Pancreatitis Questions

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merlotandasti

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Have you had his folate/b12 levels tested? When was the last ultrasound done? What was checked? If he's in pain he will associate the litter box with pain so add a few more litter boxes with cat attract and start feeding only easy to digest wet food (no gums or carrageenan). You could try a balanced raw as well as raw is easy to digest.

I have not had those tested. I would like to have another recheck of his blood levels now that he's actually feeling sort of better. Do normal vets offer b12/folate level tests? I've never done that before. I actually put a towel down in the bathroom & he has been popping on that. Maybe because it's flat & ha can grip on to something? He will always go there instead of just wherever. Always pees in one of his 2 boxes & sometimes trys to poop in there first. & as far as a raw diet, I have him on instinct raw duck diet right now. Is that the same type of raw you're speaking of?


He is anemic. And dehydrated. So his anemia might be worse than it’s showing. What is the Veterinarian’s ideas on the anemia?

The vet seems to think that the anemia is just a normal thing for him since the numbers haven't changed much & he's had this anemia for months now. I would like to do something about it so I will mention it to the vet again when I check in with him again. & how can you tell he is dehydrated? I am not that great at interpreting his blood results yet. He gets fluids every day to stay on top of everything.
 
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merlotandasti

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A little more progress today: he is a purring mess when I pet him or pick him up like his normal self. Also I've only noticed him crouching in pain maybe 4 times today whereas he couldn't walk a few feet without crouching in pain. He is lying on me comfortably as I post this. We are staying positive & hopeful!
 

silent meowlook

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You know the absolute best way to know how he is, is by you, the one who knows him best, saying how he is doing. ( wow, talk about a run on sentence)

One way you can try to check at home is to do a skin turner test and also see if his gums are moist or tacky. But don’t bug him. It doesn’t matter. You should never exceed the Veterinarian’s recommendation on the fluids or you could wind up in trouble.

I think you are doing the best you can with him. He is a complicated cat. I have a complicated cat as well, so I know how it is when you just want to “fix” them.
 

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I see your point about the position he needs to poop and his back pain. Can you put pee pads like a dog uses down for him? At least you can throw them out when he is done. He is just so happy to be with you and that is the most important thing.
 
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merlotandasti

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You know the absolute best way to know how he is, is by you, the one who knows him best, saying how he is doing. ( wow, talk about a run on sentence)

One way you can try to check at home is to do a skin turner test and also see if his gums are moist or tacky. But don’t bug him. It doesn’t matter. You should never exceed the Veterinarian’s recommendation on the fluids or you could wind up in trouble.

I think you are doing the best you can with him. He is a complicated cat. I have a complicated cat as well, so I know how it is when you just want to “fix” them.
When things are more back to his normal, I will be going back down to doing his fluids every other day. It seems to have made one of his kidney levels look normal & he drinks a lot of water on his own so I don't think he is dehydrated. I also check the scruff of his neck to see if the fluids have absorbed & it always goes back quickly so I think we are staying on top of the hydration. I don't want to put a strain on his body by doing the fluids every day unless it's necessary. For now I do it to get him through his flare up. & yes. I try really hard to "fix" him. But I understand that he is older & has some problems that we can't really cure & just have to manage. I can still see in his eyes that he is happy to still be here with me though. So all the meds (if it's not stressful for him) & extra work I have to put into him is totally worth it. 🥰

I see your point about the position he needs to poop and his back pain. Can you put pee pads like a dog uses down for him? At least you can throw them out when he is done. He is just so happy to be with you and that is the most important thing.

I just bought some pee pads today & put it where he usually goes. I'm hoping he will use it. He has been mostly going in his boxes today. I'm very proud of him. I can tell he is still happy despite his health issues.



Last night Asti seemed like he was getting constipated & uncomfortable so I gave him some laxatone. It seems to be doing the trick so far. He is breathing much more normally (I can tell when he starts to hurt because he will breathe more quickly) & sitting near me comfortably. We are still taking things day by day but I'm happy with his progress so far. We only hope for more good days than bad ones.
 
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merlotandasti

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Update:


So I had to bring Asti to an emergency vet today bc we were unable to get in with my normal vet today. I came home on my lunch break & he meowed in pain when I picked him up & he wouldn't move from his spot. I was afraid he might be blocked or something really serious so I didn't want to wait.

They scanned his bladder for stones; showed there was nothing there. He was able to poop (pretty soft/runny) & pee (Dr said normal stream when he tried to feel his bladder). They did blood work. ALL his blood work showed up completely normal including kidneys, liver, pancreas, ect.... EXCEPT his red & white blood cells. His anemia is getting worse. I had them send it off to analyze it further. The vet suggested a shot to get his red blood cells to start producing more but only normal vets have it. I have an appointment with his normal vet on Aug 13th. I discussed his medications & this vet questioned the use of the Metronidazole & Prednisolone. He commented that I should stop using them bc long term use can be more harmful then helpful. I would love to stop using these, especially since I don't see any progress with him on them.

