03/02/18 Texas Gizmo PMPS=113, +2=108, +4=86, +6.5=85

[LizzieInTexas]

03/01 +11=102

AMPS=102

Bad night last night. Fought him on all food. I sure hope the vet responds to the email and changes the BP meds. If it isn't the BP meds I don't know what to do. I did finally get him to eat about 90% of the food but not without him growling and hissing at me.

He did eat his PS food but had to take him back to finish a couple of bites after the shot.

TGIF

 

[carfurby (GA)]

I'm sorry last night was so rough. I hope today is better and you hear back from the vet. Sending prayers.

 

[Chubba (GA)]

Hope today is better. Eat your foods, Gizmo!

 

[Bobbie And Bubba]

Sure hope you get to the bottom of the appy stuff. Is there another BP MED choice?

Have you tried sprinkling oregano on his food? I have had good luck with that in the past.

Sending lots of hugs!

 

[Beth 73]

So glad it’s Friday . Praying for a good weekend and better appy for sweet Gizmo

 

[Bronx's dad (GA)]

Appy vines for Gizmo

 

[LizzieInTexas]

I hope today is better

Hope today is better.

Not looking good. He ate 2 bites out of his +2.5. Thanks

Sure hope you get to the bottom of the appy stuff. Is there another BP MED choice?

Have you tried sprinkling oregano on his food? I have had good luck with that in the past.

There are other BP meds. Sienne had posted that the current meds caused inappetence and they changed it and the issue resolved.

I have tired everything in my playbook trying to get him to eat. Absolutely NOTHING has worked except for me to keep picking him up and putting him back in front of his bowl time after time - he will eat a bite or two and walk away, rinse, repeat. Every enticer, waming it up, Canna, Cerenia, Ondansteron, Mirtz, pain meds. Last night he wouldn't even eat his "special treat" food (fish based).

Praying for a good weekend and better appy for sweet Gizmo

Appy vines for Gizmo

Thank you

I sure don't want to skip the BP meds but I may have to.

 

[LizzieInTexas]

Hi Lizzie! I am sorry you and DH are not feeling good. There is a stomach bug going round. And it's the pits to have work so stressful which doesn't help you physically.

Keep eating your fuds Gizmo! His numbers are sure looking good.

One more day in this great state of Texas. We were overly ambitious with what we thought we'd do and what we actually did. Will be glad to get home to my babies.

I think it may be a shingles flare up. I have had them previously (and had the vaccination) - my flares are inside (vs. outer blisters). It always starts the same way - starts out with severe back pains and then bowel/digestive upset. Only relief is pain meds.

You sure picked a great week to be here. The weather has been fabulous. Can't wait to hear of your travels.

 

[Bronx's dad (GA)]

You sure picked a great week to be here. The weather has been fabulous. Can't wait to hear of your travels.

And a good week to get out this area, this nor'easter is not fun!

 

[LizzieInTexas]

And a good week to get out this area, this nor'easter is not fun!

Come on down! And bring some of Bronx's appy with ya.

 

[Beth 73]

And a good week to get out this area, this nor'easter is not fun!

Just heard ab your weather up there ... sounds like zero fun ... my son just moved to NYC so will be interesting to hear his experiences vs storms here in Midwest .

 

[Bobbie And Bubba]

I think it may be a shingles flare up. I have had them previously (and had the vaccination) - my flares are inside (vs. outer blisters). It always starts the same way - starts out with severe back pains and then bowel/digestive upset. Only relief is pain meds.

You sure picked a great week to be here. The weather has been fabulous. Can't wait to hear of your travels.

Ugh on the shingle flare! Not fun.

 

[LizzieInTexas]

Ok, Dr. Cole called. Going to wait to make any changes to his BP meds (Amlodipine 0.625mg 1x/day) until we get another read (next Thursday). I am going to give his pill after his +4.5 PM meal (to see if helps with the appy). The medicine that Sienna suggested (telmisartan) isn't available in the US in cat form(?) and it has negative impact on red blood cell production (which we are already battling with the Epogen). Dr. C is wondering if this BP has creeped back up and that is impacting his appy. Again, it does not seem like panc flare or nausea - just complete disinterest.

So this is my plan.. I am going to change his food schedule for the PM cycle to PS, +3.5 (8pm) and then give the BP meds at that time. So I will just make his PS a bit larger and the +3.5 a bit larger and then a small token at +4.5 or +5.

I may have to reduce his dose again because he won't be getting any food bump at +2.5 but I am hoping that this weekend will show me that. But on that note - it does not seem like he is getting much of a food bump from his food anymore anyway.

Anyone that wants to chime in with any suggestions and advise - I am all ears . @Wendy&Neko @Marje and Gracie @Sienne and Gabby (GA) and anyone else that has dealt with hypertension. I honestly have not had any time to do any research on any other medicine options.

