Help kitty just got a feeding tube

Patches stayed at the vets for a few days while they worked him up to full feedings.  Of course I was getting daily updates and the vet did tell me there was some vomiting while they were working him up to full feedings.  The vet had me mixing the food half and half with water which I think is a bit different from others I have seen here.  I was giving 60 mls at a time of the diluted food so it was actually 30 mls of food.  I don't know how much they started him on.

Patches tube was long as well.  He didn't have the collar like your kitty has.  His neck was wrapped with gauze then they put a really stretchy piece of material over the gauze.  I remember the stretchy material was red and they attached a pink felt heart to it.  The vet actually shaved a little spot on his side.  She then put in a loose suture so it formed a loop and the tube went through that loop.

I don't remember gurgling sounds.  I do remember a bit of a sound like a vacuum being broken when I took the cap off.  I am wondering if with the gurgling sound and the brown vomit if your kitty is having an issue with excess stomach acid.  I would tell the vet about the gurgling sound and the brown vomit.
I think your kitty may be constipated.  I don't think the tube goes down that far inside.  I think I would wait until you talk to the vet before adding more to the feedings.  I know you want to get enough calories in but if she is constipated more food could make things worse.

mrsgreenjeens said:

It's natural to be feeling depressed, but with this type of illness, there are going to just be bad days .  It happens. 

Did she vomit almost immediately after she got the antibiotic?  I don't know if it was the antibiotic that caused it or not, because it doesn't sound like it was in her long enough to cause it, however, it doesn't take a  cat long to digest their food (2ish hours), so her tummy should have long been empty, especially with just 16 mls of food in it from 6 a.m. (if I'm understanding correctly)
When you want to "tag" someone, type an @ sign and then start typing their name.  A dropdown with names will appear.  You need to select the person from the dropdown menu and then they should automatically be notified that you need them   Their name will show up like this @Denice
(in blue) so you know it worked.  I have now tagged Denice for you.  My question on that gurgling...does it do it all the time, or only the time when she actually vomited? 

BTW, Cerenia is normally given 5 days on, 2 days off.  So....today would normally have been the day to start it up again.  THAT could be the issue...time will tell.

I honestly don't think it's that the A/D is too rich, considering you only give her such a tiny amount, and that should have been well digested already.  (should have been anyway). 

So all those meds are supposed to be given on an empty stomach?  I'm guessing so, but honesty don't know since when we had our HL cat, I don't think they even had any of these meds.  Gurgling sound usually when we uncap tube @denice ur right sounds like vacuum cleaner



Try to remain calm.  As I said, there will be good bad days with this.  It doesn't mean she's not recovering.  My own kidney cat is having a bad day today too. (she also vomited this morning, not really like her lately)   Some times they just have bad days, which makes US have bad days too.

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@mrsgreenjeens hope ur kitty is feeling better. Squeak started licking her lips after we gave her antibiotics and attaching food syringe, she got real squirmy. The onl drug on empty stomach is the Demeron , we figured since she had 6am feed she'd be good with antibiotic prior to food.wrong move. :-(. We have vet appt tomorrow for vitamin B injection and blood work. Ill bring up gurgling sounds and vomiting. Though@denice it looked/smelled more like the food slurry we've been feeding her. She is staying quite an sleeping on my hubby's legs now. Kitty prayers we try another feeding at 6pm :cross:

I tried @ to tag no drop down menu I'm on an IPad if that makes any difference
denice

mrsgreenjeens
ha! I figured it out!

denice . We did 5:50pm regland into feeding tube. Uncapped , water flush 5mls, strong smell coming from tube smells like food. Kinda like what she vomited this at 11:30. Gave her Roland, flush 4mls. Then rest for 30 minutes. She starts getting "squirmy " even with initial water flush. Licked lips once moved around settled down to complete meds administration. Moved away from us on bed, then jumped off bed and back under bed. Purring most of time with Regland push

Feel like the 6:30pm feeding is gonna be like playing Russian Roulette! Supposed to do 15ml's

I'm scared

Update:
7:00pm feeding a no go! She was licking her lips acting very uncomfortable. Called vet , they reluctantly said ok to give Cerinia injection & wait 2 hrs to try to feed again to be on "safe side". What's THAT mean? Looked up mfg handout for Cernia it says ok to feed after 30 minutes of injection. Squeaky stayed on bed after injection and wanted belly rubs for about 10 minutes. I could hear stomach growling sounds with belly rubs, Squeaky has had no food since 7am, so we will try again
At 9pm.

