Diabetic cat hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday - Help??

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Tuxedo Mom said:
Justyn

Did they actually do the testing for pancreatits...such as the snap fPLI or specific fPLI test? The snap test would have given a yes or no answer...the specific would have given a numerical number which would show how serious it was.
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Unfortunately not, somehow at the most 'speciality care' hospital in my area, they did not have the test... So we don't even KNOW if socks has pacreatitis, we dont KNOW what the heck is going on with him, but vet has just been treating as pancreatitis...
 
Justyn said:
Unfortunately not, somehow at the most 'speciality care' hospital in my area, they did not have the test... So we don't even KNOW if socks has pacreatitis, we dont KNOW what the heck is going on with him, but vet has just been treating as pancreatitis...
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:oops: Not saying that it wasn't pancreatitis, but since he was there for several days it would not have been a problem to do at least the SNAP fPLI test...it is basically the same as a pregnancy test...a quick yes or no and the results are available within 10 minutes of doing the test.
 
Tuxedo Mom said:
:oops: Not saying that it wasn't pancreatitis, but since he was there for several days it would not have been a problem to do at least the SNAP fPLI test...it is basically the same as a pregnancy test...a quick yes or no and the results are available within 10 minutes of doing the test.
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No no sorry what i meant is that WE (his human family) don't really know whats going on with him.. and i completely agree and can only assume they didn't have that kind of test as they were not able to confirm with anything other than ultrasound really...
 
Justyn said:
No no sorry what i meant is that WE (his human family) don't really know whats going on with him.. and i completely agree and can only assume they didn't have that kind of test as they were not able to confirm with anything other than ultrasound really...
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The ultra sound would have shown an enlarged pancreas which is indicative of pancreatitis.
 
Yes and that's exactly what it did show... so it's as much as a lead as we were going to get as the other tests didn't show too much... Just feel that his pancreatitis is causing this elevated amount of ketones as the pancrease is what regulates them... but still waiting on a call back from my ER vet to see if they would give us sub Q fluids and monitor closely at home first.... I know most will disagree, and i understand why most will, but if i could just try to treat at home as its a small amount for now and of course will have to think of other options if it gets worse... breaks my heart into a million pieces but i dont think we can put him in the hospital again for this... he did SO horrible there, of course he was great fluid/electrolyte wise, but the stress just about was killing him..
 
Sock's ER vet refused to give us sub q fluids last night as he resumed eating hours after not wanting the rest of breakfast. I think i may have worried too much yesterday morning after he wasn't very hungry for breakfast - not realizing that I gave him the 3-day appetite stimulant which can be rough on the bub's stomach after taking it. SO, socks' has been eating like a horse, and truly showed no clinical signs of ketones as he's napping occasionally, playing around a bit, grooming beautifully... and really acting like his normal self with each day (not laying still so i can prick his ear anymore :( lol)

AND

I'd like to report that he tested negative for ketones this morning! I *gave* (corrected) him a nice flush of water per the vet's instructions, and his BGs have been very low since yesterday morning, but either way we are looking good for now! We will keep monitoring him as much as humanly possible - even hoping to take some time off work tomorrow. I've been up since 4am as I got up to check his BG and it was only 71! I panicked! Lol, gave him 1/4 can low carb food just to be safe and stayed up to check it - but somehow could NOT get a drop of blood after about 10 pricks.. ruined a test strip as got a tiny amount on it and it wasnt enough... But his AMPS reading was only 169, so i reduced to 1.5u as i couldn't be home with him today. Have been watching him all week during work from a comcast security camera i reposition in the living room before i leave in the morning - and he's doing great,currently grooming in his cat tree! Happy all is ok for now, but have some other issues going on- like trying to figure what to do about his tummy issues. If i feed him large meals (1 can 2x/day) - i can get a more accurate idea of how his insulin is reacting with him through the day and it's very consistent - BUT it's been giving him bigger bouts of loose stool (same consistency as before) just larger amounts as he's eating larger amounts now. Not sure if it's too much harder on his digestive track. BUT feeding small meals through the day is very hard to get consistent numbers as he doesn't eat at the exact times each day.. so for now just was trying to get his BG under control...hoping his poop starts looking more normal soon too, have already started 1/2tsp of pumpkin with each feeding (so 2x/day).
 
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Thrilled to hear Socks is eating and NO KETONES! YEAH! Love your spy setup! Great tool to keep an eye on the little one. ;)

The pumpkin should help with his stool but if larger meals seem to be causing more loose stools then smaller meals may be a better way to go. Not sure what you mean by it being harder to get consistent numbers with the smaller meals because of when he eats them. As long as your pre-shot readings are not food influenced, I wouldn't worry about what his eating times do to his numbers right now. The numbers might get more consistent once his tummy issues settle and it sounds like his numbers are pretty good right now. It would be really helpful if you could get the spreadsheet up to date when you have a minute too!:)
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Thrilled to hear Socks is eating and NO KETONES! YEAH! Love your spy setup! Great tool to keep an eye on the little one. ;)

The pumpkin should help with his stool but if larger meals seem to be causing more loose stools then smaller meals may be a better way to go. Not sure what you mean by it being harder to get consistent numbers with the smaller meals because of when he eats them. As long as your pre-shot readings are not food influenced, I wouldn't worry about what his eating times do to his numbers right now. The numbers might get more consistent once his tummy issues settle and it sounds like his numbers are pretty good right now. It would be really helpful if you could get the spreadsheet up to date when you have a minute too!:)
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Awwwww thank you so much for the feedback!!! I just wasn't sure if the meal timing would or wouldnt effect it - but my concern is if he doesn't eat enough in the morning before his shot - that he may go too low - and im going to do a blood curve on Saturday, so I'm not sure if I should start feeding the smaller meals before then...

