Thumper's fPL results

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Barbara

Barbara

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Well, just as I figured it's negative. Sounds crazy that I'm a little disappointed! I just want to know what the heck was going on with her, and when/if she starts acting the same way they will probably say "that test was negative". It just gives them more room to say "its her diabetes" when I know it was not! On a positive note maybe she will not have any more problems & I'm really glad she doesn't appear to have anything serious.
 
Ask for a copy of the test results. Until you see the actual number, you are relying on their interpretation.
There is a range for negative, iffy, and positive. Under 3.5 is likely negative, but 3.6 would be maybe in the iffy zone.

You have to test right at the time of the problem to see what is happening. It's just like testing BG.... you may have a higher BG if testing right at ps, but if you test at +6, you can have a very lovely number.

Was the test done right at the time when you were seeing the problems?
Sometimes, you can just give pepcid, and it can help a great deal. One of my cats gets 1/4tab of a 10mg pepcid regular strength almost daily as she is gassy and has frequent pancreatitis issues. I try the pepcid first, and always have fluids and bupe on hand in case she is still having problems. My other cat often tests just over the 3.5 cutoff mark when he has normal b/w done, but he has no symptoms.

Hopefully the test results will show you where the numbers were when tested.
 
Barbara,
That's good news! not the end line of the game but for now, good. As I said Payne tested negative the first 2x but on the 3rd. go around fluid was leaking from her pancreas, so that kinda confirmed it and that's when she tested positive. Yet if you were to test her now??

I feel as if I am the coach today! You are doing really well with Thumper and it is a good thing she is negative. I really don't treat Payne any different because she has no pancreatitis symptoms.
(except for the leaking fluid :) Because of her constant ketones we already do SQ fluids and R and ......

I think I'll drive to Napa and re-stock (had a party all gone :mrgreen: ) then start sending out to you all!

Nancy and Payne
(who has fallen in love with raw gizzards!)
 
Gayle and Shadoe said:
Ask for a copy of the test results. Until you see the actual number, you are relying on their interpretation.
There is a range for negative, iffy, and positive. Under 3.5 is likely negative, but 3.6 would be maybe in the iffy zone.

You have to test right at the time of the problem to see what is happening. It's just like testing BG.... you may have a higher BG if testing right at ps, but if you test at +6, you can have a very lovely number.

Was the test done right at the time when you were seeing the problems?
Sometimes, you can just give pepcid, and it can help a great deal. One of my cats gets 1/4tab of a 10mg pepcid regular strength almost daily as she is gassy and has frequent pancreatitis issues. I try the pepcid first, and always have fluids and bupe on hand in case she is still having problems. My other cat often tests just over the 3.5 cutoff mark when he has normal b/w done, but he has no symptoms.

Hopefully the test results will show you where the numbers were when tested.
Click to expand...

YES! Get the test results and get an actual number. Hopefully your vet didn't just do a snap test (if they sent it off it won't be), but even "negative" numbers don't rule out pancreatitis. I've had two cats with pancreatitis so far. One had an acute flareup and her spec fPL was definitely in the positive range. The other had a negative test despite having symptoms that were strongly suggestive of pancreatitis. What we did was keep testing him every time he had a flareup. Like Gayle's kitty, what we saw was an increase over time until he finally got into the gray area during one flareup. It really depends on when you test because if the pancreas isn't leaking enzymes then it won't show up in the blood. Once he felt better, he'd go back below the gray area. If it flared up, he went into the gray zone again. He never got as bad as Shaikha but given how it waxed and waned we felt he had it, even if the test didn't show him off the charts high like Shaikha.
 
I should add that Oliver flies under the radar and his results were 3.6, 3.8, and 4.8. Ollie has no signs at all, so I just give him pepcid if he seems off. He is already getting tramadol BID so no pain meds to give.
Shadoe's results are around 13.9 and in the 20s - she has the classic signs, meatloafing and not eating. She also has a low growl when her belly is touched.
The numbers do matter and will help you know more about what Thumper may be feeling.
 
Gayle and Shadoe said:
I should add that Oliver flies under the radar and his results were 3.6, 3.8, and 4.8. Ollie has no signs at all, so I just give him pepcid if he seems off. He is already getting tramadol BID so no pain meds to give.
Shadoe's results are around 13.9 and in the 20s - she has the classic signs, meatloafing and not eating. She also has a low growl when her belly is touched.
The numbers do matter and will help you know more about what Thumper may be feeling.
Click to expand...

