anymore info on pancreatitis ?
 

Phil P...I'm looking in your direction. :)

Jasper has basically slept ALL day. He did get up to use the cat box a
few times. The turkey meat that he hate...he barfed up. So it looks like
tomorrow we start the regimen of prednisone. We still have to give him
half of his dose of amoxicillin since he fought us off after only taking
half a dropper full.

If things don't start improving with the prednisone and a little more
antibiotic, I'll be taking him back to the vet on Monday. But in the
meanwhile...any words of wisdom?

scared!
Pam

"kitkat" wrote in message
om...
any words of wisdom?

scared!
Pam

http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/a...l.jsp?id=63913

http://www.felinediabetes.com/concur...ncreatitis.htm

Mary wrote:
"kitkat" wrote in message
om...

any words of wisdom?

scared!
Pam


http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/a...l.jsp?id=63913

http://www.felinediabetes.com/concur...ncreatitis.htm


Thanks, Mary. I had done a little google investigation myself. It sounds
like an episode of acute pancreatitis, but we'll only know after time if
it becomes chronic. The diagnosis from the vet was not definitive...just
suspected. I guess we'll see how he does over the next 24-48 hours and
go from there. The one good thing is that he seems comfortable while
resting...but I am very aware of the stoic nature of kitties, so if he
is in a lot of pain, he might not be showing it. I did get him to drink
a little water earlier from a ladle that I put right in front of his
face. I'm going to try that again tonight. I really would like to help
keep him hydrated.

also still sick,
Pam :(

"kitkat" wrote in message
om...
Mary wrote:

http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/a...l.jsp?id=63913

http://www.felinediabetes.com/concur...ncreatitis.htm


Thanks, Mary. I had done a little google investigation myself.

I was just trying to toss you something until Phil or someone with
more experience with the disease showed up. I hate that scared feeling.

It sounds
like an episode of acute pancreatitis, but we'll only know after time if
it becomes chronic. The diagnosis from the vet was not definitive...just
suspected. I guess we'll see how he does over the next 24-48 hours and
go from there. The one good thing is that he seems comfortable while
resting...but I am very aware of the stoic nature of kitties, so if he
is in a lot of pain, he might not be showing it. I did get him to drink
a little water earlier from a ladle that I put right in front of his
face. I'm going to try that again tonight. I really would like to help
keep him hydrated.

also still sick,
Pam :(

It just has not been your week, Pam, or Jasper's. If you have a
turkey baster, you can also hold him like a baby and kind of
dribble it to him. (I don't mean force him!! I kept my cat Gnarly
hydrated by wrapping her in a towel in my arms and just dribbling
water to her slowly when she was feeling bad. She seems to like
it well enough once she tasted it but would not seek it out.)
Meanwhile, you need fluids too.

Mary wrote:
"kitkat" wrote in message

Thanks, Mary. I had done a little google investigation myself.


I was just trying to toss you something until Phil or someone with
more experience with the disease showed up. I hate that scared feeling.

I know, and I do appreciate it. The only problem with those articles is
that they *appear* to be written in English but contain all kinds of
words I don't understand! LOL.

It sounds

like an episode of acute pancreatitis, but we'll only know after time if
it becomes chronic. The diagnosis from the vet was not definitive...just
suspected. I guess we'll see how he does over the next 24-48 hours and
go from there. The one good thing is that he seems comfortable while
resting...but I am very aware of the stoic nature of kitties, so if he
is in a lot of pain, he might not be showing it. I did get him to drink
a little water earlier from a ladle that I put right in front of his
face. I'm going to try that again tonight. I really would like to help
keep him hydrated.

also still sick,
Pam :(


It just has not been your week, Pam, or Jasper's. If you have a
turkey baster, you can also hold him like a baby and kind of
dribble it to him. (I don't mean force him!! I kept my cat Gnarly
hydrated by wrapping her in a towel in my arms and just dribbling
water to her slowly when she was feeling bad. She seems to like
it well enough once she tasted it but would not seek it out.)
Meanwhile, you need fluids too.

I did just get him to drink more from the ladle. Then I tried putting a
little gravy from some canned food on a spoon...but he had NO interest.
I am going to go out and get some chicken to keep on hand in case he
suddenly will eat it. I was also thinking of starting the prednisone
tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. It seems inevitable
at this point, and if it will help...why wait?!

