I'm going to have to be more consistent with it. I just get so bored of all the mixing and sprinkling etc.!
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I am so glad that you are getting a good result from it and thanks for the information!
 
William's Mom said:
I have the loose powder so I mix a 1/4 to an 1/8 of a tsp and make a little slimy syrup and do it with an oral syringe two times a day when he's constipated, and down to one time for a little maintenance. I don't use it continuously, just for week or so long stretches, but that's more out of laziness than because there's anything dangerous about it. There is a recipe in one of those links that I have followed as well, but I have never given as much as they say to do because it's more for a cat that's seriously ailing, whereas William is just dealing with some digestion problems. I think it's best with these sorts of things to start slow and increase gradually so you can see what's working. He can get a sour belly from his pancreatitis and he appears to feel better after. William doesn't tend to get diarrhea, but it worked for his constipation gently and easily. He's got a bad situation in there so I'm realizing I'm going to have to be more consistent with it. I just get so bored of all the mixing and sprinkling etc.!
Click to expand...
I think I'm going to try the powder, and put 1/8 tsp in a chicken flavored gelcap. I don't thin he would go for the syrup
 
Good idea! I didn't know there was such a thing as a chicken flavored gelcap. William saves his pills in his mouth and spits them out, but maybe a gelcap would dissolve before he got a chance.
 
Look at Murphy's numbers today - blues through +8 hours - but I'm so used to shooting in a red or a black, I'm going to be afraid to shoot 3 units at something lower
 
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