Pumpkin Pt2 - archive

Starting fresh from previous thread since it got messy. Recap:

First DX 11/2021, went into remission after a seizure 2/2023 (wasn't home testing then). Back on Vetsulin again 5/2024, fed Tiki Cat After Dark canned food (the shreds) but occasionally got sprinkles of Vital Essentials Rabbit on top as a treat with meal.

Currently dealing with presumed Cholangiohepatitis (inflammation of GI)
3/22/25 was the stressful weekend that kicked everything off. One big furball, slowly eating less.

4/2 first vet visit (8 AM), blood test showed no pancreatitis, nothing serious yet. Started half tablet Cerenia for nausea, Elura for appetite. An hour after Elura she had possible bradycardia and/or hypotension; went down to 10 breaths per min, semi-conscious, unwilling to move. Returned to vet but BP was normal by the time we got there, sent us home.

4/3 noticed awful smell coming from her or litterbox 5 AM, probably jaundiced at this point but didn't notice until at the vet at 9 AM. Full bloodwork panel indicated liver issues pointing to either Cholangiohepatitis or inflammation of the gallbladder. Financially tight so opted out of ultrasound/biopsies/explorative surgeries etc. Vet acknowledged it would be tricky because of diabetes but put her on full tablet of Cerenia, Amoxicillin, Metronidazole, and Prednisolone. I was warned that Prednisolone could end in DKA but didn't feel I had any other options. Vet discussed possibility that Pumpkin might not pull through this one so my emotional and exhausted brain didn't do well with recording notes. Sorry for all the missing data.

4/4 tested in AM for ketones but urine is really dark so instead of looking like it was yellow, peach, or purple, it looked tan (see below). Vet agreed to write scrip for Ondansetron but couldn't give her until 10 pm so messed up her med schedule. Gobbled up a 1/4 can of food after it.
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4/5 ketones came back identical to previous day. Ate apx a 1/6 can of food early AM. Then ate 1/4 can for meds. Started taking specific notes on an extra tab in my spreadsheet, hoping this will help for future to prevent my mixups from previous days.
 
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Some things I wanted to highlight from last post:

I would not use it for more than 5 days unless your vet can give you a compelling reason for it. It does have some anti-inflammatory effects and I am thinking this is what your vet was hoping for? Cerenia also has some anti-inflammatory effects and is frequently used in pancreatitis as well as in CKD cats and for vomiting. Metronidazole can have toxic effects so it’s best used short term.
I will be looking into dropping Metronidazole after the 5 day mark but haven't gotten in touch with vet yet on this one.

If I had a cat with a liver problem (and I have had) I would start it on Denamarin right away. It’s marvelous for the liver and I have seen liver enzymes go down a great deal with Denamarin.
Going to also discuss Denamarin.
 
Totally forgot to mention previously that Pumpkin is getting Proviable Probiotics sprinkled on her food. Normally I would give her one pill sprinkled over food in the AM and one in the PM but right now with her sporadically eating, I don't want to waste them so I sprinkle a tiny bit if she seems like she'll eat and most of the time I don't anticipate the right things and it ends up going to Mr. Garbage Disposal (aka my orange tabby boy Jack).

Some items that got missed in my previous post I wanted to touch back on:
  1. Vet didn't seem bothered to give fluids the three times I was there despite Pumpkin's labwork. I made an oxtail bone broth when we still thought it was just some minor hairballs hoping to help hydrate and raise up her electrolytes as an alternative to having to do IV fluids at a later time since I'm scared to do fluids myself but vet advised against anything high fat as she worries it will cause more inflammation and prolong her healing so I'm not giving her the broth for now.
    • Anyone experienced with fats/GI issues either in the human or cat world that can chime in?
    • I'm personally dealing with mystery GI issues myself and have found some success adding acidity into my diet but the enzymes I'm currently on from my doc only help if I remember to take it 10 minutes before eating. Either I take it late and it backfires horribly, or I continually forget to take it at all so I'm making no progress. I am not consistent with meal times so it's been a challenge but I can't help but wonder if she might benefit from enzymes after this clears up. I'm unsure about adding anything extra right now with how many meds she's currently on.
  2. Vet wasn't worried about bowel movements given she isn't eating a lot right now but I'm worried because her medications cause constipation on top of her already being constipated on a regular basis. Vet advised against using Miralax but was indifferent on adding back pumpkin (was going to put her on pumpkin and a non-petroleum hairball gel back when we thought it was a bad hairball situation but not happy finding there was silica in the hairball gel).
    • Again if anyone with GI knowledge can chime in, is it worth it to add pumpkin/fiber into her food or will that aggravate things further?
  3. Being she used to eat 2.5-3 cans per day in the past and knowing she probably needs to be eating 2 cans per day to be healthy, I'm assuming I should just keep feeding her anytime she's willing to eat being I'm only managing to get her eating a half a can a day plus sporadic treats. Starting to worry as her GB is rising up to the 300's again though.
    • Is it worth force feeding with a syringe at this point or letting her eat large portions of Temptations and Churu sticks as if they are a real meal?
    • With forcing liquid I don't want to cause food aversion or aspiration of the liquid (already worried enough having to give her 5 liquid doses in a day with how much she thrashes around) and she is willing to eat but still I don't think half a can in a day is going to work out much longer.
 
