DB Snaps not eating or drinking - Please help

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Dianne Jackson

Dianne Jackson

Member Since 2016
Hi Everyone,

i have had to quickly learn how to navigate as i am unsure if we have an emergency or not just yet so i hope i am in the right place.

Snaps has been on Glargine (Lantus) for over a year (previously on Caninsulin) and i have complained to the vet that it is not working so good due to his bg not being within good regions since his bg never really comes below 10. The vet last took his blood several months ago and said his sucrose was ok and to go back in 6 months for another blood test. We are approaching that time soon.

Just last night he didnt eat all of his food, he had his normal shot and appeared ok. This morning he didnt eat much his food at all but i still gave him his shot and kept an eye on him and his bg all day. He has slept all day and barely moved, not drank nor eaten anything at all. I tried to feed him tonight, he ate a little and again i gave him his shot. Still not improvement, i have tried to syringe feed a little water as i am keen to test his urine for ketones but i have put him in his litter tray several times and he just wont pee.

I am in the UK so the bg units are different to the USA as we know. He was at 26 this evening and now down to 16. I am worried that he will drop suddenly with no food inside his belly.

Any help at all would be grateful.

P.S i have 5 cats and it is possibly that Snaps ate a pigeon 2 days ago so wondering if it has upset his stomach. I am not sure due to only finding feathers and 5 happy cats 2 mornings ago.
 
Hi Dianne,

Sorry to hear that Snaps is having appetite problems. Been there, and it is so scary.

How many hours between the injection time and the time when you got the 10 16 mmol/L reading? (I'm in the UK too, so familiar with mmol.)

Also are you using a human or pet meter to measure BG, and what dose of Lantus is Snaps on?

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Hi Critter Mom, thank you for your reply. Snaps is currently sitting at around 15, he had his shot at 19:30pm this evening. I keep checking him every hour.

I am using the Alphatrak 2 meter and he is on 2.5units at the moment. I have never seen him like this, he is only 5 years old
 
Dianne, sorry I can't offer anything since I don't understand the UK numbers. Hope Snaps (love the name) feels better soon.
 
Aw, bless. The poor little fella. :(

The drop seems to be slowing but since Snaps is so lethargic and inappetent I really think you'd be better to ring your vet's emergency service to see if you can get him seen tonight to check out what's up and because of the worry of ketones. Your vet may have a blood ketone monitor and if so would be able to check his status without needing him to pee.

Can you let me know what you're going to do? I'm worried for you both.

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PS - Snaps could be dehydrated and that can make a poorly cat feel even lousier. The emergency vet would be able to assess that and perhaps give him fluids.
 
He approaches food and water and attempts to eat/drink but turns his nose up. He even turned away from boiled chicken which is his favourite
 
That's common behaviour with nausea but there's no telling at this stage what might be causing the nausea. Can you get him to the vet tonight?
 
Hi Dianne,

I need to duck away to do a BG check and feed for my little one. I'll be back shortly.

If you're not able to get to the vet tonight please let me know.


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Hi Dianne,

I need to duck away to do a BG check and feed for my little one. I'll be back shortly.

If you're not able to get to the vet tonight please let me know.


Mogs
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Hi, no problem. I will keep my eye on snaps tonight and take him straight to the vet tomorrow morning if he's no better.
I will keep you updated. I was reading your post earlier regarding dehydration. I may ask the vet about sub cuts, have u ever done this? The U.S. Term is sub Q's.
 
Hi Dianne,

I've not had to administer sub-qs for Saoirse. I had to nurse her through a very severe pancreatitis flare shortly after she was diagnosed but thankfully I managed to keep her hydrated with homemade chicken broth and water added to her food.

It might be an idea to try to give Snaps a little water via syringe.

It might be something simple like not being able to smell his food that could be discouraging Snaps from eating (you could try offering him something stinky to see if he might eat that) but because he has been so tired today I really think a vet visit is in order. In the meantime you could try raising his food and water dishes as that can help a lot when a kitty's a bit queasy, and perhaps try warming his food so that it's tepid to the touch. If you've got any freeze-dried protein treats you might try crumbling one of those over the top of his food.

Regarding blood glucose levels, it would be a good idea to spot check until Snaps is past nadir and rising.

I hope he feels better and regains his appetite very soon. There is good advice on the Tanya's Site page about anti-nausea meds and appetite stimulants that you can get an Rx for from your vet. It would be great if you can post an update for us tomorrow to let us know how Snaps is doing.


Mogs
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I have 2 cents to offer--
even if Snaps is not clinically dehydrated I have seen fluids do remarkable things to jump start the body-
:bighug::bighug:
 
Hi, thank you for your support and information. I am taking emergency leave and we are off to the vets. His bg is 8.1 so no glargine this morning since he just will not eat. I will let you know the outcome.
I syringe fed water last night, he did not love me for it bless him.
 
