? Urgent pls help, pancreatitis

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Dhk

Member Since 2015
Cutie has been not eating too much the last two days. Which antibiotic do you give for pancreatitis? cannot afford the vet. Plsease help
 
Here is a link to the IDEXX treatment guidelines:

https://www.idexx.com/files/small-a...pec-fpl-treatment-for-feline-pancreatitis.pdf

Cutie needs to eat in order to avoid hepatic lipidosis. At minimum I recommend you ask your vet for a prescription for ondansetron (for nausea - generic is likely to be WAY cheaper than the branded version, Zofran) and an appetite stimulant (cyproheptadine is gentler acting than mirtazapine and does not carry risk of serotonin syndrome). If it's a bad flare then Cutie will probably need buprenorphine for pain relief. Antibiotics (Flagyl) tend to be used when diarrhoea is an issue during a flare. I'm sorry to have to recommend that you ask your vet for a prescription because I know from bitter personal experience how awful it is not to be able to afford proper veterinary care but if it is pancreatitis then Cutie really needs supportive meds.

Feed very small, frequent meals. Add a teaspoon or so of water to each feed to help with hydration. Try raising food and water bowls a few inches up from the floor. Try offering Cutie food in your hand. Also try warming the food a little.

Make sure Cutie's not constipated as that can cause nausea and inappetence, too. No amount of appy stimulants and anti-nausea meds will work if constipation's the problem.

I hope Cutie feels better very soon. Two days with very little food is an issue. Syringe feed if necessary.


Mogs
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Max has had chronic pancreatitis for 6 or seven years. At the first sign of inappetence he gets ondansetron and it really helps. Some vets don't RX it because it's a human medication but it really works and at least where I live is way cheaper than cerenia which they do use and is a veterinary medication. It is referred to in articles on pancreatitis. Antibiotics are rarely given and almost never needed.

I see Cutie tested high in the test Antech uses for pancreatitis back in June so it is likely a chronic condition. It will come and go and if symptoms aren't treated quickly it is often harder to end the episode quickly.
 
She had 1/4 Pepcid twice yesterday, today I put her on 1/2 Pepcid every 12 hours. She weighs 20 lbs. She vomited small amount of clear like foamy yesterday morning. I tried her on a new food b/c she wasn't eating her old wellness canned food. could the new food have caused it?? (new food is Merrick duck canned).. now she is on small amounts of fancy feast chicken classic and adding a small a teaspoon of the merrick. Is duck OK for cats to eat?thanks for the help
 
The clear, foamy vomit could be due to Cutie's tummy being empty for too long.

Yes, the food change could trigger a flare (even a different batch of the same brand of food). Duck can be quite rich and it might be a little fattier than her normal diet. Some pancreatitis kitties are very sensitive to fat content. If Cutie is doing better on the FF classic chicken I suggest you stick with just that food for now. Keeping things as stable and consistent as possible helps enormously in the management of pancreatitis.

Do you have a timed feeder? If not it might help Cutie if you could stay up with her overnight (if at all possible) and try to encourage her to eat a tiny amount once an hour. Perhaps try making a thick soup with some FF and water and see if she might lick a little off your fingers. The emotional comfort can encourage them to eat a bit better. Another thing to try is to get a meal ready in her dish while she is sleeping. Warm it slightly (tepid to the touch). Get the dish right beside her, wake her up and then immediately stick the dish under her nose (the 'sleepy eating' technique). If she is a little hesitant try getting her to lick a tiny amount off your finger; sometimes getting a little taste of the food will entice them to eat a little under their own steam.

Do you have any freeze-dried chicken protein treats? If yes, try crumbling them up and sprinkling just a little over warmed food; it's a trick I rely on a great deal.

If you can get her eating even only a tiny amount very frequently overnight it could help break the nausea-inappetence-excess acid-worse nausea cycle and that's half the battle.

BTW if there's no way that you can get an Rx for anti-nausea meds you could try giving slippery elm bark (SEB) to see whether that might help. More info on nausea symptoms and treatments at the following link:

http://www.felinecrf.org/nausea_vomiting_stomach_acid.htm


Mogs
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Dhk said:
can I give slippery elm with her food?
Click to expand...

