Very sick kitty - need lots of advice

Status
Not open for further replies.
Still high eh? Any ketone tests yet?

Are you gradually changing the proportion of kitten kibble to wellness?

Glad to hear the weight is going on! Good job.
 
Eat Nuzzles Eat! Love the mental picture of a rounded, stuffed full belly. She sounds like she has really been eating better lately and I hope to hear she has gained some weight. Sure sounded like she was emaciated when you got her.

Another kitty? One of your mom's? Take it one day at a time. Don't let it overwhelm you and remember, we give emotional support as well as recommendations on caring for the extra sweet kitties.

I think one more cat would be easier to deal with for me right now than that 12 pound, 5 inch stack of merchandise catalogs I got today. Need to look through them and pick out items for the store where I work part time. Bedtime reading perhaps? ohmygod_smile
 
Robin

My very deepest sympathy about your mother. You are such an amazing, special person to care for this little girl with all you have going on personally. Sending prayers in your loss.

A couple things: if you are going to use tuna juice from human tuna, please check the can and read the fine print on the back. While the can might say "chunk light tuna in spring water" if you read the label carefully, you'll find it has vegetable broth which usually means it also contains soy and onion. Both of these items can cause anemia in cats. So I'd look for a tuna that has only tuna and water or not risk it.

If you have or can get a Magic Bullet at Costco or Amazon, it's great for pureeing foods to syringe feed. The Iams MaxCal is prescription but it has 300 calories in a can and is 9% carbs but we can continue to adjust insulin dose; it's more important to get high calorie food in her at this point.

Also, here is a great video on how to Assist Feed a Cat
 
Thanks for the warning on the tuna water. I have a mini cuisine thingy that I bought several years ago when I syringe fed a dying kitten. I am glad I saved it. I was thinking of diluting baby food if I do it at all. She's eating much more now and the mix of kitten kibble is decreasing while the Wellness pellets are increasing. Sometimes she tosses the Wellness on the floor but not all of them.

I still would like to see a number on the meter. It's been about 5 cycles since I switched to the 1u. May consider a .25 increase tomorrow. Lots to do during the day as any of you would know if you have lost a loved-one. I may still try to do a curve on her this weekend.

I appreciate all your kind words. My mother was in terrible pain and distress since losing my dad in March so while this is a sad time, it is also a blessing and relief. I'm just sorry she didn't get to see her cats one last time.
 
How do you feel about taking it to 1.5? I worry about these highs. I doubt you have to worry about her dropping low... anything other than high right now would be good.

Great news on her eating the wellness pellets.

ketone test nag nag. Even if you switch out the litter with lentils... and check it every 30 mins esp after she eats. Dont know if you have time right now though.. just an idea.

Sorry about your mom (hugs)

Wendy
 
You can even try chicken or beef broth - again check labels for ingredients. That may be something to add to her water.

You can also try spoon feeding her some wet food, baby food and see if she will lick it off the spoon. I have tiny spoon that I can put in Maui's mouth and wipe the food along the roof of her mouth. This was one way I taught her to eat wet food. It's not syringe feeding so maybe that would work as an alternative?

I'm sorry about your mom.
 
I would rather see you raise her dose 0.25u every four cycles until you start seeing some low yellow or blue numbers rather than raising 0.5u every six cycles.
 
One other thing to add: it's really, really important to get some spot checks. I know you work long days but any time you can catch an out the door, in the door, and always a before bed test. We do want to be sure that the high numbers are not due to her bouncing off the insulin. It can happen. I've seen cats go from 300 to 40 and back to 300 in one cycle; without that mid-cycle spot check, we wouldn't have known. Hopefully, you will be able to catch more tests on the weekends; spot checks are really, really important.
 
Marje's point is really good, Tigger's one of those cat's that can drop several hundred points easily in a few hours & go right back up before the end of his cycle!

Also good note from Marje about the onion in broth or tuna water & baby food. Sorry I forgot to add that. :oops:

Thinking about you, Robym, sending lots of support your way - you're doing an amazing job with all you have going - and for taking your Mom's cat. How many cats did your Mom have?
 
I will start the new dosage up .25 tomorrow (Saturday) and get some mid cycle tests. I am planning to do a curve this weekend too, just don't know if it will be tomorrow. I like the idea of rubbing some food on the roof of her mouth. I am going to try different foods this weekend when I am home. And since I will be home and paying more attention to her this weekend, I will try to catch some urine on a stick.

My mom has two cats. The mother and brother of my oldest civvie. They are 13 and 14 years old and not healthy so they won't be around for many more years. I already have three civvies and a permanent foster. Not sure I can handle five cats but I may have to take the mother. We have six months to clear out the house so we are not worrying about that now.
 
One step at a time Robin. It's all you can do. Sending big hugs to you as you deal with your mother's passing.

Prioritize and organize and just do the best you can for now with all your are dealing with.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top