Cami has vet visit today (Fri 16th)

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

I want to see if there is anything medical causing the behavioral issues (anger and peeing on the rugs). Possibilities include hyperT, UTI, crystals, declaw pain. With the loss of her BG control after we got back from MI along with the increase in inappropriate peeing, stress-induced urinary tract issues are a possibility. The DCIN behaviorist thinks she is simply overwhelmed with all the changes she has experienced in the month I have had her as well as going back to the declaw surgery in June of 2011. I think she put it like this: "WHERE IN THE HELL IS MY HOME?!" She thinks Cami is also overwhelmed with the scents of the other cats all over and doesn't feel she has any territory to call her own and is marking by peeing.

She is also starting raw food thanks to the generous gift of 5 lbs of raw sent to me from one of the Lev regulars. I am transitioning slowly, although at this point she will eat almost anything. I just don't want to upset her digestion with too much too soon.

On a positive note, she got up on the sofa last night and lay down about 5" from a sleeping Beau. It didn't last long, as he woke up and lifted his head so she had to hiss at him and leave. I think if he had not lifted his head, she would have stayed longer. This morning she got up there again (he was not there) and let me brush her. I got some very tentative purring out of her before she left after about 5 mins, but could not convince her to get in my lap (although I did put down my knitting).

And her BG was 194 this am after raising her to .75u last night. I did not get in the spot checks I wanted yesterday, but the ones I have over the past few days show her as pretty flat in the 275-350 range so I felt safe in raising the dose. If she has a UTI I don't want her in those high numbers.

ETA: She gained a half lb since Oct. 13th, her paws don't appear to be giving her any trouble - she was very quiet while Dr. Pat examined them. In fact, she was very well behaved the whole time with no struggles during the blood draw (I was doing the holding for the leg vein draw). Wish she was that calm at home for ear pokes :roll:

I won't know any labs until tomorrow.

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

And I was out all day and forgot to call the vet so I still don't know what her labs were, sigh....

but probably no one cares since no one posted in this thread.

I just got a +6 on her of 119 and, while giving treats afterwards, Beau jumped up on the table with her so they were face to face about 4" apart when they were both heads down eating. Cami growled the whole time and hissed when her mouth wasn't full, but there were no swats exchanged.

And she is starting to meow for food, instead of cry for it. Her "real" voice is a little squeaky and she will trill. It's pretty cute.

 

[hmjohnston]

So you have the blood drawn to check for other problems she might have- that is good! Hopefully it is something you can fix rather than it being a psychosomatic problem that you have no idea how to handle.

It seems she may be gathering into the "maybe I might" around the other cats. I think with all the changes that might be the longest lasting one to get used to- the smell of the 'foreigners' . It is good that she was around Beau and he isn't reacting negatively, more like with a 'whatever dudette- your just strange' manner than hissing back. Might be hope in the future.

Food- good food- has been on time, every day, and a lot of it plus her numbers are lower- the 119 is great- and she has gained weight since you got her. it seems like the insulin is doing it's job and letting her body at least get some of the nutrients it needs. I hope she does well on the raw- Sneakers likes it (except when she feels like she's had too much of it :lol: ).

i do keep sending soothing thoughts your way during the day. i don't get on every day like i used to to comment. I try to read the posts but with the big office move coming up at the end of this year don't have the time to write.

 

[Marci and Buddy]

Sheila-I don't think these are small changes you describe ..I think they are HUGE.
Looks like Cami is coming around, in her own time.
No vet results yet?

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

I won't have the T4 results until tomorrow (forgot to call yesterday because I was gone for a big chunk of time and then got home and got sucked into a Health post until after their closing time). Everything else looks good.

She has either turned a corner (knockwood/antijinx) or she isn't feeling well. She is quiet! Still grumbles a bit during testing, but not as forcefully. The big thing is that she is leaving food in her dish, but is eating in a sort of grazing manner.

If she wasn't eating at all I would be worried.

 

[Pumbaa]

And I was out all day and forgot to call the vet so I still don't know what her labs were, sigh....

but probably no one cares since no one posted in this thread.

I care! I'm just trying to make some time to catch up now. (Weeds are easier to pull the bigger they are, right? Hahahaha!)

That is great news that she's gained half a pound! And her numbers are coming back down!As is the fact that she got up on the sofa when Beau had already staked out that territory, even if she did hiss when he woke up. (Give Beau an extra rub under the chin for ignoring Cami's hissing.)

I hope the lab results show either nothing, or a UTI which would be easy to treat.

Suze

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

My vet does not think she has a UTI, so I am still going on the behavioral/anger angle looking for some answers. She has been very good today, no peeing on the rug (antijinx), but she is also eating less, so I am worried. She is eating - like a "normal" cat, but for a month she has been eating non-stop so this is a big change and I have to worry over it, of course. I can't remember Beau or Jeddie suddenly not eating a ton. It happened gradually, I think.

I got early tests today - no big drops, so I think the dose increase is good.

 

[Pumbaa]

Sheila,

Cami could have all at once stopped eating massive amounts of food due to her unique situation, and a couple of different things coming into play at the same time.

The insulin was working and she was finally absorbing the the much-needed nutrients, and started putting on weight, so she didn't feel like she was starving constantly. Also, she discovered that she no longer had to worry about getting enough food, because you were making sure she had enough food, all the time, and making sure that she didn't to fight with the other cats to make sure that she got her needed food.

Pumbaa was different, because he wasn't also dealing with turf wars when his insulin kicked in and he was finally getting nutrition again. I'll bet the same is also true of Beau and Jeddie.

Hoping for the best lab results for Cami tomorrow. If she doesn't have a UTI, may her peeing outside the box days be over as she learns to accept that she's in her forever home, and that she no longer has to worry about her survival.

Suze

 

[hmjohnston]

The first time Sneakers lowered her food- about February this year- she went from eating 15 oz a day to 6oz in the space of a day. I FREAKED out. It did get me to test for ketones- which said small, and i got a ketone meter since my current vet said "ketones don't mean anything" and I was reading on the board here about DKA and the costs to treat...

needless to say when she started eating again I was more comfortable- then her numbers starting cycling out of control again and I finally cued to the fact she was getting dry outside in her wanderings. Then came lev and the acro diagnosis and the increased eating of to up to 20 oz per day but at least I knew what was going on at that time- which you currently don't. It is a worry.

I'm with Suze- I think that since she has been getting insulin in a good dose she is getting the nutrients her body needs and is slowing down the "need to feed" instinct she had.