Sam - Year 2, Month 1

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Djamila

Djamila

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Well, here we are finishing up the first month of the second year since Sam's second diagnosis with Feline Diabetes. :p

Or to make it simple: Month 13.

It appears that the pancreatitis will be a chronic condition, and not just something that disappears. I loathe it. Diabetes is bad, but pancreatitis has taken more of a toll on my heart. We are about two weeks from the last flare and I think this is the longest stretch we've had without one, so I am thankful every single day right now.

Sam has stopped eating canned food and is on a combination of commercial raw and homemade raw. As the homemade raw is making up a bigger portion of his meals, his energy level the past few days has been crazy. He wants to play constantly and has taken to lying in wait and then jumping out and attacking my feet. So I'm now carefully wearing fuzzy socks around the house to spare my poor little toes from anymore blood shed! :eek::smuggrin:

His dose is much higher than I would like, but a kitty needs what he needs, and his pancreas doesn't really care what my opinion is of the dose. :rolleyes:

Spring is beginning up here in the northwest with the cherry blossoms blooming and the grass beginning to grow again. I'm thinking I should do a little flea treatment on Sam and Atticus, but with Sam feeling good right now, I hate to rock the boat in any way. Of course when he isn't feeling good I don't want to do it then either. I guess there's no perfect time to put an insecticide on our babies:confused:

Hugs to all the beans, and healing vines to all the kitties! As always, thankful for each one of you in our little Prozinc community over here! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I will have to research a raw food diet for cats - been meaning to whether I act on it on not. Interesting to learn these things!
I honestly hate putting the poison on my cat. I used it a couple months in the fall of last year but I go without until one appears. I have been lucky in the last 2 summers & they must not like my yard. I worry more that a diseased mosquito will bite her! I do think she feels lousy when I put the flea squirt I call it, in her. But what can a girl do!?! Nice to be informed of your Sams journey, I feel like I know you both better!
I’ll say a healing prayer for the stupid pancreatitis to go away & never return!
How do you know if it’s a flare? The loss of appetite, vomiting, is the poo different? Baby’s is stinkier & light in color. Does he sit like a meatloaf. This is what Baby acted like with hers & I’m sure you’ve tried everything! I feel for you. If they hurt, so do we!
 
Becky & Baby Girl Kitty said:
I will have to research a raw food diet for cats - been meaning to whether I act on it on not. Interesting to learn these things!
I honestly hate putting the poison on my cat. I used it a couple months in the fall of last year but I go without until one appears. I have been lucky in the last 2 summers & they must not like my yard. I worry more that a diseased mosquito will bite her! I do think she feels lousy when I put the flea squirt I call it, in her. But what can a girl do!?! Nice to be informed of your Sams journey, I feel like I know you both better!
I’ll say a healing prayer for the stupid pancreatitis to go away & never return!
How do you know if it’s a flare? The loss of appetite, vomiting, is the poo different? Baby’s is stinkier & light in color. Does he sit like a meatloaf. This is what Baby acted like with hers & I’m sure you’ve tried everything! I feel for you. If they hurt, so do we!
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It's a gift that these cat whisperers have. :D Its like they just know. I'm jealous too.
 
Becky & Baby Girl Kitty said:
I will have to research a raw food diet for cats - been meaning to whether I act on it on not. Interesting to learn these things!
I honestly hate putting the poison on my cat. I used it a couple months in the fall of last year but I go without until one appears. I have been lucky in the last 2 summers & they must not like my yard. I worry more that a diseased mosquito will bite her! I do think she feels lousy when I put the flea squirt I call it, in her. But what can a girl do!?! Nice to be informed of your Sams journey, I feel like I know you both better!
I’ll say a healing prayer for the stupid pancreatitis to go away & never return!
How do you know if it’s a flare? The loss of appetite, vomiting, is the poo different? Baby’s is stinkier & light in color. Does he sit like a meatloaf. This is what Baby acted like with hers & I’m sure you’ve tried everything! I feel for you. If they hurt, so do we!
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http://www.foodfurlife.com/ sells a mix that you just add to raw meat and it's done. Super easy. There is also a recipe on catinfo.org if you want to make it completely from scartch. I'm too lazy for that, but @Rachel does it for her kitties.

The easiest way I know Sam is having a flare is that his numbers go up and his response to the insulin goes down. The less obvious signs: he gets lethargic, snuggly (he doesn't normally snuggle), sits in funny positions, won't jump up on things, and hesitates to jump down, and his appetite drops. Thankfully he doesn't vomit (at least not yet), and so far he's been willing to eat, although it takes a fair amount of patience and encouragement. The worst part is just looking at him and knowing he's in pain. Seeing the fragile look on his face and how carefully he moves to try to avoid hurting. That's the part that just breaks my heart.

Although I like @Teenuh's answer that it's just because I'm a cat whisperer ;):cat::smuggrin: That's a lot more fun than my list of sad symptoms!
 
Happy Saturday, everyone!

