Alice 6/1/19 AMPS 159

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Last post:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/5-25-alice-amps-317-pmps-188.214934/

A couple days ago I weighed Alice and kept redoing it because the 2.91 was confusing me. I got SO used to her being around 2kg or sometimes less. She looks amazing though. So much healthier!!!

Her surgery is scheduled for June 12th and I am nervous. They will be removing the mammary tumor, plus spaying. She is almost 13 and never has had anesthesia or so much as a cut except a notch on one ear where she fought with my other female cat.
Will they weigh the tissue they remove so I can keep accurate tabs on her weight afterwards? Do vets typically do that?

She’s starting to bounce again off and on the past handful of days. I know the blues are supposed to be good, but she seems to bounce even just from a steady string of blues. Maybe I’m missing some key testing moments. I’ve been very tired lately so have not tested as much.

Some people seem to get fairly steady numbers, but it always looks to me like Alice is just all over the place. Still eating 4% friskies pate. Freeze dried chicken. Lots of water.

Clinical signs, she’s great. She looks amazing. I watched her climb over one litter box on the edges, all complex, the other day. This is a huge difference from when she got out of the hospital and was too weak to crouch to pee or even climb into a regular litter box. She’s grooming. She used to throw up regularly before the wet food switch, now she’s only throwing up perfectly super tiny hairballs, and that is just because it is shedding season/Spring. Her eyes are clear. She’s active, vocal, appreciates attention. Another pound to go and she will be weight-restored.

She goes through about 3 5.5 oz cans a day of friskies. Combine that with the other 40lbs of cats (combined weight of 3), and they are getting wet with a small bit of dry for backup, and daily costs to feed are huge.



When Alice has her surgery I am going to have to fast her. Nothing by mouth starting at midnight, no morning shot, plus a stressful drive to the vet. I’m wondering how this will affect her. Will it increase her DKA risk again?

She didn’t want to stay still but I love this. =^.^=

 

[Julie and Honey]

So glad she is doing better. Not sure about weighing items after removal, but you could ask vet. If she is eating and healthy I would not worry about that too much.

Is that right she is eating 3 large cans a day? Wow, that is an awful lot, I know she is a tiny girl. 3 small cans would seem about right for her.

She will be on pain meds for a few days after. Maybe get some input regarding others who have had surgeries with diabetic cats, not sure if some meds are preferred. I know when my kitty was spayed they put a fentanyl patch on her so I did not have to struggle with her to get pills in her, I wanted to be as gentle as possible with her stitches healing. She was not diabetic at the time, so that was not a factor.

I also went with the antibiotic shot that lasts several weeks so as to not have to pill preventative antibiotics, again not sure what is recommended for diabetic cats. Some will eat pills easily if wrapped in something, others you cannot get them to take without a fight.

I’m sure the vet would think about that as well.

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Thanks @Julie and Honey , this will give me more specific questions to ask my vet.

And they aren’t the huge cans that are 12 oz or so, just the 5.5 oz ones, not like FF that comes in 3 oz cans, but yes, it is a lot. She was underweight (severely emaciated) so I am not too worried for now, and she has never been overweight, so I figured I would start lowering her allowed intake once she reaches seven pounds or so because she will be close to weight restoration. I think she learned to stretch that tummy out when she wasn’t on a good insulin and was starving from the inside out.

She probably needs about 25 calories a pound (recommendation is about 20kcal indoor cat, 30kcal outdoors I believe, diabetes makes it hard for her to utilize some foods, so split the difference?).... eventually l will aim to have her around 200 kcal/day. Some days she only has about 2.5 cans, but that is still 13-14 ounces!

 

[carfurby (GA)]

Cute picture. Overall it sounds like Alice is doing very well. I'm glad you have the surgery scheduled. Sending prayers it goes well. Some people here will not give the AB shot if it is Convenia because some cats have had a bad reaction to it and once you give the shot it stays in the system. If you've given Alice this before and she's not had any reaction to it, it's probably okay. If you want the tissue to be weighed, I'd let the vet know. I'm not sure about DKA. You may want to put the ? icon on your subject line.

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

Cute picture. Overall it sounds like Alice is doing very well. I'm glad you have the surgery scheduled. Sending prayers it goes well. Some people here will not give the AB shot if it is Convenia because some cats have had a bad reaction to it and once you give the shot it stays in the system. If you've given Alice this before and she's not had any reaction to it, it's probably okay. If you want the tissue to be weighed, I'd let the vet know. I'm not sure about DKA. You may want to put the ? icon on your subject line.

I plan to have a separate condo at some point to address surgery-related questions.
DCIN does not cover Covenia, so we won't even be looking at that as an option. No risk! Thank you for the heads up though.
I will quite probably ask my vet for pictures, and she used to do medical research in a previous career, so I'm pretty sure she will understand my wanting tissue weighed. It may sound weird to some but it's about the math and tracking her weight changes accurately, for me.

I did a curve AM cycle that I need to update. Smooth blue ride but her ear was getting sore. Poor baby.

 

[Susan&Felix(GA)]

I know surgery day will be nerve-wracking, but Alice sure does have some remarkable momentum going toward healing right now and that's surely in her favor. I love hearing about and seeing how well she's doing!

When Felix was in the hospital this week, I had to keep reminding myself that the vets can head things off at the pass with fast-acting insulin (or glucose) much faster than we can turn things around at home.

ETA:

 

[AliceMeowliss (GA)]

I know surgery day will be nerve-wracking, but Alice sure does have some remarkable momentum going toward healing right now and that's surely in her favor. I love hearing about and seeing how well she's doing!

When Felix was in the hospital this week, I had to keep reminding myself that the vets can head things off at the pass with fast-acting insulin (or glucose) much faster than we can turn things around at home.

ETA:

Thank you.

Now, that’s a thing—my regular vet is limited in that it does not have R. (Small office in rural area but I love them.) But if I had to transfer her to one of the larger hospitals then I could do that. For a long time the ER vet nearby scared me because I lost Alice’s brother there. I handed over his carrier and never saw him alive again. (Presumed fast onset wet FIP). Then that same place saved Alice’s life. They did an amazing job even when they thought her outlook was incredibly grim (DKA).
So I’m going to choose to trust the vet! Because it’s the best choice, either way.

Felix looks SO much like one of my ginger boys. I went back and checked your update from 5/31. I want to say, with so many losses in my life over the past year and Alice’s illness, I have decided that quality of life moment to moment is what matters most.
A quote from one of my favorite authors comes to mind. “Life is too short, or too long, to allow myself the luxury of living badly.” (Paulo Coelho)
We give them the love they need and deserve day by day, and that is more than giving them the whole world.