Maybe ask the vet about Carnivore Care to provide essential nutrients to your cat? Treats aren't nutritionally balanced. https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-carnivore/ There used to be Ensure-type products for cats but those have been discontinued. I'm not sure if there are any newer products.

The Liver Shake is supposed to be super healthy for sick cats: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30432/

A lot of hairball gels and treats contain sugar, a no no for diabetics. Egg yolk powder and egg yolk lecithin are diabetic-friendly alternatives. https://www.foodfurlife.com/hairballs-are-not-normal.html#/

Are you giving an appetite stimulant?
 
Maybe ask the vet about Carnivore Care to provide essential nutrients to your cat? Treats aren't nutritionally balanced. https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-carnivore/ There used to be Ensure-type products for cats but those have been discontinued. I'm not sure if there are any newer products.

The Liver Shake is supposed to be super healthy for sick cats: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30432/
Vet said anything in counts right now and wasn't worried about treats... but I still am. :( Will ask about these two with the vet. I have freeze dried beef liver, wondering if I can rehydrate that and use it as though its raw. Thinking I will need to get her in for fluids ASAP either way though as she hasn't been drinking well on her own and doesn't like things being watered down.

A lot of hairball gels and treats contain sugar, a no no for diabetics. Egg yolk powder and egg yolk lecithin are diabetic-friendly alternatives. https://www.foodfurlife.com/hairballs-are-not-normal.html#/
I brought the sugar/carb thing up to the vet and she said given the emergency situation it was fine but I was still leery. I mentioned egg yolks (actual eggs or powdered yolks not supplement versions) but she didn't have much to say about it and I'm just worried of how expensive it might be right now. Thanks for this link by the way! I had seen it a while ago but couldn't find it again!!

Are you giving an appetite stimulant?
Vet told me her steroid works as an appy stim as well and it seems like it might be working for that. But she also put her on Elura originally (which blatantly has a statement warning against diabetic pets using it) which I'm fairly confident gave her immediate hypotension. She was barely breathing or moving but returned to normal by the time we got to the vet. Still charged me to do a BP test. I can't afford to try a million different prescriptions and getting nervous with each new one we add. :( In a panicked state at the vets, I just gave the Elura back to them. Hoped they would give me a refund, discount, or anything really, but all they did was donate it to those that can't afford to buy it, fully well knowing my financial situation already. Salt on a wound.
 
Maybe ask the vet about Carnivore Care to provide essential nutrients to your cat? Treats aren't nutritionally balanced. https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-carnivore/ There used to be Ensure-type products for cats but those have been discontinued. I'm not sure if there are any newer products.

The Liver Shake is supposed to be super healthy for sick cats: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/the-liver-shake-for-sick-cats.30432/

A lot of hairball gels and treats contain sugar, a no no for diabetics. Egg yolk powder and egg yolk lecithin are diabetic-friendly alternatives. https://www.foodfurlife.com/hairballs-are-not-normal.html#/

Are you giving an appetite stimulant?
Spoke to a vet tech and their current rec is if I feel she needs to come in for fluids they are open for the next couple of hours but looks like they are booked up for the remainder of the night today for an exam or to apply a feeding tube, opening 10 am tomorrow if I still want fluids tomorrow but they don't want me self administering without a new blood panel after the first set of fluids go through to see where she is at first. Starting to feel a bit too much like a business wanting to increase profits right now. :( Hate it because they are so great about so many other things and somehow also feel so horrible in others.

