Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss, Now Pooing Outside of Box..

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ToddyTiger

ToddyTiger

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**MORE INFO AND UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM

It's been a while since I posted. I had company come into town and then my laptop died... again.

Last post: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=23298

Anyway.. Todd seems to be doing pretty well. I took him in around the 1st of Sept to get his weight checked. He was down to 11lbs, but when I took him in a week and a half ago for a Glucose Curve, he was up to 11.4lbs. He doesn't seem to be doing well with gaining weight, which worries me, yet his attitude and appetite seem great. He is still eating the wet i/d food and I have also started feeding a very small amount of the i/d dry as well. He gets several small meals throughout the day. He has been very purry, active (to a point), talkative, bright eyed and happy, though of course he is still skinny and looks sick because of being skinny. But I think he is well over the Pancreatitis and now we are just trying to get him onto the right amount of insulin. His original dose of insulin for a few years was 2.5 units twice a day, after getting sick in July 2010, he was on again and off again with the insulin, and the amounts would vary, then for about a month he was on just 1 unit of Lantus for several weeks, and as of his Glucose Curve almost two weeks ago, we are doing 1 and a half units twice a day now. In a week or so, he will get another curve and see where he is at. His current medications are 1 Tumil-K (potassium) tablet once a day, 5mg of Pred, a B-12 shot once a week and the Lantus. The other night he threw up a little bit (tiny amount) so I gave him some Pepcid and then he was fine. I also have a bag of Sub-Q on hand if needed.

So.. I think he is doing well. The only problem now seems to be his weight. His original weight back in April was 14lbs, and now he is down to around 11lbs. Any ideas on how to help him gain his weight back, or is this one of those things where he might never gain it back? He is an old man at 16 years, but he seems to have a bunch of fight in him! The vet thinks that he might have IBD, which was why she put him on the Pred, she also thinks the weight loss might be due to not being on the right amount of insulin yet. I suppose it might just take some time to get him totally back to normal.

Thoughts and ideas are welcome!

Thank you. :)
 
Re: Update On Todd

I trust that since you mention taking him in to the Vet's for his curves you aren't home testing. I would highly recommend that you think about testing at home as that is really the best way to see exactly what the insulin is doing in his body. Almost every cat has some degree of vet stress that will elevate their numbers at the vet's. So if they are basing the dose on the numbers they are seeing there, it could be too high for where his numbers are when he is in familiar surroundings at home, thus making finding his perfect dose difficult.

Hopefully others will be by shortly that can offer insight to the lack of weight gain etc.

But glad to see he is at least feeling better.

Mel
 
Re: Update On Todd

I am home testing as well. But it does seem to stress him out far more when we do it at home, than when the vet does it. He seems to like being at the vet. The car ride there however, not as much fun for him. hehe

Thank you!
 
Re: Update On Todd

I would also agree that home testing would be the way to go so that you know when Todd"s ready for a dose decrease or even when he's getting close to no longer needing insulin.
If you are not testing at home before shots, you will not know when he's not needing a shot!

Imagine how wonderful it would be to test him and find that he does not need a shot!
I hope you would consider testing so that you can be better knowing what Todd's numbers really are before giving him insulin.
 
Re: Update On Todd

Hi Gayle and Shadoe... I am home testing. I have been for a few months now, but since I don't test every hour like the vet does, we like to do the curves so the vet can see just what is going on with him. :)
 
Re: Update On Todd

I think what I am interested in finding out, is if anyone has some suggestions on helping Todd gain (or at the very least maintain) some weight.

He is 16 years old, is a diabetic (has been for a few years), has IBD and possible (though the numbers are back in the normal range) kidney function loss. He doesn't like the Hill's k/d kidney diet from the vet, he isn't interested in his m/d or d/m foods anymore, I have tried tons and tons of different canned foods. The only things he will eat right now are Hill's i/d canned and dry and Hill's Hypoallergenic treats. The vet put him on the i/d to help with the Pancreatitis, which it did indeed help with. I don't think the vet really knows what would be the best food for him to go on now with the Diabetes, IBD and possible kidney issues. I take him in once a week for weight checks, I need to take him tomorrow actually. So cross your fingers that he has gained or at the very least, stayed the same.

