12/30 Xander AMPS 185 +3 84 +4 73 PMPS 127 - Diagnosed Pancreatitis

I've never tried just the jelly. How'd you give it and how much?
I had a couple that used to get regular hairballs till I gave Colon Rescue for a while. But I like this idea. It's that all that was wrong, causing him not to eat? How did the vet figure it was that and nothing else without the ultra?
 
Despite the hairball and his appetite improving, the vet called with his labs back and he has pancreatitis. She thinks since he has a history of this waxing and waning in appetite it may be chronic.

All other labs were pretty good for his age, his kidney values were a little high but he was a bit dehydrated when we went in from him eating less. We will monitor that.

I feel overwhelmed all over again ☹️ I'll start researching this condition today. Any have any helpful advice?
 
Poor, little Xander. That's one illness I haven't had to deal with yet, but I know others here have. Maybe put a '?' on the thread to get some attention from people who have gone through this
 
Oh I’m sorry, it does explain some of the issues you’ve been having. Here is some really good info to read Info - A Primer on Pancreatitis

you’re already doing a bit of it with anti-nausea meds but pain meds as well like buprenorphine can often help. Hydration is important, especially if Xander is vomiting, sorry I haven’t read back that far to see if that’s an issue or whether he just sometimes seems nauseous. You may need to ask for sub-q fluids to administer at home.
 
Yesterday she prescribed cerenia. I haven't given him anything yet because he is back to eating really well yesterday and today. Should the meds only be given as needed when I notice his appetite dip?

This was the first time he had a week long stretch of low eating and one severely low day. Usually he will have one or two days below average and then his appetite will pick up the next day.

He usually does not vomit other than for hairballs. He was a bit dehydrated at the appt yesterday but I think that was mostly due to him not eating much the day before the vet visit.

He had a well formed poop this morning but I just noticed a softer one from this afternoon which is a bit unlike him
 
Chiming in to say that with my cats who have or have had pancreatitis (and there's a link between it and diabetes) the Cerenia was very helpful. I'm going to be asking for Zofran (Ondansetron ) in future as well. And good old Slippery Elm is very effective, in my experience.

I found that staying on top of pancreatitis, just like we stay on top of pain meds, and are proactive about giving medication, was key. My one cat was on a permanent small daily dose of Cerenia. It was hugely helpful. So to answer your question, give Cerenia every day for a period, for at least a week, I'd say, and see if that helps.
 
There's also a link between kitties with GI issues and pancreatitis of which I've more experience than I'd like. Make sure you have a supply of supportive meds on hand, such as anti nausea and possibly pain meds. Start giving when you first notice appetite going off. It's best to get ahead of nausea and pain if you can. I find that with the transdermal maropitant (generic Cerenia) that I don't need to give it every day for maintenance. Getting medication options that you don't have to give orally to a cat with low appetite can be helpful.

When you see Xander getting better, reduce or remove doses of supportive drugs one at a time, not all at once.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
There's also a link between kitties with GI issues and pancreatitis of which I've more experience than I'd like. Make sure you have a supply of supportive meds on hand, such as anti nausea and possibly pain meds. Start giving when you first notice appetite going off. It's best to get ahead of nausea and pain if you can. I find that with the transdermal maropitant (generic Cerenia) that I don't need to give it every day for maintenance. Getting medication options that you don't have to give orally to a cat with low appetite can be helpful.

When you see Xander getting better, reduce or remove doses of supportive drugs one at a time, not all at once.
Click to expand...
Since he has been eating normally since yesterday before the appointment, is there a reason to give the cerenia now? Im thinking i should wait until i notice a change in his appetite again?

Does this also apply for pain meds? Or should those be given all the time? The vet mentioned gabapentin if needed but I see the bupe one mentioned here frequently.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
There's also a link between kitties with GI issues and pancreatitis of which I've more experience than I'd like. Make sure you have a supply of supportive meds on hand, such as anti nausea and possibly pain meds. Start giving when you first notice appetite going off. It's best to get ahead of nausea and pain if you can. I find that with the transdermal maropitant (generic Cerenia) that I don't need to give it every day for maintenance. Getting medication options that you don't have to give orally to a cat with low appetite can be helpful.

When you see Xander getting better, reduce or remove doses of supportive drugs one at a time, not all at once.
Click to expand...
I didn't know they had it transdermal? I am so looking for that, thank you
 
I would give the pain meds if you think he needs them, not all the time. See this post on the feline grimace scale to help if you haven't already: Feline Pain Scale Gabapentin seems to be a common choice now, it's not as strong as buprenorphine. Which is what I got last year for a p'titis flair.

If Xander is not vomiting and is eating normally, you probably don't need to start the Cerenia.
 
Wedgewood Pharmacy has transdermal Cerenia: https://www.wedgewood.com/search/?q=Maropitant Under Dosage Form, choose the three different tandsermal options to filter the search.

Ask the vet to have a supply of meds at home to treat p-itis. That way you can treat as soon as you see symptoms and not have to wait for an appointment or take an expensive trip to the ER. Subq fluids and a IV set is also helpful to have. Cerenia is available as an injectable to give through the fluid line.
 
I’m sorry to hear this Albert, but now that you’ve discovered it it sounds like it makes sense with the appetite waining. 😢

I agree with what everyone has said, having all of the meds at home and as soon as you see any sign of a problem, you immediately start with the protocol that will work for Xander. But of course, having everything ready and not needing to go to the vet is key.

With Ivy the way it presents itself as she starts getting loose poops and I immediately give her a small dose of Cerenia and Colon Rescue. Seems to help her a lot.
Just stay on top of the meds and have them handy.
There’s also a Cats with Pancreatitis page on Facebook, very helpful information there.

Sending you lots of good wishes. You will be able to help him feel better! ❤️‍🩹
 
Thank you so much everyone! It seems like this will be much more manageable than I initially thought. I'm thinking I will probably pursue the ultrasound in the near future as well just for peace of mind. It's odd that his numbers didn't deviate at all indicating pain and he didnt show any other symptoms other than the low appetite.

I feel so bad for getting so frustrated with him on his low eating days when he was probably feeling awful and not just being picky ☹️
 
Sorry for the tricky news, Albert, but I'm glad you're getting some good advice for how to handle this new health issue! And don't beat yourself up; I think it's natural that both we and our cats sometimes get frustrated at one another because of the interspecies communication gap, which isn't really something either party can help!
 
Despite him eating great yesterday and this morning, he only ate a few grams at the first try this PM. I guess i'm going to try his first dose of cerenia. I thought we were through this flare up based on his recent eating 😞
 
He did NOT like the cerenia. He started drooling from the taste and running away. He seems to have settled down now. I hope it didn't upset him too much. I really thought this had passed based on his earlier eating. Or maybe he just had a slow start to eating tonight and I overreacted?
 
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