As for the Carnivore Care and liver shake, they said new foods like that may cause GI upset but here I am bombarding her with as many different brands/flavors/textures as possible and they don't seem bothered by that. :facepalm: I think I may just try kitten versions of foods to get extra calories in as I'm not sure I can find kelp powder. There is a health food store a ways away I might try looking for it online there first to see if they have something there though.

Forgot to mention the egg yolk powder to vet tech but I don't anticipate I will be able to get that in store somewhere nearby. I was looking for dried egg yolks (and dried egg whites for that matter) for myself when I was having GI issues in stores around here and didn't find any. I don't really like to buy online in these kinds of situations.
 
:bighug:

Freeze dried treats can be rehydrated in water. The ones that have a texture sort of like astronaut ice cream are easier to rehydrate than harder ones. You could also try freeze dried raw food. Freeze dried raw is a complete balanced diet.

Have you tried FortiFlora? A little sprinkle over food gets any cat to eat. It's a probiotic but kind of useless at that (low CFU count of one bacteria strain) but works great to get inappetant cats to eat.

Any new food can potentially upset a tummy but it's worth trying different things to see what the cat will eat and get some much needed calories and nutrients in.

Hills AD canned is a high calorie food. Not great for diabetics but getting your cat to eat something is more important. You can ask the vet about it.

Food Fur Life sells a powdered egg yolk supplement and there's a recipe on the web site to make your own with eggs. Although with eggs being so pricey these days maybe not ideal to try to make your own. A health food / vitamin store would likely have egg yolk lecithin in capsule form. Just pull open a capsule and mix the powder into food or liquid.
 
:bighug:

Freeze dried treats can be rehydrated in water. The ones that have a texture sort of like astronaut ice cream are easier to rehydrate than harder ones. You could also try freeze dried raw food. Freeze dried raw is a complete balanced diet.

Have you tried FortiFlora? A little sprinkle over food gets any cat to eat. It's a probiotic but kind of useless at that (low CFU count of one bacteria strain) but works great to get inappetant cats to eat.

Any new food can potentially upset a tummy but it's worth trying different things to see what the cat will eat and get some much needed calories and nutrients in.

Hills AD canned is a high calorie food. Not great for diabetics but getting your cat to eat something is more important. You can ask the vet about it.

Food Fur Life sells a powdered egg yolk supplement and there's a recipe on the web site to make your own with eggs. Although with eggs being so pricey these days maybe not ideal to try to make your own. A health food / vitamin store would likely have egg yolk lecithin in capsule form. Just pull open a capsule and mix the powder into food or liquid.
I believe the beef liver I have is freeze dried raw actually. I wanted to transition her to the Vital Essentials Rabbit that I give my tabby but my vet was adamant about not changing her diet ever since we couldn't get her numbers where we wanted them. Now we are here. :facepalm: Jack ends up constipated because of the amount of bone in the Rabbit formula though so there's that problem too I guess...

I currently sprinkle Proviable Probiotics over top which vet made it sound like it's really similar to FortiFlora. Gave her FortiFlora the last time she had one of these situations (wasn't diabetic at that time) but I don't think its working this time.

I actually have extra eggs handy right now so I could do raw yolks (not excited about the price but honestly I am hoarding them and they need to get used anyways). I'm not feeling super confident about the kelp/spirulina though. Can't find powdererd kelp shockingly but spirulina showed up in nearby health stores. Online suggests it may screw up their insulin though so I'm curious if anyone else on Vetsulin would have tried that liver shake before. May make a new post in that specific section.

Oh also, vet tech said Ondansetron is only ever 12 or 24 hours so was instructed to not give more than twice a day. :(

I've got to try force feeding her now as I told them I'd be over for fluids if I can't get anything down with her dinner and I need to do that asap as they close soon for the day.
 
Like an idiot I waited too long and they can't get her in for fluids anymore. And like an idiot I got used to her eating freely albeit not enough but she is completely refusing food and hasn't drank water all day as far as I can tell. Urgent care isn't open for another 14 hours so my other option is an er clinic that will cost twice as much which I really can't afford. I posted what she ate today in the spreadsheet which is hardly enough to call a meal. Half of what she's been eating and even that wasn't enough really. :(

I don't know what to do.

