Susie, 9/21, 270 AMPS, 213 @+2, 186 @+3

Summer and Susie (GA)

Summer and Susie (GA)

Member Since 2020
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/9-20-susie-268-amps.253220/#post-2856256

I went to bed feeling a little better about Susie's appetite situation. She seems to eat all her AMPS and PMPS food, nibbles a little on the mid morning and mid pm meal and does not eat her lunch or late night snack. I have some questions for this group but need to run to get a blood test. Will follow-up later.

Great Party last night. The full moon was beautiful and the food, dancing and music were fun. Thanks!
 
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I still have a concern and questions about her appetite. Is it normal that her appetite is waning? Her numbers are mostly not low. Do I need to try the Mirataz on her ear? What if this is nausea? She doesn't throw up, has no diarrhea or gas but she acts like she is not feeling well and she tried to bury one of her food bowls the other day. I have heard it is not good to give an appetite stimulant to a nauseous cat. This is strange and I am worried. I have Cerenia for nausea but will have to try to get it in her without stuffing it down her throat because she is back to the occasional swallowing again. Does anyone ever grind it up and mix with water and syringe it? I know I can always take her to the vet but I spent a lot of money yesterday on Kali. I have the Mirataz and Cerenia. Might as well try one of them first. Any advice or suggestions other than the vet right now?
 
Is she maintaining her weight? Seems good she eats her main meals. Maybe decrease the size of the preshot meals so she feels like eating more at her other mealtimes.
 
Morning Summer the cerenia is really really bitter. Don't mix it with water.
I used to give it to Tyler's brother Perry and if I didn't get it down his throat all the way and it started to melt he would start to foam at the mouth. Maybe you can put it in a pill pocket. I hope someone comes along with some suggestions. I hope she slides down today :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
Is she maintaining her weight? Seems good she eats her main meals. Maybe decrease the size of the preshot meals so she feels like eating more at her other mealtimes.
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I have a problem with my baby scale but if it is correct she has put some weight on since 8/31. She was 13.28 lbs. and is now 13.80 lbs. I don't know if these scales are correct. I would have sworn she had lost more weight.

Plus, she is hiding more. Doesn't come out to be social as much as she used to.

I just went ahead and made a vet appt. for her Thursday morning at 9:30. I can't keep putting this off. Something is wrong. Thanks, Gina.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Morning Summer the cerenia is really really bitter. Don't mix it with water.
I used to give it to Tyler's brother Perry and if I didn't get it down his throat all the way and it started to melt he would start to foam at the mouth. Maybe you can put it in a pill pocket. I hope someone comes along with some suggestions. I hope she slides down today :bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Thanks for the warning, Diane. I went ahead and made a vet appt. Thursday morning. Will have full labs/urinalysis and see about a shot for nausea.
 
Mandy & Rex said:
It looks like Susie is already coming down.

If you suspect nausea, you can go ahead and give Cerenia. It wouldn't hurt anything. You could wrap it in cheese if she likes that.
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She doesn't eat anything but cat food and treats. I have tried everything. Cheese, steak, bacon. She just has no desire for it. She has always had a swallowing issue so I never want to give pills. Will see about a nausea shot when she is at the vet.
 
If any of these symptoms sound familiar to anyone, and you think I should request a specific blood test, please let me know. I don't know if I will be able to afford it but I would appreciate it if anyone has had this same experience with their cat and what they found.
 
Hi Summer,
You may have already tried pill pockets? They work for Tina, but I have good luck making small meatball pill pockets for her - I use a tasty pate food she doesn't get regularly (other cat's food), have it cold so it rolls into a ball, and stick a pill in it. She thinks it is a present. I wonder if MC might work? Or Susie may be too darned "pill smart"!
I hope you get any health issues sorted out by your vet. I am curious about her liver, since she had higher values in the past. We want you feeling well Susie! I don't know of any extra tests, other than a full senior blood panel. Maybe someone else can think of something.
 
