Ibd / Digestive Issues

[artiemom]

Oh, Leroy is "Fresh"... licking around the pill ... cats are so smart..

The vet has a new tech because M had a baby! I discovered, a few months ago, that she had the baby. I have had a few interactions with the new one, Vanessa.. She is young.. and somewhat inexperienced, I think.. kind, caring.. and in awe of working there. Never anything dealing with e-mails or phone calls from her. I have dealt with either the Vet or his secretary.

I am a bit confused about a couple of the initials in you post. What does, PU/PD mean?

Glad the Cerenia is helping with the nausea.

I have to call in on Monday, also.. need a new script for Cidapride and have to update about Artie's fur loss. He is looking really boney also.. and I just do not know..

Sometimes, I think NVet has so much on his mind, that he forgets a few things.. as most brilliant people do...

sorry--gotta go....later

 

[LTS3]

Wow! Congrats to M

Sorry, went into diabetic lingo PU is polyuria or increase in urination. PD is polydipsia or increase in hunger.

Pharmacies apparently don't keep urine test strip in stock anymore I have to order the urine test strips online. It probably won't get here until after the vet appointment I can test Leroy's blood glucose in the meantime, though. I still have the blood glucose meters. Just need to replace the batteries and get new test strips. Urine glucose isn't that helpful anyways. Glucose just builds up in the urine until the cat pees it out. I just looked on the web site where I previously bought test strips from. Over $100 for a box of 50 I used to pay maybe $30 for them. I'll have to get those from Amazon. They're pricey at store pharmacies.

I restocked on cat food today: NV non-chicken varieties, Rawz (just the beef one), Koha LID, and Wild Calling duck. The store didn't have Hounds and Gatos but isn't that company going out of business?

 

[Timmer]

My Timmer lost his battle with IBD. He was diagnosed in November and passed on Jan. 19th. I know what you are struggling with. I was giving him B12 injections and they really perked him up at first and then didn't seem to do anything. He was on 5 mg. prednisone a day and eventually I started him on chemo. Leukeran. He had to have a colonoscopy, ultrasound and the biopsies. It was suspected he had GI lymphoma but that did not come back in the biopsy. Our regular vet explained how hard it is to diagnose GI lymphoma because it masks itself so well as other diseases. You can biopsy one area and it's in another area.
The issue with my Timmer is that he didn't respond to anything. His little body just wasn't responding. He ate like a horse pretty much because of the Pred. But his colon had swollen nearly shut and he wasn't able to pass stool. It was very very very very upsetting to see him straining to go and falling over, blood dripping out of his butt. I had to say good bye to him. I really loved that cat like nothing else and I mourn him every single day but I couldn't stand to see him suffering and I knew whe was in a lot of pain.
All you can do is keep trying.

 

[artiemom]

Wow! Congrats to M

Sorry, went into diabetic lingo PU is polyuria or increase in urination. PD is polydipsia or increase in hunger.

Pharmacies apparently don't keep urine test strip in stock anymore I have to order the urine test strips online. It probably won't get here until after the vet appointment I can test Leroy's blood glucose in the meantime, though. I still have the blood glucose meters. Just need to replace the batteries and get new test strips. Urine glucose isn't that helpful anyways. Glucose just builds up in the urine until the cat pees it out. I just looked on the web site where I previously bought test strips from. Over $100 for a box of 50 I used to pay maybe $30 for them. I'll have to get those from Amazon. They're pricey at store pharmacies.

I restocked on cat food today: NV non-chicken varieties, Rawz (just the beef one), Koha LID, and Wild Calling duck. The store didn't have Hounds and Gatos but isn't that company going out of business?

It is not Hound & Gatos which is going out of business; it is Wild Calling, which is now defunct.

H&G took their food off of Chewy, when it was sold to PetSmart. They did not want to deal with a mass marketer. They would prefer a more holistic approach.

I am so glad Leroy will eat anything. I wish I was that lucky.. but..

Yeah, the test strips--urine are nonexistent. I used to check my glucose level periodically. Diabetes runs strongly in my mom's side of the family.

I did get a Freestyle glucose meter.. but now the needles and strips are outdated.. so I need to stock up on both.. and refresh the batteries..

Thanks for the Diabetes LINGO!!!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Just sending love, as always.

 

[LTS3]

Pet store had quite a bit of Wild Calling in stock but I only got the duck one. I'm avoiding chicken and I don't want to give Leroy or Emma too much fish. The NV Raw Bites in rabbit are on order.

I have two old Aviva meters. I bought the new Aviva Plus meter today and apparently the kit no longer includes 10 test strips I ended up buying the Aviva Plus test strips from Amazon and generic urine test strips from another web site. The new no-code key Plus test strips apparently works with the old Aviva but a special code key is needed. I requested that from Accu-Chek. I was able to hack the old (5 years expired) Aviva test strips with the old Aviva meter and got Leroy tested. He was at a nice 105 +8.5 hours post breakfast He's definitely not diabetic and I know the his urine isn't going to show any glucose.

