Jordan update (I'm at a loss as to where to go now)

rang_27

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So last night I spent a lot of money at the vet for no answers. Just a quick update, Jordan has not been eating much ( 1.5 oz of wet food a day) since he went to the eye specialist last week Friday. He's been off the pred for 3 weeks now, so I assumed his blood calcium was spiking again. Off to the vet we went last night. The vet did blood work, all but one value were normal. His Creatine was slightly elevated, but because he had been throwing up she felt it was due to dehydration. They also did X-Rays. The only thing she could find that would explain his not eating was that he was constipated. So they managed to get an enema. He had several bowel movements last night & I thought he would be eating by this morning. No such luck. He still wouldn't eat much. I did get him to eat most of a jar of baby food. My sister feels that he just gets super upset being at the vet and that stress causes problems with his tummy. There may be some validity to this since he gets very upset. He had been doing great until we went to the eye specialist. That was when it went down hill? I'm very worried & at a little bit of a loss understanding what is going on with him.
 

lmunsie

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I'm very very sorry for what you're going through, it sounds like you're doing all you can. You had bloodwork done, so you obviously had the cacium checked, did you have other values, ie. liver values checked?
If he hasn't been eating much it could be snowballing into something worse. It's good that you can atleast get him to eat baby food, keep that up, it's very important that he eats or he'll get sicker.

He is probably just stressed from everything he is gone through, maybe a kick of fluids, either IV or SubQ could help him out a bit and make him start feeling better. Very important to keep him eating however you can as well, baby food, tuna etc. Keep a close eye on his skin colour (easiest to see by the ears) to make sure it doesn't turn yellowish....

Good luck and many many healing vibes
 
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rang_27

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Thanks for the input. Yes they did an in house quick pannel. Calcium was normal, Liver vavlues all normal. I had planned on giving him Sub-Q last night, but I didn't realize that I had no fluids left (he had been on some sub-q therapy when his blood calcium was high). I plan on going to the store at lunch to pick up some more baby food. The intresting thing was that last night before we went to the vet he was eating ham from my sandwich, he was grabing it out of my hand like he was starving. That is normal for him so I thought he'd be feeling better. Maybe I just need to relax too.
 

threecatowner

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I honestly think sometimes that cats are way smarter than we think they are (not smarter than they think they are, of course). I recently took a cat to the vet (who found nothing) when he quit eating - coincided with seeing our overnight bags out for an upcoming trip. This fat cat has never stopped eating in his life. My mom swears he was reacting to our going away. I'm skeptical, but he ate like a pig while we were gone.

I hope stress is all that is going on with Jordan - the ham sandwich would certainly suggest that, huh? Maybe he's tired of his cat food. Mine have pulled that one in the past as well.

Good luck to you guys!
 

pookie-poo

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Have you tried any cyproheptadine, to kick start his appetite? I keep some on hand for Cleo, but haven't needed it for ages. Cleo's appetite has been too good lately....she could definitely benefit from some weight loss.

There's always the much-maligned, but highly effective, 'Fancy Feast appetite stimulation test'. I've never had a cat turn their nose up at that stuff. I hope Jordan starts to feel like eating for you soon!
 

scarlett 001

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Has his mouth been checked? My cat was not eating, when my sister said to me that I should check his mouth as sometimes rather than feeling poorly in the main body, some sores in the mouth etc. can make them not eat (a family cat once had this issue in the past that my sister had remembered). So I looked and lo and behold he had a problem in his mouth.
 
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rang_27

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I don't know that the vet looked in his mouth that closely as he is a crabby guy when he's at the vet. I did look in his mouth for exactly that reason, but now that you mention it I wonder if he has a bad tooth that is bothering him???? Or the other thought I had was maybe I should put his carrier away. I left it out and maybe that makes him nervous thinking he'll be going back.
 

ckatz

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What about giving him some Pepcid. My Siamese mix stopped eating due to a reaction from an antibodic. My vet told me to give her 1/4 tablet of otc Pepcid to calm her stomach.
 
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rang_27

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Originally Posted by ckatz

What about giving him some Pepcid. My Siamese mix stopped eating due to a reaction from an antibodic. My vet told me to give her 1/4 tablet of otc Pepcid to calm her stomach.
I should try that. I don't know why I didn't think of it, I've given him pepcid before.

