Sebastian is Back at the Vet...Suspected Pancreatitis Again :(

[tryingtorelax]

Poor kitty! Both of my boys have chronic pancreatitis. They have one mild flare up for a few days every summer. This is what I do: 1 Proviable DC (probiotic)daily, Pan X-5 (raw pancreatic enzyme comes in capsule form from Progressive labs out of Texas), given twice a day, 1/4 famotidine (Pepcid AC) given twice a day to one of my cats, Animal Apawthecary Milk thistle capsule given once a day. Both cats were taking Cerenia.for nausea but are totally weined off of it and miracle of miracles,no vomiting!!! I also have been feeding Raw turkey by RADCat . It comes in frozen tubs. Since going raw and I only do that one protein! as both cats tolerate it the best! it is like a miracle. It took almost a year to get them used to raw, but it was well worth it. My cats each weigh 12lbs, no more skin and bones, like they were. I measure out 3.5 oz, every morning and every night and that is the extent of their diet. I am amazed. I hope you will find this helpful and I highly recommend trying the Panx-5", I swear that is what is doing the trick. They have been on it for over a year. Try it and give it time, paired with a good probiotic, you should be fine. GOOD Luck!!

 

[goholistic]

It's been over week that I've been trying to re-stabilize Sebastian after having a bad experience with a new supplement that I introduced (which I've stopped). He's now eating on his own without the appetite stimulant, but we're not 100% there, yet. For example, this morning he walked away from his first feeding before finishing, but came back once the Pepcid and Cerenia kicked in and then had two more feedings.

He's been up and about. Grooming has resumed...thank goodness! He was getting awfully greasy looking. 

 

[scarlett 001]

So a few good things mixed in the report. That is something to hold onto. What a difficult situation.

 

[cprcheetah]

Sorry for the setback, but it sounds like he's on the mend again. 

 

[goholistic]

 
Sorry for the setback, but it sounds like he's on the mend again. 

Maybe.

He's still not eating right - walking away from his food, needs encouragement, etc. He didn't even want to get out of bed this morning, but finally worked his way into the kitchen when he heard me feeding Boo. Both Sebastian and Caesar are now sneezing, so I'm sure that's not helping their appetites. I've upped the l-lysine, and may have to give Sebastian the appetite stimulant tonight if his eating doesn't pick up. I'm thinking this might be a better plan, anyway, since he is off Cerenia on the weekends and Mirtazapine will keep him eating through the weekend.

Seems like that change I made really threw him out of whack and I'm having a heck of time getting him back on track. It's been almost two weeks since I've stopped the supplement. C'mon Bastie...

 

[irinasak]

I am so sorry you are going through this, your strength and determination are inspiring.

What was the supplement you introduced and didn't agree with him?

 

[goholistic]

 
I am so sorry you are going through this, your strength and determination are inspiring.

What was the supplement you introduced and didn't agree with him?

That's nice of you to say. It certainly does take a lot out of me.

The supplement was BioSuperfood. I posted a more detailed update about it on this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/270235/bio-algae-concentrates-bacs-spirulina-etc#post_3485329

 

[lbailey]

How old is Sebastion?... tried seeing through the history of posts, but couldn't locate easy.... I commend you for all your efforts towards your cat!!

 

[goholistic]

 
How old is Sebastion?... tried seeing through the history of posts, but couldn't locate easy.... I commend you for all your efforts towards your cat!!

Kudos to you for trying to skim 487 posts! 

  Sebastian is estimated to be 12 years old. I adopted him from a local shelter in 2010, at which time they guessed him to be around 8.

Well, I'm back at this confusing stage where I don't know if Sebastian is not feeling well or just being picky and doesn't like the canned rabbit anymore. I know I said before that this means he doesn't feel well, but it's just so indeterminate. He acts like he feels okay...grooming, laying comfortably, being lovey with me, laying on my chest in the morning, walking around, peeing and pooing normal. It's not like he's being lethargic and unsociable. But when it comes to mealtimes, he is totally uninterested in the canned rabbit. I even gave him Mirtazapine last night to help him along, and even on that he is hesitant to eat the canned rabbit. (He will, however, beg for the dry rabbit food.) He's been sneezing, so maybe he has a stuffy nose that is making the canned rabbit smell like nothing. 

  I'm debating whether or not to wait it out or try to [hesitantly] offer him something else.

