Help with Denamarin

[Milo’s mom]

Hi there. I’m new and need some help. Our Milo was diagnosed as prediabetic on 11/30. His glucose was 429 and AST/ALT showed high. His vet recommended changing his food and an ultrasound for ketones. We switched to Royal Canin Satiety and had the ultrasound on 12/4. He’d been vomiting a little but wasn’t dehydrated and she didn’t see any red flags. The ultrasound came back favorable although his liver was inflamed. Fast forward to 12/28 and he had severe diarrhea and couldn’t get into the litter box. We rushed him to the vet and she ran his blood and said to get him to the ER, he had developed hepatic lipidosis. 3 days in the hospital and he wouldn’t eat so they installed a esophageal feeding tube. We brought him home 12/31.
My concern is with the Denamarin. We were told to crush it and that we could mix it with his Recovery Convalescence. I’ve now read it need to be given an hour before his feeding. I’m fine with that. Problem is, it doesn’t dissolve in anything and I can’t get it out of the syringe and into the feeding tube. He’s absolutely refusing food so putting the 2 tablets into a treat isn’t an option. I don’t want to use the vet method (holding his top and bottom and doing the thumb thrust). I’ve done that with my dogs but not with his feeding tube. He’s way too spicy, yet fragile. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Welcome to the best place you never thought you would be.
Tagging
@Lisa and Witn (GA)
@Suzanne & Darcy
who have experience with denamarin.

And probably not what you want to hear but we can help - 429 is considered diabetic.

 

[Milo’s mom]

Welcome to the best place you never thought you would be.
Tagging
@Lisa and Witn (GA)
@Suzanne & Darcy
who have experience with denamarin.

And probably not what you want to hear but we can help - 429 is considered diabetic.

Thank you!! Sorry. Need to clarify. His vet gave him insulin on 11/30. When we went back on 12/4, it was 212. She said it was high, but could be high due to stress of going to the Vet. We bought a glucometer and his counts were 70, 73 and 92. The 92 was on 12/23. I haven’t wanted to stress him out by checking it since he’s had the FHL. His vet still considers him pre-diabetic. She said the most important thing was to get the weight off him. He was 22.3 lbs and dropped to 20.9 in 2 weeks , as result of the FHL. She said that much weight loss so quickly is not good.

 

[JL and Chip]

Are you using a pill crusher? If not, they’re available from most pharmacies and are relatively inexpensive. They crush the pill into a fine powder. I just added the powder to the food and, at least in our case, it went through the syringe with minimal problems.

What syringes are you using?

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

Hi there. I’m new and need some help. Our Milo was diagnosed as prediabetic on 11/30. His glucose was 429 and AST/ALT showed high. His vet recommended changing his food and an ultrasound for ketones. We switched to Royal Canin Satiety and had the ultrasound on 12/4. He’d been vomiting a little but wasn’t dehydrated and she didn’t see any red flags. The ultrasound came back favorable although his liver was inflamed. Fast forward to 12/28 and he had severe diarrhea and couldn’t get into the litter box. We rushed him to the vet and she ran his blood and said to get him to the ER, he had developed hepatic lipidosis. 3 days in the hospital and he wouldn’t eat so they installed a esophageal feeding tube. We brought him home 12/31.
My concern is with the Denamarin. We were told to crush it and that we could mix it with his Recovery Convalescence. I’ve now read it need to be given an hour before his feeding. I’m fine with that. Problem is, it doesn’t dissolve in anything and I can’t get it out of the syringe and into the feeding tube. He’s absolutely refusing food so putting the 2 tablets into a treat isn’t an option. I don’t want to use the vet method (holding his top and bottom and doing the thumb thrust). I’ve done that with my dogs but not with his feeding tube. He’s way too spicy, yet fragile. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Hi. I am a fan of Denamarin and have had more than one cat whose liver values have decreased while I was using it. I also have not given it on an empty stomach as directed. I have given it first thing in the morning with small amount of wet food. Are you having problems crushing it and getting it through the E-tube? If so, consider using Milk Thistle powder for the time being instead? That is also beneficial for liver healing.

 

[Milo’s mom]

Are you using a pill crusher? If not, they’re available from most pharmacies and are relatively inexpensive. They crush the pill into a fine powder. I just added the powder to the food and, at least in our case, it went through the syringe with minimal problems.

What syringes are you using?

Are you using a pill crusher? If not, they’re available from most pharmacies and are relatively inexpensive. They crush the pill into a fine powder. I just added the powder to the food and, at least in our case, it went through the syringe with minimal problems.

What syringes are you using?

 

[Milo’s mom]

Are you using a pill crusher? If not, they’re available from most pharmacies and are relatively inexpensive. They crush the pill into a fine powder. I just added the powder to the food and, at least in our case, it went through the syringe with minimal problems.

What syringes are you using?

 

[Milo’s mom]

These are the syringes. We purchased a pill crusher, but found that crushing between 2 spoons made the powder more fine. It literally caked and became a paste when I added it to the Recovery we’re feeding him. It was warmed as well per the vet’s instructions. I’m curious if adding to water would be better.

 

[JL and Chip]

It literally caked and became a paste when I added it to the Recovery we’re feeding him…. I’m curious if adding to water would be better.

It’s been awhile, but I recall adding meds plus water to the recovery food, making it a consistency (not too pasty, not too soupy) that would flow well through the syringe and tubing. We were using the equivalent of Denamarin but in separate pills, and I recall the IM vet telling me not to be overly fixated on the timing in regards to food, but to focus more on just getting the meds in my boy and keeping them down.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

You can give the Denamarin without crushing it. Another option I found is this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07WSG7GMG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I give this to my cat Simon for his liver and it can be mixed with food.

The glucose is probably elevated because of his condition but could also indicate diabetes. Since Milo is not on insulin I would also recommend you learn to home test his glucose and also test his ketones regularly to avoid diabetic ketosis in case he is. You can test using a human glucose meter and the buy the ketone strips at any pharmacy. If you are in the US the Walmart Relion brand glucose meter is a good inexpensive option for a meter.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

You can give the Denamarin without crushing it. Another option I found is this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07WSG7GMG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I give this to my cat Simon for his liver and it can be mixed with food.

The glucose is probably elevated because of his condition but could also indicate diabetes. Since Milo is not on insulin I would also recommend you learn to home test his glucose and also test his ketones regularly to avoid diabetic ketosis in case he is. You can test using a human glucose meter and the buy the ketone strips at any pharmacy. If you are in the US the Walmart Relion brand glucose meter is a good inexpensive option for a meter.

All good suggestions. I think the problem is getting the Denamarin through the feeding syringe and E-tube — that’s why it’s being crushed and mixed with food.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

All good suggestions. I think the problem is getting the Denamarin through the feeding syringe and E-tube — that’s why it’s being crushed and mixed with food.

The one I use is a powder. Another option is to get a pill crusher for the Denamarin. Even though is is recommended that it is given an hour before food, I think that if it is given with food, he will still get some benefits from it