Hi All, good news i think. We have a poorly kitty with a UTI, a bit dehydrated and high temperature. I say good news because its not pancreatitis which could be worse maybe. We havent faced that yet and hope not to. So, he had an anti-biotic shot at the vets to bring his temperaure down plus a UTI tablet anti-biotic. We are home now and he has since eaten a lot more than the last 24 hours and drank water. I just need to watch out for those pesky ketones now but i am sure he will be absolutely fine.
 
Dianne Jackson said:
I syringe fed water last night, he did not love me for it bless him.
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Smart move. He'll forgive you. And he's very, very, cute! :)

When Saoirse had a stress-induced UTI a few years ago she wouldn't drink enough for me either. I think they're smart enough to work out that more drink equals more pee and when it hurts like billy-oh to pee you can't fault the reasoning. Humans might react similarly (don't ask how I know this ... :oops:). Of course, the best thing to do is drink more.

Thanks for the update, Dianne. I'm glad you were able to get Snaps checked by the vet. I'm sorry he has a UTI but very glad it isn't anything as bad as pancreatitis. I'm thrilled to hear he's eating again. :cat:

It can help to mix a few teaspoons of water into the wet food to help with the hydration. Be sure to shout for help if you need it, and let us know how Snaps gets on. Sending him some get well soon scritches.


Mogs
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Guys im not sure whats going on. He ate earlier, drank plenty then we are back again where we were. He's not really moving much. Still no pee or poo at home. Is a hospital stay advised? Worried sick now. Hes really untable on his feet. I dont understand. Never seen him like this before.
 
Hi Dianne,

Just seen this. I'm worried about him not peeing. Boys have a narrow urethra. Also, the instability.

Questions:

Is he on insulin today?

Where's his BG right now?

Have you checked he's negative for ketones?

How long is it since he pooped? And how much has he eaten in all that time?


Mogs
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So, we were at the vets at midnight last night. The vet checked for pancreatitis and there were no signs of that.
Snaps is eating gradually again so thats good. He' still a bit wobbly but he has been to pee in his litter tray which was great to see. I will see how he is over today and let you know.
 
Hi Guys, just wanted to say a quick thank you again for your support. I am hoping Snaps is on the mend now. Hes had two poo's today, i think he was proud of his more recent one that came with a human like gas and certainly sounded like it. He is drinking water and eating more. Hes still sleeping a lot but thats his body repairing i hope. Still a bit wobbly on his feet, i am still unsure why this is. Second day of anti-biotics so i am hoping that after his 3rd dose tomorrow he may be feeling a little better. His bg numbers are ok again so thats a good sign. I have kept watch over him and he seems a little perkier in himself. Heres hoping it is only a UTI but it was frightening how quickly it came about. Maybe he has had a tummy upset too with that pigeon he shared with his fellow felines earlier this week.
Hope you all have a great weekend :)
 
Dianne Jackson said:
Hi Guys, just wanted to say a quick thank you again for your support. I am hoping Snaps is on the mend now. Hes had two poo's today, i think he was proud of his more recent one that came with a human like gas and certainly sounded like it. He is drinking water and eating more. Hes still sleeping a lot but thats his body repairing i hope. Still a bit wobbly on his feet, i am still unsure why this is. Second day of anti-biotics so i am hoping that after his 3rd dose tomorrow he may be feeling a little better. His bg numbers are ok again so thats a good sign. I have kept watch over him and he seems a little perkier in himself. Heres hoping it is only a UTI but it was frightening how quickly it came about. Maybe he has had a tummy upset too with that pigeon he shared with his fellow felines earlier this week.
Hope you all have a great weekend :)
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Great report!!
So glad Snaps is on the mend... don't be surprised if the antibiotics cause some issues with eating--sometimes a few days in they get the blahs about food in which case baby food (meats only) usually do the trick warmed up a little. Happy healthy weekend!
 
Hi All,
Snaps has been in the hospital since Monday. He's been diagnosed with hepatic abcess. I am about to start a new post on suggestions since vets are clueless on this in my area. He will obviously stay in hospital on anti biotics but I feel I am running out of time ....
 
Dianne Jackson said:
Hi All,
Snaps has been in the hospital since Monday. He's been diagnosed with hepatic abcess. I am about to start a new post on suggestions since vets are clueless on this in my area. He will obviously stay in hospital on anti biotics but I feel I am running out of time ....
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Oh no---Im so sorry... I am sure some of the more experienced ones can help you... prayers...:bighug::bighug:
 
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