Possible Ketones//Won't eat wet food/will eat dry- Sushi

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Sushi (GA 5/05-3/14)

Sushi (GA 5/05-3/14)

Member Since 2011
(I've been really bad about posting links to my past condos! Oy!)

PLEASE help by answering these questions:
> about the Feliaway spray:[/u] Where should I spray it? Is it okay to spray it around his food bowl? What about the litter box? His scratcher?
> Are ketones a sign of FHL?
> Can I feed him dry food until he gets out of this funk?
> what's better: syringe feeding wet or letting him eat dry on his own?
> Do I need to bring him to the vet? How soon I need to get him to the vet?
What will the vet do? Blood work? Syringe feed or put him on an IV?

Here's more info on what I posted yesterday:
So the new place is great, but I haven't been able to enjoy it because I'm so irritated and/or worried about Sushi. Here's the long story:
Sushi was doing great before we moved. We've been in the new apartment since last Sunday night, so a week and 2 days. He did great in the hour car ride to Baton Rouge. We crashed on a futon mattress last week and I moved my furniture in on Saturday. I did not end up moving in with my friend, so it's just me, Sushi, and my other cat Bella.
Moving has brought out a side of Sushi I hoped was gone forever. There was a time a few years ago when I thought I was going to have to get rid of him because he was just so BAD! He can be a total nightmare!! He gets into everything, trashes everything, raises hell all night, he's very rebellious and defiant, doesn't seem to care about me or acknowledge my presence--no sweetness or affection...just an air of complete stubbornness.
Here he is the morning after our first night at the new apartment. Notice how he has opened every cabinet, including the drawer under the stove. For a few days his favorite hiding spot was BEHIND the drawer under the stove.It's been interesting to compare his behavior with that of my other cat. She adjusted immediately, and has actually become sweeter since we moved.
If I lock him in a room, with or without me, he eventually starts raising hell, yowling, ripping holes in the carpet under the door, etc. I've tried covering the doorway with blankets and pillows; he finds a way to move them. I'm telling you, he's smart and strong, and when he gets in this terror mood, nothing can stop him. The noise is one thing, but the actual destruction he can cause in a matter of 5 minutes is pretty awful. I do mean tearing literal holes in the carpet.

I haven't been around at all; in fact I don't feel like I've even been still for longer than 15 minutes over the past week or so. It's been horrible! Work has required some early mornings and late nights, and I've been completely wrapped up in moving. This is the first night in I don't know how long I've been able to sit still.
As it's been hard on me, I'm sure it's been hard on Sushi too. But as I mentioned, the hardest thing about all of this is that he acts like he could take or leave me; I'm not adding any happiness to his little world. So it makes me think he doesn't need me around.
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To add to the symptoms I described last night:
He's very interested in food; he begs for it, jumps up on the counter and knocks the cans onto the floor, all while he has plates and plates full of food out for him. Or he'll cheer and cheer as I'm preparing his food, only to sniff it and walk away after I put it down.

The past few nights have been a bit better--he's slept with me for parts of the night and hasn't been quite as rowdy.
We haven't had any diarrhea today, but he's still not eating much. He's eating 1/4-1/2 of what he normally eats. I've tried every trick in the book to get him to eat with minimum success.

I ended up skipping this morning's dose AGAIN because his numbers were too low for my liking. I was going to be at work so I couldn't wait and/or monitor him, and I'm just not comfortable with it seeing as how he's not eating well.
...I'm still pretty baffled by how many symptoms of high BG he's showing when his levels aren't all that high.
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...to answer some of your questions:
- on your ss - is the 3-35 meaning you're giving 3.0 units and it's the 35th cycle on that dose? Yes.
- or i guess what i'm asking is what the dose is? 3u
- his numbers are kinda zig-zaggy - although not terrible. That's reassuring!
- are his low numbers related to him not eating? Yes I think so.
 
Re: Sushi 10/4: AMPS~161 | +6.25~287 | PMPS~230

...I just gave him some dry food and he ate it up! And bit my fingers as if he was STARVING in the process! I poured some into his wet food, but if a kibble had even a touch of wet on it, he wouldn't have anything to do with it. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!? THIS IS DRIVING ME INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Should I give him a whole serving of dry just to get him to eat?
 
Re: Sushi 10/4: AMPS~161 | +6.25~287 | PMPS~230 | +3.5~187

Showing interest in food and walking away is a sign of nausea. Kibble doesn't smell as pungent as wetfood. I don't know with his history of DKA what your options are. FHL is worrysome also. You have to get calories into him. He may just need kibble for a few days until he is feeling better. But wait for a dosing expert to advise on this. Do you have a wet food there that he hasn't had in a while? Not one of his regular flavours?
 
Re: Sushi 10/4: AMPS~161 | +6.25~287 | PMPS~230 | +3.5~187

Definitely agree that the showing interest but walking away sounds like a sign of nausea. Willow does it when he has a flare up of his Chronic Pancreatitis. During those times, he completely turns up his nose to his wet food, but will occasionally take pieces of my ham or cheese.
 
Re: Sushi 10/4: AMPS~161 | +6.25~287 | PMPS~230 | +3.5~187

Well, it's strange that he shows interest in wet food but turns away, but he GOBBLED down the dry food! What gives?!?
I ended up giving him ~1/8c of dry last night. He ate most of it.

