Hi all. Sorry I have been "off" for a while. I'm sure you all understand, that my life was "on hold" when my kitty got sick, and as he improved at the hospital, I started getting back to trying to gain some semblance of order to my life- and the holidays are always super busy!
When I think back to where I was a week and a half ago, I feel very lucky. I truly thought I had to make that very difficult decision. He was so very weak, and my heart was breaking over and over. I am thankful that I was advised to bring him to the hospital, though I feel like we could have prevented a lot of problems, if we went there sooner. (Especially when I read about methods of treating pancreatitis.)
Seamus responded well to the treatment at the hospital, and all of the reports were that he was eating (which I could not believe) and improving. Seamus always HATED the vet- he is a kitty who they always had to "take him in the back" and put on the leather gloves for treatment, but he seemed content at the hospital, when I visited him. I am so thankful to all of them for bringing him back!
They expected him to be there for 3 days, he stayed 4- I did not want to rush him home, only to have him have to go back. While there, she gave me daily reports, which I cannot report with the detail that I have read in other posts, but I'll do my best...
bloodwork showed elevated liver enzymes, low potassium & electrolytes, trace amounts of ketones in his urine, and ultrasound showed mild pancreatitis, and something on his spleen? But otherwise, all looked well on the ultrasound. Vet was not too concerned about the spleen, as it was small, so plan is to repeat ultrasound in 1 month.
She did a culture of his urine, because of a possible UTI, but results were negative. Seamus was on fluids, cerenia, an antibiotic (not sure which,) because he was on the IV, and they started him on a fast-acting insulin. They transitioned him to glargine- 1 unit, then increased to 2 units, then back to 1, as he had very low numbers on 2, and had to skip a dose. (He is also diabetic & I'm still wondering is diabetes caused pancreatitis, or the other way around....)
On last Saturday night, vet called and said she felt he was stable, and he could go home. He was very happy to be home, and ate fairly well that first night & day. He only went under the bed (which I will now refer to as his "sick spot,") once or twice, for just a few minutes. He got diarrhea on Sunday (which he has never had, so I freaked out, and drove all the way back to hospital, to get the w/d food he had been on- I figured it was because I gave him EVO.)
Diarrhea was mild, and stopped shortly after, and he has been eating a combo of EVO and baby food. each day since he came home, he has been progressively eating more. (I did start him back on the appetite stimulant 3 times a day, as he was not eating as well as I wanted.) Some days and times, he is more ravenous than others. Vet did not think I needed to check his BG's, until his recheck on Saturday, but I'm a nervous nelly, so I did... his numbers were dropping, and I called her on Tuesday morning- he was at BG-113, and due for insulin in 1 hour... she suggested I feed him and give 1/2. (But thought he would have been ok on 1 unit- and knew I was nervous because I was leaving for work.) She suggested I take his readings, and email them to her. Said if they are below 200, only give 1/2 unit.
In addition to insulin, he is taking the appetite stimulant, and a potassium supplement (2 pills twice a day.)
I also give him L-lysine treat,as he has herpes, and usually has the snots. (I know there is sugar in these treats, but he loves them, and needs the lysine & with his appetite issues, I do not want to risk turning him off of food again, by mixing the lysine in.) He is off the cerenia, and has been since last Friday.
His recheck was yesterday. Upon examining him, vet said she is moving his prognosis from "guarded" to "fair." His hydration was good, no pain when she manipulated his abdomen, and all felt well. They took bloodwork & a urine sample, and when they brought him back into the exam room, he was really angry. He hissed at me, and swiped- which he has never done. (I though he didn't mind this place as much as his other vet, but I guess that was because he was so sick...) It destroyed me that he was so upset. Vet also wanted me to go home with fluids, so I have them if I need them. She wanted tech to show me how (I gave my other kitty fluids for a couple years, but that was 15 years ago...) Seamus was so upset that they had to get 2 girls in to give him fluids. It was awful. But, as soon as we got in the car, he was fine, so I tried to settle down. It just worries me, as he is going to need more vet visits, and I want to stress him as little as possible.
