13/3/12 Angie trial day 4, PMBG=85, fired vet, ? for new vet

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GraceAndAngie

GraceAndAngie

Member Since 2013
Good morning everyone,

I woke up at 8.30 this morning - missed their first and second breakfasts. I found Angie lying on the floor shivering. I took her into bed with me to warm her up as the vets don't open till 9.30. We went to the vets again and got there early so that she would be the first one they see. Her temperature was normal and the vet thought she might have some pain. She seemed to have some pain in her abdomen.

The vet gave her a 300 ug/mg Temgesic injection for pain relief. We're waiting on her pancreatitis results that will come back some time today.

Yesterday the vet used a needle through her bladder to get the urine sample so it was sterile. However she analysed the results using a dip stick and said that, although she found leucocytes, that's not the most reliable test and she may or may not have a mild UTI. She gave her a Convenia injection. I have a copy of yesterday's blood test results and will put it onto her spreadsheet later today.

This morning's BG was taken 5 mins after eating and also straight after her vet trip. I don't think low gi food could affect blood sugar that quickly could it? But stress from a vet trip and pain could raise her bg.

Yesterday's condo is here.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - another vet trip

Has Angie had Convenia in the past? If so, it may be less of an issue. We are not big advocates of Convenia here based on input from Lisa Pierson, DVM. The only indication for Convenia is for skin infections. Vets "like" it because it lasts 2 weeks and you don't have to pill your cat. However, because it's a long lasting antibiotic, if your cat is allergic or has a reaction, it's not going to wear off for 2 weeks. In other words, once it's in, you can't get it out.

Just another head's up, most of us won't allow our vets to use meloxicam (Metacam in the US) for pain. This particular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug has an FDA black box warning for causing renal failure in cats.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - another vet trip

Hi Sienne, thanks for the heads up on meloxicam.

Angie hasn't had any health issues in the past (other than diabetes and arthritis) so everything is new. She's never been on anti-biotics or any medicine other than insulin. None of my other cats ever have either (except Jetzin had one bout of urine crystals and some valium to help pass them - he was eating mostly dry food at the time).

She seems much more comfortable now - I assume after her pain relief. We have appetite, normal peeing, preening and purring, pooing yesterday but she's still not very interested in moving around.

I'm glad we didn't give her problematic pain relief along with problematic anti-biotics. Tremors is one of the most common adverse effects of Convenia - she was shivering this morning but hasn't since the pain-relief kicked in. I haven't seen any other changes.

I'm so cross with myself for letting the vet give her an anti-biotic without understanding the situation properly. She only has a suspected UTI and she's been given something that could have killed her!


Does anyone know how long it takes for adverse reactions to show up in a cat?
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - another vet trip

Here is what Dr. Pierson has to say about convenia....
http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

and scroll past the cystitis down to urinary tract infection part... for more info on that issue.
http://catinfo.org/#Cystitis_

We all wish we could take Sienne with us to the vet because they are pretty good at sounding like they know what they are talking about and then
we find out later.... not so much.
Hope Angie starts feeling better.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - another vet trip

Hi everyone,

Would somebody mind looking at Angie's blood test results. The vet said that they were all normal but they were NOT!!! She has higher than normal cholesterol and much lower than normal platelets. There were quite a few other things where she was at the higher or lower end of the normal range.

I'm starting to read about each on the internet. The platelets is scaring me.

Still no pancreatitis test results.

Thank you!
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - another vet trip

Hi Grace - if you put B/W results on your first subject line, it might grab some attention.

In answer to your question about raw food on my condo yesterday, I feed a commercial raw from a local place called Red Dog Blue Kat Deli. I know someone who works there, and they source non medicated, organic proteins. Cats probably eat better than I do!
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - b/w questions

Grace

I think her bloodwork looks pretty good. It's not unusual for FDs to have increased cholesterol so I wouldn't worry...ESP because Angie's is not that high. I also wouldn't worry about her platelets because they are clumped. When they are clumped, it's harder for them to count individual platelets. It's not unusual for a sample to get clumped, So I wouldn't worry about that. I also noticed the sample was hemolzyed and that can sometimes throw off some results a bit but Angie's tests look fine.

You can look at Gracies labs on her SS and see some platelet clumping and some hemolzyed samples.

Hopefully, you would already see something if she was going to react to the convenia. Gracie had a rxn within 10 minutes.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - b/w questions

I'm suspecting she might have pancreatitis - total cholesterol too high, Alkaline phosphorus almost too high.

Platelets were too low but there was also clumping - I'm reading that this can be from using a lavender sample tube rather than a green one, or poor handling techniques. Poor handling could be possible as the sample was also slightly haemolysed. Also for gamma ct, I got a reading of "specimen quality precludes determination".

Lymphocytes were in the lower end of the range but this can be from pain or stress apparently.
Neutrophils at the lower end of the range - it sounds like when they go up it's more of an indicator.
Monocytes are at the highest end of the normal range - I don't know if that's something to watch or not.

Does it sound like I should get another blood test with a better sample?
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - b/w questions

Marje and Gracie said:
Gracie had a rxn within 10 minutes.
Click to expand...

Hi Marje, that was very reassuring. Sorry - what is an rxn? Also, would you repeat the test because of the sample quality or were the results good enough?
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - b/w questions

Sorry...rxn is reaction. She went into anaphylactic shock. Not good.

No...I wouldn't repeat the test. I think it looks just fine. The pancreatitis test will hopefully be informative.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - b/w questions

I just got the pancreatitis test results back - she was 1.4 and the normal range should be anything below 4.

So no pancreatitis. Probably no UTI - I looked up signs and she doesn't have any. She's now urinating and pooing normally. She's not going to the litter box more frequently than normal. She had no crystals in her urine as well.

She's still lying in strange places and looking at me with big, frightened eyes. I'm at a loss and the vet is too. The vet wants me to watch her for a couple more days before we do more tests to see if there are any changes. I don't like doing that but I don't know what else to do.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie am+3=144 - b/w questions

Marje and Gracie said:
Sorry...rxn is reaction. She went into anaphylactic shock. Not good.

No...I wouldn't repeat the test. I think it looks just fine. The pancreatitis test will hopefully be informative.
Click to expand...

Oh my goodness. I'm glad you were able to help her through that! Poor girl.

My vet also said that as there was no question marks in the test results that could point to possible causes, she wouldn't recommend repeating the test at this point.
 
Re: 13/3/12 Angie trial day 4, PMBG=85, fired vet, ? for new

Angie's vet told me to watch her for a few days and I could keep bringing her in for pain meds as required. I thought about this for a while and felt really unhappy with this response. I know something is up because she has changed so much. She's usually a lap cat but is finding out-of-the-way corners to sleep in and doesn't want to be disturbed.

It seems like she's in some pain (and the vet agreed) so clearly there is something up. I'm not happy leaving her like this.

Does anyone have any suggestions for tests that would be good to get or specific things to ask the new vet?

I'm trying a vet with alternative therapies training and an interest in nutrition. I thought that might be a start to finding someone who looks at things a bit deeper than average.
 
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