Tanya and Ducia
Member Since 2017
small builds built Olimpics.
I again urge to test and post but mainly to let me know if extra syringes for feeding/ medicating will help.
Food brands high in calories to gain weight!
- Thread starter Jena4277
- Start date
- Status
I again urge to test and post but mainly to let me know if extra syringes for feeding/ medicating will help.
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
@Critter Mom she just vomited again. May have to take her into vet for IV fluids tomorrow.
Critter Mom
Member Since 2014
billysmom (GA)
Member Since 2015
I bit into a pepsid tablet once. It was BAD. My mouth foamed and I thought I might throw up. It would be best if you could hide it somehow. When I gave it to my cat I wrapped it in a small amount of cheese and he pretty much swallowed it whole. It was small, only a 1/4 of a tab so it didn't take much cheese.
Last edited:
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
She was getting her apetite back after the vet gave her a cerenia shot on saturday morning. She ate a good amount sat and sunday and even over night last night.
I pilled her this morning with a 1/4 tablet per my vet, and clavamox for her UTI and insulin. I just got a text that its possible she vomited.
hi. Vet gave Abby a cerenia shot that lasted two days and gave me pills too. She ate more on Sat and Sunday, not a huge amount, but definitely was seeking out food.
A couple of problems arose: she has not pooped since Saturday. Her stool on thurs and Friday when she wasn’t eating was very soft (not runny), smelly and light brown/yellowish. She hasn’t had a normal stool since. I have added water to her food as always and she has been peeing normally as far as I can tell.
According to my mother, she vomited today and was exhibiting seclusion behaviors. I came home and she went to eat at her bowl for quite a while, groomed her body, and now is curled up asleep on my bed.
I called my vet just now. According to her there are so many variables with her that it’s hard to tell what the vomiting is from. She had no ketones in her urine (phew) but like I said kidney and thyroid values are elevated slightly.
She told me to stop giving the UTI meds bc it’s just Trace bacteria and she can’t tell if that clavamox is what is making her sick. All in all, my vet just doesn’t know. She said to tackle the constipation issue with this laxative paste she has at the office. What would work faster - paste or pumpkin?
She said to try a curve bc maybe the PZI is affecting her. I have only been giving highest 1.0 since she has been eating more. Last thurs and fri I gave .5. I can’t do a curve bc of work - is a curve at night better than no curve at all? I can’t do one until Saturday ...
Also debating whether or not to go to get an ultrasound ($$$) tonight. My vet said it would just show masses or blockages and not really diagnose her vomiting issues.
The constipation is what is worrying me the most right now.
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
@Critter Mom updates:
I gave lactulose, she didn’t take full dose, and like a 1/8 tsp of miralax around 6. ...she just pooped a normal poo at 9...
I may expect more tomorrow
due to the dose I gave her as I suspect three hours is a little too fast for it to do it’s job....not sure.
Her eating routine is all crazy. She eats right before and right after her shot time but I give it anyway bc she is high. Testing in the lower 400s, and for months she tested in the lower 300s at shot time, so this is a scary change. Im trying to be optimistic with ProZinc. Just giving her 1u until i can curve her...
She ate just about a can and a half over the course of today. The most she’s eaten in a week. Idk what that vomit was. The shot seemed to work better than the pill but I guess it’s holding her for now.
I gave lactulose, she didn’t take full dose, and like a 1/8 tsp of miralax around 6. ...she just pooped a normal poo at 9...
I may expect more tomorrow due to the dose I gave her as I suspect three hours is a little too fast for it to do it’s job....not sure. Her eating routine is all crazy. She eats right before and right after her shot time but I give it anyway bc she is high. Testing in the lower 400s, and for months she tested in the lower 300s at shot time, so this is a scary change. Im trying to be optimistic with ProZinc. Just giving her 1u until i can curve her...
She ate just about a can and a half over the course of today. The most she’s eaten in a week. Idk what that vomit was. The shot seemed to work better than the pill but I guess it’s holding her for now.
Critter Mom
Member Since 2014
Re the Clavamox, antibiotics can sometimes cause GI upsets. (They certainly can in humans!)
Constipation can be one cause of vomiting. Learn more about constipation and general gut health at:
felineconstipation.org
Glad Abby is eating a bit better.
Mogs
.
Constipation can be one cause of vomiting. Learn more about constipation and general gut health at:
felineconstipation.org
That is often a sign that fat is not being digested properly and it might point to problems with the pancreas. Did your vet run a Spec fPL test for pancreatitis at all?
For future reference, a Cerenia injection only gives anti-nausea cover for 24 hours, not 48 hours.
Glad Abby is eating a bit better.
Mogs
.
StephG
Member Since 2016
Just wanted to share a trick that helped me pill an impossible cat. I crushed it and mixed it with watered down pate and basically syringe fed him to get it down. Tastes better than just water and the pill. Well, I'm assuming that but the lack of summoning the devil afterwards was proof enough for me.
