3/3/19 | Ben: AMPS=145, +2=74, +6=82, +10=86, PMPS=88

Tasha & Darwin

Tasha & Darwin

Member Since 2017
Condo

Hello everyone, and happy Sunday!

I went ahead and increased Ben to 2 units - he seems to like this dose, so far. I also increased his Bupe to every 8 hours, as I was wondering if his higher PS numbers might be due to his pain meds wearing off. It's so hard to tell when he is painful. We increased his Meloxicam to every 48 hours now, and hoping this helps him feel better overall. It's SO hard to know what the right thing to do is!

Not sure I fully explained Ben's mobility issues, but he really doesn't and cannot get up and move much. He spends most of his time in a comfy dog bed, and has his own litterbox and pad that he can get to, and then back to his bed. I also get him out on my lap, and on the couch next to me for cuddle times. It's just hard because he eats very well, and seems very happy otherwise, but I do worry that he is essentially "stoned" most of the time - at least he feels good?! :blackeye:

Anyway, sending out vines to everyone and everykitty in need! :bighug:
 
Ben's numbers look fantastic! I'd just keep monitoring as closely as you have been. With TR, if a kitty is in largely normal numbers for a week, you reduce the dose. The pre-shot numbers are typically the last to fall in line.

Are you getting routine labs for kidney values? Meloxicam has a black box warning from the FDA for use in cats. It can cause acute renal failure. At the very least, you might want to get an SDMA. It's an IDEXX lab that is predictive of kidney issues.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
Are you getting routine labs for kidney values? Meloxicam has a black box warning from the FDA for use in cats. It can cause acute renal failure. At the very least, you might want to get an SDMA. It's an IDEXX lab that is predictive of kidney issues.
Click to expand...

Yep. We are monitoring his kidneys closely, and will be checking labwork every 2 weeks (including an SDMA). We're both vet techs, so we're very familiar with Meloxicam in cats, and didn't enter the decision lightly. Our doctors only prescribe Meloxicam for cats in hospice care (most often with malignant, inoperable oral tumors). Once Ben came off the Pred (and sometimes even on Pred), his mobility was much worse. Without trying Meloxicam, we were debating it being time for let him cross the bridge :( With no anti-inflammatory, he couldn't even walk from his bed to the (VERY low) litterbox directly next to his bed (or even the pee pads). Meloxicam is, unfortunately, a last resort for him so the benefits seem to be outweighing the risks.
 
I'm so glad you are knowledgeable about the meloxicam -- so many people aren't. Although, it seems to be used effectively in Europe where the dosing is not as aggressive. While it may be problematic for Ben's BG, would using the pred be feasible since you can always adjust his insulin? It truly sounds like you're walking a tightrope.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
I'm so glad you are knowledgeable about the meloxicam -- so many people aren't. Although, it seems to be used effectively in Europe where the dosing is not as aggressive. While it may be problematic for Ben's BG, would using the pred be feasible since you can always adjust his insulin? It truly sounds like you're walking a tightrope.
Click to expand...
Agreed. We rarely ever use it in cats, but my doctor recently went to a continuing education that discussed how it's used it Europe - EVEN in cats with renal failure! We have Ben on the European dosing - it's a VERY low dose compared to what we'd use in dogs (which is fairly low as it is). We'll be rechecking his labs tomorrow. Obviously, we don't want to hurt his kidneys or cause more harm than good, but he wasn't doing GREAT on the Pred as it was. We're hoping this will be a better option, and won't cause him any further issues. **FINGERS AND TOES CROSSED**
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top