Genuinely Lost at the Moment Will Greatly Appreciate any Help…

[LoufsMama]

Hello Everyone,
I have been researching online and going through the forum for days and there is always so much wonderful information on here. But I feel very lost as I’m dealing with quite a few things with Lucifer right now and could use some clarification or advice if anyone would be so kind.

He is still in remission and I check his sugar once a month to monitor. He had dental work done about 6 months ago and did great. However, recently he is refusing food. He’s stubborn. Been on Weruva since 2022. I tried a bunch of new fancy feast cans and some of the friskies pates on the list. He is now eating them but still sometimes picky. Occasionally I add the forti flora and that helps.

However my biggest concern is he has lost some weight. He is around 9.3 right now which is light for him. We are unsure of his age. When we adopted him 3 or 4 years ago we were originally told he was 4 however the vet says he is much older because of the iris of his eyes. But we don’t even have a range so I don’t know. He has had blood panels yearly and for his surgery and all was good. He has an upcoming surgery in June for a fatty mass removal on his leg.

I know he has arthritis and he takes cosqeuin in his food. However with him being picky with food I don’t think he’s gotten much lately and now he’s lounging a lot more. (Plus my other cat tends to aggravate him when he walks to the kitchen). I am looking into CBD options and would love to give him the treat that has glucosamine and CBD but it has some starches and I am awaiting to hear back about how much carbs.

Then I was considering the senior cat foods but not sure if that will be better or worse for him to gain weight? Then I saw the phosphorus is higher in fancy feast so now I’m worried about that. I want to find a food he eats and help him gain some weight and get his joints moving again but ensure he stays in remission. So sorry to ramble I just have so much on my mind to sort through and I want to do everything I can for him. Thank you everyone.

 

[SpotsMom]

There are so many things that can cause a cat to stop eating. If you haven’t had blood work done since his issues started, that might be a good first step. Ask them to also run a spec fpl to check for pancreatitis.

On the CBD, I don’t think there is a treat on the market that works for diabetic kitties. They’re all too high in carbs. We have been using this tincture for years and have been very happy with the results: https://www.cbdmd.com/products/cbd-oil-tinctures-for-cats?variant=44974630830376

 

[LoufsMama]

There are so many things that can cause a cat to stop eating. If you haven’t had blood work done since his issues started, that might be a good first step. Ask them to also run a spec fpl to check for pancreatitis.

On the CBD, I don’t think there is a treat on the market that works for diabetic kitties. They’re all too high in carbs. We have been using this tincture for years and have been very happy with the results: https://www.cbdmd.com/products/cbd-oil-tinctures-for-cats?variant=44974630830376

@SpotsMom thank you for the help I appreciate it greatly. I will try the tincture you sent and then try to continue his Cosequin. I hate bugging him with drops so I was hoping for treats but I know this is not really possible with the diabetes. The only treats he eats now are the dehydrated meats. I know he had a pre surgery panel about six months or so ago and he will be going in in June for the mass removal so maybe if they have not tested recently for pancreatitis I can ask them to do so. I’m a nervous wreck because like I said we don’t know his age so I get terribly nervous about all this.

 

[Mazi's Mom]

@LoufsMama i tried taking a look at your kitties spreadsheet but I didn't see any recent glucose numbers. Has your kitties glucose been elevated since he stopped eating?

I ask because often time when a cat has an episode of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) it will normally stop producing insulin (bc the pancreas is inflammed, angry, and will refuse to work) and you would expect your cats blood sugar to be elevated.

However, its best to get blood work done or/and an ultrasound to confirm a diagnosis of pancreatitis.

When my cat was diagnosed with pancreatitis, he was lethargic, wouldn't eat, and was vomiting. His glucose was 148 which isn't a dangerous blood sugar value, but it was definitely elevated from his normal baseline, which back then was 80 to 120. So with that said, your kitty doesn't have to have a glucose of 500 to suspect pancreatitis, but if its elevated more than his "baseline".

However, disorders don't always present themselves as perfect textbook scenario's, so blood work and if you vet wants to do an ultrasound to actually see if the pancreas is inflamed is prolly best.

But if its just a loss or change in appetite and no vomiting or lethargy and sugars are all normal, I would prolly suspect something else. Could be kitty is just being picky, he might have a little bug making him not want to eat, or something serious.

However, im not a doctor or vet, im just a new grad nurse with very little practice experience at the moment, however, I have a diabetic kitty with pancreatitis flare ups, im familiar with textbook presentation and how MY cat presents with pancreatitis.

It's best to get some blood and see what the blood tells you. The blood can tell you if theres inflammation going on in the body and theres a special blood enzyme that can tell them if the pancreas is angry or not. Plus a possible ultrasound to get some pictures and see whats going in the abdomen.

I wish you the best of luck and please update us! I'm hoping for the best!

