Willow is camping out at the water bowl

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Is the fur tenting? Gently pull up the scruff and let go. if moderately to severly dehydrated, the skin will s l o w l y go back into normal position. Otherwise, it should snap back quickly.

Are the gums sticky/tacky? Again, suggests dehydration.

Will Willow let you give her syringes of water?
 
Oops... I should've updated my signature or given more info. Willow gets fluids for Chronic Pancreatitis (seems to keep him eating when he's having flare-ups). I can give fluids and he'll go directly to laying his head on the water bowl drinking.

No tenting and gums are moist, not tacky/sticky with occasional drooling on me for good measure.
 
Willow looks very thin. Will he eat if you hand feed him? Has he been eating or is his pancreatitis acting up now? That's what I do with Racci to get her to eat. Does he like baby food?

His ss looks like he is only getting 1.5u bid. Is that correct? His bg is very high. I would consider raising it to 2u if that is not harmful to his other condition. It seems to me like he's not getting enough. I don't know much about pancreatitis. Having such a high bg would make him very thirsty. When Racci was in the reds she did that too. Now she drinks and urinates much less frequently. It's still a flood though when she does. :smile:

Maybe you should discuss it with the vet or even with someone else whose cat has both conditions. There must be someone on the board who does. Do you have the kind of relationship where you can call the vet and ask a question without him/her insisting you come in?

Melanie
 
My sister's cat did similar back in the late 1990s and he had cronic kidney crystals. The one Saturday I came over to my dad's and he was lying next to the water dish (looking miserable), Nana & I rushed him to the vet and he had surgery for the crystals. Your Willow looks better than Simba did, but if he's not drinking water, it might be crystals. I don't know how they check for that though. Simba had them 3 times in his young life - I want to say he was 4 when he died - I am not sure if his kidneys actually failed or my dad had him PTS in early 1998. The episode I discussed probably happened in the summer of 1997. Maybe they can see if there are crystals in an x-ray? That was how we found out that Midora's kidneys were kaput in May 2005 (one shrunken and one enlarged, she died the next morning).
 
MelanieAndRacci said:
Willow looks very thin. Will he eat if you hand feed him? Has he been eating or is his pancreatitis acting up now? That's what I do with Racci to get her to eat. Does he like baby food?

His ss looks like he is only getting 1.5u bid. Is that correct? His bg is very high. I would consider raising it to 2u if that is not harmful to his other condition. It seems to me like he's not getting enough. I don't know much about pancreatitis. Having such a high bg would make him very thirsty. When Racci was in the reds she did that too. Now she drinks and urinates much less frequently. It's still a flood though when she does. :smile:

Maybe you should discuss it with the vet or even with someone else whose cat has both conditions. There must be someone on the board who does. Do you have the kind of relationship where you can call the vet and ask a question without him/her insisting you come in?

Melanie
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He's definitely not thin... he's very solid and nearly 12 pounds. He's been eating fine, so I'm working his dose back up to a hopefully happy place, although his response to Lantus is inconsistent and erratic (he can be 500 one hour and down to LO shortly after, especially on anything over 1.5), and we come to a near halt or at least backtrack anytime pancreatitis gets too bad and he stops eating. As for the vet, it's been discussed, he mostly thinks it's just the pancreatitis making it hard to better regulate regulate him but has said he's also considered cancer or something going on with kidneys or stomach, but due to being unemployed and having another pet emergency Saturday, the bloodwork and ultrasound are not within reach yet.
 
I think the u-sound will tell more about whether organ inflammations, fluids, masses etc.

How much would that cost do you think?
 
Something to discuss with the vet - if he's got chronic pancreatitis, it could be that digestive enzymes are being produced erratically due to the chronic inflammation, possibly contributing to variable glucose levels and periods of increased appetitite. One of the signs this may be occuring is large, putty-colored stools.

I'm now supplementing Spitzer with powdered pancreatic enzymes (got them from The Vitamin Shoppe) to see if it helps him, as he was having these kind of stools. If this is something you want to test, get the powdered version (per my vet), mix with a small amount of food and give, followed by remainder of meal.
 
Ann & Scatcats said:
I think the u-sound will tell more about whether organ inflammations, fluids, masses etc.

How much would that cost do you think?
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I don't know Ann, I know he had told me before that the full work up he wanted to do (bloodwork and ultrasound, is all I remember but may have been more) would be 200 - 300. I'd have to call and ask. I'm waiting for him to call about Cow and can ask when he calls.


BJM, I was giving Denosyl, but pilling him wasn't going well (he generally throws up pills). I know it's liver support. Same as pancreatic enzymes? I wasn't aware anything was available in powder form, but that would be much easier to get him to take.
 
I really can't comment on Willow's condition, but I just wanted to stop in and give you some moral support and hope that Willow feels better soon. It sounds like you are having a rough time of it...I'm sorry. Sending positive and healing vines your way for Willow and a hug for you.
 
Thanks Deb. I think that's really what I need. It's just frustrating, knowing somethings not right, but not knowing what's wrong, and not having endless funds to find out and make it all better.
 
Got similar situation with Gustav and Simba.

Gustav needs to go and have his blood pressure measured and a full blood work to see how his suspected cancer and albumine have developed, and that is around 430 US dollars. At the same time Simba isn't well and needs to go and get all his different fructosamine, fPLI, full blood work, u-sounds done, and that is around 780 Us dollars. I can't do them both at the same time, also short of money, so I don't know what leg to stand on. They only take cash or visa card cash at the animal hospital, so I can't get a pay off either.



Hope Willow will hang in there until he can go to the vet!

Hugs
 
Ann & Scatcats said:
Got similar situation with Gustav and Simba.

Gustav needs to go and have his blood pressure measured and a full blood work to see how his suspected cancer and albumine have developed, and that is around 430 US dollars. At the same time Simba isn't well and needs to go and get all his different fructosamine, fPLI, full blood work, u-sounds done, and that is around 780 Us dollars. I can't do them both at the same time, also short of money, so I don't know what leg to stand on. They only take cash or visa card cash at the animal hospital, so I can't get a pay off either.



Hope Willow will hang in there until he can go to the vet!

Hugs
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Thanks Ann! Sounds like you're definitely going through very similar situation with Gustav and Simba. The expense is unreal. I could probably find a cheaper vet (although the reviews I've seen on many of the other local, less expensive practices are not all that glowing), but with Willow already having issues and the vets and staff knowing him/me, I'd like him to stay where we're comfy. Hope Gustav and Simba are doing okay.
 
Jordan, I 'm send prayers your way. It's so hard when our babies aren't well. Then throw money issues in there, it's heart breaking. Be well Willow. :YMHUG:
 
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