I'm not sure if anyone answered yet, but a curve at night is a good start. You can do spot checks or curves during the day when you have a day off.
With prozinc, the +2 or +3 number will usually tell you if you'll have an active cycle. Meaning you will see a nice reduction in BG numbers that cycle, in a perfect world they won't be too much or too little... But here we are in a much less than perfect world
I hope you can figure out her health issues and get her eating normally on a regular basis.
Edited to add: my cat needed to gain weight too. I fed him 2 cans a day with snacks of Young Again Zero Mature dry food. That stuff is calorie dense and really started his weight gain. Took us 7 months to gain 2 pounds. If you have a kibble addict it might not be a good idea because she might not want wet food again. But if she will eat both and be happy with some dry snacks it could be worth looking into once you get her current health issues settled.
I'm not sure if anyone answered yet, but a curve at night is a good start. You can do spot checks or curves during the day when you have a day off.
With prozinc, the +2 or +3 number will usually tell you if you'll have an active cycle. Meaning you will see a nice reduction in BG numbers that cycle, in a perfect world they won't be too much or too little... But here we are in a much less than perfect world
I hope you can figure out her health issues and get her eating normally on a regular basis.
Edited to add: my cat needed to gain weight too. I fed him 2 cans a day with snacks of Young Again Zero Mature dry food. That stuff is calorie dense and really started his weight gain. Took us 7 months to gain 2 pounds. If you have a kibble addict it might not be a good idea because she might not want wet food again. But if she will eat both and be happy with some dry snacks it could be worth looking into once you get her current health issues settled.
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
@Critter Mom @Tanya and Ducia
Hi again. Not sure where to start. The nausea seemed to subside and Abby was ravenous for about two weeks, back to normal. Then this weekend her appetite has diminished, but she’s not doing the same signs of nasuea as before...she is begging for food, and then when I give it, she eats a dime amount and walks away. She comes to the kitchen for table scraps every night I am cooking bc she smells it. She will eat a few and walk away. She does not eat nearly enough at shot time but I still have to give it in hopes that within the hour she revists the bowl. By the time I get home, it is 90% empty so she has eaten a whole can. My mom says she does come down for food, but only eats for a second and walks away. We heat up the food, add water to it, sprinkle some cheese on top, added can chicken at one point to entice her, all sorts of things. But I cannot get her to eat a normal meal for a good 3-5 minutes. She has not gained any weight and is still an emaciated 6lbs.
She has also been very active. All over the house, jumping up on furniture like it’s no problem, wanting to go outside to play, down the cellar where her old litter box used to be...I’m not sure what is going on with her.
She is pooping normally. She does still vomit ocassionally, at the same time at night at about 1am with no food in her stomach.
The new insulin has been a rollercoaster. I have no idea what happened Sunday to give her a hypo event although she turned out ok. I was very sick this past week with bronchitis in bed so I did my best to test her when I could and was shocked on Sunday and was thinking the NyQuil I took was giving me four eyes.
She is currently meowing for food when she has a full dish in her room that she hasn’t touched. This is the same food she always has had. Any suggestions? Should I try a different brand? I have no idea anymore.
More blood tests? Her last one was first week in December....wait a couple days to see if things change? Idk.... any support appreciated.
Hi again. Not sure where to start. The nausea seemed to subside and Abby was ravenous for about two weeks, back to normal. Then this weekend her appetite has diminished, but she’s not doing the same signs of nasuea as before...she is begging for food, and then when I give it, she eats a dime amount and walks away. She comes to the kitchen for table scraps every night I am cooking bc she smells it. She will eat a few and walk away. She does not eat nearly enough at shot time but I still have to give it in hopes that within the hour she revists the bowl. By the time I get home, it is 90% empty so she has eaten a whole can. My mom says she does come down for food, but only eats for a second and walks away. We heat up the food, add water to it, sprinkle some cheese on top, added can chicken at one point to entice her, all sorts of things. But I cannot get her to eat a normal meal for a good 3-5 minutes. She has not gained any weight and is still an emaciated 6lbs.
She has also been very active. All over the house, jumping up on furniture like it’s no problem, wanting to go outside to play, down the cellar where her old litter box used to be...I’m not sure what is going on with her.
She is pooping normally. She does still vomit ocassionally, at the same time at night at about 1am with no food in her stomach.
The new insulin has been a rollercoaster. I have no idea what happened Sunday to give her a hypo event although she turned out ok. I was very sick this past week with bronchitis in bed so I did my best to test her when I could and was shocked on Sunday and was thinking the NyQuil I took was giving me four eyes.
She is currently meowing for food when she has a full dish in her room that she hasn’t touched. This is the same food she always has had. Any suggestions? Should I try a different brand? I have no idea anymore.
More blood tests? Her last one was first week in December....wait a couple days to see if things change? Idk.... any support appreciated.