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I have found my baby scale to be totally accurate. I get the same readings as my vet. If she’s not losing weight perhaps she just isn’t as hungry. When were her last labs? I’d get a complete panel with a urinalysis as that helps check the kidneys. Make sure it includes the thyroid.
 
Tina Marie and Jan said:
Hi Summer,
You may have already tried pill pockets? They work for Tina, but I have good luck making small meatball pill pockets for her - I use a tasty pate food she doesn't get regularly (other cat's food), have it cold so it rolls into a ball, and stick a pill in it. She thinks it is a present. I wonder if MC might work? Or Susie may be too darned "pill smart"!
I hope you get any health issues sorted out by your vet. I am curious about her liver, since she had higher values in the past. We want you feeling well Susie! I don't know of any extra tests, other than a full senior blood panel. Maybe someone else can think of something.
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I just tried a little (1/2 tsp) m/c with 1/4 a cerenia pill. She was interested so I put a Temptation treat on top. She was interested. Ate the Temptation and a little of the food and left the cerenia. I haven't tried cat pill pockets but bet they won't work. I'm hoping the vet can give some kind of anti-nausea injection on Thursday that will last a while. Unfortunately, Susie had a BG reading of 200 at +6 so the Temptation and the little bit of m/c is just going to raise it.

By the way, her last blood test showed her liver enzymes were much, much better. I think it is the milk thistle. I wonder about that now. Maybe it is getting to old. It has a long shelf life if kept in a cool, dry location but my kitchen is always hot in the summer.
 
tiffmaxee said:
I have found my baby scale to be totally accurate. I get the same readings as my vet. If she’s not losing weight perhaps she just isn’t as hungry. When were her last labs? I’d get a complete panel with a urinalysis as that helps check the kidneys. Make sure it includes the thyroid.
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She just had the complete blood work and urinalysis in July. Everything was pretty good but the urinalysis results. Any experience with Proteinurea, Elise? I have been wondering if that might be the problem.
 
Summer and Susie said:
I still have a concern and questions about her appetite. Is it normal that her appetite is waning? Her numbers are mostly not low. Do I need to try the Mirataz on her ear? What if this is nausea? She doesn't throw up, has no diarrhea or gas but she acts like she is not feeling well and she tried to bury one of her food bowls the other day. I have heard it is not good to give an appetite stimulant to a nauseous cat. This is strange and I am worried. I have Cerenia for nausea but will have to try to get it in her without stuffing it down her throat because she is back to the occasional swallowing again. Does anyone ever grind it up and mix with water and syringe it? I know I can always take her to the vet but I spent a lot of money yesterday on Kali. I have the Mirataz and Cerenia. Might as well try one of them first. Any advice or suggestions other than the vet right now?
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What do you mean by occasional swallowing? Like something is in her throat and she swallows kind of hard even though she hasn't eaten anything recently?
 
Summer and Susie said:
She just had the complete blood work and urinalysis in July. Everything was pretty good but the urinalysis results. Any experience with Proteinurea, Elise? I have been wondering if that might be the problem.
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No reason for more labs in my opinion. Max had proteinura that came and went. Susie’s seems to be a constant. There’s an add on test to better see if it means anything but looks like it was never done. It is worth getting the next time she has a urinalysis if it’s there. It can be a sign of kidney disease. With Max it happened long before ckd but was not constant. There are treatments for it.
 
Summer and Susie said:
I just tried a little (1/2 tsp) m/c with 1/4 a cerenia pill. She was interested so I put a Temptation treat on top. She was interested. Ate the Temptation and a little of the food and left the cerenia. I haven't tried cat pill pockets but bet they won't work. I'm hoping the vet can give some kind of anti-nausea injection on Thursday that will last a while. Unfortunately, Susie had a BG reading of 200 at +6 so the Temptation and the little bit of m/c is just going to raise it.

By the way, her last blood test showed her liver enzymes were much, much better. I think it is the milk thistle. I wonder about that now. Maybe it is getting to old. It has a long shelf life if kept in a cool, dry location but my kitchen is always hot in the summer.
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Pill pockets usually work great Summer although the carbs are a little high. I use them for Dolly because there is no way I can pill her. Sometimes if the pill is small enough I use half or less of the pocket but you can’t mess with them too much, they will fall apart. I just quickly roll part of the pocket into a ball with the pill inside. I think they are very tasty :p Good luck.
 
