4/13 - Xander | AMPS 224, +2 276

Brianna & Xander

Very Active Member
4/12/25

Despite his numbers looking so much better on this dose and thinking maybe we finally broke through, seems like things may be moving backward in the appetite category. :(

The last time he got Cerenia was Wednesday morning, and the last Ondansetron was Thursday morning. Appetite was mostly good for Thursday, aside from not having eaten his first meal on Thursday (which is why he didn't get the last Cerenia, and I think it was because the pills weren't crushed enough) and he got about 65% of his usual intake.

Friday was good except for not wanting his AM +3 snack, but his intake was still 93% of what we aim for.

Saturday he wouldn't eat his AM +1 snack, or much of his lunch, or much of his PM +3 and overnight snacks. He got about 73% of the intake goal.

Today he had his breakfast but didn't eat his PS meal, +1 or +2. I thought maybe he just doesn't like the specific flavor I had given anymore, so for +2 I tried a different one. He licked that and then left it. He's not outwardly obviously nauseated, but he is doing that crouched/not full loaf thing and only licking food.

I just tried to give him 3 tsp of the 12% I had been giving meds in (since he's more likely to eat it) with 2 mg Ondansetron for the first time since Thursday. He licked the gravy and left everything else. :( Dunno if that'll even get him the meds. He even seemed to be going down to hang out behind the couch, so he must've felt really bad. He only stopped when he heard me open the can. Now he's just sitting at the entrance to the kitchen, like he's hungry, but he won't eat anything I give him (which seems to reinforce the idea that he's nauseated again). Update: He did go back and basically finish that. I just put his normal food back in front of him and he's at least licking it, so... paws crossed. I don't think it's quick enough for the Ondansetron to have started working, so not sure what the difference is.

I had just told the vet on Friday that everything seemed better. We even finally seem to have broken through and are getting nice calm curves for the first time! But now he's not wanting to eat again, which seems like the nightmare isn't over.

If this doesn't change today I guess the next thing I have to do is go back to the vet. I have no idea what ultrasounds will cost (and thus if I'll be able to afford them). I know her only other ideas are foreign body, which she doesn't think is likely, or something like a tumor.

I was so happy that things finally seemed so good. If it turns out that we finally found our way with insulin but now he has some incurable GI disease, boy will that be a kick to the throat.
 
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Ugh! I'm so, so, so sorry his appetite is off again! I can't imagine how worrying this is for you, and I hope you can get some answers to this soon, Brianna. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Ugh! I'm so, so, so sorry his appetite is off again! I can't imagine how worrying this is for you, and I hope you can get some answers to this soon, Brianna. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

Thanks, Mary. :( It's so scary and discouraging. I had so much hope that we'd figured it out. I don't know what I'm gonna do if it turns out to be something awful.
 
Oh Brianna, I'm sorry that Xander is not eating well :( I know how worrying this is! And these unexpected ups and downs....
Do you syringe feed?
With Fistuk I find that when he's licking, he's telling me that he's hungry but nauseated and I syringe feed him. I just have to get the food into him. Maybe you can try so you can give him the meds he needs.

I sympathise with the cost of tests issue. It's a really tough choice to make when you know you just can't afford it. I sure hope it'll be doable that there are no more unpleasant discovering.

Sending healing vines and crossing paws for you :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Oh Brianna, I'm sorry that Xander is not eating well :( I know how worrying this is! And these unexpected ups and downs....
Do you syringe feed?
With Fistuk I find that when he's licking, he's telling me that he's hungry but nauseated and I syringe feed him. I just have to get the food into him. Maybe you can try so you can give him the meds he needs.

I sympathise with the cost of tests issue. It's a really tough choice to make when you know you just can't afford it. I sure hope it'll be doable that there are no more unpleasant discovering.

Sending healing vines and crossing paws for you :bighug::bighug::bighug:

No, I've never syringe fed. I honestly don't think it would work. He won't even eat a Churu when he's not nauseated if he's stressed. Holding him down like we'd have to to syringe feed, he's definitely be too stressed to eat. He'd probably just let it fall out of his mouth. He did end up going back to the MC food and eating almost all of it, so he should at least have gotten the meds now. Right after, he ate a little of his regular food when I gave it back. I doubt it was enough time for the ondansetron to help, but not sure what else changed that made him go back.

Thank you, I hope so too! If I had a choice I'd spend anything it took to save him. :(

Thank you for the vines and kind words! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I'm sorry to hear Xander is struggling again - and just when you seemed to be making some progress. Not fair! :(
Hope you will be able to figure out what the problem and he seems some improvement soon :bighug:
 
Update: I just found a small pile of vomit with just the 12% food in it and quite a bit of fur. Not sure if maybe the hairball made him nauseated or if it was a coincidence.
 
I'm so so sorry, Brianna :(

Feels like we're not allowed to have any wins in this game. :(
This breaks my heart, and I understand how it feels like this. I would so love for you and Xander to just get a nice stretch of calm and confidence.

I wonder if the vomit and hairball will help get him eating again - let us know how he does tonight. How often does he have hairballs and do you know when the last one he had was? Wondering if any petroleum jelly or dried egg yolk might help clear any more up, if there is. I started giving Binx some petroleum jelly (and will be ordering the dried egg yolk too) and his "bile incidents" have calmed down (massive anti-jinx, almost didn't want to write that into the world but I think it could be beneficial for you to know) :facepalm:

Here to talk any options through, as you know I've been contemplating an ultrasound too and I will know more on Wednesday with the new vet, so I can share.

Hope you see some better recovery for Xander soon. Lots of hugs :bighug:
 
I'm so so sorry, Brianna :(

This breaks my heart, and I understand how it feels like this. I would so love for you and Xander to just get a nice stretch of calm and confidence.

