Healing Vines Needed for Marshmallow

[granadilla]

Marsh is doing well. She started making some noise last night! She makes little squeaky noises and high-pitched mews.

She isn't grooming her neck so I know she isn't at 100%. She sticks her whole neck in the water bowl, getting it soaking wet. When she's feeling normal, she sits up and grooms her neck but when she doesn't feel good, she walks around with a dripping wet neck. As of this morning she still wasn't grooming her neck, but the other Ps are in place. Hopefully the antibiotic will help soon, but I'm encouraged by her behavior in general.

 

[Cat Ma]

@Dyana, was the scrip in your name or the kitty's name?

I went to my local Walgreen's drugstore where I get all my meds filled. If the scrip was in my name, it would have cost me under $5 because it would be covered by my health insurance. Because it was in Marshmallow's name, they couldn't run it through my insurance so I had to pay the cash / uninsured price, which was $95. I went ahead and paid it because I wanted it quickly. I got 80 doses (40 days if she gets it twice a day and for now I'm going to try just once a day).

Next time I'm going to ask them to put it in my name so it can go through my insurance. Or maybe one of my own docs will write me a scrip for it in my name if the vet won't.

Costco offers a discount rate for "uninsured" pets. I get the scripts there in my cats' names.

 

[Cat Ma]

Marsh is doing well. She started making some noise last night! She makes little squeaky noises and high-pitched mews.

She isn't grooming her neck so I know she isn't at 100%. She sticks her whole neck in the water bowl, getting it soaking wet. When she's feeling normal, she sits up and grooms her neck but when she doesn't feel good, she walks around with a dripping wet neck. As of this morning she still wasn't grooming her neck, but the other Ps are in place. Hopefully the antibiotic will help soon, but I'm encouraged by her behavior in general.

She sounds happy to be home! Hope she's feeling much better soon.

 

[granadilla]

Costco offers a discount rate for "uninsured" pets for a lot of meds. Sometimes their rates are cheaper; sometimes an online site is. I get the scripts in my cats' names.

Good to know! I knew I could get it online for less but I didn't want to wait. Next time I'm in a hurry I'll try Costco.

She sounds happy to be home! Hope she's feeling much better soon.

Thank you! She's definitely acting more like herself.

 

[granadilla]

Is lethargy a side effect of Ondansetron?

No! Which is great, because she was super lethargic after taking Cerenia. And Pepcid didn't work at all. But when I gave her the Ondansetron, it worked and she didn't become a zombie-cat. We have a winner!

Now I just need to figure out how to get pills into her. I usually get liquids whenever possible because she's fine with taking anything through a syringe, but pills are another story... I crushed the Ond last night and put it in a syringe with water but it must have tasted bitter because that didn't go over well at all (whipped her head around and squirmed like a maniac).

 

[Cat Ma]

Mix in the crushed Ondanestron in some canned food, stir and put it in the syringe with something like a coffee stirrer. If necessary, add a little water to the canned food. That's the only way I can get a lot of meds down CJ and Bonnie. They tolerate this well.

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Shane,

Glad to hear that Marshmallow's making good progress and that the ondansetron is helping her. I've not tasted it myself but I believe from my reading that it does taste somewhat bitter. I hope you find a way to administer it relatively easily. I'm spoilt in that respect: as cats go, Saoirse's a dream to pill. (((Saoirse))) Interesting and valuable feedback on Cerenia side effects, BTW.


Mogs
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[granadilla]

Saoirse's a dream to pill. (((Saoirse)))

Aw (((Saoirse))).

Cerenia doesn't affect all cats like that. A lot of kitties with IBD nausea take Cerenia 5 days per week, then 2 off. I'll need to find out how frequently I can give her the Ondansetron. I think she has some regular low-grade nausea from IBD. I talked to the vet about starting B12 injections but he didn't want to do too many things at once. He wants her to heal from her UTI and the stress of being hospitalized, and then we can try B12. I know B12 helps some cats with nausea so if it works for Marsh, then she might not need the Ond on an ongoing basis.

Mix in the crushed Ondanestron in some canned food, stir and put it in the syringe with something like a coffee stirrer. If necessary, add a little water to the canned food.

mmm, breakfast of champions!

 

[Cat Ma]

Hopefully the dietary change, Budesonide and B12 injections will help once Marshmallow has recovered from her UTI. Bonnie rarely vomits now except hairballs. She used to vomit constantly. She still vomits if she sneaks into CJ's food. Now she loves the raw food. I resisted feeding her raw for years till I read up on low carb diets for CJ and the benefits of raw food for IBD cats. Now I wished I had fed her the raw stuff sooner.

Has Marshmallow's BG #'s gone back down?

 

[Critter Mom]

Ondansetron is administered on an ongoing basis for chronic pancreatitis. I used to give it to Saoirse ad hoc - once a day or so - until she became mildly azotaemic recently due to the early stage kidney insufficiency.

