Pills treatment vs Hospital?

Calicos are Best (GA)

Calicos are Best (GA)

Member Since 2019
Good morning everyone,

I have to be to work at 8 AM this morning. It's now 7:16 AM. I am having a difficult time deciding what to do? My cat Lily is getting weaker. I can tell she is in pain as she hides under the bed. She is sitting on my desk now and came out. I just checked her blood and it is 453. I gave her insulin now also.

At 5:08 AM I fed her 20 cc's which is 4 tsp of this liver shake at 5:08 AM. Here is the shake http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30507/

I also gave her 40 cc's of water mixed with 2 tsp of beef baby food. = 8 tsp mixed

By 5:50 AM Lily puked up these mixtures. I am not sure if I have enough time to turn this around with the medicines you guys suggested. If I try the medicines will I end up having to hospitalize Lily anyways all while wasting time? Money is tight and I just started a new job in September. I am still paying off the last hospital bills. I may have to charge more fees. The hospital is ridiculous in what they charge.

I am not sure whether to call into work the whole day or to attempt to take a half day or just a couple hours call is? I don't know what to do...
 
Is it possible to call in and stay home for an hour or two?

I'm not familiar with everything that's going on with Lily - why do you say she's getting weaker?
 
ALSO I forgot to mention. Lily last ate normal on Saturday. She puked all day on Sunday. I took her to my vet on Monday. She was given 100 cc of subcutaneous fluids and injections of cerenia, covenia, matacam, vitamin B, & vitamin B12. Monday I tried to leave food out and she only picked at it.

Tuesday I left baby food watered down with pieces of boiled chicken and it looked like she only picked at it again. When I got home I went to the store and mixed this liver shake http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30507/
Lily was able to keep down the 10 cc's (2 tsp) of shake I gave her at 7:55 PM last night. I gave her another 30 cc's = 6 tsp of shake at 9:40 PM which she also kept down. However this morning between 430 AM - 5 AM she did not keep the other amounts I syringe fed her this morning. She puked them up in about an hour.
 
Labs can change over a few days. Sometimes it takes a couple of visits to the vet to finally figure out what is going on. It is frustrating & not necessarily the vets fault. It’s why, even as humans, you can go to the ER & they can’t find anything wrong but tell you to come back if things worsen. Sometimes lab abnormalities lag behind clinical symptoms. I say always better to be safe.
 
It sounds like she's too sick...and I know as much as you hate to spend even more $$ - she sounds like she needs an IV or a feeding tube...if she's that weak - might be from all the vomiting, no food...I'm just not sure ... and if she's that sick, stuffing a pill down her throat isn't likely to stay down...I feel badly for you...I know how scary this is...that's the only thing I can think might be best to do...so you will only be a little late for work if you leave her at the vet this morning. I'm so sorry...
 
Sue and Luci said:
I'm not familiar with everything that's going on with Lily - why do you say she's getting weaker?
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Lily is getting weaker as she is sitting like a meatloaf and hiding under my bed off and on. She came out and is on my desk now. She stares at me like she is trying to tell me something. I wish she could just tell me.
 
Calicos are Best said:
Lily is getting weaker as she is sitting like a meatloaf and hiding under my bed off and on. She came out and is on my desk now. She stares at me like she is trying to tell me something. I wish she could just tell me.
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With what you've said above, I think the vet is your only choice right now. I just don't think pilling her is going to help...

And you might ask your vet about liquids or meds that can be given mixed with her food....it worries me that she's been vomiting and not eating for what sounds like several days...I think it's the only and best choice - to ask for help from the vet. Hopefully they can get her stabilized and eating again...
 
I'm sorry you had another rough night. I think it would be best to take her to the vet. The difficulty I see is that when cats don't eat, they can become quite sick, hepatic lipadosis can be serious. At the very least you can get the mds and get help with fluids and feeding. Being at the vet can be stressful, my concern for you is you don't want to go too much longer without her eating. :bighug:
 
Calicos are Best said:
Lily is getting weaker as she is sitting like a meatloaf and hiding under my bed off and on. She came out and is on my desk now. She stares at me like she is trying to tell me something. I wish she could just tell me.
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With what you've said above, I think the vet is your only choice right now. I just don't think pilling her is going to help...