I don't know which vet to believe. I've done research & didn't find too much other than short term usage on them.. I'm worried for my boy. He's bright & alert. Acting like normal other than when I try to pick him up. He always meows in pain now.

Any thoughts??
I've gone to so many vets. Idk who to believe bc they all have their own ways. I can't afford a specialist any more & he has gone through so much. 😔

I'm thinking of seeing how he does without the medications & if he gets worse, to put him back on them.. not sure rn
 

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I wish I had answers to your questions, but I don't. One thing I will say is that you should not just stop the prednisolone. You have to do a gradual reduction in dose in order to stop it. So, if your giving 5mg once a day, do 5mg every other day for 7 days and then reduce further. But I am not telling you a dose or anything like that, just using that as an example on how to reduce the dose, You really need to talk to your regular veterinarian. When you call there will they let you speak to him or her? I think waiting till 8/13 is a long time to wait with an anemic cat.

Allot of vet hospitals are hard to get into right now. I know it is busy. But, where I work, we always get people in right away if needed. I just don't understand not seeing a cat right away, especially if it is an emergency. Sad. Maybe they don't have the staff, or maybe the staff won't stay late.

I would say if you haven't been able to talk to your vet directly, keep trying. Sometimes things get missed or the front office staff doesn't understand the significance of some things.
 
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merlotandasti

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I wish I had answers to your questions, but I don't. One thing I will say is that you should not just stop the prednisolone. You have to do a gradual reduction in dose in order to stop it. So, if your giving 5mg once a day, do 5mg every other day for 7 days and then reduce further. But I am not telling you a dose or anything like that, just using that as an example on how to reduce the dose, You really need to talk to your regular veterinarian. When you call there will they let you speak to him or her? I think waiting till 8/13 is a long time to wait with an anemic cat.

Allot of vet hospitals are hard to get into right now. I know it is busy. But, where I work, we always get people in right away if needed. I just don't understand not seeing a cat right away, especially if it is an emergency. Sad. Maybe they don't have the staff, or maybe the staff won't stay late.

I would say if you haven't been able to talk to your vet directly, keep trying. Sometimes things get missed or the front office staff doesn't understand the significance of some things.

I was told to do the every other day thing. Thank you.

I'm really worried for him. I know I need to get in sooner. It has been really hard even getting ahold of them recently for questions. I don't understand what is going on but I feel like anything affecting his ability to urinate and anemia that is this bad is very serious. I'm so upset. I really feel like I'm running out of options. Every vet I go to just tells me the same things. He was the first one to even address the anemic situation. They all act like he's totally fine, but when I bring him home, it's so different. I feel like I'm losing him & there is nothing I can do..
 
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merlotandasti

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Just to let everyone know, they have found a mass in Asti's colon.. they also found his lymphnodes are enlarged & there is fluid around his heart/lungs/abdomen.. & the pancreatitis has gotten severe.

We are afraid of cancer. The vet thinks thr fluid could be bc the cancer has spread.. pancreatitis won't respond to treatment anymore.. he is in pain.

They gave me the option of getting the biopsy sent to pathology. & if it is cancer, doing surgery. But I can't let him hurt any more. If fluid is accumulating, I can't give fluids to help his pancreatitis & kidney disease. I'm afraid surgery & being poked & prodded anymore is too much on him. He has been fighting really hard for a full year now. They gave him lots of pain meds. I am going to pick him up tonight. & spend as much time with him as possible. Tomorrow, he will cross the bridge & I will be by his side through it all.

He is so special to me. 14 years of life together. My heart is broken. & I am so upset & hurt. But I don't want any more pain for him. I can't do it to him.

I will give all the love & his favorite foods & let him lay in the sun like he loves to do. All night & day tomorrow.

Thank you for all the support, everyone.
 

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fionasmom

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I am so sorry that it has come to this. Your reasoning is completely clear. Not wanting him to suffer through more procedures, especially when you are starting to have contradictory options because of the conditions presenting, shows your deep love for him. I hope that the fact that you have done so much for him will give you some peace. Certainly you have fought the good fight as much as you could.

While this all certainly would have been your decision, I would not proceed with the surgery either if he were my cat. Surgery does not guarantee results and his remaining time would have been spent trying to recover from the effects of the procedures. His fighting is probably his way of saying that he has had enough.

Keep him comfortable and just be with each other. Please remember that we are here and you can post any time about anything that you are feeling. Asti has lived a wonderful life with you and I hope that will eventually bring you some comfort.
 
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merlotandasti

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My heart hurts so much. Just thinking that the next time I wake up in the morning, he won't be there. Or he won't greet me when I walk in. Or lie down with me at night. I feel like I'm doubting myself. Because he isn't looking too badly rn. But last night he didn't look very good. Even with the pain injection. My head just keeps say "how can I even do this." Every inch of my home has a piece of him in it. I'm scared that he won't understand why I'm doing this.

Sorry to ramble. I'm having a terrible time trying to manage my feelings right now. He is so special to me.
 

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I am so sorry. There aren’t any words to help.
One thing though, you might want to get a second opinion, just in case. Sometimes it makes you feel better. You never know. But, if he is suffering, then don’t make him wait. Obviously.
I wish this wasn’t happening with your kitty.
 

