3/9 Billie AMPS 184 US this Thursday

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Deanna & Billie

Deanna & Billie

Member Since 2014
Hello!

Yesterday: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/3-8-billie-pmps-194.134307/

I got Billie in for an ultrasound with an IM specialist this Thursday. Her original appointment was for the 19th, so this is much better. This practice is a little farther away, but Billie does pretty well in the car. I'm nervous but very relieved that we got an appointment this week, and I think it's best to see a specialist rather than having her regular vet handle this, no offense to her regular vet.

Billie ate a lot of tuna and chicken last night but she isn't super interested in cat food...maybe because she knows tuna and chicken are options? I am taking another trip to the pet store to get some more of her old favorites today. I may even whip out the FF chicken. I really hope I don't make her allergies angry, but she needs to eat, and she has turned her nose up at all the "safe" protein options.

I hope everyone has nice day. Sending vines to all the kitties and beans needing vines!
 
Will a Board Certified radiologist be doing the US? That is important in my opinion. I forget if you have cerenia and or ondansetron. If pancreatitis one or both would be helpful as a nauseous cat won't eat. Actually even if this is IBD she could be nauseous. Prayers and vines headed your way.
 
Thank you for the vines, Elise and Marilyn!! Elise, I don't think the IM vet is a Board Certified radiologist. I don't know if we have one in my area. There are two specialty practices, and I just looked through the lists of vets on their websites - there is no mention of a radiologist. I wonder if I can get the ultrasound results sent to one for a second opinion? This IM vet did a three year residency in internal medicine at Cornell and worked at their hospital for a while, so she definitely sounds qualified...but I want the best help I can get, of course.
 
Deanna & Billie said:
Thank you for the vines, Elise and Marilyn!! Elise, I don't think the IM vet is a Board Certified radiologist. I don't know if we have one in my area. There are two specialty practices, and I just looked through the lists of vets on their websites - there is no mention of a radiologist. I wonder if I can get the ultrasound results sent to one for a second opinion? This IM vet did a three year residency in internal medicine at Cornell and worked at their hospital for a while, so she definitely sounds qualified...but I want the best help I can get, of course.
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They "might" have a traveling boarded radiologist some there like my regular vet does. The next best thing is an IM who does lots of them. When Max had his first one done it was a regular traveling vet and it was a waste. He found all kinds of suspect stuff except pancreatitis and the vet didn't run the fPL. I went back to my original vet for a second opinion as to whether Max needed exploratory surgery or endoscopy and my vet made me have his radiologist do another US. I brought the disk from the first one there. I even had to go home and get it and bring it back because I forgot it when I dropped Max off. The radiologist wouldn't even look at it. My vet had warned me about that when I asked about the need for a second US. It's a good thing I did it. The second US was more than the first but I didn't need exploratory surgery. That was over 5 years ago so they were right. They can send he disk out but I guess part of it is the skill of the one doing the US. So if it's not a radiologist doing it you want the most experienced. The first vet that did mine was way off. After it happened to Max I learned someone else who used to go to the first vet had a similar experience. I don't want to worry you any more but my experience might help decide between the two practices.
 
Sending lots of appy and anti-allergy vines for Miss Billie. I'm glad she's eating something, even if it isn't ideal. What are her safe proteins? Any chance you could get some at a butcher or market (like fresh duck, etc.)? Have you tried mixing the forbidden fuds with the safe ones? That way she'd get less of the "bad" stuff. Just thinking on screen here.

I really think an IM with the kind of credentials you describe should be good at doing and reading the US. It's not like a "regular" vet, who doesn't do many. That's a fairly common thing for an IM to deal with. I'm glad you were able to get an appointment this week.
 
masses of vines coming from me for Billie to be feeling better and for the ultrasound to be a quality one.

if you open enough cans, perhaps one of them will appeal to your girls! you know how they like variety - and if it's inconvenient for you, all the better! ;):D
 
Thank you Elise, Tricia, Carla and Julie for the vines and thoughts!

Elise, it sounds like you had quite an ordeal with Max's vets. Thank you for sharing. I'm glad you ultimately got answers - I hope the vet I'm seeing will know what to do, but if I feel unsure, I can look for a second opinion. Now that you mention traveling vets, I think the person we were scheduled to see at our regular office is a traveling vet, although I'm not sure if he/she is a radiologist. I'll have to ask about that. That is the person we were scheduled to see on the 19th.

Tricia, Billie's safe/novel proteins are rabbit, pork, venison, and beef (although she doesn't really like beef). When she broke out in hives from food allergies, she had been eating chicken, turkey, and duck. She was also getting dairy on a pretty regular basis...parm sprinkled on her food as a treat and to get her to eat. And, some of her food had fish, egg, carrageenan, and other suspects...so I never figured out what she was reacting to. I just switched her over to new food that didn't have any of those ingredients in it. She was doing well on Instinct rabbit, pork, and sometimes venison until her appy got off last week. I boiled some pork chops for her, although she got sick of that, and she has been eating low sodium ham on and off. Maybe I could find some venison! I bet she would like that. I could also try good quality beef...even if she doesn't like it as cat food, chances are, she'll like it as people food. I also like your idea of mixing in safe food with "bad" food. I want her to eat whatever she'll eat, but now would be a really bad time for allergies to flare up.

Today actually turned out to be a great day for Billie's appy! I found another winner - FF Classic Chicken! She ate half a can in one sitting, which is the most she has eaten in one sitting in a while. So, that's going to be her dinner at PMPS in a few minutes. I did get her to take her Pepcid today, and I wonder if that made a difference, because her FF feast happened a couple hours after she took her Pepcid. I'll definitely stick with that for now. Also, I picked up a scale at Target today so I can keep track of Billie's weight. Now I am beating myself up for not doing that all along, thinking I would have noticed her weight loss sooner :banghead: Her weight is exactly 9 lbs, the same as it was at the vet last Tuesday, so that's good at least. I was scared that she might have lost more since her appy has been iffy all week.

Both cats are sprawled out on the couch next to me right now :cat::cat: It's a cozy night here.
 
Did I give you this site yet? http://www.catnutrition.org/

my brother's friend runs it. He recommended it to me and i was skeptical (thinking i know a lot more about cat nutrition than he does especially since he's my older brother and he's never owned a cat, LOL). However, this woman apparently has some relationship to Dr. Lisa on the catinfo.org site and she has some very smart things to say about cats and digestion issues. I was pretty impressed by it. You might look through there and see if anything is helpful.

Here's the section specific to IBD: http://www.catnutrition.org/ibd.html
 
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