Leroy got both pills in today. I made him sit on the floor and fed the dough wrapped pills to him and watched to make sure he didn't spit anything out. I added a bit of water to the crumbly fish dough per the container instructions but it made the dough texture even worse I ended up using a bit of the Tomlyn dough to hold the fish dough together. I did include the other brand of pill dough to my Amazon order.

Today was Leroy's last weekly B12 injection. He starts monthly injections now. I have to ask the vet about changing the prescription from two 1 ml bottles to just one 1 ml bottle since the bottle expires in a month (at least that's what's printed on the prescription label) and Leroy only gets 0.25 ml.

Timmer

 

[Mamanyt1953]

He was at a nice 105 +8.5 hours post breakfast He's definitely not diabetic and I know the his urine isn't going to show any glucose.

Oh, that's lovely to hear!

 

[artiemom]

How's Leroy doing? Haven't heard for a couple of days...hopefully, no news is good news??

 

[Antonio65]

Sorry, went into diabetic lingo PU is polyuria or increase in urination. PD is polydipsia or increase in hunger.

Sorry if I step in to correct you.
Polyuria is an increase in urination
Polydispia is an increase in thirst (cats drink more)
Polyphagia is an increase in hunger (cats eat more)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Update? I'm fretting a bit, but then, fretting about cats I care about is one of my best things.

 

[LTS3]

Nothing new with Leroy. He's still bony, peeing a lot, and crouching. I've increased his food which is helping to keep his tummy happy. Blood glucose levels are well in the normal range.

 

[artiemom]

((Hugs)) does he have an appointment with the Vet?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

 

[LTS3]

He has an appointment later this week plus one next week just in case.

 

[artiemom]

Sending well wishes and good vibes for this week's appointment.
Please let us know how it goes...

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I JUST found this girl, and am sending her your way!

 

[LTS3]

Leroy has more meds now and junk ZD food Vet is treating Leroy for helicobacter since it was found in the biopsy samples. Helicobacter can cause gastric ulcers. The ZD is hydrolyzed chicken liver I'm not feeding Leroy chicken anything. I may end up returning it later. Vet thinks the additional meds alone would help anyways.The ZD supposedly contains an acidifier that is helpful.

Besides Cerenia and prednisolone daily, Leroy is getting amoxicillin, omeprazde, and clarithromycin. The last two has to be compounded first. Vet says Wedgewood Pharmacy can do it. Both can be made into capsules and liquids. The omeprazde is also available as a chew treat. I'm going to get that. The clarithromycin I'm thinking either capsule since I have pill dough or the oil suspension because it can then be flavored and mixed right into food.

Vet has never heard of Pill Pockets or pill dough He wants me to send him the info on the pill dough I have. The fish one doesn't have much in it, just flour and fish and taurine and vitamin E. The bacon pill dough came yesterday but I didn't head down to the lobby until this morning to get the box. Leroy gobbled the small sample I offered.

Leroy had more blood work done and a urine culture. Weight is staying at 9 lbs. He was a bit lighter before I started doubling the amount of food.

 

[artiemom]

Oh No... poor Leroy, and poor you!!
Man, stomach ulcers!!

I know how you feel about the Z/D; but if it may help.. in desperation, you at least have it on hand..

Hard to believe the Vet has never heard of Pill Pockets or the paste!! that is really, hard to believe. Wonder if his brain is just fading him.. I am sure he has heard of it. They are on display at the Window of the Pharmacy!!!! Yup, I saw them, there.., because I looked at the ingredients, for Artie.
Perhaps the pill dough, he is not familiar with?

Wow, poor Leroy.. .. I hope he gives you an easier time of medicating him.
I remember, Artie was a bear, to medicate. He just got used to it, over time.. or, in defeat, he gave up fighting me.

Leroy weights less than Artie, @ 10/3 lbs. poor thing.. he must be so thin.. and you must be feeling horrible, just looking at him. When Artie was 9.5, I was beside myself.

Fingers crossed that the antibiotics do not begin a reaction in his colon.
Have you discussed probiotics with the Vet? just a thought.

Do you know what the turnaround time is for Wedgewood? Just curious. I have never used them..

The good part is: Leroy is getting medicine to help him... the bad part is the expense, seeing him this way, and medicating him...




What these cats put us through.. wonder if they realize it.

Keep us updated..
Stay in the rest of the day.. it is miserable out there..

 

[LTS3]

Vet is fine with probiotics. I'm just waiting for my vacation time to start that just in case Leroy has a reaction to that and / or to the digestive enzymes.

It's the pred that is making Leroy so hungry and thirsty.Vet wanted to know if Leroy had those symptoms before the pred. Nope The crouching Leroy has always done since this IBD journey. Lately all he does is crouch. Vet thinks gastric ulcers may be causing pain hence all the new meds.

Wedgewood Pharmacy has a one business day turnaround time. I've never used them before. I have used a local compounding pharmacy but I don't think they exist anymore. There's a different one near me but the reviews aren't very good.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Crossing my fingers that you now have a handle on getting the ulcers under some control! Our "purraise" button is on the fritz, or I'd have done that, as well! They are working on it.