I'm trying to take care of me, but I am really worried about kitty. I
think Luna is even worried and she doesn't even really like Jasper much.
Heh. She keeps trying to sniff him. Either she smells the sick or she
smells the smells from the vet's office. Or both.

THanks for talking to me. It's keeping me a little more sane.
Pam

"kitkat" wrote in message
om...
Mary wrote:
"kitkat" wrote in message

Thanks, Mary. I had done a little google investigation myself.


I was just trying to toss you something until Phil or someone with
more experience with the disease showed up. I hate that scared feeling.

I know, and I do appreciate it. The only problem with those articles is
that they *appear* to be written in English but contain all kinds of
words I don't understand! LOL.

It sounds

like an episode of acute pancreatitis, but we'll only know after time if
it becomes chronic. The diagnosis from the vet was not definitive...just
suspected. I guess we'll see how he does over the next 24-48 hours and
go from there. The one good thing is that he seems comfortable while
resting...but I am very aware of the stoic nature of kitties, so if he
is in a lot of pain, he might not be showing it. I did get him to drink
a little water earlier from a ladle that I put right in front of his
face. I'm going to try that again tonight. I really would like to help
keep him hydrated.

also still sick,
Pam :(


It just has not been your week, Pam, or Jasper's. If you have a
turkey baster, you can also hold him like a baby and kind of
dribble it to him. (I don't mean force him!! I kept my cat Gnarly
hydrated by wrapping her in a towel in my arms and just dribbling
water to her slowly when she was feeling bad. She seems to like
it well enough once she tasted it but would not seek it out.)
Meanwhile, you need fluids too.

I did just get him to drink more from the ladle. Then I tried putting a
little gravy from some canned food on a spoon...but he had NO interest.
I am going to go out and get some chicken to keep on hand in case he
suddenly will eat it. I was also thinking of starting the prednisone
tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. It seems inevitable
at this point, and if it will help...why wait?!

I haven't been following Jasper's story well at all, but this caught my eye.

When one of my cats had acute (& then chronic, which very gradually got
better) liver disease, & as a result she simply was not eating, the
internist/oncologist who diagnosed her prescribed Prednisone as one of the
meds for her treatment plan. Besides reducing inflammation, the Pred truly
worked miracles on her appetite. We left the vet's office in the middle of
the afternoon, & by the time the muscle relaxant (for a sonogram & needle
biopsy) had worn off 2 - 3 hours later, she made a bee-line for her food
bowl & ate a good-sized meal - music to my eyes!

Hope it works as well for Jasper's appetite! If he eats wet food, that
would help w/ the hydration bit at the same time. If he eats dry food, then
you can eye dropper water into the side of his mouth every couple of hours.
Better than nothing.

Cathy


I'm trying to take care of me, but I am really worried about kitty. I
think Luna is even worried and she doesn't even really like Jasper much.
Heh. She keeps trying to sniff him. Either she smells the sick or she
smells the smells from the vet's office. Or both.

THanks for talking to me. It's keeping me a little more sane.
Pam

I hate that feeling so much - I know what you are going through.
My thoughts & prayers go out to you. Carol

"kitkat" wrote in message
om...
Mary wrote:
"kitkat" wrote in message

Thanks, Mary. I had done a little google investigation myself.


I was just trying to toss you something until Phil or someone with
more experience with the disease showed up. I hate that scared feeling.

I know, and I do appreciate it. The only problem with those articles is
that they *appear* to be written in English but contain all kinds of
words I don't understand! LOL.

It sounds

like an episode of acute pancreatitis, but we'll only know after time if
it becomes chronic. The diagnosis from the vet was not definitive...just
suspected. I guess we'll see how he does over the next 24-48 hours and
go from there. The one good thing is that he seems comfortable while
resting...but I am very aware of the stoic nature of kitties, so if he
is in a lot of pain, he might not be showing it. I did get him to drink
a little water earlier from a ladle that I put right in front of his
face. I'm going to try that again tonight. I really would like to help
keep him hydrated.

also still sick,
Pam :(


It just has not been your week, Pam, or Jasper's. If you have a
turkey baster, you can also hold him like a baby and kind of
dribble it to him. (I don't mean force him!! I kept my cat Gnarly
hydrated by wrapping her in a towel in my arms and just dribbling
water to her slowly when she was feeling bad. She seems to like
it well enough once she tasted it but would not seek it out.)
Meanwhile, you need fluids too.

