11/2 Radar - numbers are too high but new medication seems to be helping

Jan Radar (GA)

Member Since 2015
My last post a couple of weeks ago

I thought an update was a good idea today.

A couple of weeks ago we had a bit of a scare and thought Radar had eaten something inedible and that it was possibly stuck in his throat... He was wheezing just a little so that scared us... :nailbiting: of course it was Saturday night so rather than take a chance we whisked him off to the ER to make sure he was ok. They did an xray and checked him over and said he was fine. The ER vet advised me to follow up with my regular vet because they could see on the xrays that his intestines were inflamed and irritated. When my regular vet looked at the xrays, she agreed that we need to do more to help him feel better. Because he's a diabetic and can't have steroids, she said the best we can do is give him Budesonide which will help reduce the inflammation. She said it may take some time but is hoping the medication will help him.

Radar has been on the Budesonide for a week now. We were helping Radar get enough calories with our syringe pretty much every night before bed but as the days went by this week he was able to eat more and more consistently on his own. Today the LB has a normal sausage shaped poop - the first one I've seen in quite a while. :woot: I feel hopeful today that we're on the right track to treat his issues and am also hoping that his numbers will start to come down with the improved control over the inflammation.

I did ask the vet about the possibility of testing Radar for a high dose condition since he seems to need so much insulin. She agreed that this is a good idea and will get back to me about the cost and when we need to do a blood draw to send to Michigan.
 
A couple of weeks ago we had a bit of a scare and thought Radar had eaten something inedible and that it was possibly stuck in his throat... He was wheezing just a little so that scared us...
How scary.

Good to hear from you! The a/d may be causing the higher numbers (vs. the bupe), but good for getting the additional calories into him. The bupe, if liquid (oral) could have sugar in it too.

Feel better Radar :bighug::cat::bighug:
 
How scary.

Good to hear from you! The a/d may be causing the higher numbers (vs. the bupe), but good for getting the additional calories into him. The bupe, if liquid (oral) could have sugar in it too.

Feel better Radar :bighug::cat::bighug:
Thanks for the feel better hugs. He seems to be feeling a little better each day. The Budesonide is a tablet (not a liquid) given 1x a day. My friend who's an allergy and asthma Dr says is an excellent medication used for asthma patients to reduce inflammation in the lungs. I see that one of the side effects - in people anyway - is to raise blood sugar so a diabetic could need more insulin. :arghh: At this point in our journey, I'm happy when he'll eat anything on his own with consistency. However, when he needs help to eat our syringe is an excellent option. He actually doesn't mind the process. He will purr when we lift him up to the kitchen counter and even helps us by licking the drips so they don't get on the counter. He seems to be happy that we finally figured out he needs help because he's hungry and really wants to eat.
 
I'm glad he's feeling better. Have you thought to switch Radar to novel proteins? If this is something inflammatory, novel proteins may help.
Your idea is a good one and is something I would be willing to try. Any suggestions you can make about reputable companies who make such foods would be appreciated.
 
The food is pricey but the quality is excellent -- ZiwiPeak. They have both venison, rabbit and lamb, and lamb which I'm guessing would be novel proteins for Radar. They do not use any gums or carrageenan. It's available both on Amazon and Chewy's.
 
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