9/29 Xander - AMPS 148 +1 75 +2 71 +3 76 +7 82 PMPS 111 +2 107 | Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB

9/29 Xander - AMPS 148 +1 75 +2 71 +3 76 +7 82 PMPS 111 +2 107

Yesterday's post

Xander had another small hairball this morning. Yesterday he ate really good, exceeding his average calories.

This morning after eating breakfast he threw up his food. Maybe this is from the hairball issue still? Going to wait a little bit before offering food again.
Feel better, Xander. Sorry about the am puke! Hope he will eat once he's past the barf.
Have a safe surf 🌊 🏄‍♂️😻
 
Thank you everyone! He ate all his calories with the help of a little crushed freeze dried chicken. This has been helping a lot lately, hopefully not spoiling him too much.
 
Yesterday's post

Xander had another small hairball this morning. Yesterday he ate really good, exceeding his average calories.

This morning after eating breakfast he threw up his food. Maybe this is from the hairball issue still? Going to wait a little bit before offering food again.
Hi Albert, I seem to remember that Wendy (or maybe it was Marje?) mentioned that frequent hairballs can be a symptom of digestive issues. A lack of appetite can also be a symptom of digestive problems. I'm wondering if there might be something more than an issue of long-haired-cat grooming going on with Xander.

BTW, just curious: which brand freeze dried chicken are you using?
 
Hi Albert, I seem to remember that Wendy (or maybe it was Marje?) mentioned that frequent hairballs can be a symptom of digestive issues. A lack of appetite can also be a symptom of digestive problems. I'm wondering if there might be something more than an issue of long-haired-cat grooming going on with Xander.

BTW, just curious: which brand freeze dried chicken are you using?
It's definitely something i'll bring up to the vet next time. I'm thinking the appetite issues were likely caused by the two recent hairballs. He goes long stretches of time with no issues and then has these low eating/hairball episodes.

I was trying out the egg yolk powder which he seemed to enjoy, but it seems he started to not like it when its added. Maybe a slight aversion because I would add it to try to entice him when he wasn't eating as well?

For the freeze dried, I'm using Purebites. Just crumbling a tiny bit really seems to help him finish the bowl.
 
It's definitely something i'll bring up to the vet next time. I'm thinking the appetite issues were likely caused by the two recent hairballs. He goes long stretches of time with no issues and then has these low eating/hairball episodes.

I was trying out the egg yolk powder which he seemed to enjoy, but it seems he started to not like it when its added. Maybe a slight aversion because I would add it to try to entice him when he wasn't eating as well?

For the freeze dried, I'm using Purebites. Just crumbling a tiny bit really seems to help him finish the bowl.
Jude and Hazel can get weird about any new food, including egg yolk. It's annoying. Sometimes I try to shame them and tell them that they are not like the cool "foodie" generation, but they don't seem to care. The triplets gobble most everything down.

The reason I'm asking about the digestive issues is that there is medication if it's IBD. And if it is a gastro problem, treatment will increase his appetite, which, I think, will relieve your mind--I know that's a worry for you (understandably!). And you know that anything amiss (gastro issues, allergies, etc.) can increase bg.
 
Jude and Hazel can get weird about any new food, including egg yolk. It's annoying. Sometimes I try to shame them and tell them that they are not like the cool "foodie" generation, but they don't seem to care. The triplets gobble most everything down.

The reason I'm asking about the digestive issues is that there is medication if it's IBD. And if it is a gastro problem, treatment will increase his appetite, which, I think, will relieve your mind--I know that's a worry for you (understandably!). And you know that anything amiss (gastro issues, allergies, etc.) can increase bg.
Definitely a worry of mine. He has always been a temperamental eater since I got him as a 1 year old, going some days not eating much and then others back on track. I never paid much mind to it before the diabetes as he held weight and it wasn't as critical to have an off day as it is with insulin. Wet food just complicated it, as it doesn't stay as 'fresh' when he gets around to wanting it as well as the calorie denseness requiring less to eat to finish. He always has an appetite for kibble :rolleyes:

I'm currently comparing two cat specific vets as I want to get that as well as his teeth checked out. I really liked the vet I started him with just before the diabetes diagnosis, but don't think I feel comfortable going back after the dangerous advice regarding dosage and insistence on not using human meter testing. I think im more scared of the vet than Xander is lol
 
Ugh I thought I had resolved his chin acne issue, but noticed he scratched a small spot on the very bottom of his chin and there is a small scab of dried blood. I had previously used witch hazel on his previous acne and it went away, but I didnt notice this spot as its at the very bottom of his chin.

I'm wondering if it might be best to try chlorhexidine wipes or just clean it with a little soap and water for now.
 
Xander ate really good today after his hairball/puke and he's continuing to eat really good tonight. I'm wondering if that hairball was a part of the one 5 days ago and just lingered around causing the difficult eating.

I went back and looked at all his hairballs since i've been posting in July:
  • 8/18 - large hairball
  • 8/31 - small hairball
  • 9/5 - small hairball
  • 9/24 - small hairball
  • 9/29 - small hairball
Not ideal, but also not as frequent as I thought - about 2 a month, and none in July.
 
Oh, that doesn't sound too bad. Here is what Google's AI tells me:

"A cat with hairballs less than once a month is generally considered normal, though some vets suggest even less. However, one hairball per week is often seen as a sign something might be off, potentially signaling allergies, parasites, or a digestive problem requiring veterinary attention. Cats with long hair or those shedding seasonally may have them more often. If hairballs happen frequently, your cat is exhibiting other symptoms like lethargy or loss of appetite, or they appear to be straining to vomit without producing a hairball, you should consult a veterinarian."

Just so you know and as a point of comparison, I have five indoor cats, and the only one with hairballs, which are infrequent, is long-haired Harper. Not one of the other of them has hairballs.
 
Oh, that doesn't sound too bad. Here is what Google's AI tells me:

"A cat with hairballs less than once a month is generally considered normal, though some vets suggest even less. However, one hairball per week is often seen as a sign something might be off, potentially signaling allergies, parasites, or a digestive problem requiring veterinary attention. Cats with long hair or those shedding seasonally may have them more often. If hairballs happen frequently, your cat is exhibiting other symptoms like lethargy or loss of appetite, or they appear to be straining to vomit without producing a hairball, you should consult a veterinarian."

Just so you know and as a point of comparison, I have five indoor cats, and the only one with hairballs, which are infrequent, is long-haired Harper. Not one of the other of them has hairballs.

Definitely something i'm going to look into. His eating is back completely (anti-jinx), cleaning bowls with no waste. Maybe ill see if I can introduce the egg yolk powder slowly again to help
 
I'm going to aim to schedule a vet appointment for the week I get back from my work trip(week of the 13th) unless his chin acne issue doesn't resolve before then.
 
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