And you might ask your vet about liquids or meds that can be given mixed with her food....it worries me that she's been vomiting and not eating for what sounds like several days...I think it's the only and best choice - to ask for help from the vet. Hopefully they can get her stabilized and eating again...
 
Christie & Maverick said:
I'm sorry you had another rough night. I think it would be best to take her to the vet. The difficulty I see is that when cats don't eat, they can become quite sick, hepatic lipadosis can be serious. At the very least you can get the mds and get help with fluids and feeding. Being at the vet can be stressful, my concern for you is you don't want to go too much longer without her eating. :bighug:
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I didn't see your post Christie...the DB was down when I tried to post...then I hit 'Post Reply' and saw your post...I agree with you! She needs to get to the vet ASAP.
 
Meatloaf is often a sign of pain. I know it has to feel overwhelming right now given the new job & financial issues, but all will work out. Right now, try to stay focused on just getting her to the vet.

Also, be careful about mixing meds with her food. That can result in the cat not eating its food. If you have a cat that will eat many different foods it isn’t always as much of an issue but If you have a cat that only eats 1 or 2 foods it can be a serious issue!
 
I will call me vet when they open at 8 AM. I will call my work now and let them know. I would love it if the vet can help me, but I have a feeling they will tell me to take her to the horrible emergency people. I am going to have to be very assertive and talk about her history. I spent thousands of dollars that I am still paying off now from last year. And 3 months later I had to spend more money at out of state vets traveling because they did not advise me properly.
 
Calicos are Best said:
I will call me vet when they open at 8 AM. I will call my work now and let them know. I would love it if the vet can help me, but I have a feeling they will tell me to take her to the horrible emergency people. I am going to have to be very assertive and talk about her history. I spent thousands of dollars that I am still paying off now from last year. And 3 months later I had to spend more money at out of state vets traveling because they did not advise me properly.
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Sounds like a plan! I hope your vet has the facilities to start her on an IV...and help get some nutrients and meds into her ASAP.
 
I don't think my vet does IVs...I can ask, but I think they were not able to last year. I know they didn't have ultrasound equipment. I'll find out soon. Going to call my work and let them know.
 
Hopefully your vet will be able to help vs sending you to the emergency clinic, but sometimes it is beyond their scope of training :(. Some regular vets have some additional experience with critical care, etc but most do not & therefore prefer an internist manage the case. Unfortunately this often means the emergency clinic depending on where you live—and $. Once you get through this, one thing you can do is work on finding a vet who is either an internist or has experience/is comfortable managing more difficult cases.
 
I am so sorry Lily is still sick.
I agree she needs to be seen by the vet.
If you are not happy with your vet, is there another vet you can see?

Also I would ask them to definitely test for ketones.

She may just need more support with antinausea / vomiting meds and pain meds if she has pancreatitis.
They should be able to do a snap fPL test in the surgery to say ‘yes or no’ if it is pancreatitis.

Please keep us updated and we wish her a speedy recovery.
 
One last note-IF it is pancreatitis, even a day of IV fluids & meds is able to make a big difference!

Please let us know. Thoughts & prayers your way!:bighug::bighug:
 
I’m pretty sure Lily has been getting subQ fluids at home. So if it is pancreatitis, unless she is very dehydrated, the subQ fluids should be enough.
If it is something else, she may need IV fluids.
But I agree a day on the correct treatment can make a big difference.
 
My T was getting subq and all the meds at home & was not turning around. There is a big difference between subq & IV treatment for pancreatitis. While subq fluids help with dehydration, the IV fluids allow the pancreas to be adequately perfused. This makes a big difference in getting them stabilized and back on track. Sometimes it requires a few days, but fortunately, in some cases, one full day may be enough. I am adding this because this is often missed, even by vets. The ER vets or internal medicine specialists know to do this, but others don't. When it is missed & only subq fluids are given, and it is pancreatitis, it is not uncommon that the cat ends up going home but continues to be ill.
 