But yeah, I am looking for something to help him gain some weight.
 
Re: Update On Todd

I'll recommend you something heretic on the weight issue. Change from the i/d to the k/d. The latter don't only benefit the kidneys with less protein which often is a problem in old cats and diabetics, it also contain higher fat. You can try Roayl Canines Feline Renal too, since you already tried with k/d.

Before anyone slams down on these heretic prescription diets, take into consideration that I have two cats, where Gustav have had high creas for all his life and thus been eating low protein k/d for all his life, and have made it to age 16 soon and are good looking and healthy, and that I have Simba soon the age 15 and ever since he was little have had gastric problems preceeding the diabetes when he was 10, and I worked prophylactic with them for all their life taking them in to the vet for prophylactic blood test every once a year at first and now every 6 months. And on the renal adapted food Simba's last blood tests for BUN, krea, alat etc. is better than it ever have been.

That said, there is two conditions where they get the muscle atrophy. 1. malfunctioning kidneys, 2. diabetes. But there is a difference between these atrophies, where the 2. diabetic atrophy is connected to the muscles needing carb glucose being affected of not enough insulin, and this atrophy is what leads to the walking on the hocks, thus can also be reversed when the insulin amount becomes just right. The 1. malfunctioning kidneys atrophy is connected to the protein not being able to break down and enter into the muscles and will eventually lead to protein poisoning of the blood and is irreversable. I have experience with both were my female (died 2002) got the 1. malfunctioning kidneys atrophy, and Simba got the 2. diabetic atrophy. And in both conditions they loose weight of course, since the muscle mass disappear.

Todd is also 16 years old, and it can actually be a combination of these two different problems. As you already seem to suspect.
 
Re: Update On Todd

Thank you Ann!

I am going to stop by the vet office today and talk about new food options we can try. :)



a side note for folks, I thought I would share a amusing photo my husband took last night of some of our kitties trying to share the cat bed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickedcrea ... 020712335/ Todd is of course, the orange guy on the top. FlapJack is black & white, and Roscoe is the Lynx Point. :)
 
Re: Update On Todd

Ann

KD dry is moisture depleted, which won't help kidneys. And it is protein deficient as well, which can cause cats to lose muscle mass. It may work well for your cats but I wouldn't recommend it for a cat with reasonable kidney values like Todd and who is already inappetant and didn't like KD when offered.

Jen
 
Re: Update On Todd *UPDATE* More Weight Lost. :(

So we just got back from getting Todd weighed for the week. He was down to 10.9lbs, from roughly 11lbs a week and a half ago. He is acting pretty darn good though. So I'm rather baffled at the weight loss. I suppose it's either weight loss or muscle wasting. Not sure. He is eating, drinking, going potty like normal. He seems pretty bright eyed and such. So I don't know what is up.

Our regular vet wasn't in today, she won't be back until Monday and there was only one vet in today and he was pretty busy. They left him a note though, so he might call me tonight or tomorrow about what to do. I don't think he needs to be rushed to the ER vet. He is acting fine. It's just more unexplained weight loss.

I'm not sure if he needs different food, different meds or what the issue is. They did Xray's, an Ultrasound, tons and tons of Bloodwork. His last set of labs came back just fine (end of Aug).

Does anyone have some suggestions for this? I am worried about him. I wonder if I should get a referral for an internal medicine doctor?.. maybe they would have some ideas. Maybe he needs a higher dose or Pred?..

Thanks folks!
 
Re: Update On Todd

I decided since he seemed a little yucky today as well.. to give him some Sub-Q. I gave him between 100 and 150.
 
Re: Update On Todd

If you edit your subject in your first post, put your diet question there, you may get more suggestions.
i can't comment as I have the opposite question and need to get mine to lose weight!

