Boots vet results - looking for guidance

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Yesterday's condo

So Boots went into the vet on Monday morning for a slew of tests:

• Ultrasound - to try to detect any changes from his 5/2015 ultrasound that showed some organ enlargement (his belly has been a bit distended for a couple years)
• X-Rays - to check for definitive signs of arthritis (his mobility has gone downhill in the past year) and to review abdominal organs and chest
• Urinalysis - to check for kidney function, urinary tract issues, and see if there is an identifiable reason for several episodes of peeing outside the box earlier this month. They also sent the urine in for a culture but those results aren't back yet.

His Urinalysis results are on his Labs tab of his SS. Notable was the presence of some RBCs, though some other markers improved since the last test. His last bloodwork was from 5/2017.

What my vet told me about the ultrasound and x-rays:

• pancreas looks to be in bad shape (already know he has chronic pancreatitis with occasional not-too-severe flares - thankfully!)
• liver is enlarged but internal structure looks healthy
• inflammation and thickening of couple loops of small intestine (5/2015 US showed thickening of a single loop)
• right kidney smaller than left, signs of old damage

So sounds to me like a classic case of triaditis, with some kidney disease thrown in too. None of these findings are really a surprise, mind you. He's been showing symptoms that point to these issues for a while now, including:

• increasingly frequent bouts of inappetence/anorexia (thankfully, it's generally just for a meal or two when it happens, then he'll eat a couple meals fine)
• constipation - we've been treating that with Miralax, <1/8tsp 2x daily, with minor increases/decreases as his bowel movement quality changes
• frequent peeing - we kept track recently one weekend, and he averages probably 8 pees per day
• occasional peeing outside the litterbox - we had a couple days of this earlier this month that seemed to resolve, but he had another accident yesterday
• generally more lethargic and less active (though he is now 15+, so I suppose some of that is normal aging)

The one thing we didn't actually discuss yet is the arthritis and mobility issues, so that'll be the next conversation, but for the internal issues, here are the vet's recommendations:

• try cerenia long-term (daily) - we currently give it as-needed just for a couple days when he is experiencing a particularly large amount of these inappetence issues
• additional bloodwork for B6/B12 levels - then depending on results, maybe B12 and/or enyzme supplementation for pancreas
• maybe try cyclosporine for IBD treatment
• get results of urine culture, and if bacteria found, treat that quickly

I know that's a lot, which is exactly why I'm looking for help processing it all and figuring out what to do next.

He currently eats mostly Nutro Senior Chicken Soft Loaf, with one meal a day of Fancy Feast Chicken Classic. We tried introducing some Weruva Fowl Ball and one of the other low-carb Chicken varieties, but noted that he got really constipated and backed up when we added that in. So I'm open to introducing new/varied foods if dietary changes can help (i.e. lower/higher fat/protein, low phos, etc) with an understanding that we'll just need to keep an eye on bowel movements and possibly adjust miralax dosing.

Anyone have any experience with these issues? From what research I've done, I know a lot of treatments for one thing are counter-helpful to others (i.e. steroids for IBD are bad for regulating FD).

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! Boots and I appreciate your help

 

[Bronx's dad (GA)]

tagging @Marje and Gracie

 

[Marje and Gracie]

tagging @Marje and Gracie

Hi Megan

We were out all day today and tonight (anniversary) but I'll look at everything in the morning and post. One thing I will say is I would not give cyclosporine if he's already got liver issues as it can cause other liver issues.

I appreciate the detailed writeup and will get back to you tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Thanks! And happy anniversary I was going to try an abbreviated repost today in case the long length of yesterday's post caused no responses, just asking who has experience treating kidney disease and triaditis along with FD - and arthritis too.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Thank you!

I'm not sure if we have too many members who have treated all those issues at once but certainly some who have treated FD and triaditis. Gracie had liver issues, potential bile duct issues, IBD, lymphoma, and her specfPL was always high but her pancreas was always normal on ultrasound and she never had any symptoms of pancreatitis. Thankfully, her kidneys were totally normal.