9:00 - 10:00 we were able to get in 11ml's 1ml push with 2-3minute wait. Didn't use the wedge for her to lay on, she wanted to lie flat and get lots of belly rubs. She's meows sound different than yesterday and she starts to move as soon as we start pushing 1ml, then repositions herself and licks lips. We waited several minutes and got next Mil in. Why today would she appear more sensitive to feedings?
She peed and had a rock hard BM (tmi?) and drank water. I have lots of questions for vet tomorrow .

squeakyflorida said:

9:00 - 10:00 we were able to get in 11ml's 1ml push with 2-3minute wait. Didn't use the wedge for her to lay on, she wanted to lie flat and get lots of belly rubs. She's meows sound different than yesterday and she starts to move as soon as we start pushing 1ml, then repositions herself and licks lips. We waited several minutes and got next Mil in. Why today would she appear more sensitive to feedings?
She peed and had a rock hard BM (tmi?) and drank water. I have lots of questions for vet tomorrow .

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It sounds like Bucket and your kitty are having similar experiences. Bucket is now acting very uncomfortable with feedings, but she hasn't had a BM yet. I gave her some probiotics and digestive enzymes, backed off on the feeding, did just some water instead of a feeding, and gently massaged her belly a lot today and now the hard lump I felt in her belly has moved and her belly is making digestive noises, I am still holding off for a little bit on the feeding because if she's constipated I don't want her to become impacted. But I'm hopeful that those things helped. I hope your kitty starts feeling better soon. Good thoughts and prayers to you.

squeakyflorida said:

9:00 - 10:00 we were able to get in 11ml's 1ml push with 2-3minute wait. Didn't use the wedge for her to lay on, she wanted to lie flat and get lots of belly rubs. She's meows sound different than yesterday and she starts to move as soon as we start pushing 1ml, then repositions herself and licks lips. We waited several minutes and got next Mil in. Why today would she appear more sensitive to feedings?
She peed and had a rock hard BM (tmi?) and drank water. I have lots of questions for vet tomorrow .

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Anxious to hear what the Vet has to say about all this.  Was the BM regular sized, or just a little marble?  Wonder why, with you diluting half and half with water, she had a rock hard stool   And WHY her food doesn't appear to be digesting   You may need to add digestive enzymes, although I would think since A/D is highly digestible, it wouldn't be needed .  Can't wait for an update

mrsgreenjeens . katkin9
Well 3 hrs at vet(it's ER Hospital- internist sees both emergencies and patients). Lots of emergencies this morning. Dr is changing to different antibiotic, additional anti nausea med, checked the tube, states the discomfort could be just due to the tube placement itself. She's not concerned with poops. She advised Sqeak should be getting 250 ML's water a day. She's getting at least 100 ML's from meds, food and flushes. Plus still drinking on her own.i am going to try to get a little pumpkin into her. There's been an I ncrease in Billi & Alt.. That's concerning. Dons says stay the course. I thought I read on another thread that the liver numbers got worse before better? ANYONE Encounter that?

Squeak handled 6am feeding& 2pm feeding well. We are going super slow letting her reposition when she starts moving. A good tip from a vet site that seems to make a difference is ensure food is warmed to 100 degrees. We just put syringe in hot water from tap for 50 minutes changing out water once. Squeak almost fell asleep at 6am feeding. I've been off work for last 4 days. Hubby is gonna have to handle most of feedings during work week.