BUT yes I was so relieved to see the negative ketones, and i know that does not mean we're all clear, but at least they didn't get worsed (i checked last night and it was the same 'small' amount color) but so happy to see it may be getting better or may have just been a little flare . His numbers have been looking pretty dang good, i just need to update the SS asap!! Will do hopefully today!!!
 
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Napping in his cat climb! Normally have a better angel but ran out of the house this morning
 
Justyn said:
but my concern is if he doesn't eat enough in the morning before his shot - that he may go too low -
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You can feed a larger portion of food at each shot time and less for those in between "snacks". When you are working, you can freeze canned food in an ice cube tray and leave out a cube or two (or whatever # you need depending on the cube size) for Socks to have as it thaws. That way he gets a decent feed with his shot but still has food available for grazing in between his main meals.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
You can feed a larger portion of food at each shot time and less for those in between "snacks". When you are working, you can freeze canned food in an ice cube tray and leave out a cube or two (or whatever # you need depending on the cube size) for Socks to have as it thaws. That way he gets a decent feed with his shot but still has food available for grazing in between his main meals.
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Yes yes exactly what im doing right now actually!! 3/4 can for breakfast/dinner with shot - and then 1/4 can around 1pm (cousin goes home on lunch) and about 11pm before i go to sleep! So far so good! But just wondering how it will effect my blood curves as giving him food at around the 6+/7+ mark would take an hour or two to start effecting sugar...
 
Canned food will cause BG to rise almost immediately but it won't last long enough for food at +6 or +7 to effect pre-shot readings. As long as he doesn't eat within 2 hours of the pre-shot test, you are fine. Every test you take doesn't have to be a fasting test and when possible, if you keep track of when he does eat, you'll be able to figure out what influence food has on his BG and roughly how long it lasts. If you think that 3/4 can is too much all in one meal, back it off a little bit and add the difference into his "snacks". If you are concerned about him not getting enough with his shot do this when you can monitor and see if it makes a difference. Sometimes the food portions as well as when they are consumed can have an influence on the numbers.
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Canned food will cause BG to rise almost immediately but it won't last long enough for food at +6 or +7 to effect pre-shot readings. As long as he doesn't eat within 2 hours of the pre-shot test, you are fine. Every test you take doesn't have to be a fasting test and when possible, if you keep track of when he does eat, you'll be able to figure out what influence food has on his BG and roughly how long it lasts. If you think that 3/4 can is too much all in one meal, back it off a little bit and add the difference into his "snacks". If you are concerned about him not getting enough with his shot do this when you can monitor and see if it makes a difference. Sometimes the food portions as well as when they are consumed can have an influence on the numbers.
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Thanks very much for the insight!! I wasnt sure how long his (wet) food averagely takes to effect him! I will be during a curve on saturday! But i think 3/4 is good for him bc he would still be hungry after 1/2 can - just was wondering if i needed to feed the whole can with shot but youve clarified that for me! As long as digestive issues dont get worse ill keep it as this for now!! Thanks again!! (:
 
Hello all - I started a new thread in the Prozinc forum for what issues we're facing right now. Figured I'd post it here also:

Hi everyone - I need your help/advice!! My cat, Socks, was hospitalized for about 4 days in a 24hr hospital, due to Pancreatits and DKA.. He went from acting totally normal one morning, to not wanting a single bite of food of dinner that same day - and then didn't eat for almost 5 days after that point...

I've learned now to test his urine for Ketones at home, so have been doing anytime I can catch him in the litter box.. Brought him home, test stick showed 'negative'... But we had one on Tuesday that showed 'small' amount of ketones, but as we cannot afford to rehospitalize, we kept an eye on his sugars as got them down to a more normal range, and the next day he tested 'negative' again! (We had been flushing him with lots of water down his feeding tube, in addition to a homemade electrolyte treatment) so at the very least it wasn't getting any worse.


SO, I very much need to get his levels under control truly as soon as possible to prevent the ketones from being produced further.. But we are currently dealing with quite a few variables - such as all of the meds he's on ( He's on 2 kinds of antibiotics, antinausea, appetite stimulant, all in addition to his insulin (2u BID)). He has had much softer -than-usual stools since he's been home, so one of these recent days - his BGs were much lower than usual but he had A LOT more diarrhea that day than any other day - and i've read that can make the BGs lower than usual...

& I've udpated his Spreadsheet ( I have lots of numbers from the vets but I dont know when they gave shots so I don't know what to post them as)...

But if anyone can review his sheet, we had a recent lower AMPS so i reduced his dose to 1.5u from 2u as I was worried - and I can't tell if that caused his sugars to be higher from lack of insulin that day - or if he may have gotten too low (which is what I'm thinking) and is now bouncing... but I don't know what to do as Im scared to reduce the insulin to see higher numbers, and it seems like even with high numbers for 1 days - he starts building ketones.. please help!!!
 
I posted this on your other thread: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/help-not-enough-insulin-or-bouncing.166695/

"You could consider giving a higher carb food so that you are able to give the larger dose of insulin. Although it sounds counter-productive, getting a decent dose of insulin is important to help keep ketones from forming. You are giving extra fluids and the pedialyte which is good, but keeping a decent dose of insulin is also important"
 
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