The good thing for Boots is that a lot of the treatments for kidneys and triaditis do not conflict as they would if you also had any cardio issues.

I did dose Gracie with cerenia long-term (over six months) and it was helpful. It is not only an antiemetic but also anti-inflammatory.

You don't need to worry about B6 us I certainly would get a GI panel done through Texas A&M University. It will give you cobalamin, folate, specfPL, and fTLI. The latter is to tell if he has exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and would benefit from pancreatic enzymes. I've learned that some EPI cats have constipation instead of diarrhea so it would be good to rule out as chronic pancreatitis canc ause EPI.

I also think a regimen of a good, human probiotic and a digestive enzyme for pets (I like Animal Essentials) is greatly beneficial to every pet. My healthy cats get both.

Regarding cyclosporine for IBD, I've been in the FB IBD group some time as well as FB Raw Feeding for IBD Cats and I don't recall seeing anyone use cyclosporine for IBD and there are diabetic cats in those groups (steroid induced). If you are on FB, you might want to join both groups even if you don't feed raw. You might also find helpful info at IBD Kitties.

Here is what I found on cyclosporine and the liver from Mar Vista Vet:

Cyclosporine is removed from the body by the liver and is best avoided in patients with liver disease, unless it is needed to treat an immune-mediated scarring process. A pre-treatment blood and urine database are recommended before an oral cyclosporine trial (but, of course, such testing would be part of a patient's normal evaluation process for most of the diseases cyclosporine might be used for.)

IBD is a tough one as it presents differently in different cats and treatment needs vary. IBD cats can also be very picky eaters. It's been found that a raw diet usually helps there kitties immensely. Many members start by homecooking the raw and adding a supplement such as EZ Complete and then slowly transitioning to raw with EZC. For an FD on insulin with IBD, we can still use steroids but adjust the dose. However, if it were me, I'd try to stay away from prednisilone and lean towards budesonide, if and when needed, as it is not a systemic steroid and targets the intestines. You might or might not see an elevation in BG.

Some members here, like @jayla-n-Drevon, have recently tried fecal transplants (poo pills) with great success and you might want to PM her for info.

Insofar as kidneys, Tanya's CKD website is your best bet for info as she addresses many other conditions and how treatment for CKD may crossover or be contraindicated.

I have treated arthritis with cosequin (didn't help) and adequan shots (helped some). I think there are many others here treating arthritis and they would be a better source because my cats with arthritis were not FD.

I hope some of this helps you and Boots

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Oh goodness, @Marje and Gracie - yes it certainly helps! Thank you for all the resources and insight!

When Gracie was doing the Cerenia, did you do it daily for 6 months, or every other day or something else? We are nervous to start, and I think we just need some more evidence (even just anecdotal) that cats have been successfully treated with it for a long period.

I am in the FB IDB group already (one of our civvies has IBD). We used to have boots on probiotic (the other two civvies still are) but I had read something about possible increased mortality risk when giving probiotics to pancreatitis patients - BUT what I'm not sure about is if that carries over to cats. The studies were in humans. But the moment I read that, I stopped giving him the daily probiotic. Do you know if that only applies to humans and not cats?

As far as enzymes, would a standard digestive enzyme be the same sort of enzymatic supplement I'd give him if he officially is diagnosed with EPI? Is there any harm in giving him a digestive enzyme if he does NOT have EPI?

I've read in the FB IBD group about fecal transplants too, and am really intrigued, so I'll see if @jayla-n-Drevon has some more info about their experience.

We've also considered trying raw, but are a little hesitant, and despite the fact that we overall love our vets (two Drs in an all-cat practice), neither of them promote a raw diet - but I know I shouldn't let that sway our decision making. I wonder if even switching to part of Boots' diet being homecooked as a stepping stone to raw might be beneficial? He currently eats (on an average day) 1.5oz FF Classic Chicken, and 6oz Nutro chicken soft loaf pate - spread over 5-6 meals. We'd love to introduce more variety, but it's hard because his constipation is such a balancing act as far as miralax dosing, even with a steady predictable diet.