Diagnostics Performed Today:
- Chem4, lytes: elevated ALT ( 2113 U/L; reference interval 12-130); hyperphosphatasemia (1133 U/L; reference interval 14-111); hyperbilirubinemia (18.8 mg/dL; reference interval 0-0.9); mild hypokalemia (3.0;
- Lateral thoracic radiograph: confirmed placement of the esophageal feeding tube
Diagnosis/Assessment:
- Vomiting, anorexia: possible causes include pancreatitis, secondary to hepatic disease (see below), occult neoplastic disease (intestinal lymphoma, pancreatic carcinoma, other), infectious disease (parasitic, fungal, other), inflammatory bowel disease, other
- Elevated liver enzymes: possible causes include methimazole toxicity, hepatic lipidosis, secondary to pancreatitis and subsequent inflammation and cholestasis, cholangitis, neoplastic disease (lymphoma, carcinoma, other), infectious diseases (cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis, parasitic disease, fungal disease), other
- Liver nodule (historical, no significant change from previous measurements)
- Hyperthyroidism: historica
Medications:
1. Metronidazole 50 mg/mL suspension: Give 0.9 mL through the esophageal tube twice daily for fourteen days.
2. Cerenia 10 mg/mL injectable: Give 0.45 mL (contents of one syringe) subcutaneously once daily, up to five consecutive days.
3. Ondansetron (unknown concentration, called in to Pharmacy): Give 1 mg through the esophageal feeding tube twice daily. Anti-nausea.
4. Clavamox: Please discontinue.
5. Prednisolone 5 mg/mL: Give 1 mL by mouth twice daily until recheck.
6. Denamarin: Please continue as before.
7. Ursodiol: Please continue as before.
8. Squeaky received a B12 injection today.

It's good she's tolerated the last two feedings.   How much FOOD is she to get now? 

Yes, @Denice mentioned some figures actually got worse before getting better.  For sure the ALT, not sure about the billirubin.

Under the assessment and possible causes, what does your Vet really think IS the cause...any speculation:  There are lots of possibilities there. 

Did they say why they are stopping the antibiotics?  I can see stopping the clavamox since possiby it's causing nausea, but not replacing it with something else? 

Continued vibes that she doesn't have anymore days like yesterday

we are treating for any of the conditions noted. Liver aspirate was declined as squeaky already on prednisone and test would give us skewed results. She is changing antibiotic to Flagyl versus the clavamoc due to increase nausea. A

To id which condition is primary cause multiple organ biopsies would be required. We opted not to do them as it's not going to change treatment as well increased risk and stress to squeak.

Here are a couple good sites to research feline meds: found these sites very helpful

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?C=187&S=2

http://www.scbt.com/animal_health/feline_antibiotics_and_antifungals.html

Re: food she should be at 1 1/6 can food. Prior to yesterday's setback we were getting 1/3rd can. Now we are starting back again slowly
One can Science diet a/d with 16mls water blended came out to 95mls for me. We were gonna increase her to 20ml's yesterday but the vomiting set us back

Well tonight's feeding wasn't great. We only got 31mls in her for day. Again, hubby and I so depressed, frustrated, feeling helpless oh and did I say e are
Exhausted? 8:30pm was the plan Feeding gonna be awesome right? She'll take her flush, feeding, meds no problemo right? WRONG! She wouldn't even just hang out on bed, 7mls total of food at super slow speed. She got squirmy again with just the flush. Couldn't get under the bed fast enough. Soooo I let her get settled under bed. Thank goodness I have tons of shoes in boxes . We blocked access center under king bed. So she still go under but I can reach her. Also put sheets down so I can slide her easily out from under bed. She like to go limp when we pick her up.

Anyhow, I lay in floor she lets me pet her, finally she floors on her side for belly rubs and I manage to sneak in her lasix, pred & another flush. She gets up and repositions but she stays under bed between and the shoebox wall under bed!. THEN my little princess flops over with her back to as if to say CAP MY TUBE Plebe! I'm ready for bed! I had to laugh when she did that.