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

Anyone that wants to chime in with any suggestions and advise - I am all ears . @Wendy&Neko @Marje and Gracie @Sienne and Gabby (GA) and anyone else that has dealt with hypertension. I honestly have not had any time to do any research on any other medicine options.

I've no suggestions, but here's healing vines, and good energy

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

I think it may be a shingles flare up. I have had them previously (and had the vaccination) - my flares are inside (vs. outer blisters). It always starts the same way - starts out with severe back pains and then bowel/digestive upset. Only relief is pain meds.

Oh, dear. Shingles stinks. I had no idea there was an inside version of it. So sorry you're sick.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I think your vet is wrong. Boeringer has marketed telmisartan under the name Semintra for several years. I'm not sure whether it's available in the US. However, telmisartan is widely available for humans and it can easily be compounded for cats -- which is what my vet prescribed. There's a fair amount of information about it's use on Tanya's CKD website. Look down the page in the section on ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers).

If Gizmo is doing well on benzepril, then no worries. Like I mentioned, Gabby's appetite was nonexistent when on that drug. ECID.

 

[LizzieInTexas]

PMPS=113

History:
AMPS=102, +2=83

 

[Kathy and TiTi]

PMPS=113

History:
AMPS=102, +2=83

Lookin good.

 

[Pamela & Amethyst]

love light and healing

 

[LizzieInTexas]

I think your vet is wrong. Boeringer has marketed telmisartan under the name Semintra for several years. I'm not sure whether it's available in the US. However, telmisartan is widely available for humans and it can easily be compounded for cats -- which is what my vet prescribed. There's a fair amount of information about it's use on Tanya's CKD website. Look down the page in the section on ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers).

If Gizmo is doing well on benzepril, then no worries. Like I mentioned, Gabby's appetite was nonexistent when on that drug. ECID.

Thank you. I will do some reading/research this weekend. I think part of the concern is the interference with rbc. Vet did say she is willing to switch him if the appy doesn't resolve.

It does seem to be killing his appy or his BP is causing it. IDK. Just though I would see what others her were doing. I am hoping that moving the bp meds to after his last food might help.

ETA-appy is ok for AM cycle but terrible for PM cycle

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Sorry, no experience on hypertension meds. Neko got benazapril, but it was for her proteinuria. No impact on her appy.

Sending appy vines.

 

[GA Carol & Dante]

Hello Lizzie, Dante is still on Benazepril for his BP and will be for the rest of his life, I put a 1/4 tab of 10mg in a gel cap, put some wet food sauce on it and down the hatch it goes - with no issues. I was instructed by the ER vet to give all meds via gel cap as some have a bitter taste. I don't know if Benazepril has any taste, I never took that chance and used gel caps from his first day out of the hospital (from heart failure and pulmonary edema). The ER Vet gave me a sample of 25 gel caps, so I bought more immediately, now I buy 1000 at a time. Same with Neko, no impact on her appy.

After his heart failure, Dante refused to eat for almost 2 whole days, hrmmph - talk about me being stressed out, whew, so I hear ya'! I don't think it was due to benazepril, I may be wrong, I think he was just too sick. 1/2 (?) tab of mirtazapine in a gel cap worked, along with Gerber baby food chicken...remember, animals are sensitive to your emotions, so try to relax first before giving him food, which is extremely difficult. I let Dante curl up in my lap petting him slowly for about 30 min while he nibbled every 5 minutes or so, until he ate a very small portion. Then I would repeat an hour later. That actually calmed me down as well - petting and talking to him. With the baby food, I was instructed to put a small amount it into a syringe and feed it that way - I did so while he was laying in my lap. After the mirtazapine, he ate the baby food - (Chicken) on his own, still in my lap. It only took 1 dose, about 8 hours later and he got his appy back. I don't know if this helps; however, been there - and just offering another option!

 

[LizzieInTexas]

I don't know if this helps; however, been there - and just offering another option!

Thank you . I think it may be the Epogen (not the Amlodipine like I was thinkng). I am going to skip the dose tonight. I pray I am doing the right thing. I gave him a 1/4 Mirt and 1/4 Ondansteron about 30 min before PS. Got him to eat about 80% of the PS food. +2 was 110 so that is helping with the stress.

 

[GA Carol & Dante]

Woo Hoo, Progress is good!!

As a side note, please read the papers that come with meds as they report side effects, Dante's ALT, ALP labs started climbing while on Plavix - used to prevent blood clots, it took us 1.5 years to realize it was the side effect of the medication and that he was not developing liver issues on his own! As soon as we stopped the Plavix, his ALT and ALP started going down...Now, I research everything and know exactly what his meds are capable of, so please don't learn the hard way, like I did. It sounds like Gizmo is on several meds, please read the fine print, make sure that nothing else may be affecting the little guy...

Good job, what you're doing is working, whew! Now you can exhale!