Hopefully a diet tweak will help Toddy gain some ounces.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Still Losing Weight. Need Advice!

Subject updated. Thank you! :)

He ate several of his treats this evening and also had some wet and dry food. He is super alert and everything. It's just odd weight loss. I wonder if he would be able to go on a limited ingredient diet with his diabetes. If he has IBD, it might help to change to that kind of a diet. Anyway... ideas would be great! Thank you all.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Still Losing Weight. Need Advice!

Since you mentions possible IBD have you talked to your vet about using Budesonide? It is a steroid but stays in the gut and has minimal effect on BG. I have two kitties, Mitten and Bailey on it and with it Bailey is maintaining weight and Mitten is gaining.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Still Losing Weight. Need Advice!

Thank you for the suggestion! I will speak with the vet about it.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Still Losing Weight. Need Advice!

No word from the vet yesterday (Sat) I'm going to call in the morning and see if they will take a look at him. He has eaten a few times today, but I want him to eat more. Also, I THINK he pooped in the living room, under the piano. Someone did, anyway.. it could have been one of the other kitties, but I am guessing it was him, because a couple of days ago he peed under the piano. (Because the boxes needed to be scooped)

Anyway.. not sure how to handle this. Our cat Sylvester (passed away early last year) had IBD for the last few years of his life. Eventually, for the last 6 months of his life, he refused to poop in the boxes. He would pee in them, but he would poop in the hallway instead. I hope this isn't what is going on with Todd. I'm not sure I can deal with this again, and my husband will not be pleased.

Any suggestions on this? I already have a few litter pans, I have no more space for more pans.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Still Losing Weight. Need Advice!

Someone's trying to tell you something, but I don't think it's you're a lousy piano player!

I have been known to barge in on my vet office, caring not that they are busy, but I have a detailed list of questions, queries, and also lists of things I want tested and also what meds I may want.
Get yourself all ready with your list of things to ask the vet, for sure about IBD and Larry's suggestion, and also what diet changes to make just in case.

I am always asking for u/a and have started to take stool with me and say here, check this please!

It's a worry with a weight loss if it's not needed, so keep pushing your vet to find the reason so you can fix it.
 
Re: UPDATE

Todd spent the day at the vet. They did a blood panel and a urinalysis. She said his urine looked diluted, so she thinks he may have an infection. Of course, I suppose it could also be the kidney issue creeping up again. Both tests will be back tomorrow.

They also checked his BG while there. It was in the 400's, so she said to give him 1.5 units of the Lantus when we got home, which I did about 15 minutes ago. She also said to give him the Tumil-K and Pred tonight. I'll do those before bed. While he was at the vet, she gave him some Mirtazapine and Sub-Q fluids. I kinda like when he is on the Mirtazapine, because he gets super chatty and purry, which is how he is when he is not sick. Anyway.. depending on what the tests say tomorrow, he may or may not need to go see a internal medicine doctor. I hope for some kind of good news though.

Luck and healing thoughts for Toddy, please! <3
 
Re: UPDATE

So the bloodwork is back. She said everything looked good except that his white blood cell count was up a bit and the kidney values were creeping back up again. BUN: 60 Creatinine: 2.8 (could have been 2.6, don't have it in front of me) She said the white blood count could be high due to stress of being at the vet.

The urine came back good, though they didn't do a culture, so she asked if I wanted to. I said yes. That will take about 2-3 days.

So right now, I don't think we know for sure what is going on. Possible infection, or possible kidney disease. I asked if getting some IV therapy would help and she said certainly that can help, so I think for a couple of days, I might do that, just to play it safe. But she said if it is kidney disease, it might go down again and then creep back up later.

I do find it odd that the kidney values are all crazy. In July they were normal, early Aug they went up a bit, then went back to normal after a week and they stayed normal for several weeks and now this week they went back up again. Does that mean kidney disease or something else?... I hope something else. My poor guy.