Sam is having a bit of the pancreatitis again, so his numbers and dose are on the rise. This round isn't quite as bad as the last one - he's still getting into some mischief in the middle of the night, and eating an acceptable amount, though not great. We made it almost two weeks between rounds this time, so that was a nice little break for us both. He willingly let me give him some bupe this morning which is always a sign that he isn't feeling great. It brought his numbers down quite a bit this morning, so hooray for pain management!

Atticus is on a forced exercise regimen these days since he continues to look a little more like Jabba the Hutt every day. I don't understand how a raw-fed kitty can be this chubby! Well, I do understand since he is so incredibly lazy....hence the forced exercise. Several times each day, I take him out into the U-shaped hallway of the condo building, carry him to the far end, and make him run back home. :p He does seem to be making some progress though and even brought me a toy this morning. His version of fetch is that I throw the toy, he runs after it....and then lays on top of it. Ferocious hunter that he is. :rolleyes: I'm not seeing any change in weight just yet, but it's good to see him at least make some attempt at movement.

I hope you and all of your kitties are doing well this morning!
 
A
Djamila said:
http://www.foodfurlife.com/ sells a mix that you just add to raw meat and it's done. Super easy. There is also a recipe on catinfo.org if you want to make it completely from scartch. I'm too lazy for that, but @Rachel does it for her kitties.

The easiest way I know Sam is having a flare is that his numbers go up and his response to the insulin goes down.

Although I like @Teenuh's answer that it's just because I'm a cat whisperer ;):cat::smuggrin: That's a lot more fun than my list of sad symptoms![/QUOTE
So is bupe the only thing we can do at home for them? Cerenia? I know sub fluids if it’s acute., right? Thank the dear lord for painkillers! Baby hasn’t acted like she’s needed any since the first round with her diagnosis. Thank you for info & I hate that stuff too! Darn ole pancreatitis
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Oh that forced exercise routine is hilarious! I'd love to see a picture of that.

Sorry to hear Sam isn't feeling well again. Darn pancreatitis! I wish we could just get rid of it for you. Sending tons of healing vines his way. I hope this flare settles soon!
 
@Becky & Baby Girl Kitty - I give bupe and cerenia. I was giving cerenia every day even in between flares, but he started fighting really hard on the pills, so I stopped in between the last two. It didn't seem to make a difference, so I'll probably keep doing the start/stop approach on that to give him a break from being pilled. Bupe is the most common pain med for p-titis, although more and more folks have using CBD. I'm having mixed feelings about it. I do think it helps, but not as much as the bupe, so I've been using bupe on the worst days and CBD on the days towards the end of the flare when he isn't as bad. Fluids aren't just for acute - they are recommended if the kitty is having trouble eating b/c they also get dehydrated. He's had fluids at the vet, but I haven't tried them at home yet.

And @Teenuh and @Becky & Baby Girl Kitty - we can start a little kitty fitness club! They can all be workout buddies. Here is my chubby buddy resting from his strenuous run today ;)

upload_2018-3-17_18-14-37.jpeg
 
SO ADORABLE! I just want to squish both of those faces! Atty looks exhausted :p. And sweet Sam looks...well a bit stoned perhaps.
 
:bighug::bighug:Oh Djamila I’m sorry to hear that Sam continues to have these flare ups. I know it so hard to see them so uncomfortable. Sending tons of healing vines. Sam really does like Prozinc better, his SS is looking good :cool:

Atty is too much:p The run down the hallway was clearly too much for the chunky monkey:woot:
Never too many pics. I love seeing pics of all the FD fur babies in action..or in Atty’s case an after the action shot.

Glad Spring has found up in the northwest...can ya send some spring weather to the northeast:rolleyes:
Had enough of the cold and the nor’easters:stop:

Scritches to the boys from me:cat:
 
Michelle! So good to see you! Yes, Sam does so much better on prozinc. I know that's weird, but hey, no reasoning with a kitty's pancreas! It wants what it wants. I hope all is well with you, DH, and the fur babies! You have been getting hit hard with the storms this year, haven't you? Hopefully the house-bound evenings are cozy and not too cabin-fever-y!
 
Djamila said:
@Becky & Baby Girl Kitty - I give bupe and cerenia. I was giving cerenia every day even in between flares, but he started fighting really hard on the pills, so I stopped in between the last two. It didn't seem to make a difference, so I'll probably keep doing the start/stop approach on that to give him a break from being pilled. Bupe is the most common pain med for p-titis, although more and more folks have using CBD. I'm having mixed feelings about it. I do think it helps, but not as much as the bupe, so I've been using bupe on the worst days and CBD on the days towards the end of the flare when he isn't as bad. Fluids aren't just for acute - they are recommended if the kitty is having trouble eating b/c they also get dehydrated. He's had fluids at the vet, but I haven't tried them at home yet.

And @Teenuh and @Becky & Baby Girl Kitty - we can start a little kitty fitness club! They can all be workout buddies. Here is my chubby buddy resting from his strenuous run today ;)

View attachment 34815
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Gimme your kitties! I'm in love...sorry Gracie.
 
