Sam - Month 12

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Djamila,

If I were you I would go heavy on the cat nip, till Sam gets to feeling better. When Red was feeling really bad, I went to the health food store to buy things to make Liver Shake trying to get her to eat. One of the clerks said give her more cat nip at this time, it seems to help the way they feel. I did and it did help, it also helps Buddy. Red did pass away @ 16, but the cat nip did help.
 
@Teresa & Buddy -

Great point about the catnip! I had forgotten about that. When I first started more closely observing Saoirse after her Dx I noted that after meals she would go and park herself next to her catnip toy. I researched online and discovered that catnip has analgesic properties. (IIRC it targets certain opioid receptors.) Thereafter, I would hold up Saoirse's little catnip hedgehog for her to lick, especially any time she might be meatloafing a bit after a feed. She definitely enjoyed doing so and you could see the tension leaving her body after her 'nip fix. It made her much more comfortable. (((Saoirse)))

I think exchanges like this really demonstrate how valuable these types of discussions can be: We may all have little tips 'n' tricks to help our kitties but, because they've become second nature to us, we don't think to mention them.

@Djamila -

I am sooooo pleased to read that Sam is eating again for you. Isn't it such a relief! :bighug: I'm glad he's enjoying his catnip, and that's a lovely picture of him. (((Sam)))

Djamila said:
Since pancreatitis seems to go back and forth between good moments and bad ones, I'm learning to celebrate every little good moment!
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This. A thousand times this!

Fingers, paws, and everything else crossed for Sam to keep improving and feeling better.

:bighug::bighug::bighug:


Mogs
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From this article:

Also, the analgesic properties of catnip may be helpful for cats in pain. It seems that catnip in cats has similar effects to marijuana in people.
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This article on catnip safety is very interesting, too (especially the note about catnip and hyper-T kitties):

This article about research into essential oil derived another member of the Nepeta family mentions that it appears to have pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
@Teresa & Buddy - How's Buddy doing today?


Mogs
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Buddy, was really high last night @PMPS, this morning @AMPS he was really low. I could not get him up enough for me to give a shot until this afternoon, so he is without insulin, until PMPS. He does this a lot, I don't know why. His SS is not up to date. He seems to be feeling alright, but of course he is sleeping.
 
Well, I was at work all day, so I like to imagine he was just fine for the hours I was gone. ;)

Just got home and he is up and walking around, but doesn't want dinner. He had cerenia this morning. He doesn't look like he's in pain, so not sure why he doesn't want to eat. I need to move the t/f/s time a little later anyway, so I'm giving him some time and will start the bribery in a little while if he still isn't interested.

@Teresa & Buddy, how is Buddy doing?
 
@Djamila -

Good to hear from you. I hope Sam will eat for you. If you haven't tried ondansetron then that might help him, possibly in conjunction with the Cerenia as suggested by Teresa. And maybe give him his catnip toy?

Are you managing to get any rest for yourself, Djamila?

:bighug:


Mogs
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That's a great idea to get a refillable toy. And yes about the Yeoww! I don't know what they do when they grow it, but it is far and away the best catnip. Thanks for the link!
 
At this time he seems to be doing fine, but you never know. He is eating, no bowel problems. I don't like to say too much.

Djamila,

I thought that your vet gave you a script or sold you Ondansetron, or did I dream that.
How is Sam feeling.
I am going to check out the refillable toys, Mogs has really good ideas.
 
Djamila said:
And yes about the Yeoww! I don't know what they do when they grow it, but it is far and away the best catnip.
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I only ever came across one better: I used to be able to get it in Ireland. Another organic 'nip product, it went under the brand name Feline Groovy (a pun that will be appreciated by members of a certain vintage ... :rolleyes:). It was powerful stuff!


Mogs
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I have the vet appointment on Monday. So no ondansetron yet. Sam did end up eating tonight all on his own. Just not with a lot of enthusiasm. I'm going to bump up his CBD dose a bit more tonight as I've been reading that can help with appetite too.

Also, the feliway arrived and it says that it's odorless, but I can definitely smell it and it's kind of icky, so I think that's going back. :confused:
 
Djamila said:
I have the vet appointment on Monday. So no ondansetron yet. Sam did end up eating tonight all on his own. Just not with a lot of enthusiasm. I'm going to bump up his CBD dose a bit more tonight as I've been reading that can help with appetite too.
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(((Djamila))) I wanted to check in on you and Sam and I see he's still a little off. I hope you have success with the new vet and sending you lots of vetty vines. vibes.gif

I always limited the cat nip but I think I'll let Ming have it more often...he loves it. Going to order some refillable toys on line now.

