Sissy's feeding issues

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Mandy S

Member Since 2020
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/sissys-medical-issues.238424/#post-2681609

I decided to post here instead of Lantus board because I really don't have anything urgent going on and just want to get some thoughts on what's going on with Sissy. I linked her last post above, it's long but it's where we are coming from.

Sissy has been on the Ondansetron for 8 days now and the Cyproheptadin for 4 days. She is definitely more social and she is definitely starting to eat better. I haven't had to syringe feed her in a few days, thankfully. That was so awful because she was fighting and needed 2 people to do it to get any amount down her and then she'd hide and run from us. Force feeding wasn't helping her food aversion issues at all but did keep her blood sugar up after shots. She had a few days where she ate pretty well and then a day when she wouldn't touch anything, so I broke out the old dry food from before diagnosis and she ate that just fine. Acted like she was starving. :/ So I got online that morning and ordered Dr. Elsey's from Chewy. Rest of that day she would only eat that dry. Next day the Chewy order came...and she went nuts on the Dr Elsey food. So...I have been keeping that out and some wet food that we've found that she will eat fairly well and she free feeds. I make sure she's eating through the day, but other than that I just leave her alone. Except for her pills. She is not thrilled about having that shoved down her throat so she's not being as social, but she's not hiding. Her appetite is slowly improving. She isn't anywhere near what she used to eat, but maybe at least half or a little more than half...especially now with the dry food. I have not given her insulin since the PM cycle on the 16th. Her numbers have stayed down except for the day she was eating the old med carb dry food all day and it was just a little above top range I think. I'm going to get a few more tests in different spots today.

About her medical testing. The vet called to say the urine culture they sent out was normal...and she said her fructosamine was a little higher than she wanted it to be and to give her .25 insulin...then I mentioned that she hadn't had insulin for a few days and relayed the numbers and she said to hold off and to repeat the fructosamine next month. So I decided to try that...in all honesty, it's because I was just SO tired and the constant worry about making sure I had enough food in Sissy was not letting me get any sleep and the stress on her was I think making everything worse. She has been a much happier cat the last 48 hours or so. If her numbers warrant I will give insulin. The vet said that since she's eating better and improving she thinks we could hold off on testing further about her large adrenal glands. She just wants to see what Sissy does from here. I can tell you that most likely without the meds she's on, she won't eat. So I still feel like there is something wrong. BUT, since I fully intend to switch vets I will get a second opinion on that. I still can't believe our vet hung up on the cvs technician. The vm the vet left me said that the girl wanted some number ID from the vet because they couldn't find it in their system and the vet felt that it should be there and refused to give it. I'm just sick of the attitude so I'm done. :/

My purpose for posting I guess is just to hear thoughts on the meds and see if you think time will just keep improving her appetite. And also because I just feel stressed and alone with her. Worried I'm not doing all I can for her.
Also, how do you think her numbers look with no insulin?

Thanks :)
 
Hi Mandy. :bighug: Her numbers are looking good right now. Sometimes when cats eat while nauseous they develop food aversions to the foods they ate when nauseous. For some reason when Max first got pancreatitis he would only eat dry food. He wasn’t getting nausea medication because I didn’t think he was nauseous. I think it’s good she’s eating the dry food right now. You might also try some wet that she has never eaten later but for now I would not want to make that change. Keep up with the ondansetron and cyproheptadine. The cyproheptadine can be given twice a day. It’s good an infection was ruled out. Hang in there. It’s so hard when they aren’t well and you don’t have a vet that you have confidence in. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Hi Mandy. :bighug: Her numbers are looking good right now. Sometimes when cats eat while nauseous they develop food aversions to the foods they ate when nauseous. For some reason when Max first got pancreatitis he would only eat dry food. He wasn’t getting nausea medication because I didn’t think he was nauseous. I think it’s good she’s eating the dry food right now. You might also try some wet that she has never eaten later but for now I would not want to make that change. Keep up with the ondansetron and cyproheptadine. The cyproheptadine can be given twice a day. It’s good an infection was ruled out. Hang in there. It’s so hard when they aren’t well and you don’t have a vet that you have confidence in. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