Force feeding isn't going well and I'm afraid she'll aspirate it with how much she is fighting. Vets all seemed to think she was fine when they saw her the other day but she seemed off enough to need fluids to me. I don't know how much worse she is at this point and they seem fine with me waiting until tomorrow and leave it up to me to interpret if she needs something more urgently but I've thought she needed a level above the care they provided every time.

She won't even touch the temptation treats anymore and only got halfway through a churu stick this time.
 
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Like an idiot I waited too long and they can't get her in for fluids anymore. And like an idiot I got used to her eating freely albeit not enough but she is completely refusing food and hasn't drank water all day as far as I can tell. Urgent care isn't open for another 14 hours so my other option is an er clinic that will cost twice as much which I really can't afford. I posted what she ate today in the spreadsheet which is hardly enough to call a meal. Half of what she's been eating and even that wasn't enough really. :(

I don't know what to do.

Force feeding isn't going well and I'm afraid she'll aspirate it with how much she is fighting.

She won't even touch the temptation treats anymore and only got halfway through a churu stick this time.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. She sounds pretty sick. Have you tried high value, really stinky foods, tuna, liver, etc?

When a cat is nauseous they will associate whatever they ate as the cause and won't touch it again.
 
I'm so sorry you're going through this. She sounds pretty sick. Have you tried high value, really stinky foods, tuna, liver, etc?

When a cat is nauseous they will associate whatever they ate as the cause and won't touch it again.
Everything I am offering right now is tuna flavored foods. Tuna pate, Tuna Churu's. Tried non seafood in case it was causing an aversion but she didn't want the rabbit pate. The only thing that was working so far that really got her going was the temptations but suddenly those are a no now. Wasn't interested in parm, oregano, probiotic powder, clam juice, tuna juice, varieties of seafood, and beef liver. I'm really nervous. :(

Hoping maybe the Ond. will kick in if I wait a little more for nausea but I'm not too hopeful. Last time I freaked out about her not drinking she drank an hour later but this has been a whole day.
 
Everything I am offering right now is tuna flavored foods. Tuna pate, Tuna Churu's. Tried non seafood in case it was causing an aversion but she didn't want the rabbit pate. The only thing that was working so far that really got her going was the temptations but suddenly those are a no now. Wasn't interested in parm, oregano, probiotic powder, clam juice, tuna juice, varieties of seafood, and beef liver. I'm really nervous. :(
If it was me and I could not get her to eat or drink until the morning, I'd go to the ER. I'm sure you know, that is a life threatening situation for cats. Do you have an appetite stimulant?
 
If it was me and I could not get her to eat or drink until the morning, I'd go to the ER. I'm sure you know, that is a life threatening situation for cats. Do you have an appetite stimulant?
I don't. The one they gave her made her very very ill and shouldn't have been used in the first place. They never gave me anything new.

I'm just wondering at this point, sure I could go to the ER, get fluids and a feeding tube. But am I prolonging suffering? I don't really know what's wrong with her for certain. She could have a blockage. She could have cancer. Or I could end up euthanizing her and she would have gotten better after a little care. I don't know and it's all so expensive and I'm a blubbering idiot again bawling my eyes out.

What I hate the most is I look for advice and comfort from my family. And everyone without hesitation (despite being cat people) all tell me not to spend my money. I could spend it and it might be wasted because it doesn't work out anyways. I get it. I'm also tight on money so I really shouldn't spend my money. But she is my baby and she's only 9. I'm not ready to lose another cat yet. :(
 
I don't. The one they gave her made her very very ill and shouldn't have been used in the first place. They never gave me anything new.

I'm just wondering at this point, sure I could go to the ER, get fluids and a feeding tube. But am I prolonging suffering? I don't really know what's wrong with her for certain. She could have a blockage. She could have cancer. Or I could end up euthanizing her and she would have gotten better after a little care. I don't know and it's all so expensive and I'm a blubbering idiot again bawling my eyes out.
You're absolutely not an idiot. I've seen amazing things happen with just fluids! Animals are resilent, she just needs some help to get over this hump, and the sooner the better is she still jaundice?

It's heart breaking to see them sick, I know. You're having to make a lot of hard, expensive decisions. Maybe the ER can get you fluids and an appetite stimulant to keep costs down.
 
You're absolutely not an idiot. I've seen amazing things happen with just fluids! Animals are resilent, she just needs some help to get over this hump, and the sooner the better is she still jaundice?

