Stoney
- Thread starter McKenzie LaPray
- Start date
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Like I said, if you want to go for the ultra fine 31 gauge then let’s go with U-100s and the conversion chart.
But forget all that for now. How is Stoney tonight?
But forget all that for now. How is Stoney tonight?
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Every day since October 24…
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Just came home from dinner, 2 hours after shot. 400 BG and 2.6 ketones. He still won’t eat.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Would any of his labs that I showed you tell if he has pancreatitis? Could that be why he’s turning away from food? He won’t even eat a piece of shredded cheddar cheese. He loves cheese!
I did just give him 2mg of ondansetron. The maropitant really didn’t make a difference other than make him mad. Giving him mirataz now.
I did just give him 2mg of ondansetron. The maropitant really didn’t make a difference other than make him mad. Giving him mirataz now.
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Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Ondansetron should be given at 4 mg. and can be given every 8 hours. I do believe it would be worthwhile to have him checked for pancreatitis, but that would be a specific test called a Spec fPl (feline pancreatic lipase test (not the rapid/snap test, but the one that has to be sent out to the lab.) Still, the treatment for pancreatitis is basically fluids, pain meds, anti-nausea meds like Cerenia or Ondansetron and possibly a reduced fat diet.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Just gave him the other half. Hopefully that’s okay. So, basically what you are saying is that it is pretty much the same treatment that we are doing now. Maybe it’s the food that he doesn’t like. He’s eating the treats like crazy.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Yes. If he can manage the treats then maybe he is just being a brat! That’s what I call my cats when they do that.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Is he getting pain meds? Maybe that’s the only thing that he would get for pancreatitis that he is isn’t getting now?
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Good morning! No pain meds. He really doesn’t seem to be in any pain but I know that cats hide it well.
Guess who ate all of his breakfast and started eating his siblings food all on his own just now. (It’s the same food he already gets, easier to switch them all) so I gave him a snack. He’s still working on it!
McKenzie LaPray
Member
He is definitely one of those most of the time…
McKenzie LaPray
Member
@Suzanne & Darcy - are these safe? Our Walmart only has the gerber “beef and gravy” with cornstarch added. I checked the beech-nut and these are all they have. It has broth. I just want to make sure before I send my husband to the store after work to pick some up!
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Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Are those the Beech Nut ones? I don’t see the cornstarch as an ingredient.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Yes! Those are the beech nut ones. I just want to make sure that they are safe to try!
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Yes. Definitely. They’re good. Low carb.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Well, baby food was a no go. He didn’t much of it at all. I’m not sure what to do at this point. Is there anything else we can try to stimulate his appetite?
squeem3
Very Active Member
Try the tips here: Suggestions on How to Stimulate Kitty's Appetite
Also this: THE '~LIVER SHAKE~' FOR SICK CATS
FortiFlora almost always works. It's super yummy and gets an inappetant cat to eat. A little sprinkle over food is all you need. Nutritional yeast, the kind sold in health food type stores, has the same effect as FortiFlora.
Does the Mirataz not help?
Did the vet confirm or rule out pancreatitis? If it's a bad pancreatitis flare up, hospitalization may be needed. My cat has needed that before.
Info - A Primer On Pancreatitis
Also this: THE '~LIVER SHAKE~' FOR SICK CATS
FortiFlora almost always works. It's super yummy and gets an inappetant cat to eat. A little sprinkle over food is all you need. Nutritional yeast, the kind sold in health food type stores, has the same effect as FortiFlora.
Does the Mirataz not help?
Did the vet confirm or rule out pancreatitis? If it's a bad pancreatitis flare up, hospitalization may be needed. My cat has needed that before.
Info - A Primer On Pancreatitis
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Fortflora has not been working. We’ve tried nearly everything on the list. Mirataz has been given everyday since October 24th. Vet didn’t mention pancreatitis. We unfortunately cannot afford another hospitalization as we have paid for numerous emergency care visits since September 25th.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Syringe feeding. Have you ever done that before? If not you may not have the supplies. Sometimes syringing in a little food will “prime the pump” and get them to eat more.
Ham baby food is usually the most appetizing.
A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top will
do it for many cats.
Forti flora sprinkled on food is very exciting for a lot of cats.