He goes back in 1 month, for a second ultrasound, to recheck the pancreas and spleen. Then plan is another regular recheck appointment 3 months from then, then every 6 months.
Vet called later in the day yesterday, with his bloodwork results. His red blood cell count was normal- 29%, very mild liver enzyme elevation (but said overall very good looking,) potassium- normal range, so she wants to continue with the potassium supplement. BG was 276, high normal of 153 (affected by stress.) No ketones in urine, but he does still have sugar in his urine. So, we are going to continue with the 1/2 unit dose of glargine. (She wants me to do a curve at home, in 2 weeks.)
Vets said the only reason she is not "jumping for joy" with his progress is that he has not gained weight. (He left the hospital at 12.5, was 12.35 yesterday, but she thought part of the mild drop was because he was on fluids in the hospital.
Ok, so- that is where I am now. Sorry this is so long, but I was off for a while, and wanted to get everything in! I am overjoyed to have my boy back, and so happy that his issues are treatable. (I was so worried about what the ultrasound results would be.) But I find myself not being able to relax still...
Once Seamus was admitted to the hospital, and they got his hydration under control, he started eating. I so badly wanted him to come home and just eat like he did before all this began. He did not. I had to help him, with encouragement & some fork feeding. He has needed less of that (AND, he has not been under the bed ina week- YAY!) his appetite was ramping up, but after vet said she wants his weight up, I got nervous.
So, I started feeding him more, Now it seems his interest in food has gone down, and he needs/wants more help. I don't know if it is because he is full with more food, annoyed at my prodding, or what. I hate this roller coaster. I wish I could just focus on the positives... he is acting normal, eating some...etc. And I we are so much better than where we were a couple of weeks ago. But that was just the worst time of my life.
Any idea of whether he will just eat normally again, and I can stop having mini panic attacks every time I feed him? My husband has been wonderful- supportive emotionally (& financially!) But, I know he wants his wife back.
I don't want to seem ungrateful, I have my boy. He is happy, and acting like Seamus. So I know I am blessed. I just want to be able to enjoy that, and breath a sigh of relief. Why can't I?
Thank you all for taking the time to read this!
Lara
When I think back to where I was a week and a half ago, I feel very lucky. I truly thought I had to make that very difficult decision. He was so very weak, and my heart was breaking over and over. I am thankful that I was advised to bring him to the hospital, though I feel like we could have prevented a lot of problems, if we went there sooner. (Especially when I read about methods of treating pancreatitis.)
Seamus responded well to the treatment at the hospital, and all of the reports were that he was eating (which I could not believe) and improving. Seamus always HATED the vet- he is a kitty who they always had to "take him in the back" and put on the leather gloves for treatment, but he seemed content at the hospital, when I visited him. I am so thankful to all of them for bringing him back!
They expected him to be there for 3 days, he stayed 4- I did not want to rush him home, only to have him have to go back. While there, she gave me daily reports, which I cannot report with the detail that I have read in other posts, but I'll do my best...
bloodwork showed elevated liver enzymes, low potassium & electrolytes, trace amounts of ketones in his urine, and ultrasound showed mild pancreatitis, and something on his spleen? But otherwise, all looked well on the ultrasound. Vet was not too concerned about the spleen, as it was small, so plan is to repeat ultrasound in 1 month.
She did a culture of his urine, because of a possible UTI, but results were negative. Seamus was on fluids, cerenia, an antibiotic (not sure which,) because he was on the IV, and they started him on a fast-acting insulin. They transitioned him to glargine- 1 unit, then increased to 2 units, then back to 1, as he had very low numbers on 2, and had to skip a dose. (He is also diabetic & I'm still wondering is diabetes caused pancreatitis, or the other way around....)
On last Saturday night, vet called and said she felt he was stable, and he could go home. He was very happy to be home, and ate fairly well that first night & day. He only went under the bed (which I will now refer to as his "sick spot,") once or twice, for just a few minutes. He got diarrhea on Sunday (which he has never had, so I freaked out, and drove all the way back to hospital, to get the w/d food he had been on- I figured it was because I gave him EVO.)