Going forward, if it's low-grade nausea then B12 supplementation might be the better way to go. It really can make such a difference. Just make sure you keep an eye on how Marshmallow's kidneys are performing. There are caveats about B12 supplementation for CKD cats. Saoirse is experiencing a bit of a pancreatitis flare at the moment so, CKD or no CKD, I gave her a week or so of Zobaline BID and it really made a difference to her appetite, her mood, and her coat condition. I've read recently that B12 has anti-inflammatory properties, and I think it really helped calm her pancreas down a bit.


Mogs
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[granadilla]

I couldn't get her BG this morning. Whenever I went to pick her up, she thought I was going to give her more yucky-tasting meds and went under the bed. I'm going to put the barricade back up around the bed and I'll get her BG tonight. I really feel for people who have to test their kitties BGs every hour. Even when Marshmallow doesn't hide under the bed, she likes to take long naps buried in the closet and when I take her out, she howls and acts like I'm trying to murder her. She's such a docile sweet cat, but she can be such a drama queen!!

@Cat Ma, I would totally give Marsh commercially prepared raw food but you've already heard how she is with wet food. I still hope to get there with her... someday.

@Critter Mom, as of this week's blood work, Marshmallow's kidneys are still in the normal range but at the high end of normal. The vet made a comment about how we want to keep them where they are. I can't help but feel like all the meds I'm pumping into her will eventually tax her kidneys. Some probiotics are supposed to help with nausea. I started a new probiotic last week but I haven't given it to her since she got home from the vet. Too many new things at once can cause a flare-up of IBD so I have to go slowly with her. One step at a time, one paw in front of the other...

 

[Critter Mom]

Too many new things at once can cause a flare-up of IBD so I have to go slowly with her. One step at a time, one paw in front of the other...

I hear you, Shane. Same story with chronic pancreatitis. Everything I introduce to try to help Saoirse is done very much on a softly, softly basis.

as of this week's blood work, Marshmallow's kidneys are still in the normal range but at the high end of normal. The vet made a comment about how we want to keep them where they are.

Your vet's right on the money, there. Anything you can do to minimize phosphorus consumption would be very beneficial. (Tricky, this. I've only found one food that Saoirse can tolerate pretty well pancreatitis-wise but it's high in phosphorus. She's getting some phosphorus binder in one meal every few days to compensate but I wish I had a low phosphorus food she could eat OK.)


Mogs
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[Dyana]

The prescription was in my cat's name.
I always shop around for drugs. I mean when I have time. The first prescription I paid the $33 for, and the second and there after for Ondansetron was at Costco Pharmacy. I think I also got my injectable cyanocobalamin there.
It's the same way with all drugs (human and pet), I shop around. It's amazing the difference in prices.

 

[Squalliesmom]

I'm so happy to hear that she's back home with you and steadily getting better! It's always so stressful when they're at the vet's, both for the kitties and their moms and dad. Everybody feels better when our babies are back home with us. Hugs for you both!

 

[Robin&BB]

I'm so happy to hear that she's back home with you and steadily getting better! It's always so stressful when they're at the vet's, both for the kitties and their moms and dad. Everybody feels better when our babies are back home with us. Hugs for you both!

What Lucy said: DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!!!! So happy you have your little Marshmallow
back!!! And the healing vibes will keep on comin' your way!

 

[Cat Ma]

I couldn't get her BG this morning.

@Cat Ma, I would totally give Marsh commercially prepared raw food but you've already heard how she is with wet food. I still hope to get there with her... someday.

[COLOR=#000000]as of this week's blood work, Marshmallow's kidneys are still in the normal range but at the high end of normal[/COLOR].

[COLOR=#000000]I wouldn't be worried. If you can't get a reading tonight, tomorrow is another day. Plus, her BG #'s may still be artificially high due to stress and the UTI.

Perhaps you can entice her with some probiotics thrown in her canned or raw food when she's better. Bonnie, believe it or not, used to hate Forti Flora. Now she can't get enough of it! She wasn't keen about the raw food at first but once I added FF, she craved it. Now, she'll eat raw with or without FF.

When the UTI is healed, hopefully the kidneys will be back to normal normal. Fingers and paws crossed.[/COLOR]

 

[granadilla]

PMBG was 102 last night so we're back in OTJ numbers.

When I got home from work, she was sleeping on top of the bed instead of hiding under it. I quickly put the barricade back around the bed and she didn't cry and make a dash to get under there, she just watched me. Which means she feels calmer and safer.

And last but not least, her neck fur was only damp, not sopping wet. That means she's been doing some neck grooming. We're on the mend!!

 

[Critter Mom]

What great news, Shane! I'm so glad Marshmallow's feeling better, and feeling safe again. I'm sure you're feeling much relieved.

 

[Cat Ma]

Wonderful news!