Anyone have good advice for caring for feline pancreatitis?

[bettyellen]

I have a great vet, they’re on steroids and a good diet.
This is Sweetpea’s third bout in three years and oddly, Patsy came down with it the same week. And they both barfed- which is unusual. Poor things. Wish I could post you all a pic.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. The vet needs to monitor them closely - pancreatitis can be serious.

I had a cat who got it and he was pretty sick - he was at the vet's for a couple of weeks (it didn't help that he was also diabetic). One important thing is being sure they are adequately hydrated. The cat might also need pain meds because pancreatitis can cause pain in the abdomen. My cat did recover but it took awhile.

The best advice I can offer is to keep checking that they are hydrated (pull up the skin on their neck and if it doesn't snap back quickly they are dehydrated), and pester the vet a lot. I hope your kitties get well soon.

[bettyellen]

4. Its a challenge because my vet is a 45 min drive and my car crapped out.

I actually had to take a Lyft out there because he’s so much better than local doctors. He has an on-site lab and X-rays and such so I get results in an hour. Their other organs are looking good. Strong liver function, no signs of diabetic issues. They’re not letting me administer the sub-cu fluids so I have a vet tech coming Saturday to help with that. I’m at the stage where I’ve had to expand their diets to Weruva and other crack like no grain foods. One can’t handle grains and had bowel issues so they’ve been on frozen raw rabbit kibble for years but they’re not having it right now. They’re usually so ravenous (a Cornish Rex breed trait) it’s scary when they don’t cry out for food.

[PSPS]

2. I had a similar situation with my cat. Does yours have elevated blood glucose?

[bettyellen]

6. Nope, they have been very low carb for years. All meat and a little pumpkin now and again.

So far they said there other organs look good. Just crazy they are both having a bout at the same time!

[PSPS]

7. OK. I can't offer any advice then.

In my situation, my cat was initially diagnosed with diabetes. I gave him insulin before every meal but only after measuring his glucose level (same way and equipment as humans with a drop of blood from puncturing his ear) and adjusting the dosage accordingly. When I removed all dry food from his diet, his need for insulin became less until he didn't need it anymore, so long as I didn't feed the guy any dry food. I still checked his glucose occasionally but it remained at normal the rest of his happy life.

The vet said it could have been pancreatitis all along since diabetes isn't supposed to be able to be "cured" like this, thus my question to you.

Best of luck with your kitty.

[bettyellen]

8. Thats really interesting, thank you!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. One of my cats got pancreatitis.

She stopped eating for a while, and my vet found a topical medicine that I could rub into her ear to bring her appetite back. It worked. Several years later she got it again and nothing worked. But she was about 14 by then, while not old for a cat, she'd had a good life.

That cat had constant health problems her whole life, and she was the sweetest cat imaginable.

I hope you get this solved.

[bettyellen]

5. Thanks! They got an appetite stimulant and an anti-emetic, since both had

Barfed and lost their appetite. I have managed to get them to eat but only about 1/2 their normal amount. Even Forti Flora, which is like crack for them, is not helping very much. It did help me pill them, which is important.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. I probably understand what you are going through.

This is tough, I know.

Some years back I had three cats. One suddenly got very ill and died. I was, as anyone reading this knows, heartbroken. Several weeks later another cat got very sick with pancreatitis, which I've already mentioned. I was extremely distressed, because I wasn't ready to lose a second cat so quickly. Fortunately, that cat recovered and lived another year and a half. By the time she left me, I was ready to let her go.

The third cat went about a year later. All of the cats had reached a good age, from 14 to 17 or so years. Right now I have no cats because I'm doing a lot of travelling and it would be frankly irresponsible of me to have one. Luckily, some close friends have a cat and when they go out of town I get to cat sit. Hooray!

Someday I will be a crazy cat lady. I am looking forward to it.

[JayhawkSD]

10. I feel your pain.

Kind of trite, but...

Out little calico has been through a lot, one of them being chronic pancreatitis. Heartworm, a blood clot that damaged one kidney so badly that she now has about 20% kidney function, lymphoma in her upper intestine diagnosed just a couple months short of 4 years go, the pancreatitis issues and a tendency for bladder infection. We give her pills twice a day and sub-cutaneous fluid daily and have been on that routine for about two years now. She takes it all in stride, fights none of it, is very social, plays with her toys and purrs when we pet her. We call her our "everready battery."

Medications include appetite stimulant, anti-nausea, a couple of antibiotics, something for the cancer and, like yours, steroid. We use a compounding lab in Arizona that puts most of it into one capsule.

Still, there are days when she does not want to eat, and that is always worrisome. She only weighs 7.5#, so losing any weight is a real problem. Lately her thyroid level has been creeping up, but for now we're just watching it. She's fifteen.

I don't even want to think about what we've spent on all that. Thousands. Doesn't matter.

[bettyellen]

12. Not trite in the least! Thanks for giving me hope. And good on you for the care you give your baby.

[BigmanPigman]

11. My dog may have it (the vet said a few months ago).

She suggested I try giving her Pepsid10 mg and cut them in half and give it to her twice a day. She weighs 7 lbs. I did but it took a while for her to start eating again. I wish I could give her some of my Creon (that's what I have to take for it myself). Can your vet get kitty Creon?

[bettyellen]

13. I dont know! Ill look into it. Thanks BP!

[Sanity Claws]

14. I have to give my cats Pepcid

I was told to use only Pepcid AC and the dose should be 1/4 of a tablet.