Honestly, the 3hrs at vet, drive time and U.S. Bugging her every 4 1/2 hrs has made her less accommodating . Should be a quieter day just Squeakt and her Daddy and Mama kitty.

I think we are gonna hold off on the reglan tomorrow as some of side effects are restlessness in cats. We are supposed to give Sqeak reglan Cernia and now zone an! All together?? Readin literature on Reglan not good for kitties with liver dysfunction.


We can only hope the next few days show improvement, so torn regarding how long to keep this up. It's only say 5 of feeding via tube. Sigh.....

squeakyflorida said:

Well tonight's feeding wasn't great. We only got 31mls in her for day. Again, hubby and I so depressed, frustrated, feeling helpless oh and did I say e are
Exhausted? 8:30pm was the plan Feeding gonna be awesome right? She'll take her flush, feeding, meds no problemo right? WRONG! She wouldn't even just hang out on bed, 7mls total of food at super slow speed. She got squirmy again with just the flush. Couldn't get under the bed fast enough. Soooo I let her get settled under bed. Thank goodness I have tons of shoes in boxes . We blocked access center under king bed. So she still go under but I can reach her. Also put sheets down so I can slide her easily out from under bed. She like to go limp when we pick her up.

Anyhow, I lay in floor she lets me pet her, finally she floors on her side for belly rubs and I manage to sneak in her lasix, pred & another flush. She gets up and repositions but she stays under bed between and the shoebox wall under bed!. THEN my little princess flops over with her back to as if to say CAP MY TUBE Plebe! I'm ready for bed! I had to laugh when she did that.


Honestly, the 3hrs at vet, drive time and U.S. Bugging her every 4 1/2 hrs has made her less accommodating . Should be a quieter day just Squeakt and her Daddy and Mama kitty.

I think we are gonna hold off on the reglan tomorrow as some of side effects are restlessness in cats. We are supposed to give Sqeak reglan Cernia and now zone an! All together?? Readin literature on Reglan not good for kitties with liver dysfunction.


We can only hope the next few days show improvement, so torn regarding how long to keep this up. It's only say 5 of feeding via tube. Sigh.....

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I took Bucket in this morning and they said her digestion was fine and there was nothing wrong and she wasn't constipated. Then I took her home fed her, she did okay. Then I fed her again and she wasn't having it. Super uncomfortable and clawing at me and I called he vet and said something is wrong. They checked her out again and decided to give her an enema. The managed to get some of the hard feces out, but not all. My poor baby was just constipated this whole time and that's why she was fighting me and I couldn't get her MLs in. The vet said the enema fluid should soften up the rest of what's in there and she should be able to go. If not, she gets another tomorrow. They said she was probably just too weak to even try to go and that's why she got impacted in the first place.

Maybe your baby is still constipated?

I know this is a rough and painfully slow recovery.  Kitties are so sick with this and they go so long with no improvement,  Really all you can do is keep  plugging away at it, call your vet's office with anything that doesn't seem right and frequent trips to the vet's office.

I completely understand about not doing biopsies, etc. to find the problem.  We're at that same stage with our little girl.  Her liver is once again acting up (along with her kidney disease), and we have no idea why, but at 15 1/2 years of age with kidney disease, we are NOT going to even get an ultra sound or needle biopsy done, because it really doesn't matter what is wrong, we can't pill our little pitbull of a 4 lb cat, so we're in a real pickle . since we know she can take Convenia (antibiotic shot) without issues, she'll get that again, as it brought her numbers down last time this happened, and hope for the best .

As to you having issues with feeding Squeak at her evening meal...wonder what was different from the earlier ones when things went well?  Maybe it IS the Reglan.

When we had our guy on the feeding tube and fed him every FOUR hours, did I mention he was on it for four MONTHS?????  Hubby and I definitely took turns feeding him.  Otherwise we would never have survived   Like you, we never had human kids so weren't used to those middle of the nigh feedings.  The things we do for our little ones But i worked days and hubby worked nights, so it actually worked out pretty well.

