? Chase Update 8/8 and Question About Anti-Nausea Meds

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Sandi & Chase in AZ

Sandi & Chase in AZ

Member Since 2017
Hello All,

I have an appointment for Chase in 2 hours. His symptoms present like he has Pancreatitis. I've only seen him this sick once, and that's when his BG was over 500 (right before he was diagnosed with FD.

Is a vet likely to prescribe both Cerenia AND Ondansetron? I want to ask the vet for any and all things that will help Chase. He is doing terribly. :(
 
Hi Sandi - so sorry to hear this
Unfortunately I am all too familiar with feline pancreatitis
Meds to get and have on hand: cerneia (vomiting, anti inflammatory) ondansteron (for nausea); pain medication, appetite stimulant (I prefer cyproheptadine but mirtizapine is okay too), +/- subQ fluids. Also frequent small feedings.
 
Unfortunately we are way to familiar with p-titis...Trix had lots of ups and downs with it.

Every vet is different in what they will prescribe. My vet is a huge fan of cerenia and normally does not prescribe ondansetron; however, she will prescribe it if I request her to. So it will depend on what your vet's approach is - you may need to ask for things, and hopefully they will be willing to work with your requests.

If he has pancreatitis, you want pain meds - it can be very painful. You may want an appy stimulant as well, but you do need to address nausea first. SubQ fluids also help a lot with p-titis.

One other thing: my vet told me several years ago that they are now finding that about 50% of p-titis cases are bacterial in origin. While this isn't always the case, sometimes antibiotics are in order. They helped Trix tremendously - it was her second or third big flare when we finally tried ABs, and after that, she never seemed to have a big flare up again.

Prayers for Chase....(and I see I just repeated everything Carol said :rolleyes:!)
 
Thank you, so much, everyone. Are the SubQ fluids something I have to do, myself? Or can the vet do it? @Amy&TrixieCat ... should I go ahead and just get an antibiotic for him or should I wait? This is the first time he's been sick, like this, since his BG was over 500 (before Lantus).

IF this is pancreatitis, does that mean he will have always have flare ups? Is there anything that can be done to prevent them or make them less likely?

Chase LOVES food, and normally when he vomits he feels better and will eat right away. When he didn't this time, I knew something was really wrong. He NEVER refuses food unless he is VERY sick. Since he hasn't eaten yet, today, is there something suggested I give to him to start with, once he feels better, other than what he normally eats? I will have to do research on this disorder, but for now I rely on all of you wonderful folks. Thank you SO much.
 
Carol & Murphy said:
Hi Sandi - so sorry to hear this
Unfortunately I am all too familiar with feline pancreatitis
Meds to get and have on hand: cerneia (vomiting, anti inflammatory) ondansteron (for nausea); pain medication, appetite stimulant (I prefer cyproheptadine but mirtizapine is okay too), +/- subQ fluids. Also frequent small feedings.
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subQ fluids on hand? Chase has been getting frequent small feedings for quite some time, now. I have a timed feeder.
 
Carol & Murphy said:
Hi Sandi - so sorry to hear this
Unfortunately I am all too familiar with feline pancreatitis
Meds to get and have on hand: cerneia (vomiting, anti inflammatory) ondansteron (for nausea); pain medication, appetite stimulant (I prefer cyproheptadine but mirtizapine is okay too), +/- subQ fluids. Also frequent small feedings.
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@Carol & Murphy Can you tell me why you prefer cyproheptadine, and is a lot more expensive than the other?
 
Phoebes said:
We also get the 24 mg of cerenia and cut into 1/4s. It's cheaper that way. I pay 28.00 for 24 mg or 27.00 for 16mg
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24 cut into quarters is 6 mg. Should I do that or try to get 16mg tabs and cut in 4 for 4 mg doses? Chase is a big kitty, so I'm just curious which way to go. I'm getting ready to go to the vet soon. Thanks so much.
 
Pain meds. Gizmo get Torbugesic Oral (for at home/daily) - but if they will do it have them put on a fentanyl patch. Gizmo got one on his 2nd or 3rd flare and it really, really help him. (3 days in hosp vs. 6). If Chase is in that much pain - that is what he needs. The vet also sent him home overnight in the hopes that Gizmo being at home with us would encourage him to eat. I would then drop him back off at the hosp before work and they would hook up the fluids and pain meds for the day. We did this for 3 days - when he finally started eating again.

Since they can't talk to us - IMO the pain of the panc needs to be broke before any recovery can begin (again, just my opinion from what I have experienced with Gizmo).
 
I would wait for what the vet has to say about antibiotics, and about the cerenia dose, too. I just wanted to mention what my vet said about my antibiotics so you would have it in your "information arsenal". Trix was on 4mg once a day for a long time - about 2 years - but she also had advanced CKD.

For the fluids, I'm sure you could have them done at the vet's office if necessary, but it is something that you can do at home. It does have a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, doing it home saves time, money, and stress.

ECID with regards to whether or not their p-titis si chromic and will flare, or if it's an isolated incident. Only time will tell.

FWIW, I got my meds (cerenia) and SubQ fluids from Valley Vet Supply online. You do need a script from your vet, but Valley Vet will contact your vet for that. Since Trix was on these things long-term, it was cheaper than getting them from my vet's office. Of course, though, Chase needs something immediately, so get what you need for to hold him for a while, and if you find you'll be needing them indefinitely, then you can look into ordering online.
 