 

[LoufsMama]

@LoufsMama i tried taking a look at your kitties spreadsheet but I didn't see any recent glucose numbers. Has your kitties glucose been elevated since he stopped eating?

I ask because often time when a cat has an episode of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) it will normally stop producing insulin (bc the pancreas is inflammed, angry, and will refuse to work) and you would expect your cats blood sugar to be elevated.

However, its best to get blood work done or/and an ultrasound to confirm a diagnosis of pancreatitis.

When my cat was diagnosed with pancreatitis, he was lethargic, wouldn't eat, and was vomiting. His glucose was 148 which isn't a dangerous blood sugar value, but it was definitely elevated from his normal baseline, which back then was 80 to 120. So with that said, your kitty doesn't have to have a glucose of 500 to suspect pancreatitis, but if its elevated more than his "baseline".

However, disorders don't always present themselves as perfect textbook scenario's, so blood work andnif you vet wants to do any ultrasound to actually see if the pancreas is inflamed is prolly best.

But if its just a loss or change in appetite and no vomiting or lethargy and sugars are all normal, I would prolly suspect something else.

However, im not a doctor or vet, im just a new grad nurse with very little practice experience at the moment, however, I have a diabetic kitty with pancreatitis flare ups, so I'm familiarwith seeing how MY cat presents with pancreatitis.

It's best to get some blood and see what the blood tells you. The blood can tell you if theres inflammation going on in the body and theres a special blood enzyme that can tell them if the pancreas is angry or not. Plus a possible ultrasound to get some pictures and see whats going in the abdomen.

I wish you the best of luck and please update us! I'm hoping for the best!

@Mazi's Mom thank you for all the info. I’m sorry it’s not letting you see the numbers I’m not sure why? The last read for him was May 1st and was 98. I check his sugar once a month since he has been in remission. He hasn’t been sick or vomiting, but more like a finicky eating pattern if that makes sense? He’s been eating better since switching to the fancy feast but I still worry because I want to make the right food choices for him and help him to put back on some weight but also keep him in remission. It’s all so overwhelming at the moment especially with surgery coming up. Trying to sort through everything and take one day at a time.

 

[Mazi's Mom]

Thats good to hear and a great sign that he's not sick or vomiting. Its very possible he's just being finicky. Cats are so unpredictable and change their preferences in food over night.

You sound like a great caregiver and are very good at picking up on subtle changes with your cat. Thats a great skill! If you see a change in behavior from baseline, and have a gut feeling something is wrong, its always best to listen to your gut no matter what anyone else tells you. You know your cat best. I'd much rather be wrong and be over thinking a situation than not speak up and miss something that could have been prevented.

Also its best to be proactive than reactive. Being proactive saves lives.

Do you have a vet appointment for an exam or blood work or are you just going to wait for pre surgery blood work to be done? Or are you still debating? Lol

 

[LoufsMama]

Thats good to hear and a great sign that he's not sick or vomiting. Its very possible he's just being finicky. Cats are so unpredictable and change their preferences in food over night.

You sound like a great caregiver and are very good at picking up on subtle changes with your cat. Thats a great skill! If you see a change in behavior from baseline, and have a gut feeling something is wrong, its always best to listen to your gut no matter what anyone else tells you. You know your cat best. I'd much rather be wrong and be over thinking a situation than not speak up and miss something that could have been prevented.

Also its best to be proactive than reactive. Being proactive saves lives.

Do you have a vet appointment for an exam or blood work or are you just going to wait for pre surgery blood work to be done? Or are you still debating? Lol

Thank you I appreciate that. I try very hard, but I have also become somewhat of a hover mom since his previous issues. We went through a lot with him a couple years back and thought we would lose him so it has somewhat traumatized me to always fear the worst. But he has come a long way since then. In the past couple of days I have switched up his food and moved his bowl to the living room. This seems to have helped a lot so it may also have to do with his fur sister. No matter how hard I try she is always hissing at him and occasionally swats him when he walks by. They don't fight constantly and not very aggressive but she has never accepted him or been cuddly or close with him. I wish they were but at least they just sort of keep their distance. I know that they will be doing a pre surgery blood work and I want to make sure that they are testing for the pancreas as well so I am definitely going to speak with his vet. I would rather know and hopefully be able to do all we can to fix anything that we can.

 

[LoufsMama]

@SpotsMom I ordered the tincture from the link you provided. Hoping it helps Louf with his joints and arthritis. I was just wondering how much you give your kitty when you use this?

 

[SpotsMom]

@SpotsMom I ordered the tincture from the link you provided. Hoping it helps Louf with his joints and arthritis. I was just wondering how much you give your kitty when you use this?

Spot gets half a dropper (5mg) twice per day in his food… but start with a drop and work up to the useful dose. Every cat is different so you may not need as much.

Good luck! I hope it works for him!