I wonder if the vomit and hairball will help get him eating again - let us know how he does tonight. How often does he have hairballs and do you know when the last one he had was? Wondering if any petroleum jelly or dried egg yolk might help clear any more up, if there is. I started giving Binx some petroleum jelly (and will be ordering the dried egg yolk too) and his "bile incidents" have calmed down (massive anti-jinx, almost didn't want to write that into the world but I think it could be beneficial for you to know) :facepalm:

Here to talk any options through, as you know I've been contemplating an ultrasound too and I will know more on Wednesday with the new vet, so I can share.

Hope you see some better recovery for Xander soon. Lots of hugs :bighug:

Thanks, Briana. It really does feel that way. :( Just feeling very defeated.

My partner says that he has fur in his vomit fairly often but I don't feel like I usually see it, so I'm not sure. The last time I know for sure that he threw up any hair was a few days ago, the morning after we applied his new Libre. I missed a tiny little patch of fur that I'd shaved off and saw him find it and scarf it down before I could do anything. :rolleyes: It literally came out looking exactly the same as it went in, just a 1/4" wide little patch of short fur. Weirdo.

But he also hasn't been vomiting much at all. He was vomiting more before this whole not eating thing started. Since then it's been twice (three, if you include the tiny bit of liquid and that patch of fur). But maybe that's your point, that he needs to get more out?

How does the petroleum jelly work? I'd be so afraid of making anything with his stomach worse. :nailbiting: Also not sure if I'd be able to get him to eat it (assuming that's how it's given).

I'm so glad that it's been helping Binx! Ant-jinx x1000! I definitely look forward to hearing what you learn on Wednesday with the new vet.

Thank you for the hugs! They're really needed. Sending some back too! :bighug:
 
He went back and picked at the food I gave him around 11 at 1:30 and 3:30 and by the end had eaten most of it (just veeeeery slowly).

I gave him his usual 5:45 meal with his Gabapentin and he ate that all immediately, cleaned the bowl. I would love to be excited about that but it seems likely that it's only because of the ondansetron (which means whatever the underlying problem is remains).

On the upside, he's surfing nicely. For now, at least.
 
My partner says that he has fur in his vomit fairly often but I don't feel like I usually see it, so I'm not sure. The last time I know for sure that he threw up any hair was a few days ago, the morning after we applied his new Libre. I missed a tiny little patch of fur that I'd shaved off and saw him find it and scarf it down before I could do anything. :rolleyes: It literally came out looking exactly the same as it went in, just a 1/4" wide little patch of short fur. Weirdo.

But he also hasn't been vomiting much at all. He was vomiting more before this whole not eating thing started. Since then it's been twice (three, if you include the tiny bit of liquid and that patch of fur). But maybe that's your point, that he needs to get more out?

How does the petroleum jelly work? I'd be so afraid of making anything with his stomach worse. :nailbiting: Also not sure if I'd be able to get him to eat it (assuming that's how it's given).

Silly guy! I guess that means he's still grooming pretty well though.

I always find it difficult to know what exactly is too much vomiting/hairballs - I know what online says about normal amounts (1/month) but ECID too. I'm curious to see how he does the next few days post-hairball and it's nice to see he ate everything immediately at 5:45, but I understand your hesitation and not knowing if it's the meds.

For the petroleum jelly, it's through eating (which initially I found super strange, but others here have done this too and a small amount is safe... I do 1/4 teaspoon once a week). Definitely hit or miss if he'll eat it, especially if he's not been great eating the good stuff right now. Maybe worth waiting before introducing another variable, but the aim with the jelly is that it lubricates to help hairballs pass through stool more easily. Here's a post where others were giving me advice on this and the dried egg yolk.

I hope this beautiful surf (anti-jinx!!) continues into the PM cycle :bighug:
 
Ugh, I'm sorry he hasn't been eating well again. I hope it was just the hairball and he gets back on track :bighug:

Jeez, I hope it was just the hairball that put him off and not something else. Kobe and Carmelo both had hairballs that affected their appetites about a week ago. After the hairballs were gone, they were ravenous orange wolves! Fingers crossed appetite comes back after the hairball. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Silly guy! I guess that means he's still grooming pretty well though.

I always find it difficult to know what exactly is too much vomiting/hairballs - I know what online says about normal amounts (1/month) but ECID too. I'm curious to see how he does the next few days post-hairball and it's nice to see he ate everything immediately at 5:45, but I understand your hesitation and not knowing if it's the meds.

For the petroleum jelly, it's through eating (which initially I found super strange, but others here have done this too and a small amount is safe... I do 1/4 teaspoon once a week). Definitely hit or miss if he'll eat it, especially if he's not been great eating the good stuff right now. Maybe worth waiting before introducing another variable, but the aim with the jelly is that it lubricates to help hairballs pass through stool more easily. Here's a post where others were giving me advice on this and the dried egg yolk.

I hope this beautiful surf (anti-jinx!!) continues into the PM cycle :bighug:

Thank you for the tip! I'll definitely keep that in mind. If it were as "simple" as he's just got a lot of fur built up in there that would be such a better outcome. Man, that's gross though. lol

It was a really really nice AM cycle! I'm amazed that he's just barely over 300 now. Would have expected a straight launch into space.
 
Jeez, I hope it was just the hairball that put him off and not something else. Kobe and Carmelo both had hairballs that affected their appetites about a week ago. After the hairballs were gone, they were ravenous orange wolves! Fingers crossed appetite comes back after the hairball. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

I hope so! The fact that this is just cropping back up after a long, bad run of it makes me worried, but I'm trying (failing) not to jump to the worst possible conclusion.
 
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