6/22 Minnie AMPS 177 +4 284

Liz & Minnie

Liz & Minnie

Member Since 2021
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/6-21-minnie-pmps-137-3-169.248874/

I'm not happy with this trend. She didn't even look at her bowl and hissed at me when I tried to give her insulin, took 3 syringes (my fear of a blunt needle!) and had to follow her round with tiny amounts of food until she ate.

How strict is the 12h ondansetron dosing? It's been maybe 10h since the last one.

I'm even thinking about trying to get cerenia pill in her though less confident of success when the pill doesn't dissolve. Of course my brain is racing about the antibiotics (with zero knowledge so that's clearly non-productive!)
 
C'mon Minnie, eat your fuds!

Liz & Minnie said:
How strict is the 12h ondansetron dosing? It's been maybe 10h since the last one.
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Even though Ruby's vet instructed every 12 hours on the ondansetron, I started giving it every 6 hours or 3 times a day along with Cerenia once a day in the morning and it works much better. The effects don't last very long.
 
Liz & Minnie said:
How strict is the 12h ondansetron dosing? It's been maybe 10h since the last one.
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Not at all, it doesn't last that long. You can do three times a day, maybe even 4. As for the Cerenia, pilling skills are good to have and they just need practice. Neko upped my pilling game. :rolleyes:
 
Was just catching up on Minnie's spreadsheet. Always go with your gut!

I know there is injectible Cerenia, but in my experience, the vets really don't want to give it to us laypeople, as it a) stings and b) bigger needle. I know Minnie has not been happy with the needles lately, so perhaps that's less of an option than the pill.

I hope she eats soon!
 
Thanks for the intel.

I persuaded her to eat a bit of ad but it took some effort on my part, following her around with little bowls of various foods until she ate. I had to stop for a while to recover from laughing at myself. She has been sleeping pretty solidly all morning so I held off pilling, but I think next time she's up I will see what pills I can throw down her neck :p. After my last few ondansetron efforts it really seems like target practice is my current issue (I thought last night's went in then discovered it wedged in her cheek so I shoved it back in until it dissolved)

And the vet said exactly the same about Cerenia stinging - though that doesn't sound too different from the antibiotic i.e. I could probably do it with an extra pair of hands but I really don't want to!
 
Wow we haven't seen numbers like this in a while. I am afraid the infection is not controlled. Time to call the vet...not that I want to resume those awful shots! Maybe she'll say go back to Orbax.

ETA - I emailed to start with (IM deals with appointments in the morning so I know nobody will answer the phone).

Question - (I also asked this of the IM) is this something to continue having treated by the IM given everything Minnie has going on, or switch to her primary vet? I don't like the idea of splitting care between practices but our own vet is closer and more responsive (and cheaper) though not specialists. I don't know where to draw the line between needing specialist or not with this diva!
 
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Liz & Minnie said:
Wow we haven't seen numbers like this in a while. I am afraid the infection is not controlled. Time to call the vet...not that I want to resume those awful shots! Maybe she'll say go back to Orbax.

ETA - I emailed to start with (IM deals with appointments in the morning so I know nobody will answer the phone).

Question - (I also asked this of the IM) is this something to continue having treated by the IM given everything Minnie has going on, or switch to her primary vet? I don't like the idea of splitting care between practices but our own vet is closer and more responsive (and cheaper) though not specialists. I don't know where to draw the line between needing specialist or not with this diva!
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I would deal with her primary vet as long as they are comfortable managing all of Minnie's stuff. They'd tell you if it's above their pay grade. I know my regular vet defers to the IM's decisions on Ruby's complications.
 
Thank you!

How fast does ondansetron (melts) work? She started eating within 30min!

2 failed cerenia pilling attempts. Vet pill gun too long, tried the shorter one but the gelcaps soften really fast after dipping in ad. I wasn't prepared, had to go and fetch more gelcaps so she ran off. I will try again later. In the meantime she did eat but she is most definitely not happy.
 
Liz & Minnie said:
Thank you!

How fast does ondansetron (melts) work? She started eating within 30min!

2 failed cerenia pilling attempts. Vet pill gun too long, tried the shorter one but the gelcaps soften really fast after dipping in ad. I wasn't prepared, had to go and fetch more gelcaps so she ran off. I will try again later. In the meantime she did eat but she is most definitely not happy.
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Yay for MINNIE-EATS™! :p I found it works pretty quickly but then it wears off quickly too.
 
...and we're finished with Cerenia pilling for today. I did get one in but apparently not far enough, she spat it out after I stroked her throat for a few min then tried to follow up with a squirt of water. She grasped that opportunity to spit it out. Those gel caps go soft so quickly!! She pulled out of the burrito and let me know enough is enough by raising a paw to smack me when I reached for her one more time. She's super stressed now so gave her a bit of ad which she finished (phew) and I'll leave her alone the rest of the day. Poor little girl.
 
I'm glad Minnie ate some AD for you, I can just picture you now running around with different bowls of food ,too funny
Yes those gel caps melt so fast
I hope you and Minnie have a better night ♥:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I couldn't resist, got another test and she's back in low blues. That 284 really threw me, unless the lower number now is because she hasn't eaten as much as normal (I don't think anyway). Had enough blood so took a reading with Novamax for the fun of it, quite a big difference (186 nova vs 117 freestyle) and another ketone reading still sitting at 0.4.