So in a little bit I'm gonna take him in for some IV fluids. he is gonna hate that. He hates having the IV in his arm. But if it makes him feel better, that is a good thing.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

I would also like to mention, he is eating i/d wet and dry right now.. he is not a wet food kind of guy, so he wants more of the dry than anything. I know this is bad. He doesn't like k/d food, and the vet wants to keep him on the i/d for now, because of the bad Pancreatitis attack he had in July and Aug. He seems to be over that now, but she is worried if we change his diet, it might cause it to come back. So ideas for foods he might be able to eat would help. I would love to find some wet food he would eat that would be ok with the kidney values (whether it's a infection or early kidney disease) being higher, but also be good with the diabetes and keep him from having a horrible Pancreatitis attack again.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

Kidney values can definitely change from week to week. I think kidney disease, IBD and diabetes often occur concurrently--just ask Weeble. You should probably take a look at the phosphorus levels in his food and get him off the dry all together. This website is very helpful: http://www.felinecrf.org.

If I were you (and I've pretty much been you), I would address the nausea and vomiting first. Maybe home-cooked chicken or similar in small meals (you can supplement taurine if you want) or single protein canned foods without fish. Many people have luck with 1/4 tablet of pepcid or probiotics like plain yogurt. I would try the home cooked stuff initially and I've had luck with slippery elm. And if you can manage it, no treats.

Before the slippery elm, I used reglan (Metoclopramide) and then Cisapride (two similar motility meds, but the reglan made her a little weird). These really helped get everything moving through the system. It's up to you, but I might try that before the steroids--you can always use them if you need them later.

The other thing I would suggest is to ask about the T4 levels (thyroid gland). I could be projecting because I'm looking into this with my own cat, but often older cats with kidney issues show mid-range T4, but are actually hyperthyroid. Here's a quote that Larry posted on his bloodwork:
Older cats with consistent
clinical signs and T4 values in the grey zone may have early
hyperthyroidism or a concurrent non-thyroidal illness. Hyperthyroidism
may be confirmed in these cats by adding on a free T4 or by performing
a T3 suppression test.
Click to expand...

So, ask your vet about that. They may still have the bloodwork. Also, you may want to just get a copy of it. I find it really helpful when I have it on hand.

Good Luck!
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

Thanks Weeble. After I take my husband to work in a few minutes, I'm going to drop Toddy off at the vet for the IV fluids. I will get a copy of the bloodwork and post my findings here. It's sad that he is such a huge dry food fan. I would love to switch him to just wet food. I guess I just have to find something he likes. Sadly, he won't eat any kind of people like food. Cooked chicken, beef, fish, pork.. he won't touch it. :( I really, really hope it's just an infection or something along those lines. I know kidney disease is pretty normal for older cats, but I don't want to see him go through it.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

I sympathize. It literally took me 7 months to get my cat off the dry food. It would have been 8, but the last bag of prescription food (the same kind she's been eating for 4 months) made her drink an entire glass of water and vomit immediately. So, I bought a timed feeder and that was that. I think she still dreams about her crunchies, but I am not sorry to see them go.

By the way, she wouldn't eat cooked chicken for a while either. I don't know if she was so stressed about her food or what, but wouldn't touch it all through the beginning of this. She would eat turkey slices however (not packaged, there're phosphates in there), then I tried boiled duck--no. Then I pan-fried the duck--yes. Now she'll eat cooked chicken. Sometimes she would eat it if I put it in the blender, sometimes not. Sometimes when it was in small bites. Many times she'd only drink the juice.

It's weird, it's like you have to trick/train their brains into eating it, but once the ball gets rolling (for the 30th time) you're good to go.

If you do introduce new foods, do it a teaspoon or so at a time, especially with his sensitive stomach. And don't offer more than one or two kinds once or twice a day. They start getting paranoid and you smell of desperation, which of course, sends them away.

Here are some I had luck with: Tiki Cat Chicken (no fish), Merrick Thanksgiving Dinner & Grammy's Pot Pie, Weruva Chicken.