Diarrhea was mild, and stopped shortly after, and he has been eating a combo of EVO and baby food. each day since he came home, he has been progressively eating more. (I did start him back on the appetite stimulant 3 times a day, as he was not eating as well as I wanted.) Some days and times, he is more ravenous than others. Vet did not think I needed to check his BG's, until his recheck on Saturday, but I'm a nervous nelly, so I did... his numbers were dropping, and I called her on Tuesday morning- he was at BG-113, and due for insulin in 1 hour... she suggested I feed him and give 1/2. (But thought he would have been ok on 1 unit- and knew I was nervous because I was leaving for work.) She suggested I take his readings, and email them to her. Said if they are below 200, only give 1/2 unit.
In addition to insulin, he is taking the appetite stimulant, and a potassium supplement (2 pills twice a day.)
I also give him L-lysine treat,as he has herpes, and usually has the snots. (I know there is sugar in these treats, but he loves them, and needs the lysine & with his appetite issues, I do not want to risk turning him off of food again, by mixing the lysine in.) He is off the cerenia, and has been since last Friday.
His recheck was yesterday. Upon examining him, vet said she is moving his prognosis from "guarded" to "fair." His hydration was good, no pain when she manipulated his abdomen, and all felt well. They took bloodwork & a urine sample, and when they brought him back into the exam room, he was really angry. He hissed at me, and swiped- which he has never done. (I though he didn't mind this place as much as his other vet, but I guess that was because he was so sick...) It destroyed me that he was so upset. Vet also wanted me to go home with fluids, so I have them if I need them. She wanted tech to show me how (I gave my other kitty fluids for a couple years, but that was 15 years ago...) Seamus was so upset that they had to get 2 girls in to give him fluids. It was awful. But, as soon as we got in the car, he was fine, so I tried to settle down. It just worries me, as he is going to need more vet visits, and I want to stress him as little as possible.
He goes back in 1 month, for a second ultrasound, to recheck the pancreas and spleen. Then plan is another regular recheck appointment 3 months from then, then every 6 months.
Vet called later in the day yesterday, with his bloodwork results. His red blood cell count was normal- 29%, very mild liver enzyme elevation (but said overall very good looking,) potassium- normal range, so she wants to continue with the potassium supplement. BG was 276, high normal of 153 (affected by stress.) No ketones in urine, but he does still have sugar in his urine. So, we are going to continue with the 1/2 unit dose of glargine. (She wants me to do a curve at home, in 2 weeks.)
Vets said the only reason she is not "jumping for joy" with his progress is that he has not gained weight. (He left the hospital at 12.5, was 12.35 yesterday, but she thought part of the mild drop was because he was on fluids in the hospital.
Ok, so- that is where I am now. Sorry this is so long, but I was off for a while, and wanted to get everything in! I am overjoyed to have my boy back, and so happy that his issues are treatable. (I was so worried about what the ultrasound results would be.) But I find myself not being able to relax still...
Once Seamus was admitted to the hospital, and they got his hydration under control, he started eating. I so badly wanted him to come home and just eat like he did before all this began. He did not. I had to help him, with encouragement & some fork feeding. He has needed less of that (AND, he has not been under the bed ina week- YAY!) his appetite was ramping up, but after vet said she wants his weight up, I got nervous.
So, I started feeding him more, Now it seems his interest in food has gone down, and he needs/wants more help. I don't know if it is because he is full with more food, annoyed at my prodding, or what. I hate this roller coaster. I wish I could just focus on the positives... he is acting normal, eating some...etc. And I we are so much better than where we were a couple of weeks ago. But that was just the worst time of my life.
Any idea of whether he will just eat normally again, and I can stop having mini panic attacks every time I feed him? My husband has been wonderful- supportive emotionally (& financially!) But, I know he wants his wife back.
I don't want to seem ungrateful, I have my boy. He is happy, and acting like Seamus. So I know I am blessed. I just want to be able to enjoy that, and breath a sigh of relief. Why can't I?
Thank you all for taking the time to read this!
Lara