Heard back from IM, she recommends a culture 7-10 days after finishing amikacin and I can get that done at regular vet and they can share the results. Ha, if she'd just put that on the discharge notes it would have spared me a lot of stress and them lots of emails from me!
 
Dosing Information of Ondansetron for Dogs and Cats
  • Medication should never be administered without first consulting your veterinarian.
  • Doses of may vary widely depending on the reason for prescribing.
  • The duration of administration depends on the condition being treated, response to the medication and the development of any adverse effects.
  • In dogs, the usual dose is 0.05 to 0.5 mg per pound (0.1 to 1.0 mg/kg) orally every 12 to 24 hours. The intravenous dose is 0.05 to 0.1 mg per pound (0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg).
  • In cats, the usual dose is 0.11 mg per pound (0.22 mg/kg) every 8 to 12 hours.
 
I believe you!! Thank goodness you recommended the melts. She hates the taste (I had one, really not very nice - still bitter even with the nasty strawberry flavor they add) but all I have to do is keep her mouth clamped long enough for it to dissolve. It seems to take forever! I still have hope on the cerenia, I think I made progress. My technique just needs a little work. I dipped the gelcap into a bit of food, might skip that next time in hopes it doesn't soften up quite so fast!
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Dosing Information of Ondansetron for Dogs and Cats
  • Medication should never be administered without first consulting your veterinarian.
  • Doses of may vary widely depending on the reason for prescribing.
  • The duration of administration depends on the condition being treated, response to the medication and the development of any adverse effects.
  • In dogs, the usual dose is 0.05 to 0.5 mg per pound (0.1 to 1.0 mg/kg) orally every 12 to 24 hours. The intravenous dose is 0.05 to 0.1 mg per pound (0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg).
  • In cats, the usual dose is 0.11 mg per pound (0.22 mg/kg) every 8 to 12 hours.
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WOOT! I believed you even without this! Thank you. Time to check in on my little buddy Mr D. :bighug:
 
I would not try giving Cerenia unless inside of a gelcap because it's so bitter and because Minnie is so adept at spitting out pills. I just believe that if she tastes that bitter pill and freaks out and starts foaming at the mouth, that you will have an even harder time getting any pill into her in the future.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
I would not try giving Cerenia unless inside of a gelcap because it's so bitter and because Minnie is so adept at spitting out pills. I just believe that if she tastes that bitter pill and freaks out and starts foaming at the mouth, that you will have an even harder time getting any pill into her in the future.
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I know!! In the old old days (way back last year) the vet said I could dissolve it and squirt it into her mouth. I was terrified at the mouth foaming. Luckily the gelcaps haven't dissolved at all yet, they are just too soft to re-position in the pill gun.
 
Oh, I see you already tried the gelccapped cerenia and it was a fail... sorry. Yes, they do get soft quickly. This round goes to Minnie! I'm so glad to hear that she started eating though.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Oh, I see you already tried the gelccapped cerenia and it was a fail... sorry. Yes, they do get soft quickly. This round goes to Minnie! I'm so glad to hear that she started eating though.
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Most definitely Minne won the game and the set. I think I got through 4 gel caps. When she threatened to scratch me I decided to call it a day. She's NEVER done that before, I was upset to get her so stressed.
 
It would be good if you could get most of her care through your regular vet, for sure. Good luck. I am worried about Minnie though. It does sound like the infection is perhaps not gone. What else could be causing inappetance? She has so many things going on.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
It would be good if you could get most of her care through your regular vet, for sure. Good luck. I am worried about Minnie though. It does sound like the infection is perhaps not gone. What else could be causing inappetance? She has so many things going on.
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Diva-itis? Maybe pancreatitis? ...whatever it was that was causing her drooling the other week followed by inappetance. She's been licking her lips today so now I am on the lookout at least.
 
Liz & Minnie said:
Diva-itis? Maybe pancreatitis? ...whatever it was that was causing her drooling the other week followed by inappetance. She's been licking her lips today so now I am on the lookout at least.
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And they think her teeth are okay? Mr. D will have to communicate with Minnie about this! How is Sam, by the way?
 
Liz & Minnie said:
Diva-itis? Maybe pancreatitis? ...whatever it was that was causing her drooling the other week followed by inappetance. She's been licking her lips today so now I am on the lookout at least.
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Well both drooling and lip licking are considered classic signs of nausea (as well as sniffing and walking away from food and tooth grinding).
 
I've given ondansetron every eight hours. 2mg for Butters. But I would use it every six for a short while if needed.
I have injectable cerenia on hand, more in case Butters can't keep the pills down rather than because of difficulty pilling. I haven't had to use it yet <anti-jinx>. If you decide to go the injectable route, ask your vet for extra needles so you can replace the needle after drawing the cerenia into the syringe barrel. That way at least Minnie won't feel stinging from any residual that's left on the needle while you're poking her. If you give Minnie fluids, it is supposed to sting less if you inject it into the fluid ball.

Does Minnie enjoy butter? I've been able to pill Butters much easier, including Cerenia, by coating them in a generous layer of butter. Sometimes as soon as she tastes the butter she will just swallow it. Not sure if Minnie would do the same, but just another idea for you to think about. I hope she feels better soon!
 
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