Patience, that dirty word, is the key!
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: PROBIOTIC

Probiotics help a GREAT deal to balance the good and bad bacteria in the digestive tract. Probiotic really in "general terms" is adding a large dose of "good" bacteria to help the animal's GI environment get back to a healthy state quicker than leaving the animal to do it all by itself. A very large percentage of a dog or cat's immune system is found in the the digestive tract. Every probiotic offers different delivery systems and different bacteria strains and some offer "prebiotics" which is the food for the "good" bacteria. Here are a few to consider:

Fortiflora $23-$30-- heard great feline stories on this one.. can purchase from Vet clinic.
BeneBac - $6-$14 purchase retail-- -- mainly lactobacillus acidophilus
NaturVet -$18-- adds enzymes and probiotic (lactobacillus acidophilus)
Probiocin - adds lactobacillus acidophilus but also enterococcus faecium
Biodophilus -FOS $30 : probiotic & prebiotic (food for probiotic)
Rx Biotic -$21: Good blend of probiotic & prebiotics, high count of good bacteria. I've seen it on Vivadrugstro.com Personally this is my favorite. Prebiotic in here really addresses the lining of the GI tract. If the intestinal lining is healthy the animal is able to absorb the nutrients.
iFlora-?? I've seen this on energeticnutriton.com

Good Luck
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

I did not get a chance to get a copy of the bloodwork, so I will get that in the morning. They were super busy today.

So, our vet thinks he may benefit with a trip to the internal med doctor, if nothing else but to help us figure out the best food options for him. Because she just doesn't know with the Diabetes, IBD, history of Pancreatitis and POSSIBLE (because we don't know for sure yet) kidney disease. For now, she wants to keep him on the i/d. She said he ate about half a can while he was there all day today. He has had a TINY bit more for me tonight, with some treats and a FEW pieces of his dry food. Someone again, pooped under the piano. No one saw it, but my husband thinks he saw Todd.. not sure though. The litter pan was already scooped out, so.. *shrug*

He is in a pretty good mood and the vet said he was pretty happy all day. He'll get two to three more days of fluids at the vet and then the urine culture should be back and we'll know if he hs an infection or not. I hope for that, because that means no CRF.

Anyway, just a little update before bed.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

Something to consider: Have the Vet contact the manufacter- Hill's Veterinarian. Your vet may not know but the Hill's main veterinarian will have recommendations.It doesn't hurt to contact all four companies: Purina, IAMS, Hill's and Royal Canin.. just look up the consumer line phone numbers online. Write out specifically what you are requesting...many times the company will have to get back to you after the representative consults with the company's inhouse veterinarian(s). IT IS ALL FREE! I know that these companies are huge and have strong relationships with many respected veterinarians. Knowledge is power and in many cases can save you a lot of money. The more you gather the information from each company the better you are able to make solid decisions concerning your cat's health.

Most veterinarians have huge hearts and want what is best for the cat but there are some that are closed minded and will not go out of their way to search out other alternatives..instead just direct you to another veterinarian that may--which without the additional information gathering on your part will cost you. I'm not saying DON"T go to internal medicine veterinarian--I'm saying --gather information prior to going.

Many have opinions on prescription foods etc.. bottom line is: what is going to be the best choice for YOUR CAT's specific health issues. If the choice doesn't sit well with you but you are at the vet's mercy- come back on here.. see what others have to say. I know that is what I did and WOW it worked!!! Iam so blessed to have found this site. good luck.
 
Re: Update On Todd.. Kidney Values Up, Weight Loss.. But Happy

I again forgot to get the lab report from the vet. I will for sure get it tomorrow when I drop Todd off.

They said he ate 3/4 of a can of i/d today and some treats. He had more i/d when he got home and has had several small nibbles of it throughout the evening. Altogether, he has had about a can today and some treats. NO dry food.