I found some Forta Flora in my cabinet that I had for one of my dogs. I sprinkled a little on and she all of a sudden seemed interested. Put her nose in the bowl and then walked away. I am almost convinced that this has to be nausea because she will act hungry and then not eat. Thank goodness she is still eating her AMPS and PMPS meals. "Knock on wood".
 
Our Dolly Girl said:
Pill pockets usually work great Summer although the carbs are a little high. I use them for Dolly because there is no way I can pill her. Sometimes if the pill is small enough I use half or less of the pocket but you can’t mess with them too much, they will fall apart. I just quickly roll part of the pocket into a ball with the pill inside. I think they are very tasty :p Good luck.
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Thanks, Adrienne. I was going to send you a message to see what worked for you when Dolly wouldn't eat. I'll see if I can get some pill pockets at the vets or order them online.
 
What is the other medicine for nausea. Ondesteron????? How do you spell it so I can do some research. I have heard that it is better than the Cerenia.
 
Mandy & Rex said:
Ondansetron - I have some on hand and used some last week.
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Thank you. She is driving me nuts. She has been scowling all day and hiding most of the day and wouldn't eat her mid morning meal nor her lunch. She just came out at +9 all happy and purrey and wanting to be fed. Well, I didn't want to break out another can of cat food this close to PMPS so I offered her some PureBite Turkey Treats which she hasn't been eating lately. She scarffed them down and was looking at me for more. So I put some more down and she tried to bury them and then she walked away. What the heck is going on with this cat? @Our Dolly Girl I know your Dolly has been difficult to get to eat in the past. Have you ever seen her try to bury her food?
 
tiffmaxee said:
No reason for more labs in my opinion. Max had proteinura that came and went. Susie’s seems to be a constant. There’s an add on test to better see if it means anything but looks like it was never done. It is worth getting the next time she has a urinalysis if it’s there. It can be a sign of kidney disease. With Max it happened long before ckd but was not constant. There are treatments for it.
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Summer and Susie said:
Thanks, Adrienne. I was going to send you a message to see what worked for you when Dolly wouldn't eat. I'll see if I can get some pill pockets at the vets or order them online.
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Any pet store, online or vet will have them. I get the chicken but they also have Salmon. Keep us posted.
 
tiffmaxee said:
No reason for more labs in my opinion. Max had proteinura that came and went. Susie’s seems to be a constant. There’s an add on test to better see if it means anything but looks like it was never done. It is worth getting the next time she has a urinalysis if it’s there. It can be a sign of kidney disease. With Max it happened long before ckd but was not constant. There are treatments for it.
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I'm confused. Do you think I should just have the urinalysis and not spend more money on another blood test? When I take her in on Thursday I can just request the urinalysis but what is the add on test that you are referring to? I have always been concerned about her urinalysis, since December, 2020, but the vets make it sound like it is no big deal. Now, with her liver enzymes a little better, I feel I need to be more aggressive with the high urinalysis results. I really appreciate your advice. Thank you.
 
Heather82372 said:
What do you mean by occasional swallowing? Like something is in her throat and she swallows kind of hard even though she hasn't eaten anything recently?
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For at least a year now, she will sometimes be observed swallowing. Nothing major or drastic. Just a swallow. But sometimes she will do it more often than others. I have always thought I should have an ultrasound of her throat but have never done it because it is not a constant and I don't know what they are going to charge me that. I don't know how they would be able to hold her still to do it and I really don't want an instrument rubbing up against her throat if she does have a swallowing issue, from time to time.
 
Summer and Susie said:
I'm confused. Do you think I should just have the urinalysis and not spend more money on another blood test? When I take her in on Thursday I can just request the urinalysis but what is the add on test that you are referring to? I have always been concerned about her urinalysis, since December, 2020, but the vets make it sound like it is no big deal. Now, with her liver enzymes a little better, I feel I need to be more aggressive with the high urinalysis results. I really appreciate your advice. Thank you.
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It seems soon to draw blood. I am wondering if the swallowing is due to nausea. Does it happen when she’s inappetent? Do you have a copy of your last labs? There will be something written under it.