Re: arthritis, we're thinking of asking for adequan, because Boots also has been on cosequin for probably about 2 years now, and it doesn't seem to be helping. His mobility is steadily getting worse. Thankfully, he can still get up and down the stairs (we're in a split level house) but he climbs slowly, and has to do an awkward hop to go down. I'd love to get him feeling more spry again, even if just a little. I'm just not sure if we should treat the inflammation/joint health or just the pain or both.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Hi Megan,
Rico has never had really good normal poo but after his dental last year it was literally water.
I went to specialists over and over and after spending over 5k I stated my own research. My regular vet agreed to try him on pred 2.5 mg 2x a day which did nothing. I did more search and upped it to 5 mg 2x a day and he had perfect poo in 2 days -----fast forward in about 6 days he went into heart failure from the pred.
After a night in oxygen I got him to a cardiologist- (and told he had 2-4 weeks to live) that wasn't his plan
we switched to budesonide 1mg 1x a day. ( There is a loading dose for this.)
He has also been on cerenia 1x a day ondansetron 2x a day and lasix 2x a day as well as vetmedin and now the fecal pills 2x a day. I invested in a quality stethoscope to listen to his lungs if I am unsure about his lasix dose (my vet suggested this)

After about a year on the budesonide (which did help the poo have more form) he developed steroid induced diabetes.

Another former member of this group sent me the link to the fecal pills.
https://www.animalbiome.com

I began using them 2x a day while weaning off the budesonide. He is almost completely off the steroid and I am doing a trial OTJ-
I am also giving them to Dre my "true" diabetic and the first few days his numbers dropped into the danger zone. They are still in the experimental phase and said they did not know if it will help Dre but biomes are connected to FD.
Both of the boys have been on adequan for years-I have 4 flights of stairs and they are 18 and 19 and trot up them-2 at a time for Rico. When we started (after the loading dose) it was 1x a month and as the years have gone by it is about every 4-7 days. They are active and playful.
I will add some pictures to show the results of the fecal pills .....
I do not yet know how long he will need to be on them but he feels good and is happy and bright.

My 2 cents regarding enzymes and "biotics". Herbsmith makes Micro flora which has a pre biotic/pro biotic/enzyme and herbs that soothe the tummy .... holistic vets believe all pets would benefit from these things to aid in digestion.

I also thought (once upon a time) he needed the EPI enzymes and it is not as simple as just giving an enzyme. It has to "soak " in the food and Rico had a difficult time as I think it burned his mouth --he was drooling and miserable. I recently gave them to another cat DX with EPI.
Good luck!

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Oh goodness, @Marje and Gracie - yes it certainly helps! Thank you for all the resources and insight!

When Gracie was doing the Cerenia, did you do it daily for 6 months, or every other day or something else? We are nervous to start, and I think we just need some more evidence (even just anecdotal) that cats have been successfully treated with it for a long period.

I am in the FB IDB group already (one of our civvies has IBD). We used to have boots on probiotic (the other two civvies still are) but I had read something about possible increased mortality risk when giving probiotics to pancreatitis patients - BUT what I'm not sure about is if that carries over to cats. The studies were in humans. But the moment I read that, I stopped giving him the daily probiotic. Do you know if that only applies to humans and not cats?

As far as enzymes, would a standard digestive enzyme be the same sort of enzymatic supplement I'd give him if he officially is diagnosed with EPI? Is there any harm in giving him a digestive enzyme if he does NOT have EPI?

I've read in the FB IBD group about fecal transplants too, and am really intrigued, so I'll see if @jayla-n-Drevon has some more info about their experience.

We've also considered trying raw, but are a little hesitant, and despite the fact that we overall love our vets (two Drs in an all-cat practice), neither of them promote a raw diet - but I know I shouldn't let that sway our decision making. I wonder if even switching to part of Boots' diet being homecooked as a stepping stone to raw might be beneficial? He currently eats (on an average day) 1.5oz FF Classic Chicken, and 6oz Nutro chicken soft loaf pate - spread over 5-6 meals. We'd love to introduce more variety, but it's hard because his constipation is such a balancing act as far as miralax dosing, even with a steady predictable diet.