Djamila said:
Also, the feliway arrived and it says that it's odorless, but I can definitely smell it and it's kind of icky, so I think that's going back. :confused:
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I had brought Feliaway back into the mix when I brought Buddy into the house to ease the new cat tensionso_O. I continued to keep the plug ins up until a week or so ago. I had one diffuser upstairs and one downstairs. Ming recently started to "cough" again and I reached out to the IM vet via email to let her know. I knew that a steroid shot was out of the question. My regular vet felt it was ok to give a couple of times a year if needed. IM vet and what I learned here that is to be avoided at all costs so that Ming doesn't get to join the FD club:stop:. So IM vet said if it continues bring him in for radiogragh of lungs and possible script for Flovent. I have since bought the AeroKat chamber in preparation and to get Ming used to it in the event he some day needs it. When Beenie had suspect asthma I purchased a big Honeywell air purifier and did away with all smelly candles and incense (DH likes his incense:p) so we were good in that department. So then I asked the IM vet about the Feliaway diffusers....it does after all emit a "substance" into the air. She responded back that she always questioned it since it is an oily substance that she has not used it in her own home for that very reason. I chucked both diffusers and so far Ming has not been showing any signs of coughing other than the three separate occasions within about an 8 day span. In the recent past when this occasional cough would start it would just continue to get worse until I brought him in and he got the Depo Medrol injection.
So crazy if Feliaway is really not good to breath in especially for the kitties with breathing issues /asthma. Oh and probably not good for us Beans to breath in either:blackeye:

Please give Sam lots O chin scritches:cat:
:bighug:
 
Thanks, Michelle! Since Sam does have occasional asthma, I think that seals the decision on the Feliway. As with anything, it's probably fine for some cats and not so fine for others. In this case, also not so fine for the bean since for whatever weird reason I can smell it.

Sam's symptoms seem to be improving - he is eating again today and his posture is continuing to relax. I'm hoping his BG will come down soon as he hasn't been responding to the insulin well the past few days despite little increases. And he's still not interested in playing or socializing. He did wash his face after eating though, so he's starting to groom again. Sweet Atticus does much of his grooming for him when he's sick.

He's due for a B12 shot this weekend, but I really hate doing them. The needle is huge. It doesn't seem to bother Sam really, but it sure scares me! :eek:
 
Glad to hear that Sam's improving (anti-jinx!). Isn't Atticus a little dear for looking after him! :)

Know what you mean about the B12 syringe needles. Our vet gave me a prefilled syringe to give to Saoirse at home but I completely bottled it and got him to do a house call instead. :oops:


Mogs
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Lol....glad I'm not the only one! The first shot I gave him was a complete miss - the needle went right through his skin. Of course I didn't notice until I squirted red liquid all over the place. :rolleyes:
 
I felt resistance from the needle and couldn't bring myself to exert enough pressure to go through the skin. Was absolutely petrified of accidentally hurting my beloved girl. (((Saoirse)))

With 20/20 hindsight I should have asked the vet to give me a second empty syringe so that I could practice on an orange before trying to administer the B12 to Saoirse.


Mogs
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Well, my sugar cat is off his food today. I've tested for ketones and he's clear, so at least there's that. He did "help" me a bit today while I was making my lunches and a couple of dinners for the week, so he ate a decent helping of raw steak (how's that for a spoiled kitty?), and a few chunks of raw chicken. Not exactly a complete, nutritionally balanced meal, but better than nothing. And food aside, it's nice to see him up and getting into things instead of just curled up on the bed.

He even spent some time this afternoon trying to play with Atticus. Atticus was apparently not in the mood to play :nailbiting::eek::smuggrin::rolleyes: A few minutes after this photo they were curled up on the sofa together purring away. Ah kitties.

upload_2018-1-14_16-32-26.jpeg

Looking forward to the vet visit in the morning, although I do worry about adding stress to him right now. I have a feeling the outcome will be to keep doing what we're doing, but I'll feel better for having checked.
 
Raw steak? Talk about 5 star service!

Hoping for positive outcomes tomorrow at the vet. I know I become a bit of a mess when Gracie is sick, or not herself. I can only imagine what others go through.
I'm rooting for you Sam!!!
 
Good luck at the vet visit today, Djamila. You've said this is a new vet but I can't recall your reason for switching.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Good luck at the vet visit today, Djamila. You've said this is a new vet but I can't recall your reason for switching.
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I just want a second opinion. My vet is very sweet, but doesn't seem to know a lot about any of this. For example, he didn't know pain meds were needed with pancreatitis. It wasn't that long ago that Sam was in blues and greens every day on a low dose. These high numbers/dose are most likely just from the p. but my vet just shrugs at the change. I want to make sure there isn't something else.
 
Djamila said:
I just want a second opinion. My vet is very sweet, but doesn't seem to know a lot about any of this. For example, he didn't know pain meds were needed with pancreatitis. It wasn't that long ago that Sam was in blues and greens every day on a low dose. These high numbers/dose are most likely just from the p. but my vet just shrugs at the change. I want to make sure there isn't something else.
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Wise decision. Vets can differ widely in their level of knowledge. I've said before that my vet is actually very good and has an interest in FD but still recommended feeding only twice a day and using curves to assess dose. I stuck with the curve approach far too long because I trust her. However, she now knows I make all my own FD treatment decisions, including insulin changes and she's OK with that. Very willing to work collaboratively.

How did you decide on which vet to see for a second opinion - advance phone calls to assess FD experience?
 
Yes - advance conversation, and recommendation from a friend of mine who fosters cats. We didn't talk a ton ahead of time, but her first questions were if I was home testing and when his last dental was, so she at least knows that much.
 