Teenuh said:
I really want to switch her to the contraband food Hills Perfect Weight. I won't . . . but so tempting. Carbs are far to high. 32g.
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The fancy pet food store by my house says that weight-control foods are the worst - full of crap ingredients to make them feel full - they always say if you want your kitty to lose weight raw is the way to go. I keep thinking since that clearly isn't working for Atty (though it definitely worked on Sam!) that there must be something else with Atty, but I've already had his thyroid checked and full blood panels and everything comes back totally normal. Which leaves us with activity level for now.

@srk4cats - there are natural flea treatments, but not enough evidence that they are safe for cats for me to feel comfortable trying any that I've found so far. They seem safe for dogs, but not everything that is safe for dogs is okay for cats. Mine have never had fleas either, but b/c of the potential to catch them from one of the dogs in the building, and the complications they can cause, I try to treat them in the spring and summer. Yucky.
 
Weight? Acid? ...Why does Baby still eat & drink like a wild woman? I thought she was a little controlled anyway? I’m almost thinking her belly hurts if it doesn’t have food in it?!? Hate the pilling too! But I wonder if it’s heartburn & needs the Pepcid or cerenia? I can see a vet visit in our future. She vomited water last night (a lot) because I guess I didn’t put out enough food?!?
 
That sounds like an acid tummy to me. Do you have a timed feeder you can use during the night so she can have snacks? Take her usual amount of food, and divide it up so she gets it portioned out throughout the night to keep her tummy happier. And also the Pepcid. Usually the cerenia is indicated more when they are resistant to eating.
 
Yes that’s kinda what I do with the advantage flea squirt. Or watch & wait. I’ve lived a few places with Baby but luckily not had fleas. Knock on wood! I do it more as a preventative but don’t like anything that’s potentially dangerous! Cringe! I’ve never heard of a natural product that actually works either. My grandkids have an all natural spray for mosquitos but it doesn’t help much!
 
I freeze her food before bed. Some nights I guess it’s not enough for her! She eats like 5 times a day! Geez!! Lol little heffer
Maybe I need one!
 
@Djamila what kind of meats do you add to these mixes? Do you grind it in a food processor? I may try this! Deboned chicken, ground round? She’ll be eatting better than me! Living alone I eat more freezer meals than anything. Cook a couple times a week.... maybe.
 
Djamila said:
The fancy pet food store by my house says that weight-control foods are the worst - full of crap ingredients to make them feel full - they always say if you want your kitty to lose weight raw is the way to go. I keep thinking since that clearly isn't working for Atty (though it definitely worked on Sam!) that there must be something else with Atty, but I've already had his thyroid checked and full blood panels and everything comes back totally normal. Which leaves us with activity level for now.

@srk4cats - there are natural flea treatments, but not enough evidence that they are safe for cats for me to feel comfortable trying any that I've found so far. They seem safe for dogs, but not everything that is safe for dogs is okay for cats. Mine have never had fleas either, but b/c of the potential to catch them from one of the dogs in the building, and the complications they can cause, I try to treat them in the spring and summer. Yucky.
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My other feline was allergic to fleas . I'm a little crazy when it comes to fleas. I'd rather medicate Gracie and be safe. It just makes her extra sleepy and slugish for the first 24hrs post.

I mean tn regards to weight control food--that doesn't surprise me. It just annoys me. I just ordered big bag of FFL. She likes it, but she likes steak. I'm going to have to work on another.

I forgot to update you guys. Gracie was checked for pancreatitis. Vet said she doesn't have, but said the obvious--just because she doesn't have it today doesn't mean she won't in the future. They checked her thyroid too and that checked out okay too.

Sorry @Djamila I didn't mean to clog up your thread with my stuff.
 
Yes sorry to take over! @Teenuh - I don’t blame you on fleas! I’m a bit fanatic too! What’s the FFL btw? I’m glad she’s ok for pancreas & thyroid. That’s a relief, I’d like to take Baby all the time for tests because I just worry so much! She;as all cats; hide their pain. Gracie is a pretty girl! My bedroom looks like a bomb went off right now! Need to get busy!
 
Becky & Baby Girl Kitty said:
@Djamila what kind of meats do you add to these mixes? Do you grind it in a food processor? I may try this! Deboned chicken, ground round? She’ll be eatting better than me! Living alone I eat more freezer meals than anything. Cook a couple times a week.... maybe.
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This sounds like me! My kitties definitely eat better than I do! Chicken, Turkey, and Pork are the most common proteins to use. You can also use lamb, venison, or rabbit although at least around here those are pretty pricey. Sam looooooves beef, but apparently they shouldn't have that too often, so while I do feed it to him, I'm trying to give him more poultry. I just pulse it in the food processor until it's tiny pieces, but not fully baby food texture. I have had to play with the texture a bit to figure out what he likes. He seems to prefer the turkey in bite sized pieces instead of food processed. You can also get a meat grinder, but it was just one more expense so I've passed on that for now. Since I don't need to grind bones, the food processor is working fine.

@Teenuh - don't worry about chatting on my thread! Any topic is welcome!
 
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