Staci & Ivy
Very Active Member
Ivy has pancreatitis it seems. We had labwork yesterday which confirmed it.
It's been about 6 days of what's been going on. She began last Thursday with very loose stools and barely any appetite.
If followed her routine lab visit to check her T4 values last Tuesday as we are still working on her proper dosing to get T4 under control (hyperthyroid since last March 2024) (she gets sedatives of gabapentin and trazodone night before vet and labs as she is fractious at the vet), and again the morning of appointment and I was fasting her and giving a 1/2 dose night prior and skipping insulin morning of appointment (so if she dove lower, and I didn't have food in her system it's a bad result, been there done that).
I won't fast her and give insulin, doesn't work for her.
Friday I took her back to the vet after I had begun treating her with Ondansetron 4 mg and mirtazipine (1/2 dose, which has worked in the past), S Boulardi 1/4 capsule 4x daily, Animal Essentials Colon Rescue (worked in past when she's had loose stools).
She still wasn't eating and stools were very loose. Vet ran the remainder of bloodwork from Tuesday's blood draw and all looked fine.
I added Cerenia 12 mg on Friday night, she puked within 10 minutes. She also puked 2 other times Friday night.
By Saturday, she was so lethargic I took her to the ER at 3 pm as she hadn't peed or pooped all day, I was very worried. They gave her fluids and told us to continue with same meds (included with Cerenia). She peed on the table at the ER!
Sunday same situation. She's just been lying in a dark room with her head in a corner. Wants to be left alone. I eliminated the Ondansetron since she was lethargic and I felt it was making her too sedated.
By yesterday, still not eating and I have mostly been syringe feeding since last week to get food in her and giving a full dose of insulin (3.5 Fat dose Lantus)
She has some form of IBD, we feed a homemade diet of lamb and sweet potato with supplements, formulated by a nutritionist.
Her stools have become better since last week, still soft, but somewhat formed. At least the mushy poop is gone.
She is peeing, just not as much as her normal (3 times a day instead of 4-5).
Last night was a long night of lower numbers on Ivy’s Libre so there was some MC carb feeding going on. Syringe fed when necessary.
I gave a very slight reduction this morning from a fat dose of 3.5 F down to 3.5 units. I’d like to reduce a little bit of the diving until she eats better.
Last night I syringe fed her dinner again, which takes a long time. Yesterday was somewhat lower BG cycle on her Libre.
We did go to the vet yesterday and got fluids and did more lab work to see what’s going on why her appetite is still diminished
This morning she ate a little bit of her regular lamb diet and then stopped, so I offered a combo of 14% +2% (8%) Fancy Feast just to get her to eat something and she ate about the can’s worth. I gave the same thing an hour later a little bit just as a snack. Will offer more of that over the next couple hours as insulin onsets.
I hate feeding her canned food, but I need her to eat, so that’s more important.
I did get some Hills A/D from the vet. I will try feeding that tonight to see if that's a better choice.
I did give a full dose of the mirtazapine last night and so far it hasn’t made her ravenous. Just hoping for some real interest in eating.
Still giving Cerenia 12 mg 1x daily and Jarrow’s S Boulardi 4x a day (1/4 capsule).
(We haven’t had any vomiting since Friday night, knock wood).
BM is a little softer than a day or so ago, still a bit formed. Not normal yet.
With pancreatitis, how long until they feel better and eat better?
She’s still pretty much just wanting to sleep and be left alone in the corner. Not her normal behavior she did jump up on the one or two times overnight on the sofa and lay down next to me on the pillow so that was good, but not as much as she normally does.
I did pick up some fluids to try to give to her (have never done it with her before, so that will be tricky).
I've done them about 17 years ago with my former cat who was very, very chill, the opposite of Ivy!)
I am out of practice.
So, anything I should be doing or asking of the vet to get her turned around and eating better?
Also, any pet thermometers and ketone meters recommended for monitoring??
(she's never had DKA but just want to be cautious and monitor if needed).