Re: arthritis, we're thinking of asking for adequan, because Boots also has been on cosequin for probably about 2 years now, and it doesn't seem to be helping. His mobility is steadily getting worse. Thankfully, he can still get up and down the stairs (we're in a split level house) but he climbs slowly, and has to do an awkward hop to go down. I'd love to get him feeling more spry again, even if just a little. I'm just not sure if we should treat the inflammation/joint health or just the pain or both.

Gracie got cerenia daily for six months. I've know other members who also gave a daily dose for a long period of time with no side effects. Cats seem to tolerate it better than dogs. A friend of mine's vet was involved in the study on long term use of cerenia in cats and they found it was not problematic but I don't know if the research has been published yet.

I would ask on the FB IBD board about probiotics and pancreatitis. I've never heard that and, as a biologist, it doesn't really make sense to me why it would be an issue but if you are uncomfortable with it, then don't give until you know it's ok. We do have to remember that cats have a different metabolism, etc, and aren't furry little humans but Bret to be sure on the probiotics.

If he is diagnosed with EPI, he needs pancreatic enzymes like Viokase which are very expensive and require a prescription. Pancreatic enzymes should never be given to a cat that doesn't have EPI. As Jayla said, they can burn and you don't need to spend $$ if kitty doesn't need them. Digestive enzymes are totally different and won't harm him. I think it's a great idea for every cat, healthy or not, to get digestive enzymes.

I think homecooking is a good step especially with a cat with digestive issues. The kitties should be slowly transitioned to raw by homecooking first. I'd say the majority of vets are behind on the benefits of a raw diet. In fact, the majority of vets know very little about feline nutrition...very sad. They always bring up salmonella when the subject of raw comes up but more cases of salmonella are found from feeding dry food than raw. Have you ever seen the site on Feline Comstipation?

Because ground raw generally has more moisture in it than canned (and you can add more, too), it would be less likely for him to be constipated unless you were feeding raw with ground bone in it. That's why I like the EZC...they use egg shell calcium instead of bone and so with just ground, boneless meat, you can reduce the chances of constipation.

A couple other things to try for arthritis are acupuncture....I had one kitty it helped. Also...laser therapy. The new cold lasers have great success in treating a variety of things. My vet used one on my kitten after her rhinoplasty and spay surgery and the surgeon couldn't believe how fast she healed. We also did it when she sprained a knee (she is a wild woman kitten) and she healed fairly fast from that, too. For my one, non FD kitty, I ended up just having to use a very low maintenance dose of buprenorphine to keep him out of pain. It did not knock him out...he was quite alert. However, it is an opoid and can be constipating. It didn't affect him but if you re already dealing with constipation, it could make it worse.



Thank you @jayla-n-Drevon

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

@jayla-n-Drevon Thank you for all that information! That is great info to have about your experiences with the steroids. The fecal transplant pills are fascinating to me. Can I ask you how much they cost possibly? I only saw the $99 price for the poo analysis on the website.

Your experience with the adequan is inspiring. What kind of shape were they in before you began that treatment? I'm just not sure if it's the kind of situation where it's too late for Boots and we should just focus on any pain relief, or if starting adequan now could still help. He is still up and down the stairs throughout every day, but it's definitely more of a challenge for him these days, and he's just slow at it.

It sounds like pancreatic enzymes should wait til we get a test for definitive EPI, but maybe I can pick up some general digestive enzymes for him (and the 2 civvies) now.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

@Marje and Gracie It's funny - the past couple days, Boots has shown zero issues with eating. No hesitation to start chowing and cleaning his plate. Maybe just the threat of being pilled daily with cerenia worked some magic But it's good to know your experience. Maybe I'll do another post just about long-term cerenia use, to get others' experiences too.

