1/15 Sid doing poorly - need advice

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Lydia & Sid & Jake(GA)

Lydia & Sid & Jake(GA)

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Sid was doing pretty poorly this morning (and still is). I took him to the vet and they gave him a depo shot and told me he is dehydrated (despite getting fluids). He has been eating some on his own but not a lot and I have been syringe feeding him - so far today 60 mls. The vet checked his urine and he was thankfully negative for ketones. Sid's demeanor is very lethargic and weak. His glucose levels were in the high 300s all day and I just check him an hour ago and he was 278. Could this behavior still be from low potassium? Anyone with experience dealing with pancreatitis, how long before I see improvement and are there any treatments we haven't tried yet? I'm just worried from his behavior that he is failing (permanently) and it is heartbreaking because I believe his conditions should be treatable though of course the vets don't know for certain without a biopsy or more invasive procedures which he's in no condition to undergo.

To recap,
He is on baytril and clavamox, b-12 injection, potassium supplement in subQ and oral, daily subQ fluids, and today he received a depo shot.



http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=61066
 
Lydia, I'm very sorry not to be able to help you, but Rusty and I will be thinking good thoughts for Sid and healing vines are on the way. I'm sure that someone knowledgeable about pancreatitis will be along shortly. Perhaps put pancreatitis in your subject line to get experienced eyes on your question.

Hugs,

Ella & Rusty
 
I'm so sorry Sid isn't doing well. Vyktor was hospitalised with DKA and an US was performed which diagnised triaditis. Vyktor was kept in hospital on IV fluids for four days for the DKA. The only treatment he received for the triaditis was antibiotics in case the cause was bacterial that vet said there's no other treatment for it. Sorry that's probably not very useful information for you but it's all that I have.
 
Lydia: I'm so very sorry to hear this. I wish I had some thoughts to offer you but I don't. I just wanted to let you know that you and Sid are in our prayers.
 
Lydia, I'm so sorry to read this. Sid is a very special cat. I'm hoping - praying - for his recovery. Please keep us updated.
 
Lydia...sending fervent prayers that someone with knowledge of pancreatitis has some answers to help you and Sid.
Please hang in there, Sid...we're all sending our support and love.
celi

cat%20prayer.jpg
 
hi Lydia - I hope all will be better with Sid. I will keep you in my thoughts. I hope someone with experience will be able to help. I understand your sentiment on invasive procedures - it is an issue I dealt with with my BJ. she too would not ave survived them. I hope you find an answer for Sid. I hope for recovery for Sid.
 
Praying real real hard for dear Sid & hope the vets find what is ailing him...Is there an ER place near you that does all testing right there-cat scan,xrays, BW,etc??--That's where I took Moonie the other night & they could do most tests that night. answers in a day...Just Hoping Sid will rally & feel better--Hugs & Love to all of you!!
Thinking of you!
 
Thank you everyone for all your kind words and thoughts! I really appreciate the support. No one else I know cares as much as you all do.

Right after I posted my message, I checked Sid's bg and it was 78 (this is +2.75) so I gave him some gravy to lick just in case and he licked a lot of it (about 40 minutes of licking!) and I tested him again and he was 40 (+3.5) and so I panicked a little and gave him some syrup and syringe fed him 20 mls of food. I tested again and he was 23 (+3.75) so then I really panicked and took him to the emergency vet and that's where he is right now. I didn't understand how his numbers could be dropping so fast like that despite all the food and syrup. I also thought the bg levels were supposed to be high from the depo shot??? Maybe the depo shot decreased the inflammation in his pancreas and thereby decreased his need for insulin??? I wish I knew the answer. When we arrived at the emergency vet, his level was 55. They are going to monitor him through the night and avoid giving him a dextrose drip unless they have to.

I will check out Pancreatitis Yahoo group - thank you Karrie.
 
oh, Sid...

Lydia...i would have panicked...

praying hard for your boy...but so glad he's in capable hands.

celi & the gang
 
So sorry to hear about Sid! I don't have experience with pancreatitis, but do have experience with the emergency vet. Charlie got very sick very suddenly, (DKA, anemia, liver failure, etc) and was given a 50/50 chance of survival. He spent 5 nights at the emergency clinic/icu and was on an IV and then got a feeding tube. It's now a month later, and he is completely back to his old self. I just wanted to let you know that they can really do amazing things when your cat is given 24 hour care. It is pricey, but ask them if they accept Care Credit. It is a medical credit card and very easy to apply. I was able to get 6 mos interest free financing through the vet hospital here in NC.

Sending lots of love and good vibes your way!!

Danielle and Charlie
 
Danielle,

I'm so glad to hear Charlie is doing good now. All of those things he experienced are so scary. I've had cats with liver failure and I know how challenging it can be for them to recover. I am so happy for you and Charlie!! You must be so relieved.

I've considered that Sid may need a feeding tube and I am open to that if necessary. I hope we don't come to that point. You're right, it is expensive at the emergency vet but worth the peace of mind and care. :smile: :smile: :smile:
 
I am so sorry Sid is not feeling well. OMG that BG of 23 would have totally freaked me out! So glad Sid is w/the ER vet right now so he can get the care he needs.