Any suggestions are appreciated!!
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
It's been about 6 days of what's been going on. She began last Thursday with very loose stools and barely any appetite.
If followed her routine lab visit to check her T4 values last Tuesday as we are still working on her proper dosing to get T4 under control (hyperthyroid since last March 2024) (she gets sedatives of gabapentin and trazodone night before vet and labs as she is fractious at the vet), and again the morning of appointment and I was fasting her and giving a 1/2 dose night prior and skipping insulin morning of appointment (so if she dove lower, and I didn't have food in her system it's a bad result, been there done that).
I won't fast her and give insulin, doesn't work for her.
Friday I took her back to the vet after I had begun treating her with Ondansetron 4 mg and mirtazipine (1/2 dose, which has worked in the past), S Boulardi 1/4 capsule 4x daily, Animal Essentials Colon Rescue (worked in past when she's had loose stools).
She still wasn't eating and stools were very loose. Vet ran the remainder of bloodwork from Tuesday's blood draw and all looked fine.
I added Cerenia 12 mg on Friday night, she puked within 10 minutes. She also puked 2 other times Friday night.
By Saturday, she was so lethargic I took her to the ER at 3 pm as she hadn't peed or pooped all day, I was very worried. They gave her fluids and told us to continue with same meds (included with Cerenia). She peed on the table at the ER!
Sunday same situation. She's just been lying in a dark room with her head in a corner. Wants to be left alone. I eliminated the Ondansetron since she was lethargic and I felt it was making her too sedated.
By yesterday, still not eating and I have mostly been syringe feeding since last week to get food in her and giving a full dose of insulin (3.5 Fat dose Lantus)
She has some form of IBD, we feed a homemade diet of lamb and sweet potato with supplements, formulated by a nutritionist.
Her stools have become better since last week, still soft, but somewhat formed. At least the mushy poop is gone.
She is peeing, just not as much as her normal (3 times a day instead of 4-5).
Last night was a long night of lower numbers on Ivy’s Libre so there was some MC carb feeding going on. Syringe fed when necessary.
I gave a very slight reduction this morning from a fat dose of 3.5 F down to 3.5 units. I’d like to reduce a little bit of the diving until she eats better.
Last night I syringe fed her dinner again, which takes a long time. Yesterday was somewhat lower BG cycle on her Libre.
We did go to the vet yesterday and got fluids and did more lab work to see what’s going on why her appetite is still diminished
This morning she ate a little bit of her regular lamb diet and then stopped, so I offered a combo of 14% +2% (8%) Fancy Feast just to get her to eat something and she ate about the can’s worth. I gave the same thing an hour later a little bit just as a snack. Will offer more of that over the next couple hours as insulin onsets.
I hate feeding her canned food, but I need her to eat, so that’s more important.
I did get some Hills A/D from the vet. I will try feeding that tonight to see if that's a better choice.
I did give a full dose of the mirtazapine last night and so far it hasn’t made her ravenous. Just hoping for some real interest in eating.
Still giving Cerenia 12 mg 1x daily and Jarrow’s S Boulardi 4x a day (1/4 capsule).
(We haven’t had any vomiting since Friday night, knock wood).
BM is a little softer than a day or so ago, still a bit formed. Not normal yet.
With pancreatitis, how long until they feel better and eat better?
She’s still pretty much just wanting to sleep and be left alone in the corner. Not her normal behavior she did jump up on the one or two times overnight on the sofa and lay down next to me on the pillow so that was good, but not as much as she normally does.
I did pick up some fluids to try to give to her (have never done it with her before, so that will be tricky).
I've done them about 17 years ago with my former cat who was very, very chill, the opposite of Ivy!)
I am out of practice.
So, anything I should be doing or asking of the vet to get her turned around and eating better?
Also, any pet thermometers and ketone meters recommended for monitoring??
(she's never had DKA but just want to be cautious and monitor if needed).
Any suggestions are appreciated!!
@Bron and Sheba (GA)