This explains possibilities.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/urine-protein
 
Summer and Susie said:
I'm confused. Do you think I should just have the urinalysis and not spend more money on another blood test? When I take her in on Thursday I can just request the urinalysis but what is the add on test that you are referring to? I have always been concerned about her urinalysis, since December, 2020, but the vets make it sound like it is no big deal. Now, with her liver enzymes a little better, I feel I need to be more aggressive with the high urinalysis results. I really appreciate your advice. Thank you.
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Hi Summer, Dolly has had protein in her urine for years. It can be an indication of kidney disease. I had her get an add on test to check her urine/creatinine ratio. I have to pick up the results. Hers was in a healthy range but will have more information later today or Tomorrow. I remember you mentioning at one time that Susie had protein in her urine. Check her last labs, I just did. Susie was the same as Dolly, +2. Might be a good test to get for Susie, urinalysis only I believe. Dolly also swallows weird sometimes but I think its from all the mucous she can’t get rid of through her nose.
 
tiffmaxee said:
It seems soon to draw blood. I am wondering if the swallowing is due to nausea. Does it happen when she’s inappetent? Do you have a copy of your last labs? There will be something written under it.

This explains possibilities.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/urine-protein
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Underneath the urine portion of her lab on 7/21/21 it says "Urine protein:creatinine ratio testing is recommended (if the sediment is inactive) to help determine the clinical significance of proteinuria."

What should I ask for when I take her in on Thursday?. The urine protein:creatinine ratio test? I do not know if the swallowing is due to nausea. I rarely see anymore but then again she is rarely nauseous and is always hungry. I will take a look at your link now.
 
You only run the urine creative ratio test if there’s still protein in her urine. Your vet would call the lab and ask for it. If it’s negative for protein it’s not needed
 
tiffmaxee said:
It seems soon to draw blood. I am wondering if the swallowing is due to nausea. Does it happen when she’s inappetent? Do you have a copy of your last labs? There will be something written under it.

This explains possibilities.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/urine-protein
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After reading your link I think I definitely need to ask for the urine protein:creatine ratio testing. Sounds like if they don't find bleeding or infection it could be much more serious with kidney disease. A good tip here but doesn't seem related to her inappetence which I still need to figure out. Or, could it be?
 
tiffmaxee said:
You only run the urine creative ratio test if there’s still protein in her urine. Your vet would call the lab and ask for it. If it’s negative for protein it’s not needed
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Okay, if you look at Susie's labs, all the way back to December, she has had protein in her urine so I doubt there will be a change now. We will see. Thank you so much for all your help.
 
@tiffmaxee Please do me a favor and look at Susie's labs since December. They are all on her spreadsheet. Let me know if anything glaringly speaks to you about why she might be having the nausea, now. I will follow up on the protein:creatinine ratio should her urine display more protein which I am sure it will. Thank you so much! Anytime tomorrow would be great, if you have the time.
 
I don’t see anything alarming. Her liver enzymes were normal too. The protein could be due to inflammation or ckd but based on her creative and BUN it’s early. Her use was good. When Max had the protein his usg was good and I always wondered if due to that. Never got an answer.
 
tiffmaxee said:
I don’t see anything alarming. Her liver enzymes were normal too. The protein could be due to inflammation or ckd but based on her creative and BUN it’s early. Her use was good. When Max had the protein his usg was good and I always wondered if due to that. Never got an answer.
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Thank you for checking. Every time I see a reference to CKD it throws me into a panic. One of my last cats, who seemed healthy and happy, was suddenly not. I took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with Stage 4 CKD. After taking him out of the vet hospital, and bringing him home for fluids, phosphate binders and appetite stimulants, I still only had him for two weeks before it became apparent that it was time to let him go. I do not ever want a cat to go through that misery again.
 
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