Tomorrow is another day,and hopefully things will look up. 

mrsgreenjeens denice

Ok kids here's the update: drumroll....... The hubby was successful in feeding her 3 times today!
What's different you ask? Well last lame attempt at feeding was 9:39pm last night

This morning:
1. We stopped Reglan based on what I read: see link great article on anti nausea meds for felines be sure you read all the way last page and see who the article is dedicated to
http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.co...iting-proceedings?id=&sk=&date=& &pageID=5

2. warmed the food for 50 min prior to feeding. Just stick syringe with tip wrapped in Saran Wrap in glass of hot water high enough to cover food. Also warming flush water.

3. At 5:45AM Hubby thought he was giving her zofran(anti-nausea) but due to sleep deprivation he gave her the new antibiotic! Yikes we were worried

4. 6:00 am he gently slid her out from under bed, I stayed out of room. Squeaky was still sleepy. He had carried her out from under bed on the sheet she was sleeping on. (Sheets under bed make for less of struggle to get them out), he sat in the bed with squeaky between his legs, kept lights low, very little talking, lots of petting and then BAM! We got a feeding done and she slept thru almost the whole thing & about 50 minutes thereafter! Done by 6:35,, I was shocked! I stayed out of room, left for work & hubby and Squeaky got in some more shut eye!

Now I don't want to jinx us, but he followed same routine for 11am & 4pm feeding! He did give zofran once today, holding Cernia injection and see how she does. No lip licking with any of the feedings Next feed at 9:00 pm, trying to get everything done some he can go straight to bed after this last feeding. I'm staying out of room. She's been left alone all day except for feedings. So I'm hoping it's the change in antibiotics & zofran. And of course huubby's patience. He did train squeaky to lick her tuna flavored meds off the syringe before she got HL. Squeaky is truly his little girl, they have a strong bond. Maybe the 2 of us "on her" during feeding was not her thing. So we have another feeding shortly,, kitty prayers!


Crap! Hubby gave her zofran 8:45pm she's licking her lips... We just gave her Cernia injection.. She is definitely a little more active. Meowed a lot when she saw me in addition to hubby. So we wait till 9:30 and see how she does with last feeding.

I am so glad that today's feedings went well.  Her body may have adjusted to the feedings.  Of course keeping things as stress free for her as possible can only help.

10:00pm!!! Hubby was able to feed her again, that makes 65 Ml's of food today!! And now she's sleeping in his lap!
That means I can get almost 7 hrs of sleep!! Hubby too!!

Here's hoping rest if week goes well!
Oh one more thing! I purchased Feliway Diffuser, that was plugged in to!

Yay!  I think maybe she was picking up on your stress .   Whatever.   Just glad it seems to be working now. 

Day 2 of feeding with no Reglan' just zofran & Cernia, Hubby completed 4 feedings 6am, 11am, 4pm, 9'pm ish. Squeaky handled a whole 5.5ounce can of science diet a/d! 2tsp of pumpkin, 18ml's water blended with food. Total 100 Ml's today!

Hubby goes back to sleep after 6am feed and then again after 11 am feed.he's exhausted. I'm working 12 hr days.last night thought I'd get 7 hrs of sleep but I woke up after only 5 hrs of sleep and couldn't go back to sleep! Grrrrrr. Guess my body has gotten used to the deprivation of last 2 weeks.
Praying hubby successful again tomorrow

One last question we changed her pad around stoma on Sunday. Vet looked at it on Monday but didn't change it. How often should pad be changed? We yes Hibicleanse diluted , swab around area, dry and replace old pad with new. And tips for caring for the wound/stoma?

I didn't do anything with the stoma.  I know some people here have been instructed on changing bandage etc but my vet didn't have me doing that.  I took her back in quite a bit, I think it was actually more than once a week, and the vet took care of bandage changes and checking the stoma..  She would tell me that it looked fine and I would take Patches home.

Getting a full can of the A/D down is great.  I am so happy things are going well now.

SO glad things are finally starting to smooth out .

As to the changing of the pad, etc., I have no idea.  I'd just give the Vet a quick call and ask.