He looks and acts good and they said he was super sweet and lovey all day. However, he is still pooping under the piano. I found two different poo mounds after he got home and just a few minutes ago, he sneaked under there and was about to poo and I said "TODDY!!" in a very angry parent sort of voice and he gave me this look like... OH NO!! and came out. So I know he is the one doing it now, but I don't know how to address it/how to stop it or why he is doing it all of a sudden. I have a few litter pans around the house and they get scooped twice a day and totally cleaned (scrubbed out) once a week. So I don't know why he is doing this. He was pooing in the living room last year when he had the intussusception. Those were awful, bloody poos. These look pretty normal in shape, color and texture. Tomorrow I'll be steam cleaning under there to see if that stops it, but aside from that.. no idea what to do or why he is doing it. Thoughts?...

The vet really seems kinda baffled as to what is going on with him. We know he is diabetic and we know he HAD pancreatitis (which is gone now).. but she also thinks he may have IBD and POSSIBLE kidney disease, though she also feels it might just be a UTI. We're waiting on the labs about that.

*sigh* I just don't know.
 
Sometimes, cats try to throw us something just to mess us up. Or at least that is my philosphy.

The inappropriate pooping may or may not signal something.

For example, my cat Squeak will hardly ever poop in one of his 3 litter boxes. He prefers to poop on the floor, so we've got paper down on the floor to reduce the cleanup.

I've no idea why he does this but I think it is behavioural and may be linked to not being able to go outside whenever he wants and or the presence of our dog and or the presence of our children. One day I will get an animal communicator to try and get more info on the subject.

I'm not saying that there isn't something wrong, but....sometimes they are just messin with us.

Jen
 
Jen-

It's hard to say, because it's totally new behavior. In the 16 years we have had him, there have been times where he has peed on something because the litter box just wasn't clean enough for him. But pooping outside the box, totally new..

I mentioned earlier that this is something our old kitty, Sylvester used to do in the last 7 months of his life. He was 20 and had VERY, VERY bad IBD. One day he decided to poop in our carpeted hallway. The bathroom litter box was not even 10 feet away.. I steam cleaned it, but he decided for whatever reason, that was his new litter box, the hallway. I even put another box in the hallway near where he was pooping, but he would just poop near it, but NEVER in it. I found a plastic carpet runner at the store and that was our hallway for about 7 months before he passed. Clean it everyday and steam clean it once a week. It was horrible soup like diarrhea he was having, so I always assumed it was because he was just so uncomfortable and he wanted me to know it. Todd is not having diarrhea at this time, it's small, softer poos. But nothing scary and he was checked a month ago for parasites. When I dropped him off this morning, I mentioned it to the tech and she said she would talk to the vet about it. I'm going to go over that area with a steam cleaner later and see if that helps.

Now, this COULD be related, but one (possibly both) of our dogs have been having very bad diarrhea the last couple of days. They have an appointment this morning with the vet to see what is up. They haven't eaten anything odd and they haven't been around other dogs. But I'm wondering if maybe someone in the house as a parasite or something and it's making the rounds, which could be what is up with Todd too. Just a thought, really. My poor kids. :( Not to mention I still have two foster kittens that I can't find homes for. I have such a full house right now! hehe (anyone in Seattle want a sweet kitten?!)


Thanks all and thank you Pepperthecat!!
 
Maybe consider a probiotic. I did post a listing of some.. I've heard good about fortiflora if you can get some from your vet it may do the trick for your cat. The GI environment needs a boost of good bacteria once and a while.. look for my post on probiotics.. If you can't find it let me know i'll send it to you later that way you have the overall run down of what is out in the market..well at least a good listing.
 
Pepperthecat-

I do have some fortiflora!.. he is not a fan of it, but I did give him some a couple of times last week, so he had a little each time. I'm going to speak with our vet on Monday and see what others she thinks would be good for him.

His urine culture came back and it looks like it was Neg. for growth. I'll talk to the doc on duty tomorrow about that. But at this point, I do think a trip to the internal med doctor would be a good idea. Poor Toddy. On the plus side, he got 4 days of IV fluids and he looks really good and is eating like a horse! All he needs to do is gain some weight.

