New pancreatitis diagnosis.

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Amy Dobson

Amy Dobson

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Today my lovely boy has been diagnosed with pancreatitis, after a night of being sick and reacting to a new food I'd introduced.

The vets are kindly going to let me give him sub q fluids at home and will show me how this afternoon.

They've also prescribed him Clavaseptin (amoxicillin and clavulonic acid). Is this a good antibiotic? I'm nervous with antibiotics as he was terrible on Convenia. Awful reaction to it.

Also, is it OK to continue with the low carb diabetic diet I have him on, or do I need to think of other things now.

He's really seeming poorly. Not a happy boy at all, so any advice would be very very welcome.

Thank you,

Amy and Mr Murphy Mouse
:(:cat:
 
How did they diagnose it as pancreatitis? Did they do an ultrasound or specfPLI?
I can't comment on the antibiotic choice, but some cats with pancreatitis don't get antibiotics as part of the treatment plan. I think the estimate is that about 35% are infection-related and the rest aren't.
We're going through a very, very bad acute pancr flare right now. I would suggest having a pain med and an appetite stimulant (cyproheptadine) on hand in case he starts needing it. Also, if you see any signs of nausea or stomach acid, I would start him on famotidine and/or ondans asap. I learned the hard way not to let things out of control, because once they are, it's super difficult to get everything back in line. I really hope your kitty's flare ends up being very, very mild.
There is a Pancreatitis Primer on here. I'll post the link in a few min.
 
Clavaseptin (amoxicillin and clavulonic acid) is a common antibiotic used for animals. In the USA is is sold under the trade name Calvamox. It is also a human drug sold under the name Augmentin
 
Thank you, both. Really hugely helpful.. I had no idea some pancreatitis could be infection related, but I'm certain thechange started after eating some new food.
It was diagnosed with the blood test solely - no ultrasound.
He was really very ill in the night - was yowling in pain (I've NEVER heard him sound like this), brought up a hairball but didn't stop being sick.. brought up white foam. His tummy was very tender.
They injected him with an anti nausea drug.
I've been given vetergesic for the pain.
So he's on just that and the antibiotics, and I'm just off to learn how to do sub Q fluids.
This, twin boys starting school and my little girl has a uti. Oh the joys. Always always at manic Times, my poor boy. When the littlies are in bed I'll be able to cuddle him and start the fluids. He's sensibly hiding under the bed right now. I hope beyond hope he'll be OK.
He's also got a major allergy thing going on where he self harms his head - we've not got to the bottom of it in months. Keep thinking we've cracked it then boom, it's not mites (etc) and it's back. I've read a bit about the pancreas, inflammation, dermatitis and allergies.. how they're all connected.
Must dash to the vet - will be taking a copy of your reply specklesandme.
Thank you.
 
Specklesandme, I hope the pancreatitis flare you're experiencing settles asap.

Also, if anyone knows if Clavaseptin is as bad as Convenia, let me know. We had a terrifying time with convenia, one I never ever wish to repeat. Thank you.
 
With pancreatitis they also need something for stomach acid. 1/4 of a 10 mg famotidine (Plain Pepcid AC) and given that vomiting is present make sure to use nausea control for a few days. A B12 injection will also help to make Murphy feel better. This is what we do for Squeak when he has a flare of pancreatitis.

I am also dealing with food allergies what worked for Squeaker was Hills Rx d/d venison or duck------caveat is they are higher carb. You might consider something like Weruva. It is a bit pricey but much less fillers than most other food and they are low carb.
 
Pancreatitis kitties need low fat food. I don't know what brands are best. Some pancreatitis kitties also get prednisolone, which might help his allergies. Might be worth asking the vet. If you do give him pred, you might have to increase his insulin if the pred makes his BG go up. It's more important to get his pancreatitis under control than to keep his BG low. You can always increase the insulin dose.
 
Some cats w/ pancreatitis do better on low fat; some do not. The clinical research suggests low fat diets are not as important in cats as they are in dogs. Each cat is an individual, so you'll want to watch carefully to see what works for yours.
 
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Amy Dobson said:
Specklesandme, I hope the pancreatitis flare you're experiencing settles asap.

Also, if anyone knows if Clavaseptin is as bad as Convenia, let me know. We had a terrifying time with convenia, one I never ever wish to repeat. Thank you.Goo
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Could I ask what the reaction to convenia was? My vet just gave it to Bubba on Wed. and when I got home, I realized it was the antibiotic that I read on the board to stay clear of. And when did the reaction happen? I am still a little bit nervous about it but was thinking if it were to happen, it would happen right away??
 
Thx for your response. I did talk to the vet today and said after Bubba's dental procedure on Sept 17th No Convenia. He claims he has never had a cat with an issue, and that's all well and good however, if there was going to be an issue, there's no retrieving it from him. Plus, it's not even a dental specific antibiotic.
 
Sorry for my delay!
Yes loads of cats are fine with convenia, as was Murphy until his last injection. It was nothing related to diabetes. He literally slept for days - unbelievable lethargy, really quite floppy at times. This was SUCH a distinct difference in his behaviour as for an outdoor boy he became completely inactive. It took weeks for him to get back to his old self.
Please be reassured too that the reaction was immediate - we got him home and for the first night he his under a bed shivering and having major myoclonic jerks in his sleep.
Bubba will be absolutely fine - another reassuring thing is that Murphy did really wellon it for years. Simply something in his make up clearly changed.
 
Amy Dobson said:
Sorry for my delay!
Yes loads of cats are fine with convenia, as was Murphy until his last injection. It was nothing related to diabetes. He literally slept for days - unbelievable lethargy, really quite floppy at times. This was SUCH a distinct difference in his behaviour as for an outdoor boy he became completely inactive. It took weeks for him to get back to his old self.
Please be reassured too that the reaction was immediate - we got him home and for the first night he his under a bed shivering and having major myoclonic jerks in his sleep.
Bubba will be absolutely fine - another reassuring thing is that Murphy did really wellon it for years. Simply something in his make up clearly changed.
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How scary for you! Bubba is indoor/outdoor to and the first day he was lethargic and the second day somewhat but, wanted to go outside and play and I wouldn't let him to keep an eye on him. Thanks for the reassurance that it was immediate. It's a very good thing that his reaction wasn't the most severe like anaphylaxis. Speedy recovery to Mr. Murphy Mouse and hugs to you. :bighug: ( Bubba's nickname is Mouse Lips)
 
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