I know no one has answers and I don't expect any responses. This is just my way of "talking it out." Maybe something will click.

I phoned the vet. Will see what she thinks.

 

[peaches08]

Knowing cats as we do, cats don't communicate worth a hoot. How many times have we just kicked ourselves for not picking up on some subtle message of pain, etc? I remember when I took Mason to the vet a few days after he was neutered because he had a small amount of pus at the incision site, and the vet took his temperature... 103 or 104...either way I almost cried. I felt like the least competent cat owner in the world. But the truth of the matter is we're doing the best that we can on limited information from the cat.

The only advice I know to give is "he's got to eat something." Even if it takes crushing up Meow Mix dry as a topper. I've asked before but forgot the answer, what does he like, and what does he positively have to stay away from?

 

[cprcheetah]

I am so sorry he's being picky.  I think if he has a stuffy nose that could make the rabbit not as appealing to him.  DeeJay has been super finicky this week, finally decided to just go ahead and transition her over to raw and she has been eating like a horse the last 2 days.  Even ate the vet i/d yesterday at the vet.  (I forgot to tell them not to feed her).  Have you tried a different can of the rabbit?  Maybe that one has a weird smell?

 

[oliverandmax]

Dear GoHolistic,

Just wishing you and Sebastian (who looks like my Max) all the best, I know the agony of an ill cat you love dearly.

Best Wishes,

Emily

 

[ldg]

Just sending vibes. And hugs.

 

[goholistic]

Knowing cats as we do, cats don't communicate worth a hoot. How many times have we just kicked ourselves for not picking up on some subtle message of pain, etc? I remember when I took Mason to the vet a few days after he was neutered because he had a small amount of pus at the incision site, and the vet took his temperature... 103 or 104...either way I almost cried. I felt like the least competent cat owner in the world. But the truth of the matter is we're doing the best that we can on limited information from the cat.

The only advice I know to give is "he's got to eat something." Even if it takes crushing up Meow Mix dry as a topper. I've asked before but forgot the answer, what does he like, and what does he positively have to stay away from?

Thanks for your thoughts. This is so true.

We got through the weekend on the Mirt. It wore off by Sunday night, but he ate. And he ate for me this morning, but he is still eating the canned rabbit with hesitation. I started offering him a small amount of raw rabbit (see: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/272513/finally-my-first-batch-of-raw-and-i-have-questions). He either really likes it (he begs for more), or he's just glad to have something different for a change. I don't give him too much because of how sensitive he is to change. It'll be a slow introduction. Interestingly, the raw does seem to act as an appetite stimulant. When he's being fussy about the canned, I'll give him a nickel-sized dollop of raw rabbit. He hoofs it and begs for more. When I don't give him more, he'll go and finish off his canned with gusto. It's like it sparks his appetite. Does this make sense? 

Also, I hope I'm not making it seem that Sebastian is worse than he is. For the most part, he acts fine. There are certain things he does or doesn't do that help me gauge how he feels. Grooming is a biggie, and he's been a cleaning machine. It seems he fights me more with pilling when he feels good, and he's been a bugger about that (when he doesn't feel well, he lets me do it without a fight). He's been sleeping with me (when he doesn't feel well, he wants to be alone). We were never at a point of any major concern; its just that he's been a little "off" with his food and I try to keep him going as best as possible and stave off any possibility of an oncoming flare.

 
I am so sorry he's being picky.  I think if he has a stuffy nose that could make the rabbit not as appealing to him.  DeeJay has been super finicky this week, finally decided to just go ahead and transition her over to raw and she has been eating like a horse the last 2 days.  Even ate the vet i/d yesterday at the vet.  (I forgot to tell them not to feed her).  Have you tried a different can of the rabbit?  Maybe that one has a weird smell?

He's still sneezing every once in awhile, but definitely not as frequent since I've upped the l-lysine. Maybe his stuffy nose (if he had one) is starting to clear. I bought the canned rabbit by the case, so the cans all have the same lot number and expiration date. I'm not seeing a difference in his interest from can to can. It could be that this particular case is a little different than the last one. It does seem that this all started when I started a new case. Hmm....

 
Dear GoHolistic,

Just wishing you and Sebastian (who looks like my Max) all the best, I know the agony of an ill cat you love dearly.

Best Wishes,

Emily

That's so nice. Thank you very much. 

Just sending vibes. And hugs.

Thank you, my dear!  