It's heart breaking to see them sick, I know. You're having to make a lot of hard, expensive decisions. Maybe the ER can get you fluids and an appetite stimulant to keep costs down.
She is still jaundiced, not particularly better or worse from what I can tell. I would love to just snap my fingers and be able to give her fluids at home but I don't think I have that option this late in the day now. My vet wouldn't let me do it without a recheck and I don't know if I can afford a $400 just to be in the ER vet's office. I've already spent that much on the previous visits.

Pretty sure ER can't just let me buy an IV pack esp since I've never done it before. And I really am thinking against force feeding/liquids.
 
I really don't want to do it but I think I might have to wait until 10 AM tomorrow when my vet's urgent clinic opens. I don't think the ER can give quotes or else I'd do some number crunching. :(

She has some elasticity in her skin so she's not severely dehydrated yet, but considering her liver needs fluids to get better and she's refusing food I still can't feel comfortable. Tonight is going to be an awful night.
 
I don't. The one they gave her made her very very ill and shouldn't have been used in the first place. They never gave me anything new.

I'm just wondering at this point, sure I could go to the ER, get fluids and a feeding tube. But am I prolonging suffering? I don't really know what's wrong with her for certain. She could have a blockage. She could have cancer. Or I could end up euthanizing her and she would have gotten better after a little care. I don't know and it's all so expensive and I'm a blubbering idiot again bawling my eyes out.

What I hate the most is I look for advice and comfort from my family. And everyone without hesitation (despite being cat people) all tell me not to spend my money. I could spend it and it might be wasted because it doesn't work out anyways. I get it. I'm also tight on money so I really shouldn't spend my money. But she is my baby and she's only 9. I'm not ready to lose another cat yet. :(
Oh my goodness this really strikes a chord with me. I understand about family not understanding what a cat means to you and not understanding spending money to try to help that cat. She is your baby and she is only 9 as you say. I have been in your position. Please do not let the opinions of others guide your decision-making! You are her caregiver and you will be guided by your love for her.
 
I really don't want to do it but I think I might have to wait until 10 AM tomorrow when my vet's urgent clinic opens. I don't think the ER can give quotes or else I'd do some number crunching. :(

She has some elasticity in her skin so she's not severely dehydrated yet, but considering her liver needs fluids to get better and she's refusing food I still can't feel comfortable. Tonight is going to be an awful night.
Do you have a Care Credit account or can you apply for one? I had to get one when my boy went DkA to pay for the bill.
 
Do you have a Care Credit account or can you apply for one? I had to get one when my boy went DkA to pay for the bill.
I just got one the other day. I already have a lot of debts I have to pay back tho so I'm apprehensive because if I can't end up paying it the rates are like 23 or 25% something high up there. I can't rationalize a bill above a grand in one sitting but small things that add up I can.
 
The other idea is if you can pick up either some Hills A/D or Royal Canin Recovery canned food depending on what the emerg vet carries, many cats who feel ill like the taste of these.
 
Twice a day may not be sufficient for many CKD cats. Oral, subcutaneous and intravenous pharmacokinetics of ondansetron in healthy cats (2014) Quimby JM, Lake RC, Hansen RJ, Lunghofer PJ & Gustafson DL Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics37(4) pp348–353 states that "twice daily administration at 0.5 mg/kg is likely inadequate to maintain serum concentrations within the therapeutic range; higher or more frequent doses may be needed." It further states that "the postulated therapeutic range - extrapolated from a previously published pharmacodynamic study - may not be accurate particularly if applied to repeated administration for chronic disease states."
 
Twice a day may not be sufficient for many CKD cats. Oral, subcutaneous and intravenous pharmacokinetics of ondansetron in healthy cats (2014) Quimby JM, Lake RC, Hansen RJ, Lunghofer PJ & Gustafson DL Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics37(4) pp348–353 states that "twice daily administration at 0.5 mg/kg is likely inadequate to maintain serum concentrations within the therapeutic range; higher or more frequent doses may be needed." It further states that "the postulated therapeutic range - extrapolated from a previously published pharmacodynamic study - may not be accurate particularly if applied to repeated administration for chronic disease states."
I agree with Suzanne I’ve used Ondansetron, 2 mg 4x a day. You can give 0.5-1 mg per kg of cat’s weight up to 4 times a day, which can help stay ahead of nausea.