Thank you!
 
Did you mix up the fortiflora with wet food? I know with some cases the fortiflora is mixed in with room temp water and given to cat with plastic syringe (without needle of course) through the mouth -- just like antibiotics sometimes are given. cat doesn't have to like it.. just get it in so the cat's health improves. If you have never done this before ask your vet to show you or let me know i'll find a vidoe from cornell to link you to.
 
Todd did pretty well over the weekend. He was getting about one can (5.5ounces) of food in a day and some treats (Hypoallergenic treats and Bonito Flakes) I'm actually surprised he is eating the Bonito Flakes. He used to love them, then a little over a year ago he started refusing to eat them. Not sure why. But he likes them now. I take that as a good sign.

Today he seems a little yucky. He did eat some canned food this morning, then I made him a fresh bowl a couple of hours later, but he'll only take a couple of licks and then begs for treats or dry food. Though I have bags of m/d, d/m and i/d dry.. I am NOT going to give in. Because I feel like it is my fault he started going back downhill again. He was doing well and I though, well, I'll give him a little i/d dry during the day too, and I think that is what made this come about. *sigh*

Anyway, I can't tell how his water intake is, but he is at least eating. I doubt he has gained any weight, though I might take him over to the vet later to check. I wish I could weigh him here, but I have no way to do that.

I am waiting for our vet to call so we can make some kind of a game plan on what to do next. I'm pretty sure the next step is to see a specialist, which is probably a good idea. They can help us figure out what food to give with the diabetes, IBD and POSSIBLE Kidney issues. and I think they could probably help us a bit more on what amount of insulin he actually needs. He probably should be on a higher dose than 1.5 units twice a day, since his original dose was 2.5 units.

Anyway, just an update. :)

Oh.. would anyone of some suggestions on something I could do or give him to help with Arthritis? When they did an Xray on him weeks ago, the vet said it looked like he had some in his back knees. But no one suggested doing anything for it. I'm betting with it getting colder here in Seattle, he's probably not comfortable.
 
Heard from the vet a short time ago. She noted that it looked like he gained a bit of weight last week while getting fluids. Although, I didn't even think of it while I was on the phone, but it could have just been water weight from the IV. :/

Anyway, after talking with the other doctors at the clinic, she thinks getting him on a kidney support food (wet only) would be a good idea. She said they are higher in fat, which should help get some weight on him, and will help with the slight increase in kidney values. She said after a week of that, we should do a curve and increase his Lantus. This sounds like a plan. But she is also going to call an internal med doctor tomorrow and see if they can review all of the labs and such, maybe see what their opinion is on this, since he seems to have a few things going on.

So.. I am hopeful things will start to turn around for Toddy. I'll update again when I have more news.

Thank you for all of the good thoughts and support, folks! <3
 
Are you doing home blood glucose testing? Just at thought: If you are I would recommend making sure you have a curve posted on here with the numbers. Diabetes is very complicated with many possible co-current health issues that can creep up. doing the home testing will really help rule out the possibility the BG isn't going wacko..if it is the BG numbers will begin to show it in time or right away..either way -in my opinion I would NOT rely on a vet clinic to provide me with my cat's BG numbers. The reason.. vet office visits are stressful for animals and the BG numbers are not a true picture of what is really going on with the animal. Plus the way a vet office does the blood sampling is way too out of my acceptance arena. An easy prick of the ear is much easier and quick and free at home. If you are not comfortable with home testing let this blog know there maybe someone in your area that would be willing to help. There are videos on this webpage as well. I'd be happy to talk you through it over the phone. I was really nervous but once I did it a few times I became very comfortable with it-and happy that I now know what is going on with the BG numbers prior to giving insulin and after..so I know if giving the food (and type of food) is gong to help. Insulin is the key for the animal to absorb the nutrition. If the cat isn't regulated the cat can not gain wt..will only waste away since the body needs that insulin to unlock the doors to absorbing the nutrition. well that's my 1 cent from the peanut gallery. :)
 