About the probiotics/pancreatitis fear, it's noted here: http://www.felinecrf.org/pancreatitis.htm as well as various other sources I've read online. Now, granted, it does explicitly say it's studies in humans, and more about acute pancreatitis than chronic, but it was enough to make me nervous. I think I'm just hoping someone has some stories of putting their chronic pancreatitis kitty on probiotics and seeing improvement - that could encourage me to suppress my fears and try it again with him. But as I just noted to @jayla-n-Drevon , I do think trying digestive enzymes might be worth a shot. Any particular kind/brand you recommend personally?

I read up a lot on homecooking and raw back when one of the other kitties got an IBD diagnosis last year. She's sort of hopeless though, as we can't even get her to touch canned food, let alone anything "real" She's a kibble junkie through and through, but we do sprinkle probiotics on her food every day, and it does seem to have helped her digestive issues a little. But maybe I'll re-read and refresh my memory and try some homecooked with EZC for Boots. I have no doubt he'd eat it (he's a big table scrap lover).

I've read good things about cold laser treatment. My biggest issue is that I'd ideally like any treatment (for any of his issues) to be treatable at home whenever possible. He HATES traveling to the vet, it really stresses him out (like, he normally pees, poops, barfs, or a combination of all three when in the car for our very short (seriously - 5 minutes) ride to the vet). So taking him somewhere for recurring treatments isn't ideal for that reason, but I guess it might be a worth sacrifice if it works some magic. I'll look into whether there are any practices that offer that or acupuncture in my area. I am pretty sure my vet does not.

Thanks for all the info - again! While reading up on all the various and excellent online resources is of course super useful, there's just something about hearing people's actual experiences with trying various treatments for these illnesses that reassures me that even though there's no magic wand, that maybe there are things we can do to make Boots as comfortable and happy as possible for as long as possible. He's 15/16 or so now, and I've had him for almost 14 of those years. He was also my first pet EVER (had none as a kid, and pretty much got him once I was out on my own as an adult), so dealing with a pet in his later years and having medical problems is all new to me and really stresses me out because I'm afraid of making the wrong decisions or making something worse, and also it just of course makes me sad to think of losing him someday or the thought of him being in any pain. I just want to do the very best I can for my little buddy! And you all sharing your experiences and expertise with me is so helpful, and I can't thank you enough

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Hi hun,
I did not send a sample of Rico's poo because I was literally at a stand still at what to do. I dd not want to wait 6 weeks to start although I would have liked to know his comfort was the priority.
I just started the pill and they were very accommodating. For 50 pills was 150$ shipping is about $3.75
Compared to what I have spent I was more than happy to pay. My contact was Holly Ganz.

The adequan I did start early (used to work with a vet) so it for sure prolonged the arthritis. However, I have seen others dog/cats that literally were going to be pts because of the arthritis and discomfort and it did help them tremendously. One of my good friends dog was suffering and VERY conventional --I got him to try Dasaquan with MSM -adequan- trammel and zeel (BHI) long story short she lived 3 more years pain free ad able to jump and play
Side note--his vet told him adequan would not work-

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Considering what we dropped just last week for all the testing at the vet, $150 is a drop in the bucket, sad to say! I did eventually find a link on the site to the page where they sell the pills - $250 for 4o capsules (20 day supply) plus two biome assessment kits - one for before starting, and one after. We'll definitely do some more research on this. Seems like fecal transplants could be really beneficial, but most all I've read so far for kitties is specific to treating diarrhea, which thankfully has never been an issue for Boots (or our other IBD kitty; she's a barfer instead). Will do some more reading and see if others have used it for general gut health, or IBD w/constipation specifically.

I'll definitely be talking with the vet about Adequan. The results of Boots' urine culture should be in tomorrow or Tuesday, so I'll speak with her then and see what she thinks about trying adequan. It's an at-home injection, right? (please say yes, please say yes... )

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Yes you can easily use adequan at home and many vets will charge a ridiculous price-
If the vial is more than 70$ I would ask for a script and get it online. I do it SQ.
Loading dose is a shot every 4 days for 8 shots and then not longer than 1x a month and sooner than every 4 days would be wasteful.