Even still, if she just received it an hour ago, shouldn't it have taken affect by now? I've tried every smelly food out there along with every technique. She was receptive to spoon feeding and liked temptations but now she doesn't. She's also getting more lethargic. I'm still tossing and turning about going to ER tonight for fluids but wondering if there's really anything else that can be done since she doesn't want to eat and that might be a tipping point. Worried other appy stims might make her worse like the Elura did.
 
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Oh my dear, I don’t like that she is getting more lethargic, given liver issues already and now not eating. That is very worrying. There are some things that can be more challenging to handle at home, and it may be more than just keeping up with fluids and nausea at this point. How much do you think she’s been able to eat today?
 
Oh my dear, I don’t like that she is getting more lethargic, given liver issues already and now not eating. That is very worrying. There are some things that can be more challenging to handle at home, and it may be more than just keeping up with fluids and nausea at this point. How much do you think she’s been able to eat today?
Roughly just over a quarter of a can of food with a tiny bit of treats. Less than previous days and that wasn't really a lot then either.

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That’s quite a small amount, but better than nothing, Do you think if you took Pumpkin in to emerg and asked them for help with a round of subq fluids they would do it? While she may not appear dehydrated, the benefit in helping to flush out toxins would be my thought.
 
That’s quite a small amount, but better than nothing, Do you think if you took Pumpkin in to emerg and asked them for help with a round of subq fluids they would do it? While she may not appear dehydrated, the benefit in helping to flush out toxins would be my thought.
Basic exam fees costs 3x as much so to just get fluids would be same as my last visit, including all the meds. :(
 
They could also give a shot of Cerenia (Maropitant) for anti-nausea which lasts for 24 hours.
She's on Cerenia once daily and Ondansetron twice daily. Everyone here suggests Ondansetron can be up to 4 times daily but my vet was firm that it was only meant to be twice daily.

Re-read discharge notes and everything they are saying points to I should wait it out until tomorrow that it's not yet bad enough to warrant ER services, but as a worried pet parent I want nothing but the best for my furbaby and want to go get her some fluids asap. Still mad at myself for not making it in time to her regular vet today.
 
So it looks like Ondansetron is a 4mg pill and you gave half but not sure if it went down. I’d try another 2mg now, and see if you can finger feed a little of food she usually likes. Or try holding up a plate (not bowl) with a little food, if she is nauseated holding the plate up helps.
 
She's on Cerenia once daily and Ondansetron twice daily. Everyone here suggests Ondansetron can be up to 4 times daily but my vet was firm that it was only meant to be twice daily.

Re-read discharge notes and everything they are saying points to I should wait it out until tomorrow that it's not yet bad enough to warrant ER services, but as a worried pet parent I want nothing but the best for my furbaby and want to go get her some fluids asap. Still mad at myself for not making it in time to her regular vet today.
Don’t beat yourself up, we can only do as best we can and you don’t have a crystal ball :bighug::bighug:.
 
So it looks like Ondansetron is a 4mg pill and you gave half but not sure if it went down. I’d try another 2mg now, and see if you can finger feed a little of food she usually likes. Or try holding up a plate (not bowl) with a little food, if she is nauseated holding the plate up helps.
I always use plates because she has sensitive whiskers. I normally place the plate on top of a bowl so it's raised up normally too. Will see if I can't try rubbing some food in her mouth after a quick dose to see if that gets anywhere.
 
Excellent, yes, some cats get whisker stress. Just keep trying to offer different foods, a little at a time, you never know what might pique her interest. And heat the food up a little in the microwave can help if you haven’t tried that already.
 
Tried Ondansetron and was so excited she started licking some gravy. But then realized she had held the pill in the whole time and spat it out in her food and I guess Ondansetron tastes bad because now she won't eat again. :(

Wondering if I should give her insulin being she barely licked the gravy and she's at 351.
 
Excellent, yes, some cats get whisker stress. Just keep trying to offer different foods, a little at a time, you never know what might pique her interest. And heat the food up a little in the microwave can help if you haven’t tried that already.
I've done the stinkiest foods, warmed up, spoon fed, a drop on the nose.. nothing tonight. I feel like her bg is high enough to warrant a half dose at least but im not sure.
 