The “magic chicken dust (crushed up freeze dried chicken treats) helps a lot of my cats.
Ham baby food is usually the most appetizing.
A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top will
do it for many cats.
Forti flora sprinkled on food is very exciting for a lot of cats.
The “magic chicken dust (crushed up freeze dried chicken treats) helps a lot of my cats.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
We actually picked up syringes yesterday and he did not like it but I am willing to try again to the baby food. They did not have any ham baby food at our Walmart, so we got turkey and broth and beef and broth. Parmesan hasn’t worked and neither has fortiflora. The magic chicken dust kind of works, but not all the time. I’m really nervous that I can’t help him, and we cannot afford another emergency hospitalization.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
I have successfully syringe fed him about half a jar of baby food. Maybe that’s an excessive amount, but he needs the calories to flush the ketones. He did also get fluids today, 100mL.
squeem3
Very Active Member
Ask the vet if a feeding tube would be helpful to get much needed calories into your cat to try to prevent fatty liver disease on top of everything else. There info here on the different types of feeding tubes: Feeding Tubes For Cats
You can make your own baby food. Just poach some meat, put it into a food processor and blend with the cooking liquid to the consistency you need. Slightly warmed up food may be more appealing than cold or room temperature food.
Are you using Cerenia? That's available as in injectable which you can give as is or through the fluid line to lessen the sting.
You may want to also post in Health to get more tips on how to get food into your cat and general support
You can make your own baby food. Just poach some meat, put it into a food processor and blend with the cooking liquid to the consistency you need. Slightly warmed up food may be more appealing than cold or room temperature food.
Are you using Cerenia? That's available as in injectable which you can give as is or through the fluid line to lessen the sting.
You may want to also post in Health to get more tips on how to get food into your cat and general support
McKenzie LaPray
Member
We are using Ondansteron. Cerenia did not work for him at all
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Sometimes the juice from some tuna in water will help. In fact, you can take tuna and dump it in a bowl with some water and refrigerate for a day and make a lot of tuna water to drizzle on food.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
How about asking for some Gabapentin in case he has pancreatitis and has some level of discomfort. Gabapentin can come in liquid form or small compounded tablets. You can try 50 mg or 25 mg if that seems too much. One positive side effect of Gabapentin is that it also stimulates appetite.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
We actually haven’t tried the tuna yet. The smell makes me violently ill! Lol. But I’ll try it for him. I’ll grab some tomorrow.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
McKenzie, how much would you say he has eaten today… the total amount?
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
I’m sorry!
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Salmon juice works too. Any better?
McKenzie LaPray
Member
I’ll call the vet tomorrow morning and see if they can prescribe it. Every time we ask them to prescribe anything, they make us come in. It’s kind of a pain and an expensive one at that.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
It’s usually any type of seafood, but, I really am willing to try whatever I can!
McKenzie LaPray
Member
I have not been counting calories. It’s honestly too difficult when switching through several types of food. He ate at least 2 cans of FF. And just now about half a jar of baby food. I’m worried I gave it too fast and he may vomit. He hasn’t yet, since we brought him home from the vet, so I’m paranoid.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Fancy Feast Savory Salmon Feast will do it for a lot of cats.
I really think he could be a candidate for having pancreatitis. With my cat who was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis via the fPL test, he seems to have good days and bad days— even good mornings and bad afternoons (or more likely bad mornings and good afternoons). He waxes and wanes through the day. Some days he needs Zofran (Ondansetron) and Gabapentin and other days he seems to need nothing.
I really think he could be a candidate for having pancreatitis. With my cat who was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis via the fPL test, he seems to have good days and bad days— even good mornings and bad afternoons (or more likely bad mornings and good afternoons). He waxes and wanes through the day. Some days he needs Zofran (Ondansetron) and Gabapentin and other days he seems to need nothing.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Cerenia may not help for nausea/appetite but it’s great to prevent/reduce vomiting.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
That’s not too horrible for eating today.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
You’re right, it’s not too terrible, but I know he needs more to keep the ketones at bay. Luckily, he went down from 4.00 to 1.4. I will be checking them again in about 25 minutes which is +2 PMPS
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
I saw that. I was disheartened by the high ketones, but then kept reading your notes and was encouraged by the lower readings later in the day. It’s good that he goes down and is not perpetually in high ketones.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Yes, but I have been smelling it on his breath. That’s what prompted me to take him in on Monday
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Do you smell it even when the readings are lower?Yes, but I have been smelling it on his breath. That’s what prompted me to take him in on Monday
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
Because of his high ketones, I believe we need to increase his dose tomorrow as long as you can monitor his cycles as you normally do.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
I can smell it but just barely!