I have seen vets charge from 60$ to 129$ for the same exact vial!
The dose for your kitty I think you said is 13 pounds (My vet rounds up at least for the loading dose) would be
13 (round up to 15) so 15x2=30 which gives you a dose of .03 on a 1ml syringe
I really like the 1ml syringe and the tiny terumo needles--it is a water like consistency and does not burn.

As far as the poo testing it is not a requirement although I do think it would be interesting.
If you just get the pills you can knock 99$ off-
If your vet refuses to prescribe adequan I would consider another opinion, I have never seen a pet not respond well to it although to varying degrees.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Adequan has no negative effects that I am aware of or have ever seen....

 

[LizzieInTexas]

I really like the 1ml syringe and the tiny terumo needles

Can you give me more info on this set up or syringe? The syringes the vet fave me for the Adequan have HUGE needles.

Gizmo seems to be benefiting from the Adequan.

/sorry to hijack.

@MeganN

http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/

Was referred here on the board for pet RX's. I haven't used them yet but will be in the near future.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Can you give me more info on this set up or syringe? The syringes the vet fave me for the Adequan have HUGE needles.

Gizmo seems to be benefiting from the Adequan.

/sorry to hijack.

@MeganN

http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/

Was referred here on the board for pet RX's. I haven't used them yet but will be in the near future.

these are the 1ml syringes --1ml is the same as 1cc (so you would order 1cc)
http://www.vetrxdirect.com/product/view/monoject-veterinary-syringes-no-needle-rx/variation-5341

I use these needles they are tiny and very sharp

http://www.vetrxdirect.com/product/view/terumo-needle-rx/

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Where do you guys get your adequan online? I know from experience that getting meds from the vet costs an arm and a leg. We had gotten Cerenia from them, but finally got wise and asked for a script and now get it online for less than half the cost they charged. Love my vet, really do, but the meds from them is a joke!
I didn't see Adequan on diamondbackdrugs but will keep that site in mind for other meds needs - thanks for the tip! (and it's no hijack... the more the merrier!)

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Where do you guys get your adequan online? I know from experience that getting meds from the vet costs an arm and a leg. We had gotten Cerenia from them, but finally got wise and asked for a script and now get it online for less than half the cost they charged. Love my vet, really do, but the meds from them is a joke!
I didn't see Adequan on diamondbackdrugs but will keep that site in mind for other meds needs - thanks for the tip! (and it's no hijack... the more the merrier!)

https://www.kvsupply.com/item/canine-adequan-injection-5ml-vial/P00408/


http://www.allivet.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=adequan

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Thanks, @jayla-n-Drevon !

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Considering what we dropped just last week for all the testing at the vet, $150 is a drop in the bucket, sad to say! I did eventually find a link on the site to the page where they sell the pills - $250 for 4o capsules (20 day supply) plus two biome assessment kits - one for before starting, and one after. We'll definitely do some more research on this. Seems like fecal transplants could be really beneficial, but most all I've read so far for kitties is specific to treating diarrhea, which thankfully has never been an issue for Boots (or our other IBD kitty; she's a barfer instead). Will do some more reading and see if others have used it for general gut health, or IBD w/constipation specifically.

I'll definitely be talking with the vet about Adequan. The results of Boots' urine culture should be in tomorrow or Tuesday, so I'll speak with her then and see what she thinks about trying adequan. It's an at-home injection, right? (please say yes, please say yes... )

I read on the site it helps with vomit as well although that has not been a issue for us..... that being said Dre has neither and he seems in better spirits all around. I am hoping it helps stabilize his diabetes. These drops are making me crazy! He does have constipation and I wondered if it would help that but not so far.... I give him Natural Moves from Pet Alive.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

@Marje and Gracie It's funny - the past couple days, Boots has shown zero issues with eating. No hesitation to start chowing and cleaning his plate. Maybe just the threat of being pilled daily with cerenia worked some magic But it's good to know your experience. Maybe I'll do another post just about long-term cerenia use, to get others' experiences too.