I do not. I use the Gerber 2nd Foods Meats. There are four different flavours, Beef & Beef Gravy, Turkey & Turkey Gravy, Ham & Ham Gravy and Chicken & Chicken Gravy

I don't want to create any additional aversion to Gizmos regular food. Be careful, it really loosened his poop. I have only given it twice. I used a scant 1/8 teaspoon to about 1/3 small jar. Don't give with other meds.

I read it can also be bitter.
 
Critter Mom said:
The clear, foamy vomit could be due to Cutie's tummy being empty for too long.

Yes, the food change could trigger a flare (even a different batch of the same brand of food). Duck can be quite rich and it might be a little fattier than her normal diet. Some pancreatitis kitties are very sensitive to fat content. If Cutie is doing better on the FF classic chicken I suggest you stick with just that food for now. Keeping things as stable and consistent as possible helps enormously in the management of pancreatitis.

Do you have a timed feeder? If not it might help Cutie if you could stay up with her overnight (if at all possible) and try to encourage her to eat a tiny amount once an hour. Perhaps try making a thick soup with some FF and water and see if she might lick a little off your fingers. The emotional comfort can encourage them to eat a bit better. Another thing to try is to get a meal ready in her dish while she is sleeping. Warm it slightly (tepid to the touch). Get the dish right beside her, wake her up and then immediately stick the dish under her nose (the 'sleepy eating' technique). If she is a little hesitant try getting her to lick a tiny amount off your finger; sometimes getting a little taste of the food will entice them to eat a little under their own steam.

Do you have any freeze-dried chicken protein treats? If yes, try crumbling them up and sprinkling just a little over warmed food; it's a trick I rely on a great deal.

If you can get her eating even only a tiny amount very frequently overnight it could help break the nausea-inappetence-excess acid-worse nausea cycle and that's half the battle.

BTW if there's no way that you can get an Rx for anti-nausea meds you could try giving slippery elm bark (SEB) to see whether that might help. More info on nausea symptoms and treatments at the following link:

http://www.felinecrf.org/nausea_vomiting_stomach_acid.htm


Mogs
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Click to expand...
Yes, I do have a timed feeder. usually she ignores it and the food is there in the morning when I get up. tonight I will feed her. she ate this afternoon and tonight. I gave her pepcid 30 minutes before her food and shot. Now that she seems to be eating again, should I stop the Pepcid or how long should I keep giving it to her. I think I may have heard a heart murmur, will pepcid affect that?
 
Pepcid does effect heart rhythm. Try to keep its use to only the barely effective minimum. As the main weapon in your arsenal you may want to continue giving the standard dose for a few days till she stabilizes. I'm very pleased for you both that she's eating something; a really encouraging sign.


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Pepcid does effect heart rhythm. Try to keep its use to only the barely effective minimum. As the main weapon in your arsenal you may want to continue giving the standard dose for a few days till she stabilizes. I'm very pleased for you both that she's eating something; a really encouraging sign.


Mogs
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OK SOUNDS good. I cannot understand if duck is fatty , why it is recommended for sensitive stomachs. I have never used duck before b/c I thought it was rich..
 
It may be recommended as an alternative, novel protein source for cats with food allergies and intolerances. The fat content may not be such a stumbling block in some cases.


Mogs
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tiffmaxee said:
Fat is said not to be the issue with cats and pancreatitis.
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True, but some cats can be very, very sensitive to fat content; Sarah's Remi, for example. Also, some cats can be sensitive to the type of fatty nutrient. For example, Saoirse has a major problem with fish and sunflower oil but not so much poultry fat. As is so often the reality, I think it is very much a case of ECID. :)


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
True, but some cats can be very, very sensitive to fat content; Sarah's Remi, for example. Also, some cats can be sensitive to the type of fatty nutrient. For example, Saoirse has a major problem with fish and sunflower oil but not so much poultry fat. As is so often the reality, I think it is very much a case of ECID. :)


Mogs
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Click to expand...
Fish is a well known allergen for many cats. It's crazy how much they like it though. I was speaking of fat, any fat, not being a problem with pancreatitis for cats. For dogs and humans it is and they need a low fat diet.I avoid giving Max fish too but not because of the fat. It's true ECID as always.
 
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