Another thing to keep in mind, too...if this is pancreatitis, you want to keep up the meds for a good chunk of time AFTER Chase returns to normal. You want to be sure the flare is actually behind you, and discontinuing meds too soon can cause it to return.
 
LizzieInTexas said:
Pain meds. Gizmo get Torbugesic Oral (for at home/daily) - but if they will do it have them put on a fentanyl patch. Gizmo got one on his 2nd or 3rd flare and it really, really help him. (3 days in hosp vs. 6). If Chase is in that much pain - that is what he needs. The vet also sent him home overnight in the hopes that Gizmo being at home with us would encourage him to eat. I would then drop him back off at the hosp before work and they would hook up the fluids and pain meds for the day. We did this for 3 days - when he finally started eating again.

Since they can't talk to us - IMO the pain of the panc needs to be broke before any recovery can begin (again, just my opinion from what I have experienced with Gizmo).
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I wasn't anticipating that Chase would have to stay in the hospital. :( If that happens, I don't know what I'll do. The cost must be astronomical. :(
 
The vet should have the pain meds there and hopefully the cerenia as well. If he doesn't have cerenia, I have it here but he needs to prescribe it. I'm happy to share meds as long as the vet prescribes it.

If he feels subq fluids are needed, I have a ton and can share so it won't cost you anything. I also have needles, lines, etc....everything you need. However, getting it to you is the bigger issue. We can talk about that privately.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
The vet should have the pain meds there and hopefully the cerenia as well. If he doesn't have cerenia, I have it here but he needs to prescribe it. I'm happy to share meds as long as the vet prescribes it.

If he feels subq fluids are needed, I have a ton and can share so it won't cost you anything. I also have needles, lines, etc....everything you need. However, getting it to you is the bigger issue. We can talk about that privately.
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Likewise, I also have several bags of fluids (2 LRS and 2 saline), lines, and needles as well as Cerenia (16mg tablets) that I can also share if you need them. Actually, I also have ondansetron tablets, too. Please keep me in the loop, too, in case there is a need!
 
Phoebe gets bupernex via gel rubbed into her ear x3 because she doesn't take oral liquid very well. She also takes gabapentin 2x daily for her IBD and pancreatitis. We have tried not given her the cerenia and zofran but it doesn't go well. Vet said at her 14lbs she could take up to 12mg of cerenia if need be. But the 1/4 of the 24 mg has been working (antijinx). I get from vet at moment but know it's cheaper online. I used vetsupplies.com it was 12 dollars and change for the 24mg. 4 tablets in a box. Make sure to keep the cut up pill in foil package. I also use the clear caps to put the cerenia and zofran in to administer. Not supposed to put it in treats or pill pockets. I know it's alot, but it is manageable. ECID but phoebes tends to be the kitty with multiple flareups. I use fancy feast classics. No fishy ones. :bighug::bighug::bighug::cat:
 
Shadow took both cerenia and ondansetron, they address different things as well. The ondansetron was the best from my experience.
There are just a few vets who haven't tried it yet so they are cautious.

many of us prefer cyproheptadine over mirtz because cypro isn't as harsh. mirtz (nicknamed meowzapine) makes them fussy and doesn't stop when they get satiated with food.
Poor Shadow would eat after taking the mirtz but then she would follow me everywhere for hours still wanting more when I knew she didn't need more food.
 
I hope Chase is getting better by now, Sandi. Mirtz didn't seem to work well with Murphy - the cyproheptadine usually does but I do notice that if I give several days in a row, the effect seems to wane - if I wait a day or two, it works again
 
I am so sorry Chase is unwell. Sheba used to suffer from pancreatitis and I could always tell when she had an attack as she just stopped eating and normally she was a great eater...so if she didn't eat, she was sick.
Treatment for her was subq fluids, pain meds and cerenia imi. I was always able to take her home except once. I used cerenia and ondansetron for the nausea at home, and Tramadol for pain ( she was on that all the time for her arthritis anyway). I learnt quickly at home how to give SubQ fluids......you won't have any trouble doing it....just the first few times is a big learning curve.
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I've used Cerenia for Callie. It worked well except when she got really sick a few days ago. Very important thing I learned on here is that if you don't put the pill in a gel cap, it foams up on contact with saliva (or water). It scared the crap out of me and Callie. For her I used 1/4 tab of a 16mg tab.

I hope you're getting some answers for Chase. Prayers for you both.
 
Glennie said:
I've used Cerenia for Callie. It worked well except when she got really sick a few days ago. Very important thing I learned on here is that if you don't put the pill in a gel cap, it foams up on contact with saliva (or water). It scared the crap out of me and Callie. For her I used 1/4 tab of a 16mg tab.

I hope you're getting some answers for Chase. Prayers for you both.
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Yes..., the foam. OMG... it was horrible. I will have to figure out how to get them down his throat. He will wait until I let go of him and spit the pill out almost every time. :(
 
Sandi & Chase in AZ said:
Yes..., the foam. OMG... it was horrible. I will have to figure out how to get them down his throat. He will wait until I let go of him and spit the pill out almost every time. :(
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I ordered gel caps online but sometimes pharmacies have them. Not here, unfortunately. I coat the filled gel cap with butter, and it goes right down (well, with only a few struggles). The frothing terrified both of us. I honestly thought she was dying.

How did Chase's vet visit go? I hope well. :bighug:
 
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