Carmine went to the vet yesterday. He lost two more ounces (10 pounds, 3 ounces now), and that did not make any of us happy.
We kept Carmine's carrier on the examination table, and after the vet tech left, he kept nudging the top of his carrier to try to crawl back in. So I lifted the top up for him so he could get back in.
The vet and I discussed where to go from here since Carmine's Prednisolone at 5mg clearly isn't working.
We decided to raise his Prednisolone to 7.5mg once a day for two weeks and to give him B12 injections once a week for now. He will go back in two weeks for another checkup.
I am getting discouraged by the lack of progress we are making. I asked about the appetite stimulant for Carmine, but the vet said that Prednisolone is an appetite stimulant (but it's clearly not for Carmine). He is still being very picky about what canned food he will eat. It often takes a lot of convincing to get him to eat at least some of his canned meals.
The vet taught me how to give Carmine B12 injections in the scruff. It's just like giving subcutaneous fluids - except easier because there's no IV line or anything to mess with. The needles are very small - 25 gauge.
I don't understand why his treatment stopped working or why he is having such a bad flare or why his IBD isn't stabilizing like it did the first time.
We are so sorry that so far Carmine's appetite hasn't picked back up, but we will purr.
ReplyDeleteWe be so sowry dat poor Carmine be goin' fwu this. Wish there was sumfin' that kuld be dun. Weez not member ifin we alweady suggested it or not, but maybe yous wanna give hims sum pure protein (Astro's Protein Powder) or egg whites. Weez sendin' lots of purrayers.
ReplyDeleteLuv ya'
Dezi and Lexi
IBD is such a frustrating condition. :-( There must be more options out there. I don't know why your vet is so set on the Prednisolone when it doesn't seem to be doing that much good.
ReplyDeleteWe are purring hard fur you, Carmine.
ReplyDeleteCome on Carmine, give the Mom a clue buddy. Maybe an undetectable dental problem and it hurts to eat?
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry Carmine is not responding! It is very hard for pet parents when we can't say what is wrong with us! Sending gentle purrs xxxx
ReplyDeletedood...
ReplyDeletewe iz troo lee sorree ya hafta go thru this.....tell yur mom ta chex out thiz site sum time { bee low } ...we noe Alex's mom frum bak in R catster dayz; it may haz sum helpz, tips, or suggestionz......
& we R knot pawsitive but if we rememburr rite; it does take a few dayz for de B12 ta "kick in"
tell yur mom ta chex heer ~~~~~~
http://www.ibdkitties.net/
♥♥♥♥♥
N St francis' blessings two ewe ~~~~~~ ♥♥♥
DeleteAww... I am so sorry that Carmine keeps losing weight! We are sending lots of purrs and prayers and hope that this new dose of medication will help.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry Carmine is going through all of this. Poor sweetheart. Hugs to both of you - it's stressful on everyone and I pray all will be well soon... xoxox Deb and the Zee/Zoey kitties
ReplyDeleteI’m sending some mega healing purrz and a #pawcircle for Carmine. I know kibble isn’t good for IBD but you do have to get some food into him. Debbie is feeding Katie raw and she said it’s helped so maybe you can try that.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry Carmine is still losing weight. The B12 injections do help Flynn although he still does not eat as much as I would like. Our vet said the Prednisalone can SOMETIMES have the side effect of increasing appetite so is not really an appetite stimulant. Can you get a second opinion?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that Carmine is not making progress with his health. The kitties and I are praying and purring for him and for you. It stinks that the other medication is that much more expensive. Medicine prices drive me bonkers. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteHello Sierra Mum I am so sorry Carmine is not rebounding well. Unfortunately this is the reality of IBD. Prednisolone is a very strong Steroid & in many cases it cause Diabetes in felines. that is what happened with Nylablue after we had to increase her dosage. It was a calculated risk. The trouble is IBD is a no-win situation. I wish I could suggest something but I am at a loss.
ReplyDeleteThe B12 helps. I know there are issues with Appetite stimulants with Carmine. If it were not for the Mirtazipine, Nylablue would have stopped eating altogether. It is a balancing act with IBD. Please know I am praying for you & Carmine & Siddhartha Henry is doing his POTP for Carmine too!!!
Sending you {{{{HUGS}}}} an prayers & <3 LOVE <3
Sherri-Ellen & Siddhartha Henry
We're sorry Carmine is having such a tough time. It sounds like you're getting some good advice from other families who have been there with cats before. That's the great thing about the blogosphere... there's nearly always someone who has been through things before you and is willing to lend their point of view. Sending good thoughts for Carmine!
ReplyDeleteWe're purring mega purrs for Carmine and hope his IBD will stabilize again.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry, hope the new one works.
ReplyDeleteWe're sorry that Carmine is not doing better - at least you are getting sone feed back from other bloggers and hope that will help you.
ReplyDeleteLuv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Sweet Carmine, we're sending extra purrs for you and your mom in hopes it will help you feel better. PURRS....
ReplyDeleteWe're so sorry to hear that Carmine isn't doing any better. We're purring that Carmine's IBD will stabilize with the increase dosage of Prednisone. There are a lot of people who have experience with IBD, so hopefully they can help.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to learn about Carmine. Have you thought of contacting Glogirly (if you haven't already)? Her Katie has IBD and maybe it would be helpful to find out how she manages Katie?
ReplyDeletecatchatwithcarenandcody
I am praying for Carmine. If he does need the more expensive meds, I will donate and I am sure many others will help you to get him what he needs.
ReplyDeleteSending Carmine encouraging purrs - we're so very sorry he's struggling so with this IBD....
ReplyDeletepoor sweet boy - sending purrs and prayers
ReplyDelete