HELP. Splodge, really not well

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Pria & Splodge

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Since pm of the 25th, Splodge has been having good numbers, apart from one very low no (when he didnt want his food). He had a little dried after that reading). Anyway I thought we had cracked the dose.

Last night I had to work, so I checked him before I went out and his reading was 7.7. He was his usual self when I went out, but when I got home I did his pmps and it was 20.4. I stuck with the dose of 1u and this morning his BGL is 26.5. Again I stuck with the same dose.

This morning he is really not well. He has been vomiting a lot and is hiding away. I started him on AB's yesterday and its quite a high dose, ready for his dental surgery tomorrow morning. Now I just dont know what to do!

Any help, advice or opinions would be really appreciated!
 
The higher number could be rebound from the dry, but you said you only gave a little. And you say he is vomiting alot and hiding. That is worrisome. Has he had pancreatitis?

It is possible he is having a reaction to a high dose AB. What AB is it and what dose? I usually use Clindamycin pre-dental, and don't get an adverse reaction, except diarrhea if I don't also use a probiotic.

I would say your vet will say Splodge is not a dental candidate tomorrow, especially with losing regulation.

If he were my cat, I would give him 1/4 tab Pepcid AC BID, and keep his vet appt tomorrow, but expect an exam and treatment for the not-feeling-well, not a dental. I also would get some ketone strips and check his urine for that. If he starts getting worse or if the strips show ketones, I would consider getting him to the emergency vet (because it'[s Sunday and regular vets usually don't work on Sunday).

Good luck!
 
I don't know what insulin you are giving but it looks very much like a bounce to me.
When Splodge got that BG of 2.4 yesterday (43 for the US numbers), you earned a dose reduction, so yesterday's pm shot could have been lowered.
Because you have no numbers on the pm cycle, it's anyone's guess what happened but I bet there was another low, and now this morn, Splodge is bouncing.
In the pm, many cats go lower than during the day, so today, he's likely hiding because he went too low last nite and does not feel great today.
If you can, I hope you are able to get some tests in today and watch his numbers closely.
I think after going low, some cats can take up to 3 days to clear the bounce.
If you test and see below 2.8, Splodge will have earned himself a reduction in dose.
Be careful with the dry food as Splodge's numbers may go high from just a few pieces. I have one cat whose BG will go above 22 if she gets any dry foods. Also, dry food takes several days to clear the system, so dry food + low BG and a bounce means you will see high BG readings.
As Venita suggested, you can try to give him 1/4 tab of Pepcid to calm his stomach and be able to eat more.

We'll see what the others have to say.
 
Hi

I wondered about the AB's. It is a high dose, he's on 75mgs of Antirobe. He's only ever had 50mgs before.

He was never dx with pancreatitis. The original DB dx was made due to the fact he was sneakily eating a lot of rolled barley and he had rotton teeth.

I can probably get hold of Pepcid today but I doubt I'll be able to get hold of ketone strips. I will keep checking his BGL and see what happens and maybe call the vet a bit later!

Thanks so much for your replies xx
 
its either his liver releasing the glucose into the system or the breakdown of fat to create glucose for the system. As long as either of these stores are available, his body can make glucose from them.
 
I spoke to the vet this afternoon and she said its either rebound or the excessive dose of AB's. The max dose he should have been on is 50mgs!

Ive been doing BG levels all day and he is now down to 16.8 (302). He has been so much brighter the last few hours, so he is deffo feeling better.

He will be due for insulin at 11pm (now 7.30pm). What do I do? He's still not really eating, so do I miss his jab tonight if his numbers are low?

Help. My brain has gone to mush today and I cannot think straight about anything!
 
With Caninsulin, if you think it is rebound, you should shave the dose. Maybe .75U.

Given you are likely using U40 syringes, which don't have .5U markings, you could look at .75U as being a smidge less than 1U. Precision isn't important; consistency is.
 
We have a couple hours - let's see if we can get him eating before you have to give insulin. We can hope it was the antibiotics that caused an upset stomach. So have you tried putting some wet food on your finger and having him lick it off? Sometimes that is all it takes to get him interested again. Or heat it up until nice and stinky. Or add some tuna juice to it if he is a tuna fan.
 
Sue Ive been out and bought tuna and he's not interested. Ive tried all sorts of stuff, but nothing is tempting him.

He is so much brighter though. Ive just had my bath and he came straight out and took his position on the side of the bath (til he was two years old, he and his brother would get in the bath with me.....soppy old handrears).

The vet said to take him in, in the morning and they will assess him, but its tonight Im worried about!
 
Check out this site and see if there are any ideas you haven't tried: Getting your cat to eat

I bet the antibiotic just made him feel crummy. Once a kitty stops eating, sometimes it is hard to get them to get interested again. Did you try feeding from your finger?
 
Ive tried every trick I know Sue. Ive just had a little bit of luck with the tiniest bits of the dogs 'Bakers Dental delicious'. Not the best thing, but at least he ate a miniscule bit!

His test is due in half an hour and he's at 13.8. Shall I give 0.5, 0.25 or skip the dose?
 