He's had a sligth increase in eating. Last night he at 1/2 a can of fancy feast & 1/2 a jar of turkey baby food. Then this morning he ate a little less that 1/8 cup of dry food & a whole jar of ham baby food. So he seems to be slowly imporving, and I'm hoping that in the next day or so he will start eating even better.
 

mews2much

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The pepcid might help your cat.
I use the compounded Pecid for Coco and it helps.
Of course Coco will not eat from teh crf sometimes. so its differant then your cat.
Its worth a try.
 

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I am so sorry that Jordan is feeling down again. I have been following your story with him.

I know I must sound like a broken record sometimes, but are the vets sure Jordan isn't having bouts of chronic pancreatitis along with everything else. Vomiting only happens when it goes acute and then not always.

Most often it is off the food and just not doing well. Pred will make it better and is one of the treatment, along with sub-q's, cyproheptadine and buphrenophine when the pain in bad. Basically supportive care.

Stomper has to be on his pred forever now. He crashes each time he is tapered off. He can go as low as 2.5 mg every other day, but no less.
He use to be able to go off for several months at a time.

If you haven't already gone over this possibility with Jordan's vet it is worth asking about.

Lots of vibes that sweety is feeling better soone.
 
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rang_27

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Originally Posted by kittymonsters

I am so sorry that Jordan is feeling down again. I have been following your story with him.

I know I must sound like a broken record sometimes, but are the vets sure Jordan isn't having bouts of chronic pancreatitis along with everything else. Vomiting only happens when it goes acute and then not always.

Most often it is off the food and just not doing well. Pred will make it better and is one of the treatment, along with sub-q's, cyproheptadine and buphrenophine when the pain in bad. Basically supportive care.

Stomper has to be on his pred forever now. He crashes each time he is tapered off. He can go as low as 2.5 mg every other day, but no less.
He use to be able to go off for several months at a time.

If you haven't already gone over this possibility with Jordan's vet it is worth asking about.

Lots of vibes that sweety is feeling better soone.
You know it's been so long since he's stopped eating, but I think I'm going to call tomorrow. I don't want to take him in because I don't want to stress him out any more than necessary. I will ask about that. I know that was an issue when this first started happening, but I can't remember why they decided not to focus on pancreatitis. Thank for the sugestion, I will look into that.

He seems to be doing well other than the not wanting to eat much. Frankly he does act hungry at feeding time, then he starts to eat. After eating a little he stops. He has gotten back up to about 1.5 0z of cat food & 2 jars of baby food a day. I know it's not ideal, but at least I know that the baby food will keep his liver functioning.
 

kittymonsters

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Originally Posted by Rang_27

You know it's been so long since he's stopped eating, but I think I'm going to call tomorrow. I don't want to take him in because I don't want to stress him out any more than necessary. I will ask about that. I know that was an issue when this first started happening, but I can't remember why they decided not to focus on pancreatitis. Thank for the sugestion, I will look into that.

He seems to be doing well other than the not wanting to eat much. Frankly he does act hungry at feeding time, then he starts to eat. After eating a little he stops. He has gotten back up to about 1.5 0z of cat food & 2 jars of baby food a day. I know it's not ideal, but at least I know that the baby food will keep his liver functioning.
How you describe what Jordan is doing is what Stomper does when his attacks start out. Last week we dropped his pred to ever other day, yesterday he started leaving food. Today he only ate about 1/4 of his food before running to the bed. Now if I bring his dish to the bed he will slowly finish it all, but it takes him a very long time.

When he feels good, I can hardly get his food scooped out onto his dish. He is always done before I even get done feeding the other cats. So this eating slowly then not finishing has become a sign for me that things are not right. If I don't jump on it and up his pred dose right away he will escalate to a full blown acute attack.

I don't blame you for not wanting to take Jordan in. Stomper's vet and I were on email and phone conversations every other day. He rarely went in anymore. I just moved, so he has been in to see the new vet a couple times, but today was just a phone call and a "yes, have to up the pred".
I have to be thankful though that the pred actually helps, because I would have lost him by now if it didn't.

for you and Jordan.
 
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rang_27

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Well Friday night he ate his whole meal, then Saturday morning he ate all his dry food. So by Saturday night when he ate his whole dinner again. I thought we were in the clear. No such luck, again yesterday morning he started being picky. This is not at all like him. The fist vet I took him too didn't believe me when I said something was wrong. This vet is a little better at believing me when I say this is not him. Jordan just like you cat is very food motivated. I had to teach him to sit when I fed him because he used to get so excited he'd jump up & knock the food out of my hand. Well I didn't call the vet on Saturday because he looked so good, now I'm thinking I may have to give her a call after all. I should add I did buy him elevated food dishes & he seeems to like them.
 
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