 

[peaches08]

I was thrilled to see him peaking on the top shelf of the fridge and eating so much better!

 

[goholistic]

Sebastian ate a small amount of the raw rabbit this morning, but is basically not eating anything at all now...not even the dry food...and he has diarrhea. I know he must feel bad when he doesn't eat the dry food. 

  It could be that he has diarrhea from the raw rabbit. I'll continue to offer it since I'm told I need to tough it out through the days that it may seem like its not agreeing with him. I'm going to give him the probiotic twice a day to help with the diarrhea.

I'm going to phone the vet again to give an update. She may suggest NPO for 24 hours, sub-q fluids daily, increase all meds. We'll see.

Am I allowed to say that I am so sick of all this? All these problems with all three of my cats. I've about had it.

 

[ldg]

Well, unless the food is just whipping right through him, the diarrhea isn't likely to be from the rabbit. There's generally a 12-hour lag (or so) between what they ate and what comes out. But, on the other hand, maybe it is zipping through him that quickly. :dk:

How is he acting otherwise?

Because IBD kitties ARE going to have reactions - that doesn't mean it's a flare-up. A flare-up (as I'm sure you know) is when inflammation is triggered. A reaction is when something new is introduced to an IBD cat and their body has to adjust to it. It can make them have diarrhea, regurgitate or feel nauseous - but it isn't the same thing as triggering the inflammation cascade. :rub:

I know when Carolina transitioned Bugsy, she'd either reduce the amount of raw at the next meal if he had diarrhea from something, or if it didn't resolve at the next time he had a bowel movement, she would use diagel - which once the raw was in progress, cleared it up right away.

With Lazlo, I definitely kept up with the pepcid, the pred, and used the cerenia and an appetite stimulant as needed during the transition.

 

[ldg]

Oh - and yes, the probiotic twice a day is a very good idea. That's how I use it anyway, as I understand they may be affected by with circadian rhythms.

 

[goholistic]

Well, I've been offering him a small amount of raw rabbit at each meal since late Saturday night and the diarrhea started this morning. The diarrhea is the color of the canned rabbit and very stinky...almost like it is undigested.

He's acting "okay," but probably a little more distant since I posted yesterday. He is avoiding the kitchen during mealtimes, which is what he does when he's not feeling great or doesn't want to eat.  When he hears me preparing the food, he leaves the kitchen and goes to sit in the meatloaf position on the sofa. When he's feeling good and wants to eat, he's in the kitchen waiting for his meal. He didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but eventually had no choice because he had to pee.

I've been going around and around with Sebastian for the past three weeks. It all started when I put him on a new supplement in January (which I've stopped), and he still hasn't returned to the way he was before the supplement (he was doing well). It doesn't usually last this long, so I don't know what's going on. I guess the only way to know if he's having a flare is to take him to the vet for blood work and an ultrasound. 

 

 

[gcat]

 
Well, I've been offering him a small amount of raw rabbit at each meal since late Saturday night and the diarrhea started this morning. The diarrhea is the color of the canned rabbit and very stinky...almost like it is undigested.

He's acting "okay," but probably a little more distant since I posted yesterday. He is avoiding the kitchen during mealtimes, which is what he does when he's not feeling great or doesn't want to eat.  When he hears me preparing the food, he leaves the kitchen and goes to sit in the meatloaf position on the sofa. When he's feeling good and wants to eat, he's in the kitchen waiting for his meal. He didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but eventually had no choice because he had to pee.

I've been going around and around with Sebastian for the past three weeks. It all started when I put him on a new supplement in January (which I've stopped), and he still hasn't returned to the way he was before the supplement (he was doing well). It doesn't usually last this long, so I don't know what's going on. I guess the only way to know if he's having a flare is to take him to the vet for blood work and an ultrasound. 

 

 I'm so sorry for what you and Sebastian are going through. He seems like such a tough boy and I'm sure you both can weather through this. 

The diarrhea may be from the canned rabbit.  It must have slid through his system if it looks undigested. At least he’s still urinating- that eliminates a whole host of possible issues. I know this is only a temporary solution, but maybe purchasing some laxatives (like plain Metamucil) would help with the diarrhea (for now)?

A vet visit to get an ultrasound for him would probably be in order at this point. Then you can figure out what is going on in his system.

Other than that, I have no other advice to offer but lots and lots of positive vibes, prayers, and crossed fingers for your precious baby. Go Sebastian, you can do it!