So if we consider the 20% variance in meters, it has basically remained the same in the past 3 hours?

I'd sure like to see him eat, and be sure it is headed up, not down. IMHO, I would wait and test again in 30 minutes to make sure he is headed up. Meanwhile, do you have any baby food? You want the non chunky kind with no spices - any meat flavor is okay. Sometimes they will eat that. You could also syringe a little into the side of his mouth.
 
BGL at 11pm is 14.9. So gone up a little, but is that the 3 tiny pieces of the dog treat (which isnt dry, but is rubbery)? We are talking about this size (..)
 
The problem is that Vetsulin can cause an upset stomach if given without food and you don't want to compound your problem, just as he is starting to feel better.

I would stall and continue to offer his highness food. Try the baby food. What else do you have in the house? Want to try syringe feeding? Did you try feeding him off your finger?

Syringe (Assisted or Force) Feeding
Finally, you can try what many people refer to as force feeding, but what I prefer to call assisted feeding. This entails placing your cat's food into a syringe and syringing it gently into the cat's mouth. Hill's a/d in particular can be made into a mush with water and syringed in easily. Alternatively, you can puree tinned food (prescription or standard food) using a mixer or blender, add water to make it more liquidy (otherwise it is hard to squeeze out of the syringe), then draw it up into a syringe. Using warm water can make the food more attractive to your cat.
 
Sue and Oliver said:
The problem is that Vetsulin can cause an upset stomach if given without food and you don't want to compound your problem, just as he is starting to feel better.

I would stall and continue to offer his highness food. Try the baby food. What else do you have in the house? Want to try syringe feeding? Did you try feeding him off your finger?

Syringe (Assisted or Force) Feeding
Finally, you can try what many people refer to as force feeding, but what I prefer to call assisted feeding. This entails placing your cat's food into a syringe and syringing it gently into the cat's mouth. Hill's a/d in particular can be made into a mush with water and syringed in easily. Alternatively, you can puree tinned food (prescription or standard food) using a mixer or blender, add water to make it more liquidy (otherwise it is hard to squeeze out of the syringe), then draw it up into a syringe. Using warm water can make the food more attractive to your cat.
Click to expand...

You do need 'oral syringes' not insulin syringes to do this.
I like 3cc syringes ...you can get at a pharmacy, perhaps. Buy several...they wear out.
(I bought a box of 100 from KV Vet...they are very handy to keep on hand).


You can also 'finger-feed'. Place a pea-sized dab of food on your finger tip. Open cats mouth like
to pill, then place the food on the roof of the mouth just behind the front teeth. As close to the
front of the mouth as possible behind the teeth. Let go of cats head to natural position and let her swallow
a few times before feeding the next dab.

Please trim all your fingernails very very short for this. Yes, you might have to sacrifice your manicure.
 
Ok I have managed to get him eating! Its a packet of Royal canin feline obesity. He is chomping into it like crazy! What now?

I so appreciate your help today/tonight.
 
:RAHCAT :RAHCAT :RAHCAT

If you are going to be around and can test a few times, I think you could do the .75. If not - or if you are feeling cautious, which is perfectly okay - you could do .5

Remember, my advice is worth what you are paying for it..... :mrgreen:
 
Well we've been to the vets and I now have to do another curve, today, They refused to believe the AB's had anything to do with the little man being ill and think its possibly rebound!

He is back to his normal self today, but his numbers are worrying/confusing me! Ive kept him on .5 and he is eating normally again. They told me if its rebound, it should only take a day to get back to normal. :?

Again I asked about changing his insulin, but they just will not agree to it atm and now they are refusing to do the dental for at least another week! Although there doesnt appear to be any infection in his mouth now, its just sore!

Any more ideas on his BG results. Is this still rebound?
 
Glad he is eating again. Every cat is different - it may be that he is still bouncing from that low, but who knows? Antibiotics have certainly made other kitties here sick.....Did they like the .5 unit dose?

I think I would do the curve today, with the idea that if you are still in the 200s - 300s, you could go to .75 tonight?

Here is a thread about UK vets and the insulins they will prescribe. Maybe it will have something of use. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=11312
 
Well ... while you are waiting to get him stable for a dental, what about doing what you can with a gauze "toothbrush" and dental cleanser? It won't be perfect (no heavy tartar removal), but massaging the gums improves circulation and wiping off the surfacey goo reduces further buildup, plus if the cleanser is antiseptic, may help treat the infection.

This, of course, presupposes Splodge won't take your finger off if you have the temerity to put it in his mouth and rub it around!
 
Splodge is an amazing gentleman.........that is until you touch his mouth!!!!! Then he is :twisted: I swear he has an extra set of claws and the teeth that are so rotten suddenly become perfect tools of torture!

He is completely back to his old self today, which is fab to see!

Sue the vet was happy with the .5 dose. She did say there were other choices of insulin, but at this stage she wasn't prepared to take him off Caninsulin, because of the success we had before with it.

The problem is I see a different vet every time I go and a couple of them are newly qualified and the others are mainly 'large animal'. Its very frustrating.

His numbers today, look better to me. Lets hope it was just rebound or the ab's.
 
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