About the probiotics/pancreatitis fear, it's noted here: http://www.felinecrf.org/pancreatitis.htm as well as various other sources I've read online. Now, granted, it does explicitly say it's studies in humans, and more about acute pancreatitis than chronic, but it was enough to make me nervous. I think I'm just hoping someone has some stories of putting their chronic pancreatitis kitty on probiotics and seeing improvement - that could encourage me to suppress my fears and try it again with him. But as I just noted to @jayla-n-Drevon , I do think trying digestive enzymes might be worth a shot. Any particular kind/brand you recommend personally?

I read up a lot on homecooking and raw back when one of the other kitties got an IBD diagnosis last year. She's sort of hopeless though, as we can't even get her to touch canned food, let alone anything "real" She's a kibble junkie through and through, but we do sprinkle probiotics on her food every day, and it does seem to have helped her digestive issues a little. But maybe I'll re-read and refresh my memory and try some homecooked with EZC for Boots. I have no doubt he'd eat it (he's a big table scrap lover).

I've read good things about cold laser treatment. My biggest issue is that I'd ideally like any treatment (for any of his issues) to be treatable at home whenever possible. He HATES traveling to the vet, it really stresses him out (like, he normally pees, poops, barfs, or a combination of all three when in the car for our very short (seriously - 5 minutes) ride to the vet). So taking him somewhere for recurring treatments isn't ideal for that reason, but I guess it might be a worth sacrifice if it works some magic. I'll look into whether there are any practices that offer that or acupuncture in my area. I am pretty sure my vet does not.

Thanks for all the info - again! While reading up on all the various and excellent online resources is of course super useful, there's just something about hearing people's actual experiences with trying various treatments for these illnesses that reassures me that even though there's no magic wand, that maybe there are things we can do to make Boots as comfortable and happy as possible for as long as possible. He's 15/16 or so now, and I've had him for almost 14 of those years. He was also my first pet EVER (had none as a kid, and pretty much got him once I was out on my own as an adult), so dealing with a pet in his later years and having medical problems is all new to me and really stresses me out because I'm afraid of making the wrong decisions or making something worse, and also it just of course makes me sad to think of losing him someday or the thought of him being in any pain. I just want to do the very best I can for my little buddy! And you all sharing your experiences and expertise with me is so helpful, and I can't thank you enough

I just saw I didn't answer this.... I do like the Micro flora from Herbsmith and I know the vet who makes them....she is very ethical and dedicated. There are may probiotics out that are good but I like that these have it all and the enzyme works which is really helpful with a IBD kitty to break down the food-
I mixed some in baby food and it turned to water in about 30 seconds. If you do use it I would keep it in a gel cap so it breaks down the food before it even gets there
The pre biotic helps to prevent cancer and the herbs are soothing to the gut.

 

[JanetNJ]

My cat just started adequan 2 weeks ago but I think it's helping her arthritis a bit already.

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

@JanetNJ - thanks, that's encouraging. I posted again today about a conversation with my vet, and she has no experience with Adequan, so I might need to seek a second opinion. Since you're in NJ (I am too) - are you north or south? Just curious who your vet is, since clearly they're OK with prescribing it

 

[LizzieInTexas]

I just started Gizmo on Adequan - I posted an update on my condo today!

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/07-18-texas-gizmo-amps-168-2-105.180862/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/07-18-texas-gizmo-amps-168-2-105.180862/#post-2002863

 

[Marje and Gracie]

@MeganN I'm sorry to get back to you just now.

I used Animal Essentials digestive enzymes with Gracie. The EZC already has digestive enzymes in it so if you went that route, you wouldn't need to add any.

I understand about the probiotics and pancreatitis so go with your gut.

My vet that does cold laser therapy is mobile so maybe call around to the mobile vets in your area and see if they do it.

 

[Megan and Boots (GA)]

Oh please, @Marje and Gracie - no need to apologize; I appreciate the response! I have seen Animal Essentials mentioned several times now, so will be looking into that one more.