Sparks update 11/27

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Care4Sparks

Care4Sparks

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It was a rough day here.
Sparks was constipated and straining. He puked up his midnight snack and his 3am. Sometime between 4-7am he pooped two small marbles in the hallway and downstairs bath.
We let him rest in during the am, skipping his usual dose until the family visitors all left.
Around 12:30pm he measured BG 258, and was eating leftovers from the other cat's plate.
He was given another 1/2 can FF, a spoon of pumpkin and 1/2 B12, along with 2.75u insulin.
Poor guy puked about 20 mins later. I was worried and monitored him visually/audio today (was alone and unable to get a BG reading).

Now, he's gotten a 1/4can food down at 3:30, 5pm and 7pm, along w/1.5oz Lactulose and extra water each time. I will be testing him again soon, now that Eric is back and can help. I'm leaning on the side of skipping his dose tonight and really hoping for more poop and non-vomiting...

I guess part of the constipation and pooping outside the box is due to neuropathy and partly diabetes, but he never had this when he was on a dry diet. Last time this happened and we had to bring him to the vet for an ennema series they monitored his BG (he'd gotten 4u insulin and then puked), but there it never dipped below 350.

Anyways, a rough day but all-in-all he seems ok. I got him to swing at a toy which he hadn't been interested in doing since pre-diagnosis.

I should experiment with the 'burrito' technique and see if I can get readings on my own. It makes me extra nervous to not be able to test him, which makes him nervous.
 
Practice the burrito thing while you have backup, but just ask Eric to watch unless you need help. Help is there just in case, but you'll find out if it works for you or not.

Constipation is a concern for sure. Can't having him puking every time he tries and losing his food, especially after insulin.
You're already trying pumpkin, which is supposed to help, along with adding water to his food.
You may have already seen this page, but here's a link to info about kitty constipation.
http://www.cat-world.com.au/constipation-in-cats

If it continues or becomes a chronic problem, don't hesitate to seek out a vet's advice and treatment.

Carl
 
Thanks Carl!

So far, the vet prescribed Lactulose (stool softener) and said start at 1ml 2x day and increase as needed (we're up to ~1.5-2ml at a time). No min/max was prescribed. She administered 3 ennmas on Nov 11th. She has offered that we can always bring him back for more ennemas, but did not mention use of x-ray. I will call them and ask about it.

What other constipation aids are people using? Is this abnormal or is this just a part of his life with diabetes. I am now wondering about this 'megacolon' condition and whether he may be starting to experience it.
 
When I switched Bob to all canned food his stool began to get smaller and harder. But he never went through constipation like that, and I don't think he ever vomits. At least I have not seen it happen once since May when he was diagnosed. When he used to eat dry, he would drink water from the bowel. Now he hardly ever touches it. Occasionally I will add water to his food, but not much and not often.
Is Sparks prone to hair balls too?
Here is another site I found, from doing a board search for "constipation" - apparently it happens more than I thought because there were pages and pages of "hits" when you search for that word!

http://felineconstipation.org/introduction.html

There are lots of suggestions for treating it there.

Carl
 
Sorry Sparks is having a hard (not a pun, Sparks - sorry) time. Hopefully now the guests are gone, things and Sparks will settle down.

It's that ECID thing. Some get constipated with a diet change, some get diarrhea, some make the change with no problems at all. Adding water to the food and continuing with the medical help should get him over the hump, but if not, an enema from the vet is a good idea. Some hairball medicine (in case it is also a hairball) is also a good idea.

I liked the burrito when I was by myself. Have you found a treat he likes that you are giving consistently each time he gets a poke?

The best news is that you are getting some great numbers, even with the inconsistent insulin shots. When everything is back on track, you should be able to start moving him into some more blues and greens.
 
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