Oh, and by the way, you can put Ondansetron into gelatin capsules, too, just like so many other cat medications. I have put the Ondansetron “orally dissolving tablets” into a gelcaps and pilled it with a “pill shooter” and it still is effective. You can break/cut the pill and stuff it into the gelcap. I think I use a size 4 for that one. I order several different sizes from Amazon (size 5, 4, 3, and 2) but if I only had to have one size, it would be a size 4.

I don’t know if you have any on hand at home, but I just thought I would mention this since it occurred to me, when reading through last night’s portion of your thread, that she’d spit it out. Another advantage of “gel capping” meds is, if they spit it out, you get another try to get it in them (or two more tries, etc.) I have occasionally had to take the med out and put it in a fresh gelcap if I have been dealing with a particularly difficult cat who required several tries to get a pill into their mouth.
 
Can you ask your vet to consult with another vet for additional help with your cat? Ideally a vet at a different practice or even a vet school. All vets have the ability to consult with others on complex cases. This costs nothing to you. The vet hospital I use offers courtesy consults to any vet. PM me if you would like me to give you the info to pass along to your vet.

My cat eats Vital Essentials in rabbit, freeze dried version. It works for his diabetes and IBD and food allergies.
 
Oh, and by the way, you can put Ondansetron into gelatin capsules, too, just like so many other cat medications. I have put the Ondansetron “orally dissolving tablets” into a gelcaps and pilled it with a “pill shooter” and it still is effective. You can break/cut the pill and stuff it into the gelcap. I think I use a size 4 for that one. I order several different sizes from Amazon (size 5, 4, 3, and 2) but if I only had to have one size, it would be a size 4.

I don’t know if you have any on hand at home, but I just thought I would mention this since it occurred to me, when reading through last night’s portion of your thread, that she’d spit it out. Another advantage of “gel capping” meds is, if they spit it out, you get another try to get it in them (or two more tries, etc.) I have occasionally had to take the med out and put it in a fresh gelcap if I have been dealing with a particularly difficult cat who required several tries to get a pill into their mouth.
Don't know that I'll find these around in stores. Not big on online purchases but def will try if I can find some.

Can you ask your vet to consult with another vet for additional help with your cat? Ideally a vet at a different practice or even a vet school. All vets have the ability to consult with others on complex cases. This costs nothing to you. The vet hospital I use offers courtesy consults to any vet. PM me if you would like me to give you the info to pass along to your vet.

My cat eats Vital Essentials in rabbit, freeze dried version. It works for his diabetes and IBD and food allergies.
She had problems with constipation due to the bone content in the rabbit variety unfortunately but if she can make it through this I'm going to try adding pumpkin and fully going in on it. Will need to rehydrate it which she may not like though.
 
Can you ask your vet to consult with another vet for additional help with your cat? Ideally a vet at a different practice or even a vet school. All vets have the ability to consult with others on complex cases. This costs nothing to you. The vet hospital I use offers courtesy consults to any vet. PM me if you would like me to give you the info to pass along to your vet.
I think your PM's are set to followers only. Doesn't let me message you.
 
There's a way to dilute out the bone content by adding boneless meat. I'm not familiar enough with how much boneless to use to dilute properly.

I'll send you a PM.
 
Don't know that I'll find these around in stores. Not big on online purchases but def will try if I can find some.


She had problems with constipation due to the bone content in the rabbit variety unfortunately but if she can make it through this I'm going to try adding pumpkin and fully going in on it. Will need to rehydrate it which she may not like though.
What time is your vet open today? How is Pumpkin doing this morning? I am really hoping the vet can help her feel better. She's such a beautiful young kitty. :bighug::bighug:
 
What time is your vet open today? How is Pumpkin doing this morning? I am really hoping the vet can help her feel better. She's such a beautiful young kitty. :bighug::bighug:
Vet opens in 2 hours. Managed to get her to lick a churu stick and she made noises at the water bowl but I'm not sure if she drank or licked the air wanting to drink. :S
 
Vet opens in 2 hours. Managed to get her to lick a churu stick and she made noises at the water bowl but I'm not sure if she drank or licked the air wanting to drink. :S
Probably gonna feel like the longest two hours of your life! I am sure you didn't get much good sleep and I'm certain once they give her fluids, injection for nausea, and send you home with what you need (Mirataz is amazing) you'll be able to take a breath and you can both take a nice nap. Sending you alllll the positive healing vibes. Keep us posted. :bighug::cat::bighug:
 
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