I did just get him to drink more from the ladle. Then I tried putting a
little gravy from some canned food on a spoon...but he had NO interest.
I am going to go out and get some chicken to keep on hand in case he
suddenly will eat it. I was also thinking of starting the prednisone
tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. It seems inevitable
at this point, and if it will help...why wait?!

I'm trying to take care of me, but I am really worried about kitty. I
think Luna is even worried and she doesn't even really like Jasper much.
Heh. She keeps trying to sniff him. Either she smells the sick or she
smells the smells from the vet's office. Or both.

THanks for talking to me. It's keeping me a little more sane.
Pam

"kitkat" wrote in message
om...
Phil P...I'm looking in your direction. :)

Jasper has basically slept ALL day. He did get up to use the cat box a
few times. The turkey meat that he hate...he barfed up. So it looks like
tomorrow we start the regimen of prednisone. We still have to give him
half of his dose of amoxicillin since he fought us off after only taking
half a dropper full.

If things don't start improving with the prednisone and a little more
antibiotic, I'll be taking him back to the vet on Monday. But in the
meanwhile...any words of wisdom?

First off - are you sure he has pancreatitis and not IBD?

The usual treatment for pancreatitis - *only* if the cat is vomiting and as
long as there's no evidence of hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome), is
withholding food and water for 24-36 hours to rest the pancreas. But this
dietary therapy was extrapolated from canine pancreatitis. I've seen some
compelling evidence against withholding food and water for more than 24
hours in cats. Yet some vets still swear by it. If food must be withheld
any longer than 24 hours, a feeding tube should be used.

Before I'd go that route, I'd try feeding small meals and see if he
tolerates its without vomiting. I've had pretty good luck with boiled
chicken (white meat) and rice. I've also had some luck with Nutri-Cal. I
don't think cats with pancreatitis are affected by fat as much as dogs are.

A serious complication of pancreatitis is hepatic lipidosis - which is why I
wouldn't withhold food for more than 12 hours (only if the cat is
vomiting) - especially if the cat hasn't been eating.

Good luck,

Phil




scared!
Pam

Cathy Friedmann wrote:
Besides reducing inflammation, the Pred truly
worked miracles on her appetite. We left the vet's office in the middle of
the afternoon, & by the time the muscle relaxant (for a sonogram & needle
biopsy) had worn off 2 - 3 hours later, she made a bee-line for her food
bowl & ate a good-sized meal - music to my eyes!

*THIS* is good to hear!!!

Phil P. wrote:

First off - are you sure he has pancreatitis and not IBD?

Nope. Not sure. The vet says she "suspects" pancreatitis based on his
symptoms. (a vomiting episode, lethargy, fever, lack of appetite)

The usual treatment for pancreatitis - *only* if the cat is vomiting and as
long as there's no evidence of hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome), is
withholding food and water for 24-36 hours to rest the pancreas. But this
dietary therapy was extrapolated from canine pancreatitis. I've seen some
compelling evidence against withholding food and water for more than 24
hours in cats. Yet some vets still swear by it. If food must be withheld
any longer than 24 hours, a feeding tube should be used.

Before I'd go that route, I'd try feeding small meals and see if he
tolerates its without vomiting. I've had pretty good luck with boiled
chicken (white meat) and rice. I've also had some luck with Nutri-Cal. I
don't think cats with pancreatitis are affected by fat as much as dogs are.

A serious complication of pancreatitis is hepatic lipidosis - which is why I
wouldn't withhold food for more than 12 hours (only if the cat is
vomiting) - especially if the cat hasn't been eating.

Good luck,

Phil

Jasper has eaten next to nothing since Thursday. Today we fed him a
little bit of turkey, but he returned it. The vet did not suggest
witholding food but to see if he would eat anything at all. She
suggested feeding him anything he would eat...whether it be his regular
wet food or cooked chicken or whatever. The rest of the treatment at
this time is to administer antibiotics for a week and a regimen of
prednisone starting tomorrow if he doesn't eat first...which it's
looking like he isn't going to do. I'm hopeful that will kick start his
appetite. Would you think it is better to give him a few days to try and
get back to normal or get him back to the vet for more in-depth testing
right away? The vet sent Jasper home with us last night because he was
SO agitated there that they couldn't do much for him. His being blind
and deaf must only complicate the natural hate for the vet's office that
an animal feels. He was/is very relaxed and calm at home with us.

Pam