Last night was the most peaceful night yet. He slept with me most of the night and didn't cause any trouble.
He sat at the breakfast table with me this morning and rubbed on the hand that wasn't holding the cereal spoon. So he's being his usual sweet self, not the terror of the past week or so.

I tried getting some urine for a ketone test, but he wouldn't scoot up enough. There was a lake in the litter box after he was done (his urination is HIGH!!), so I scooped some of that up. I did a test and he's showing trace amounts of ketones. It had some litter in it; does that affect the results?

His AMPS was 261.

Here are my questions:
> What do I do about the trace of ketones?
> Can I feed him dry food until he gets out of this funk?
> Where do I spray Feilaway? Is it okay to spray it: Around his food bowl? Litter box? Scratcher?
 
Re: Sushi 10/4: AMPS~161 | +6.25~287 | PMPS~230 | +3.5~187

bumping up for you - you should edit your subject to say possible ketones

Have you every syringe fed Sushi?
 
Re: Sushi 10/4: AMPS~161 | +6.25~287 | PMPS~230 | +3.5~187

No, I've never syringe fed Sushi. I shudder at the thought--I know it wouldn't go well; especially in the ornery mood he's been in lately.
But do I really need to if he'll eat dry food?
<<what's better: syringe feeding wet or letting him eat dry on his own? >>

Oh and we're using the same ole brand of food in the same ole flavor--nothing new...
 
To counteract the ketones, you need to get more water into Sushi. Wet food is best, especially if you add water.

You also need to keep testing for ketones. Anything over a trace amount can rapidly become an emergency. The best way to counteract ketones is water, insulin, and food. Skipping shots isn't helping.

I suspect the behavior you are encountering with Sushi is due to his needing to claim the territory. Cats are very territorial.
 
...just called the vet and he leaves at noon today; so I don't think I'll be able to bring Sushi in today. Could someone advise about if and how soon I need to get him to the vet?
What will the vet do? Blood work? Syringe feed or put him on an IV?
 
Try a wet food that he's never had before. And get a couple flavours also - maybe a fish one and a blander one.

Bumping up again. I don't know about kibble and dka anyone???
 
Syringe feeding may not go well but you should try it. Sit in the bathroom and have him sit next to you. You could do a towel/burrito if he needs to be contained.
 
i don't have any answers for you ashley - but sienne's answer makes sense. so the question is what can you do to help him know it's "his" apartment? you could ask on the main health forum. does he have any of "his" things that you could put in all the corners of the place - nanners, toys, etc.? or move them around so it seems like his stuff is everywhere?

i'd spray the feliway all over, but not on his food or water. did you find any rescue remedy? i buy it at the local pet store here.

another answer is obviously harder - my guess is he needs you to spend more time with him in the apt.
 
typically, treatmennt for DKA involves hospitalization. An IV drip of R as well as glucose are used.

You want to try and avoid this.

Keep testing for ketoones - if his butt isn't high enough too catch the stream, then be at the ready and as soon as he jumps away from the lb dip the test strip into the pool of urine before it's absorbed.

Wet food is best. will he eat some rosted turkey or other luchmeat?
 
In addition to all the other possible health and stress issues that others and you have mentioned, have you ever tested Sushi for hyperthyroid? Some of his symptoms sound a Hyper-Tish...the yowling, rowdiness, aggression, acting like he's starving, diarrhea. It's just a thought....

Good luck...I hope you figure it out, and that he clears those trace ketones ASAP.

Amy
 
Have you tried giving anything for the possible nausea, such as 1/4 of a 10 mg Pepcid?

As far as why he's scarfing the dry food with possible nausea - maybe its like when a human eats crackers if nauseaus - maybe it helps settle the stomach a bit. (that's a guess, folks!)

If it might be the scent level discouraging consumption, refrigerating it a bit should make it less smelly and warming it up would make it more smelly. You might experiment by offering a little of each and seeing if either one prompts eating.
 
IMO you need to get him into the vet for a checkup but if this is not possible try syringe feeding and maybe see if he will eat tuna or baby food mixed with water but if all else fails I would let him eat some dry just to make sure he eats until you can get him into the vet but since he has a history of DKA then dry is going to send his numbers up more then likely
 
have you tried tuna water, ashley? you mix a can of tuna with 3 cans of water, let it sit for 15 minutes to flavor all the water. you can freeze it in ice cubes and give him cubes as he'll eat them. you can just use the tuna water too - add it on the canned food.

have you tried plain chicken, rotisserie chicken, paremesan cheese, sprinkling pulverized dry food on the canned food? those are all tricks to help entice a kitty to eat. you can smear some on their feet or around the mouth and usually they'll lick it off. you could try feeding him off of your finger to see if getting the taste in would make him more interested in eating.

sometimes if you just get them tasting it will get them to eat more.

how's sushi doing today?
 
I meant to post this yesterday but got distracted. . .

When I saw the photo of Sushi and all the cabinet doors and oven drawer open, my first thought was "who was there before?" It seemeed he was on a serious mission, looking for something.
Did the previous tenants have pets?
Then today I wondered if there could be mice?
 
Hi Sandy!
That's a good point.
This is pretty typical behavior for Sushi though. When I say he's ornery and a handful, I'm not joking!! ;-)
Not sure if the previous tenant had pets, and I sure hope my apartment is mouse-free!! :?
 
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