Back at Emergency Vet They Want to put in Feeding Tube your experiences

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Onre

Member Since 2017
I posted a previous thread which says Glucose HI ect which is still posted where you can see it. My cat presented in the past three months with ketoacidosis, fatty liver, and pancreatitis and diabetes was confirmed.
We have spend a ton of money and spent weeks syringe feeding in 12 hour intervals until she would eat again. We had one week where she backslid briefly and I had to supplement how much she was eating. Overall, she has been remarkably stable. We took her back to our regular vet once we felt she was stable to get more bloodwook and the vet reacted with her bloodwork is astounding close to normal. However, a heart murmur has manifested during this process.

My routine to get her liver values back to normal included a milk thistle supplement with other ingredients and Sam-E. Two of the vets we dealt with including the emergency vet are on a no-test just give the insulin routine. Another after being pressed about blindly shooting insulin agreed that maybe we should test. That was shortly before this current episode. My cat hates the testing by the way she gets to the point where she hides from me every time she sees me. We will say it is not adding to a positive relationship. I don't see well so it makes it so it so I have stick her at least three times. My vision is correctable but the vet bills are not making it easy to go get that done.

My cat started showing signs that she could not walk right she would get up walk and sit or lay down. I thought either her potassium was low so I went and got more and started to supplement plus at my vets suggestion I added a B supplement. I also restarted sub Q fluids because I noticed she was drinking a ton but still seemed dehydrated. Just a small amount 50-75 mls she would still drink water. Bear in mind she has been to the vet at least a few times before after her rebound. She shows signs of not walking well I communitcated with the vet by phone made point to feed her more and she returned to normal. A day or two later back to not walking right again BG tested HI. I took her to the vet and the vet could only speculate on what was wrong including some difficult type of diabetes which goes up and down often. The BG was HI on her meter to I was told me to monitor her her BG before her next shot. I went and bought strips but accidentally left them behind at the self checkout. They were rang up separately at the pharmacy and were already in a bag I bought more stuff. I was having a stressful day. We consulted with the vet and skipped one shot and fed her a lot. She didn't get up to visit us to get her morning breakfast she ate but her appetite was low I went and got strips her BG was 294 on a Relion meter. I gave her 1 unit of insulin based on my vets advice and got her to eat more. Before the shot she was still sociable and walking normally. By 5pm she was puking profusely and not walking normally. My husband was caring for her at the time I had to go somewhere. He called the vet and was told to get her to eat. I came home to chaos. Based on the vets advice I began to feed in 15 to 20 minute intervals small amounts so it would stay down and I gave Sub Q Fluids. There was a minor improvement but ultimately not enough. We did test her an hour before the emergency vet and once again in the 294 range on the Relion meter. An hour half later The emergency vet said it was over 500 and she had ketones. I felt like she was actually guessing because she made some statements about my cat that were completely strange such as saying the liver values were up when she had no blood work to refer to and they no have no lab.
 
I am continuing this because I was afraid such a long thread would not post. The blood work came back they said the liver value elevated from 80 to 200. I am really irritated because the vets we are talking are implying we have been not doing enough. No vet is consistent on what to do. This is not the only stressor I am dealing with. My life has been revolving around get my cat to eat enough and insulin shots and worrying something would happen to her if Ieft the house and I am trying to start a new job which is university connect so it's only a stipend no real pay but it will lead to something better.

As for the feeding tube that was brought up last night and asked about again this morning. My cat wants nothing to do with me when I visit she just wants to lay on the floor at the vet if I let her and turn her back to me. They are forcing her to eat 2 cans a day testing her, using short acting insulin, giving fluids with potassium and after I requested it B12 and buprinex because I suspected pain. Today My cat wants nothing to do with me when I visit she just wants to lay on the floor at the vet if I let her and turn her back to me. Would you do a feeding tube? I can get it elsewhere for I think about $200- 500.
 
She looks somewhat better her eyes are wide open they were squinted nearly shut yesterday. I think the buprinex helped and her breathing rate which was faster yesterday is more normal. Sorry for so many details but I want good advice from people who deal with this regularly.
 
I'm sorry to hear all you are going through right now :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:. I have no personal experience with this but wanted to send healing vines
vibes.gif
:cat: and hope Onre gets through this!
 