McKenzie LaPray
Member
I can monitor him tomorrow until +9. I absolutely have to leave the house and run errands. I haven’t left the house since we took him to the ER on Monday evening. I have been cooping myself up to monitor him, which I know isn’t healthy, but I suffer from severe anxiety, so it’s hard to leave him.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
He will be okay. By +6 you should have already a good idea of what’s happening so you would not have to worry.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Guess who ate nearly 75% of a can of FF?! I saw him licking the table and thought hmm maybe he’s hungry. We are trending down! He’s at 251 at +5.
I hope we can keep this up. We have a 4:30am alarm set to give him anti nausea meds before he eats.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Good morning! Stoney is 315 BG and 2.9 ketones this morning. He ate 1 1/2 cans of FF with some water added in (not too much or he won’t eat it!) all on his own. Fingers and toes crossed he stays like this today. I’d love to get more snacks and water in him. We did increase to 3.25 as best we could with the syringes we have. Looking into buying some with half markings today.
Reminiscing on old photos and all I can think to myself is “did he have diabetes this whole time? Has he been struggling for years?” I keep beating myself up. I know I am doing the best I can for him now and that’s what matters. Gosh, I love this boy so much. He’s been my cuddlebug since we got him. I work strictly from home since Covid and moving to the country so we spend almost all of our time together which I am so grateful for. But it really is so hard on your mental. All I can think about all day is how he is feeling, and constantly watching over him. Our vet told us on Monday night that he has never seen a pet parent be more thorough when it comes to managing an illness of a pet. He thought my spreadsheet was so impressive. I’m just so grateful to have found this community. You have all been so wonderful to me and Stoney. And I will forever be in debt to that. Here are a couple of pictures including him that I just love. He really is so funny!
Reminiscing on old photos and all I can think to myself is “did he have diabetes this whole time? Has he been struggling for years?” I keep beating myself up. I know I am doing the best I can for him now and that’s what matters. Gosh, I love this boy so much. He’s been my cuddlebug since we got him. I work strictly from home since Covid and moving to the country so we spend almost all of our time together which I am so grateful for. But it really is so hard on your mental. All I can think about all day is how he is feeling, and constantly watching over him. Our vet told us on Monday night that he has never seen a pet parent be more thorough when it comes to managing an illness of a pet. He thought my spreadsheet was so impressive. I’m just so grateful to have found this community. You have all been so wonderful to me and Stoney. And I will forever be in debt to that. Here are a couple of pictures including him that I just love. He really is so funny!
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You’re doing such a great job for him, McKenzie, and love the pics. I share a lot of those feelings too. Working from home is a blessing, all that extra time we get to spend with them. I’m sure they love that.
But you’re right it is hard some days with the mental. Overthinking about the past or the future, it’s tough. I don’t have the fix, but I just try to enjoy every day and know we’re doing the best we can for them.
But you’re right it is hard some days with the mental. Overthinking about the past or the future, it’s tough. I don’t have the fix, but I just try to enjoy every day and know we’re doing the best we can for them.
McKenzie LaPray
Member
Thank you so much Tim for your kind words. I’m really lucky to still have him! We were told if we didn’t bring him into the emergency room we probably would have lost him. I’m grateful I listened to my gut.
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
I love those photos!
Suzanne & Darcy
Very Active Member
McKenzie, you are doing everything for Stoney.
How is he doing today?
How is he doing today?
McKenzie LaPray
Member
He is doing very well today. Numbers are trending down, other than the 338 I just got at +9. Ketones look good. I tested them at +7 and they were at 0.6! He has eaten 2 1/2 cans of food today already!! I’m hoping he keeps that appetite up for dinner. This is him right now, very annoyed with me pricking his ear.
