Vicky & Gandalf (GA) & Murrlin
Member Since 2009
Sorry it's been a while since I posted an update since his seizure.
He hadn't been doing very well. The seizure obviously made his arthritis worse and he just laid around, was grumpy whenever I had to pick him up. Just generally in a bad mood all the time. He stopped eating well so I started giving him Pepcid AC again since his amylase was elevated on his bloodwork a few days after the seizure. That value was elevated when he was first diagnosed with pancreatitis via fPLI test in '09. He began eating better a couple days later, so I am continuing the Pepcid at least SID if not BID every day.
Then he had his second acupuncture treatment last Thursday since the seizure. He'd had one the week after the seizure, but I didn't notice much difference. After this latest treatment he was remarkably better that same day already and has remained less grumpy and more like himself since, more affectionate and vocal. We are doing another treatment this week, 1 week following the last. That's actually because of a change the acu vet has to make in our schedule, but I think it's an excellent idea.
She also suggested we try Gabapentin pain & seizure med, which has been discussed as successful for some arthritic cats here on the board. It's necessary to get it compounded though as they no longer make 100mg tablets for people and cats need very little. I don't have it yet because that takes a little while, but since he is doing better I will at least have it as a back-up. It can cause drowsiness, but I expect him to act about the same as he does on Buprenorphine or Torbugesic, although the latter we will not be trying again, because he vomited up black bile the next morning, probably caused by iron in the Torb. That was very freaky, but at least it wasn't blood.
I have updated his spreadsheet and he is finally doing very well after yet another decrease in his dose. He is now at half what his old optimum dose was. This is not necessarily a sign of better regulation for a geriatric cat with his numerous health issues, but can be a sign of a tumor somewhere. The acu vet spoke with someone familiar with cat seizures at a conference and it is believed that he may have a brain tumor of some sort. Although the possibility of an allergic response to the AB Doxycycline he was on is there, the possibility is much greater that the seizure was caused by a brain tumor.
But he's doing fine for now, so that's what I hope I can continue for him as long as he has.
He hadn't been doing very well. The seizure obviously made his arthritis worse and he just laid around, was grumpy whenever I had to pick him up. Just generally in a bad mood all the time. He stopped eating well so I started giving him Pepcid AC again since his amylase was elevated on his bloodwork a few days after the seizure. That value was elevated when he was first diagnosed with pancreatitis via fPLI test in '09. He began eating better a couple days later, so I am continuing the Pepcid at least SID if not BID every day.
Then he had his second acupuncture treatment last Thursday since the seizure. He'd had one the week after the seizure, but I didn't notice much difference. After this latest treatment he was remarkably better that same day already and has remained less grumpy and more like himself since, more affectionate and vocal. We are doing another treatment this week, 1 week following the last. That's actually because of a change the acu vet has to make in our schedule, but I think it's an excellent idea.
She also suggested we try Gabapentin pain & seizure med, which has been discussed as successful for some arthritic cats here on the board. It's necessary to get it compounded though as they no longer make 100mg tablets for people and cats need very little. I don't have it yet because that takes a little while, but since he is doing better I will at least have it as a back-up. It can cause drowsiness, but I expect him to act about the same as he does on Buprenorphine or Torbugesic, although the latter we will not be trying again, because he vomited up black bile the next morning, probably caused by iron in the Torb. That was very freaky, but at least it wasn't blood.
I have updated his spreadsheet and he is finally doing very well after yet another decrease in his dose. He is now at half what his old optimum dose was. This is not necessarily a sign of better regulation for a geriatric cat with his numerous health issues, but can be a sign of a tumor somewhere. The acu vet spoke with someone familiar with cat seizures at a conference and it is believed that he may have a brain tumor of some sort. Although the possibility of an allergic response to the AB Doxycycline he was on is there, the possibility is much greater that the seizure was caused by a brain tumor.
But he's doing fine for now, so that's what I hope I can continue for him as long as he has.