Hello,
I am very sorry for Onre and you going thru this very unfortunate situation. My cat went thru the same this March. She is doing well now. Please forgive me - I am very tired right now and I will post in brief/bullet points style, pls don't think me being rude.
Would you do a feeding tube? I can get it elsewhere for I think about $200- 500.
Tube saved my cat's life. I am the strongest advocate for this procedure.The price you named is lower than what is charged in California. If you have any questions about the tube please post, I'll be happy to share the experience.
The blood work came back they said the liver value elevated from 80 to 200. I am really irritated because the vets we are talking are implying we have been not doing enough. No vet is consistent on what to do.
As can see in my cat's SS/LAB tab her ALT and AST were elevated to almost 500 at some point - see earlier LAB tests. She had taken course of Denamarin and with regular eating and weight gain the AST back to norm by Apr 1st and ALT is moderately elevated. Nothing except food and Denamarin for I believe 10 days was done. You already doing better by supplementing with Milk Thistle. ECID, of course, you do need to talk with your vet her condition and do whatever there is to help her but I never had money for vet's and enzymes are ok now.
buprinex because I suspected pain
Pancreatitis is painful condition however long term use of Bup might have negative consequences - it is opioid.
My cat started showing signs that she could not walk right she would get up walk and sit or lay down.
My cat displayed the same symptoms when she was severely anemic. What's her RBC?Again - no money for vets, anemia confirmed resolved in less than 2 month with proper eating (Tube) and weight gain. However there are other conditions that might explain it - low potassium - you are taking care of it, nephropathy, etc. brows thru the Feline Health the Main Forum - just recently there was posted interesting/informative discussion which you might find helpful. I think the title was "weak and difficulty walking", if memory serves.
An hour half later The emergency vet said it was over 500 and she had ketones.
Eating + infection+ not enough insulin=DKA.
That's why I had Tube inserted, it helped a lot. It allows you to increase the dose and avoid Hypo by being able to administer food when needed. Over 500 BG at vet might be explained by the stress of being there. We could have more meaningful/practical conversation about her BG level if you had spreadsheet. I do not see it available so I say simply that BG had to be lowered/ insulin administered timely to keep ketones at bay. PLease consider creating one and make it public to everyone on this Forum so you - in this way you gain access to the collective knowledge wich IMHO exceeds the FD knowledge of all the vets I have met so far by at least 100 fold. It is the BEST TOOL you can obtain for Onre.
Today My cat wants nothing to do with me when I visit she just wants to lay on the floor at the vet if I let her and turn her back to me.
High on bupe?;)
more bloodwook and the vet reacted with her bloodwork is astounding close to normal.
Can you post it? Best if in the LAB section of the SS - at the bottom of the screen of my SS.
so it's only a stipend no real pay but it will lead to something better.
There are many advantages to the stipend v. W2 which I am sure any creative accountant/ tax preparer can explain to you.

I am not being long on this Forum but if it is not for its members' knowledge and kindness my cat would be dead. Twice, actually. Please keep asking questions - Onre situation is not good one but it is resolvable. Hang in there and do consider setting spreadsheet with BG readings and labs. People here are willing to help and know how to.

I hope this helps.

Best of luck to both of you.
 
I have experience with a feeding tube. One of my many kitties a long time ago had one for about 3 weeks because she wouldn't eat on her own. At that time, a PEG tube was the more usual version - a tube that was inserted right through the abdominal wall into her stomach. It sounds much worse that it was. I had to syringe a slurry of wet food into the tube at regular intervals over that time period until she began to eat on her own. It was tiring but also very successful in helping her recover. She tolerated the tube amazingly well and would lay there purring happily during her feedings.

If you can afford it, don't let the idea of the tube deter you. Tanya (above) has shared her much more recent experience and it saved Ducia's life.
 
I have never had a kitty who needed a feeding tube but from all I have read and heard it seems that cats tolerate them quite well. If your vet thinks it's the best answer for your kitty, I say go for it.:):cat:
 
This has become a suspected pancreatitis flare where pain is making her get up and sit back down. I am not sure about doing the feeding tube under circumstances. I am going to visit her and update more. I don't have a spreadsheet to post I am not that organized yet.
 
Hi I will be starting a different thread to draw attention to my latest concerens we will be taking her home around midnight tonight to insure shee gets her last "treatments.' She is being given cernnia and pepcid as well as buprenex. She is coming now because we've spent all we can for this round of emergency care.
 
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