When Tawny was so sick Nov & Dec 2011 they talked about a lot of things including pancreatitis, FHL, DKA, not eating, but I am not sure exactly what they used to treat what, she was on so many different meds. DKA (3 times in 6 weeks) is the only thing I am really sure about. I know her potassium level was low and she got supplements for that both orally and via IV. They postponed putting in her feeding tube until her potassium came up, and then they only lightly sedated her. She got an etube, which worked very well. They just took it out this week in fact. If Sid does end up with a feeding tube there is also a great group on Yahoo that Karrie pointed me in the direction of for that too, the FAF group. They have great videos and info and are an incredible resource. And of course if Sid does get a feeding tube I will be happy to help anyway I can. Karrie is the true expert tho.

Sorry, I know that's no help on the pancreatitis issue, still I wanted to send healing vines and prayers for Sid. He is such a cool, and special, kitty.
 
Hi Lydia,
It's good that you took Sid to the ER. What scary numbers! We are thinking of you today and praying that the vets in the ER will be able to help Sid. Sending beautiful healing vines to your boy.

Ella & Rusty
 
I don't have experience with Pancreatitis. All I have to offer is this link I saved. It was written by Jojo 4 years ago.
I hope he is doing much better, today.
Animated-snow-cute-cat.gif

Sending healing snowflakes to your boy.
 
Lydia, So sorry you have had such a scare, you did the right thing....a year or so ago my kitty, Hannah Glory, dropped to 38 and went blind, had a seizure and went into a coma, I was out of town and she was staying with a friend of mine whe knew to rush her to the ER Vet, Hannah is fine now but it was terrifying..You did not panic, you did the right thing. I know nothing about pancreatitis, but sending prayers your way...........The ER Vet is the place to be. Blessings and prayers...............Priscilla
 
Please do join the pancreatitis group and post an intro as soon as you can. They are the experts on pancreatitis just like FDMB is the experts on diabetes. They have the latest info and you will be in good hands. You can't post their exact words on here (copyrights etc), but you can summarize here so people following along will know your treatment plan and can advise from a diabetes perspective. So sorry you were at the ER. Thinking of you and keeping Sid in my thoughts.
 
Simba had severe pancreatitis and that was diagnosed with ultrasound of pancrea and blood test FPli. They didn't think he would make it but he was in hospital for two weeks and came home. Since then he has scar tissue in the pancrea after the inflammation and somewhat cronic pancreatitis.
 
Hi, I hope your Sid is doing better today.
My cat Louis has had chronic pancreatitis for a few years. also has IBD. and of course DM
Hypokalemia does cause weakness. so that's to be expected.

When Louis has had a bad attack of pancreatitis & IBD he has seemed so out of it that a vet wondered if he had brain damage.
One treatment I wanted to mention that worked wonders when Louis was hospitalized ( just a few days ago, in fact) was a plasma infusion. They were giving him fluids but having a hard time getting him hydrated. His DACVIM vet strongly recommended the plasma and Louis's great response just added to his belief in the value of this for patients with pancreatitis.

A couple papers
Scherk, Margie, "Feline Pancreatitis: Underdiagnosed and Overlooked", 2003 http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2003&PID=pr06623&Print=1&O=Generic
Like Jojo's post , Dr Scherk mentions the importance of pain management -- even if obvious abdominal pain is not present.

Stanley Marks 2000 paper on management of feline pancreatitis... Title says dietary management but really covers other things too. & mentions the plasma transfusions http://www.walthamusa.com/articles/marks2.pdf

I've seen some pretty wild fluctuations of BG related to inflammation / infection and then resolution of that & BG dropping low. The same thing with pain... pain causes stress causes high blood glucose, relief of pain can lower the BG.

Again, I hope he is doing better.

Cheri & Louis
 
Lydia,
I know that one person in PZI has dealt with repeated pancreatitus issues. Try to PM "kse" if you have a moment. She (Kim) hasn't been posting much lately, but her kitty, "Kitty" has received lots of sub-q fluids whenever she has a flare-up.

I think it was Sienne who mentioned that a blood test is the only way to check potassium, and as far as I have experienced, she is exactly correct. I know that my kitty, Bob, has been fighting low potassium for months. He has gotten lots of sub-q fluids with added potassium since July of last year. Every 4-6 weeks I have to bring him in for a test so that they can check his potassium. It still stays just below normal, or just above the low "normal" limit. My next option is to give him oral supplements.

The "lethargic and weak" symptoms you mentioned in your very first post here are what caught my eye. Because that is what I saw with Bob. Low potassium causes muscle weakness, sort of along the lines of neuropathy, but Bob never got as bad as what I have seen people describe when their cats have been diagnosed with neuro.... he never walked on his hocks, for instance, and has never been given B-12. It seems like his back legs are just weaker than they were before diabetes, and his energy level is lower than in the "old days". He's no longer on insulin, but even after 7 months, he's still affected by what seems to be muscle weakness which has been explained by his low potassium. It was two months after he went OTJ before I saw him jump onto the bed, which he used to do all the time pre-diabetes (even though he weighed a lot more then).

Praying for Sid and hoping he improves rapidly,
 
Lydia & Sid & Jake(GA) said:
I also thought the bg levels were supposed to be high from the depo shot??? Maybe the depo shot decreased the inflammation in his pancreas and thereby decreased his need for insulin???
Click to expand...

That is exactly what would happen with Boo. When his pancreatitis would flare up, steroid shots brought his numbers down instead of up. He had far better numbers and was better regulated on steroids then he would have been without them and we're pretty sure that was due to the decrease in inflammation. When he went on chemo for his lymphoma, his insulin needs decreased even further and he even went as long as 72 hours without insulin.
 
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