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This is an incredibly hard decision and everyone second guesses if it is the right thing, especially if any sign of improvement seems to appear. Please remember that we are here for you, whatever the decision.
 
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merlotandasti

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My best friend passed away today at 3:55 pm. All day today & yesterday, we ran outside & inside depending on what he wanted. I fed him a million treats, cuddled him, & tried to give him whatever he wanted. My boyfriend & I spent the night on the couch where he lied next to us all night, despite not being able to sleep. I took a million pictures & videos. We were able to take one last nap together, him in my arms.

This hole is deep. He meant more to me than anyone could have ever known. My home is empty now. I feel like I have a long journey ahead of me..

I will be awaiting his ashes & paw print.

Today will always be known as one of the hardest days of my entire life. Feel free to give me any advice to honor him to help ease the pain a little.

Thank you all for helping us through this journey. He was the strongest cat I knew.
 

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fionasmom

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I am so sorry for the loss of Asti. You did the bravest and hardest thing that you could have done in order to spare him more suffering. His day with you sounds as if he was happy and secure knowing that he was with the person he loved the most. The pain meds made him comfortable for that time and he was able to pass on in peace and tranquility.

I think you absolutely made the right choice in sparing him eleventh hour surgeries which might have done nothing more than made him uncomfortable, to say the least. An ER vet once told me, when I made the decision to put my elderly heart cat to sleep that she did not believe that cats looked at the idea of having another day or week as people do and that they know and accept that they have lived their life to the fullest, especially those who were as loved as Asti.

For a while, this will be raw but grief truly is a process and, hopefully, as time passes you will be able to remember the happy and healthy days with Asti. Please remember that you can come here any time to express what you are feeling.
 
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merlotandasti

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I am so sorry for the loss of Asti. You did the bravest and hardest thing that you could have done in order to spare him more suffering. His day with you sounds as if he was happy and secure knowing that he was with the person he loved the most. The pain meds made him comfortable for that time and he was able to pass on in peace and tranquility.

I think you absolutely made the right choice in sparing him eleventh hour surgeries which might have done nothing more than made him uncomfortable, to say the least. An ER vet once told me, when I made the decision to put my elderly heart cat to sleep that she did not believe that cats looked at the idea of having another day or week as people do and that they know and accept that they have lived their life to the fullest, especially those who were as loved as Asti.

For a while, this will be raw but grief truly is a process and, hopefully, as time passes you will be able to remember the happy and healthy days with Asti. Please remember that you can come here any time to express what you are feeling.


Thank you for saying that. I've been doubting myself. & doubting my decision. I feel like I made the decision too fast. But even on the pain meds I knew he was hurting & having trouble pooping still.. he kept going in & out of the litterbox with no relief. I keep looking at his pictures. He looked so tired. I know I spared his pain by doing it quickly but something in my head keeps telling me I should have given him a chance. But even the vet said he wouldn't get better without anything major being done & everything was conflicting. I had been fighting all the pain & issues he had for so long. He had so many good days & the bad days were short. But then lately he was hunched over in pain more & more.. & it became an everyday thing even with the meds. I kept thinking "let's just get over the bad time again so we can make it back to the good days." Then we got the ultrasound results & it crushed me. I didn't expect everything that they told me. I expected there was something else wrong but not all this. & I didn't expect to lose my baby so fast. I'm in a state of shock. Numb & crying a lot. It hurts so much. Idk if everyone feels guilty after they make the decision. But I just hope I did the right thing. Bc thats my best friend. He relied on me only. & I would never want to do anything to hurt him.
 

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OMG... I am so so genuinely sorry for your loss.... I remember tis day so well.. I know your pain.. I know your love...
Thank You for doing as much as you could for your baby. (((HUGS)))

Words are not there for me.. I understand...

Love will live forever... It will... The love you gave, was returned to you....and will be returned to you... Life is love...
I understand...

You did not let your baby suffer.. You made the ultimate sacrifice. This decision is the ultimate sacrifice.. Your baby knew that..

Love will follow you~~~~ Will come to you again, just because the stars, God, whatever you believe in, know how much you sacrificed for your baby....

(((hugs)))
 

Tobermory

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I’m so sorry for your loss and your pain, merlotandasti merlotandasti . It’s very hard to lose these loving friends. I think most of us do feel guilty when we make that final decision to release them from their suffering. I know I always have. But it doesn’t mean it was the wrong decision. It means we loved them so much that we acted for them, not for ourselves…despite the grief it caused us.

Holding you and your Asti in my thoughts.:hugs:
 
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merlotandasti

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Thank you, everyone. I'm trying not to think too much. My mind keeps going back to his head resting on my shoulder & then my hand when he passed. Trying to keep myself busy as much as I can now.
 

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On behalf of The Cat Site Team, we are very sorry for your loss. :hugs: Threads are closed after such a loss as a sign of respect. Please consider starting a memorial thread for your boy in our Crossing the Bridge forum when you feel up to it.

Rest in peace, Asti. :rbheart:
 
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