Your Oliver sounds like my GA Tabriz in terms of flying "under the radar". Tabriz though did have symptoms -- appetite loss, a rise in ALT (a liver enzyme), looser stools, and pain in particular. His symptoms were always transitory and likely were intertwined with IBD, which may account for why the spec fPL test never really took off. He already got fluids daily as well as zantac and anti-nausea meds since he had CRF, but during these periods I'd usually increase his fluids just to be safe. He never had symptoms that lasted more than a week or two before he'd go back to normal. Shaikha on the other hand has all the classic symptoms and more (she's got triaditis too). Her numbers haven't been as bad as Shadoe's (ouch!) but we know the tender tummy routine only too well. Tabriz never had pain on palpation though he did lower himself very slowly to the ground if he seemed to be having a flareup. Buprenorphine always fixed that, though he never required it for more than a couple of doses.

Pancreatitis can be acute that is easier to detect or more of a chronic, smoldering form that can be very difficult to detect. Testing constantly would probably catch the chronic form more easily, but it also is pretty expensive to do.
 
I watch for one sign, lip licking, and give the pepcid right away. Quite often, in a couple hours, that bit of pepcid is enough to sort of calm down any mild discomfort. Both mine do the lip licking. I know there are other times when you could see lip licking, like Shadoe does it when annoyed or stressed or upset, but when she seems a bit off the foods and just sitting, the licking is out of place. Ollie never does it unless he has a problem.
If you keep fluids on hand, you can snap the scruff as well to see if slow to snap so in need of hydration. Even a small amount of fluids, 25ml or 50ml, can be just enough to help.
The bupe is something I also need to give to Shadoe only a few times and she acts visibly more relaxed.

You can save a boatload of money for the fPLI by trying pepcid, fluids and bupe or some other pain meds first, and within a day you will know if it helps. It's not like there are other forms of treatment for pancreatitis, so a test is likely going to confirm what you already suspect. And a positive will end up needing .. you guessed it, pepcid, fluids and pain meds.
 
Gayle and Shadoe said:
I watch for one sign, lip licking, and give the pepcid right away. Quite often, in a couple hours, that bit of pepcid is enough to sort of calm down any mild discomfort. Both mine do the lip licking. I know there are other times when you could see lip licking, like Shadoe does it when annoyed or stressed or upset, but when she seems a bit off the foods and just sitting, the licking is out of place. Ollie never does it unless he has a problem.
If you keep fluids on hand, you can snap the scruff as well to see if slow to snap so in need of hydration. Even a small amount of fluids, 25ml or 50ml, can be just enough to help.
Click to expand...

Just a thought, but lip-licking generally indicate nausea in a cat (as do teeth grinding or sniffing at food and walking away, despite acting hungry prior to then), not excess acid. Pepcid will help with stomach acid, but it doesn't settle a nauseated stomach. If pepcid isn't enough next time, you might ask your vet for a prescription for ondansetron. I'm amazed at how well it works to get their appetites back on track. The combination of nausea and pain are usually what cause the cat to stop eating, so the sooner you can get a handle on those the better.
 
Got the actual test results, it's 1.4 but she was def. feeling better by the time I got her in for the blood test. So I'm not all that surprised. Although it sort of sounds like it could be pancreatitis I'm not sure. She never quit eating except the day her BG went up to 600, after she had been at the vet all day & that was the afternoon she got the lasix injection. She had vomited a couple of times in the 2 or so weeks before that. Then 3 days later she vomited 3 times overnight & wouldn't eat the next morning. It wasn't long after coming home from getting the injection of pepcid & reglan that she started eating a little bit and she just improved from there, now she's much better. I wish they had been able to get blood that morning but when I asked for more details about why they said they couldn't they said the ER had evidently used all her veins...she was "bruised" on her neck & both front legs. It sounds like they tortured the poor thing at the ER! I'm just looking for an explaination of what was wrong with her. I will get some Pepcid to keep on hand just in case & will try that the next time she starts acting weird. I don't have any fluids or pain med though & I bet they won't give me any. They just think it's her diabetes :roll: & I'm a crazy cat mom.
 
When you get the pepcid, be sure to get the regular strength, not the extra strength. The max amount you should give a cat is 5mg/day, and as it is, cutting that little pill in 4 is hard enough, so I sure would not want to try cutting a 20mg pill into 8 pieces!

For hydration, you can add more water to Thumper's food. Some cats are not all that great at drinking water; I seldom see Shadoe at the water bowl, and I don't think I have ever seen Oliver drink water! I make a soupy slop from their wet foods and they love it; it cuts down the amount of fluids I need to give if they stay hydrated.

You may want to ask for the prices for fluid kits at your vet office, and ask also about pain meds, what types they give, and the cost. Buprenex is the best when it comes to pancreatitis.

I am glad to hear the result was a low 1.4; that's definitely a negative. Next time you suspect a problem, take Thumper in right away and tell them to draw for the fPLI test.
 
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