Dimitri has pancreatitis.

Status
Not open for further replies.
ChEMom

ChEMom

Member Since 2014
I haven't been here is so long. Dimitri has been doing great. Until this morning. I noticed he didn't show up for breakfast in the kitchen like he normally does. I found him sleeping in a cat bed in a corner. He stayed there for several hours. When I woke him, he did get up and drink some water. I called the vet and got him in right away. He had a slight fever of 103. They had to knock him out to draw blood (that happens every time because he fights so hard.) I will attach the picture of his lab results. The vet said his AMY was elevated, but it was also elevated back in February (he had a UTI at the time, I think.) Bottom line is, she gave him subQ fluids, a shot of covenia, a shot of cerenia, an adequan shot (for his arthritis and she said it also helps with pancreatitis.) She sent me home with 4 more daily doses of the cerenia and some tramadol gel that I can apply to his ears twice a day for pain. My sweet boy came home, ate a few bites of canned food, and went back to bed, where he has stayed all evening. What should I do? There is an emergency animal clinic here in town that will be open tomorrow afternoon. Do I just need to give him more time? Thanks.
 

Attachments

  • Big D's June labs.JPG
    Big D's June labs.JPG
    40.3 KB · Views: 116
Hi Janet

There is an actual blood test that you can have done that will show whether pancreatitis is an issue. It is called a spec fPL test. It tends to be sent off from the vets to a different lab. I am guessing it is too late to send off the blood he had drawn previously?

What I can tell you is that when remi had his pancreatitis flairs he usually hides, stays in the meatloaf position, doesn't want food and may vomit. He moves slowly because of the pain.

If it is pancreatis the main medications given are to supportive mess thst control the symptoms and allow them to recover. So pain medication, fluids, anti nausea, etc.

Have a look at this idexx recommendation document on recommended treatment.

https://www.idexx.com/files/small-a...pec-fpl-treatment-for-feline-pancreatitis.pdf

I found pain relief to be key, the addition of fluids (some give sub q but I gave water carefully in a syringe or added to the food) and an anti nausea medication. Cerenia is good, especially to help with vomiting but you may like to talk to your vet about zofran (called ondansetron) as it is perhaps better for the nausea aspect.

I also syringe feed remi (I used a different food to his usual one and blitzed it up in the blender and added water). The best thing is to be proactive and get on top of his symptoms early to allow him to recover quickly and keep those supportive meds in place for a while after.

Did they test for a possible urine infection?
 
I didn't look up anything on pancreatitis until after we got home, so it was too late to talk about the spec fPL test.

I just rubbed the tramadol on his ears and squirted some water in his mouth. He refused a spoonful of his favorite wet food. I will go watch the videos on syringe feeding. I guess since he won't eat, I'll have to shove the Cerenia down this throat (instead of hiding it in a pill pocket.) Monday I will call the vet and get Zofran. Thanks for the help.
 
I am so glad to hear you got him into the vet immediately- early treatment is so important!

You might consider offering baby food meat, such as Gerber or Beechnut chicken and broth or turkey. Most people have better luck with giving meds in a gelcap as it is tasteless, then chase the cap down with a spoonful of baby food.

The most important thing that helped us is the smart people here told me that cats are expert at hiding their pain, you will have to be on the lookout for any signs of nausea(sniffing and walking away, licking the lips)- and always keep anti-nausea meds on hand. I find it works best to give them at least an hour before mealtime.
 
I had forgotten to go look for the Zobalin pills I bought last year. I can ask the vet if they have B12 shots.

I bought a Magic Bullet and pureed some of his food, with a bit of pumpkin added for constipation, and managed to get half of a 12 cc syringe either in or on him :). He is annoyed with me now and napping. I told him I will be back in an hour to try again.

Thanks so much for all the support and help.
 
your vet may be able to get a bottle of b12 that you can inject. It's much cheaper that way. I would think the zobaline would work also but might be more difficult in a cat that doesn't want to eat...
 
I think I would try to syringe remi at least every hour or two during the day and evening. He would get very annoyed with me as well but would tolerate it.

It is easier if you have a larger oral syringe as you can get and water it down somewhat. Just be careful not to aim the syringe down his throat but to aim from one side of the mouth to the other.
 
Use a food he doesn't normally eat for the syringe feeding. That way, when he starts eating on his own, he won't refuse his regular food.
 
He is MUCH better today! I bought a Magic Bullet yesterday and got some 12 cc syringes from the local Tractor Supply store. I gave him food and water via syringe every 2 hours all day and part of the night too. This morning, he got up out of his bed and walked to the water bowl and drank, several times! woohoo! He's not interested in food, but I haven't given him his Cerenia for the day yet. He certainly acts like he's not in as much pain as he has been, but I'm going to give him his Tramadol anyway. Thanks for all of the help.
 
I wonder if there some trick to giving the Bupe? I have a hard time finding a space between his cheek and gums. It looks to me like his gum pocket is pretty short and near the front of his mouth. I'm afraid most of the liquid ends up going down this throat, which does no good.

He switched to Zofran 2 days ago, but still has no appetite. I've been syringe feeding him, which is a big mess because he keeps clamping his mouth shut and turning his head. How long does it usually take for him to feel like eating again? It's frustrating, cause I can see he's loosing weight.
 
Hope Dimitri is doing better. I agree that Bupe was difficult to give. I just hovered over Fred, with him backed in between my legs, so he couldn't escape, popped his mouth open and squirted it on his gums and held his mouth shut for a few seconds. Then it was time for the antibiotic squirted down his throat. I held his mouth closed and gently rubbed his throat so he'd swallow. I gave cerenia at night, same procedure as with the other meds. Pooped his mouth open , threw the pill at the back of his throat and held his mouth shut and rubbed his throat to make him swallow. One time I found the remnants of the pill on his cardboard cat scratcher. I scooped as much of it up as I could and put it in his food. One thing that may have helped the appetite....I switched Fred from Fancy Feast to Whiskas and Friskies pates and he loved the change...and still loves it. Good luck.
PS that antibiotic was a bit messy.
 
Thanks. The vet's office called to check on Dimitri and I told her he's not eating on his own. So they want me to bring him back in tomorrow to run labs again. I'm going to ask if they can run the Spec fPl.
 
The test came back high. They are keeping him overnight for IV fluids and a different antibiotic (Baetril?) I don't want them to keep him for the weekend though because they don't have round-the-clock care. Plus, just last week a local animal hospital burned to the ground one night from an electrical fire. There was no sprinkler system, so 38 animals lost their lives.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top