I do home testing already. Usually once to twice a day (more if he is acting off) But honestly, he is very comfortable at the vet office. He gets so much love and attention while he is there. They love him and he likes being around the staff at the office. He even eats more while he is there. The only thing he hates is the short 1 mile car ride to the vet. he gets very upset when I do the testing at home (I'm not great at it, I'll admit), so he gets upset and hides a lot, and now he is kinda freaked out to be in our bedroom, which is where I usually do the testing. So I think we are both a lot happier with him getting curves at the vet. The cost doesn't bother me, and they let me do payments for things if needed. They are a pretty nice vet office.

What do they do to get the blood sample that makes you uncomfortable?.. Mine does the ear prick.
 
So we have an appointment for tomorrow morning at 9am with the specialist. I am worried, but happy, because maybe we can get to the bottom of what is going on with him and possibly get him on the right kind of food/insulin dose. I was told to make sure I bring all of his meds, in case they wish to keep him for the day. I know it will be stressful on him, this is a BIG, busy clinic. But They are one of the best in the area.

Wish us luck!! I'll update tomorrow when I have some info.

Thank you!
 
blood draws at a vet clinic can be very stressful on a cat and painful. My cat had blood drawn from the insides of his back legs and his neck. A BG curve at a clinic is not as accurate as one done at home. Many times these are done becasue the clinic doesn't know much about educating clients about home testing or does not want to give up the income of in-clinic testing or the cat has to be hospitalized due to high BG for too long and possibility of ketones etc.. of hypo state. Now I don't know what your vet does but I know not all vet clinics have vtechs that understand thoroughly how to do blood draws on a cat. I use to have blind faith in the skill set in clinic staff-NOT anymore. My cat's BG numbers could not be regulated at the clinic and were much much higher there. BG numbers can change fast and if home testing isn't being done you can miss out on the start of low BG drop.

There are uncomfortable things as pet owners we must endure for an outcome to be successful. Home testing can be inconvenient and stressful but the result is a consistently regulated cat OR at least a sign when something changes in the body that suggests a vet visit/lab tests etc..

I'm so happy you are going to the specialist. I'm sure you have tons of questions for the vet. It is nice to know right on the very first visit what the vet's opinion is on home testing- you may not agree with this specialist but gaining another look at your case from someone who has had more indepth training can definitely benefit. Sending Purrs, meows and your way for a successful visit tomorrow :)
 
it's late for me, so this will be a bit short.

The internal med doctor kept Todd for the day. They did a follow up ultrasound and a fructosamine test. The ultrasound showed nothing unusual, no masses, blockage and no thickening. However, it did show that his adrenal glands were enlarged. The doctor is considering that he may have Cushings, but he is not showing all of the clinical signs of it, so from what I gathered, he is thinking it to be low on the list of things it could be. It sounded to me like he believes Todd does indeed have IBD. We are going to wait on the fructosamine test to come back before we do any major changes to his meds and such. That might take a few days. In the meantime, he said to keep doing what we are doing and to try giving him some z/d food, but if he won't eat it, he can have the i/d dry and canned. I made sure to double check that it was OK for him to have the dry. He said yes, eating something is better than eating nothing. So he got some z/d canned and i/d dry tonight with his insulin. And his treats. LOL The nurses at the clinic loved Todd's haircut (the lion cut). His hair has been slow to grow back, so right now, he has a mohawk down his back. They were sure I had it cut that way, but it is just how it has grown in. They loved it. I guess they spent the day bringing him out of his kennel and loving on him and giving him treats. So he was in a pretty darn good mood when I picked him up. haha I'm happy they treated him so well.

Anyway.. he's pretty happy tonight. And to make his day even better, I got him (and the other kitties) a new water fountain. I picked up one of those Drinkwell 360 fountains. I set it up before Todd came home. Our foster kitten spent about 2 hours drinking from it and playing with it. So it was a big hit with her. lol Todd seems to like it as well!

Anyway, that is my update!
 
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