Sorry for my hasty reply, I knew we were coming up on the board downtime. I didn't think my post came through, and had to get a few things done for my crew. The trouble is that what may have been the original issue may still be causing inappetence and nausea or it could be that something else has now happened. The vet will need to evaluate her, and run a blood panel and urinalysis. It could be that her electrolytes are out of whack. I don't know for sure, but I hope your vet can determine what's happening so they can treat her appropriately.
 
Judy and Boomer said:
I think Lily needs to go to the vet. What did the vet say on Monday?
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Monday the vet said since Lily has a history of pancreatitis she would treat it like that. She didn't do any bloodwork and basically advised that even if Lily's numbers would be crazy she would treat her the same way.

The vet can't get me in until 2pm. SO i am going to go to work until 1:30 PM. Then leave again for Lily. It's going to be a long day. My fingers are crossed they can treat Lily for outpatient services. Thank you guys for the support. Wish me Luck!
 
Good luck! Try and leave a little smorgasbord of small snacks that she may try and eat while you are out...maybe she will find something she's interested in eating.
 
Hi there and so sorry that Lilly isn’t doing well right now. I agree with the others that she needs to be seen. With a past DKA , you don’t want to fool around with in appetence, and dealing with a systemic stress or infection . She might need a feeding tube inserted .


And I would NOT let the vet ever give a CONVENIA shot ever again. It’s an overused AB and one that if a kitty had a reaction it stays in their system for 14 + days. Did she get worse after the vet visit on Monday?


Please keep us posted .
 
Read this when you get back, honestly. Money and pets can be a touchy subject. We've dropped mortgage payments on everything from inconclusive needle biopsies to failed ultrasounds to MRI's that went nowhere. This is the last place you'll get grief or guilt over this. As you said, be assertive, bring her past history and ask why some tests are necessary. Emergency clinics make me cringe, they're a huge investment and you're just another number. At ours the reading material in the lobby is the clinics payment plans.
Money and love are not the same thing and can be a hard lesson to learn. Most of us have been there, we all understand. :blackeye:
Keep us updated. :bighug:
 
Wishing you the best of luck and a sympathetic and knowledgeable vet today. :bighug::bighug: Lily really does need more nutrition than she has been getting.

@Bobbie And Bubba Lily had the vomiting and inappetance problems before the previous vet visit where she got Convenia. I'm not fond of it either, but I think there is something else causing the GI issues.
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Here are common side effects for convenia:

Allergic reactions to CONVENIA are possible. The primary side effects reported with CONVENIA injections in cats and dogs are vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and decreased appetite.
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Bella has had this 3x does that mean it's ok for him??
 
@Bellasmom Convenia is only useful for skin infections. Vets will use it so the caregiven doesn't have to give pills. There are other antibiotics that are shorter acting and can be injected if a cat can't hold down food.

I think you need to get your kitty to the vet, too.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Wishing you the best of luck and a sympathetic and knowledgeable vet today. :bighug::bighug: Lily really does need more nutrition than she has been getting.

@Bobbie And Bubba Lily had the vomiting and inappetance problems before the previous vet visit where she got Convenia. I'm not fond of it either, but I think there is something else causing the GI issues.
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Thanks for the history. I was in a hurry this AM when I posted and didn’t have time to look for past threads.
 
Bellasmom said:
Bella has had this 3x does that mean it's ok for him??
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Personally , I would not ever give it to my cat ever again. Bubba had it once without the vet telling me he was getting it. The thing is that at any time an allergy can occur to something you have had before. It’s just not worth the risk. And the other thing is that it is an AB for skin infections and vets RX it for everything else.
 
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Bobbie And Bubba said:
Personally , I would not ever give it to my cat ever again. Bubba had it once without the vet telling me he was getting it. The thing is that at any time an allergy can occur to something you have had before. It’s just not worth the risk. And the other thing is that it is an AB for skin infections and vets RX it for everything else.
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Thanks Bobbie, I will make sure on Sunday I tell them to put in his file not to have it
 
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