Glad to hear that Sam's energy levels are picking up, Djamila, but sorry to hear his appetite's iffy.

That is an a-mazing photo you posted above!

Hope you have a productive consult with the new vetty bean.


Mogs
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Vets are much like doctors. Each one has their own opinion. Some are more knowledgeable than others too.

Did you ask about something for the pain with your "old-normal" vet?

Please keep us updated.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Wise decision. Vets can differ widely in their level of knowledge. I've said before that my vet is actually very good and has an interest in FD but still recommended feeding only twice a day and using curves to assess dose. I stuck with the curve approach far too long because I trust her. However, she now knows I make all my own FD treatment decisions, including insulin changes and she's OK with that. Very willing to work collaboratively.

How did you decide on which vet to see for a second opinion - advance phone calls to assess FD experience?
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When I started Gracie on insulin her normal vet was on vacation. She started 2u BID. I didn't know that wasn't the normal "starting dose. I just assumed she knew what she was taking about. The vet appeared very uneasy and unsure. I didn't think much about it until later on when I saw the crazy numbers.

Just recently I did some crazy FB- Google-Board of Veterinary medicine FBI work. Found out she was a new grad. Sadly, I shouldn't have let that interfere with my opinion of her, but it did. I just felt like she wasn't well-versed in diabetes.

And come to think of it when I'm looking for a new doctor or specialist for myself I also do "FBI" work.

Kris- Does she know you home test too?
 
Well, the vet visit was kind of a bust. Very nice, and supportive of home care, but not really all that much more knowledgeable than my current vet. Plus she told me to increase to 4u. Sigh. I know they can only make one unit dosing recommendations, but that's just plain dangerous. She did give me a recommendation for an ultrasound with a board certified sonographer and suggested a possible round of antibiotics depending on the outcome of the ultrasound.

Also gave me a recommendation for a vet dentist and I just called. They are scheduling 6 months out, and they have an initial exam of $150 +1300-1500 (!!!) for the cleaning. That doesn't include any possible extractions.

My biggest concern is that Sam has gained a full pound since October. That is concerning first because he shouldn't be gaining weight, and second because he's eating so little with the pancreatitis that I am wondering how he is gaining weight at all. Mystery upon mystery, it seems.
 
Teenuh said:
Kris- Does she know you home test too?
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Yes, she does. When my guy was diagnosed the first things I was told were about the need for low carb wet food only and the need to learn to home test to do curves at home. Once I saw that I'd have to be a lot more hands on with his treatment I told my vet I'd be doing things the FDMB way and she was fine with it. Many months later when I went back to Lantus and later on Levemir, I told her after the fact. We can buy those over the counter here in Canada.
 
Djamila said:
Well, the vet visit was kind of a bust. Very nice, and supportive of home care, but not really all that much more knowledgeable than my current vet. Plus she told me to increase to 4u. Sigh. I know they can only make one unit dosing recommendations, but that's just plain dangerous. She did give me a recommendation for an ultrasound with a board certified sonographer and suggested a possible round of antibiotics depending on the outcome of the ultrasound.

Also gave me a recommendation for a vet dentist and I just called. They are scheduling 6 months out, and they have an initial exam of $150 +1300-1500 (!!!) for the cleaning. That doesn't include any possible extractions.

My biggest concern is that Sam has gained a full pound since October. That is concerning first because he shouldn't be gaining weight, and second because he's eating so little with the pancreatitis that I am wondering how he is gaining weight at all. Mystery upon mystery, it seems.
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I'm sorry you aren't much further ahead, Djamila. :(
 
So disappointing.
What did you say when she recommended 4u? I have a pretty bad poker face-unless I'm at work. I likely would have reacted a bit harsh.

Dental stuff is sooooooooo expensive for pets. I haven't had any work done on Gracie. A large part is due to cost. If she was in pain, or something was wrong I'd try my best to find a way to make it happen. I get it is important, but why must it be so expensive. It makes taking care of our cats so hard to do at times.

How are you holding up?
 
I definitely failed at the poker face. I think I laughed. I promised her I would increase (since I'm supposed to be doing that anyway), but maybe a little slower than that. o_O

And vet expenses are crazy $$$. I think I'll stick with my local vet for the dental care - still expensive, but not that bad. I went ahead and took the June appointment just in case though.

I'm doing okay. I was hoping for something a little more promising, but I think this is just how it's going to be for now. I'll keep researching and trying things - and of course do the ultrasound to make sure everything else is okay - but from everything I've been learning, there isn't a magic wand that makes pancreatitis go away.

Mogs - yes, his activity has been lower since he's been sick much of the time, but since his calorie intake has been too, a full pound in three months seems like a lot to gain. I'm also not sure what to do about it since I don't really want to restrict his calories more than hes already doing on his own, and it's been hard to get him to play very much since he doesn't feel well. I'm trying not to let myself think that there is a tumor growing in there causing the weight gain - because of course my mind goes to the worst possible option. :rolleyes: Plus, the vet did a pretty thorough physical exam and I would imagine a one pound tumor would be big enough that she would have noticed it. So enough crazy for one morning! :stop:
 
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