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
I AM also considering spending the money on an ultrasound and seeing if there is any mass on her brain causing her to revert back to her “younger years” when I say she is jumping all over, she couldn’t jump up on furniture for a year bc of her painful arthritis and now she is jumping like she has no pain. I am wondering if she has a pituitary tumor or something causing her to act so differently.
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
@Critter Mom @Tanya and Ducia
Hi again. Can u check my spreadsheet? Twice now that she has been too low for a dose. I read in the stickies that skipping doses on PZI isn’t the best thing. I am going to try .75 for a couple of cycles instead of the 1. Her eating is so inconsistent that I’m not sure what to do.
Hi again. Can u check my spreadsheet? Twice now that she has been too low for a dose. I read in the stickies that skipping doses on PZI isn’t the best thing. I am going to try .75 for a couple of cycles instead of the 1. Her eating is so inconsistent that I’m not sure what to do.
Critter Mom
Member Since 2014
Hi Jena,
My own health isn't great so I've only just seen your posts.
Re the increased activity levels, I'd suggest asking your vet to do some blood work including a check on thyroid levels (hyperthyroid kitties can become very active - just throwing ideas out here).
Re the inconsistency when it comes to eating if Abby is hungry but only eats very little that can be a typical behaviour in a cat who has nausea issues. I'd suggest asking the vet about ondansetron or Cerenia to help with that assuming that she's pooping easily and regularly, otherwise get the vet to double check for any signs of constipation as that, too, can lead to nausea and reluctance to eat (and sometimes vomiting). Note that some vets can be hesitant about prescribing ondansetron or Cerenia if a cat isn't vomiting much but just because a potentially nauseated cat doesn't vomit most of the time those medications can be extremely beneficial when non-emetic nausea is creating difficulties sufficient to leave a kitty unable to eat enough.
I can't help on the PZI side of things as I've never used that insulin. I suggest you start a new thread on the Prozinc/PZI ISG board and include a link to this thread in the opening post o members can get a feel for Abby's history. It's a very friendly group with some experienced members who should be able to help you on that side of things. Here's the link to the group:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/prozinc-pzi.24/
Mogs
.
My own health isn't great so I've only just seen your posts.
Re the increased activity levels, I'd suggest asking your vet to do some blood work including a check on thyroid levels (hyperthyroid kitties can become very active - just throwing ideas out here).
Re the inconsistency when it comes to eating if Abby is hungry but only eats very little that can be a typical behaviour in a cat who has nausea issues. I'd suggest asking the vet about ondansetron or Cerenia to help with that assuming that she's pooping easily and regularly, otherwise get the vet to double check for any signs of constipation as that, too, can lead to nausea and reluctance to eat (and sometimes vomiting). Note that some vets can be hesitant about prescribing ondansetron or Cerenia if a cat isn't vomiting much but just because a potentially nauseated cat doesn't vomit most of the time those medications can be extremely beneficial when non-emetic nausea is creating difficulties sufficient to leave a kitty unable to eat enough.
I can't help on the PZI side of things as I've never used that insulin. I suggest you start a new thread on the Prozinc/PZI ISG board and include a link to this thread in the opening post o members can get a feel for Abby's history. It's a very friendly group with some experienced members who should be able to help you on that side of things. Here's the link to the group:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/prozinc-pzi.24/
Mogs
.
Kris & Teasel
Member Since 2016
I suggest you do a curve at the 1 u dose this weekend to get a feel for its full action over a cycle. It's hard to know what it's doing with very little middle of the cycle data. You also need to build up enough data to know how low your "no shot" number can safely be so you don't skip shots unnecessarily. When you get a PS like your recent 162 you can stall without feeding for 20 minutes or so, retest and if the BG is rising, give the full dose. You can repeat this stall up to 3 times for a total of an hour's delay in shot time. You also have the option of giving a reduced dose at a lower than expected PS. There are no carved in stone rules, just things to try, get the data, build up your SS and use it to make decisions the next time you encounter a similar situation. You can also post for advice.
So sorry to hear of the difficulties you're having right now. I know how frustrating this can be because I've been there several times over. I'm curious as to why the vet felt that an ultrasound would not be able to explain the vomiting? If there are any enlarged thickened intestinal walls, or inflamed lymph nodes it certainly could explain vomiting, as seen in IBD cats. After having an IBD cat (second one now) I always ask for an abdominal ultra sound to be done.
Jena4277
Member Since 2017
THANks for you’re response. Has stopped vomiting and is back to eating a good amount again. But she is not gaining any weight. I am worried she will starve to death. I am on new PZI insulin and the pretests are just not as low as I thought they’d be this far in. Doing a curve this weekend to see if I should up the 1u dose.
Kris & Teasel
Member Since 2016
A curve at the 1 u dose will give you good baseline data. It's hard to say right now whether that dose is OK or needs to go up. I suggest you post on the ProZinc forum where you can get more specific help with dosing.
- Status