I'm so glad to hear your thoughts. It makes me feel better! :bighug:

We were discussing her food aversion last night. Every time I set out some of her old foods she sniffs and raises her nose and just gets this disgusted look on her face and walks away. We said it's like we feel if we get sick and throw up....and then now want that food for a long time again. So what you're saying makes perfect sense. Too bad it happened right after that last $80 shipment. lol
 
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts. It makes me feel better! :bighug:

We were discussing her food aversion last night. Every time I set out some of her old foods she sniffs and raises her nose and just gets this disgusted look on her face and walks away. We said it's like we feel if we get sick and throw up....and then now want that food for a long time again. So what you're saying makes perfect sense. Too bad it happened right after that last $80 shipment. lol

You could try adding a little something to her old food to see if it tempts her to eat it again. Like a bit of the water that canned tuna comes in (spring water not brine) or a little of the actual tuna. I get Thrive chicken or tuna treats for my cats as they just are 100% chunks of chicken or tuna that have been freeze dried - they can be crumbled on to the top of food. The tuna ones are harder so I tend to blitz them to dust in the food processor and put a tiny sprinkle on the food. The tuna may work well here for you as it has quite a strong smell so may just tempt her. My cats have a bad habit of leaving some food then moaning 30 mins later for fresh but if I then sprinkle a bit of treat on what they left they will finish it off. I am not sure if you can get Thrive outside the UK but I have seem similar things mentioned on here - maybe Cosmo?
Best wishes to you both.
Gill
 
You could try adding a little something to her old food to see if it tempts her to eat it again. Like a bit of the water that canned tuna comes in (spring water not brine) or a little of the actual tuna. I get Thrive chicken or tuna treats for my cats as they just are 100% chunks of chicken or tuna that have been freeze dried - they can be crumbled on to the top of food. The tuna ones are harder so I tend to blitz them to dust in the food processor and put a tiny sprinkle on the food. The tuna may work well here for you as it has quite a strong smell so may just tempt her. My cats have a bad habit of leaving some food then moaning 30 mins later for fresh but if I then sprinkle a bit of treat on what they left they will finish it off. I am not sure if you can get Thrive outside the UK but I have seem similar things mentioned on here - maybe Cosmo?
Best wishes to you both.
Gill

I've tried all the tricks...she's not even wanting her freeze dried treats that she used to love. She will only eat things that are totally new...OR her old dry cat food, which she really should NOT have and hasn't since that one day I was desperate. I also have to be careful with fish. I try to avoid it because she does have food allergies that we can't figure out and is better when we stay away from it. I have had to give her some with fish oil in it lately just to get her to eat. She's such a little confusing wonderful mess. lol

@tiffmaxee Since I last posted, I gave her a can of Fancy Feast Pate Turkey something...and she ate about half of it and then when I tested her BG it was 145, which is higher than it's been in days. Is that normal for a cat not on insulin or is it considered out of the normal range even for a normal cat? I don't want to miss when/if she should be back on insulin. What should I look for?
 
If you got it from chewy they will give you a refund and either have you donate it or send it back. How much after she ate was the 145? Just like with us, eating will raise the bg for a few hours. If her pancreas is starting to revive two to three hours after eating it should come down.
 
If you got it from chewy they will give you a refund and either have you donate it or send it back. How much after she ate was the 145? Just like with us, eating will raise the bg for a few hours. If her pancreas is starting to revive two to three hours after eating it should come down.

I did get it at chewy. I'll try that.

The 145 was within an hour...hour and a half. I'll check her again later, see where she's at.
 
Well, I guess I spoke too soon about her numbers. She's higher tonight than she's been in the last 5 days. I guess she's going back on the juice in the morning. :/
 
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