Update on Jimmy Stewart and Possible Pre-Diabetic Condition

Refer to blog posts from September 1 and September 8, 2014: Jimmy had dental surgery at MSU in September.  A blood test at the cardio, for a pre-surgical cardio echo (he was fine), showed higher than normal glucose levels. His follow-up fructosamine test proved negative (a test to determine if higher than normal levels of glucose have been present in the blood over the last 30 days.)

MSU tests showed high glucose and high fructosamine before surgery and normal levels while sedated.  So, we believe stress causes high glucose but that still is not good for his system. MSU believed that this could lead to eventual diabetes which brings on all other sorts of complications and medical risks.  MSU also thought high glucose levels were the cause of his out of box incidences for which he has been on Prozac since 2010.  Once the glucose gets too high for the body to handle-due to stress or diabetes-cats will feel the need to urgently go and often dump their urine where they are at the moment.  While this could be one reason for Jimmy's need for Prozac, we know that without Prozac he would have a difficult time using his litter box.

In October, 2014, he had follow up tests which were normal.  BUT the dental surgeon suggested we reduce his carbohydrate and sugar intake and feed him diabetic diet.  The regular dentist disagreed BUT in researching, I found that carbs are present in gravy and gravy cat food is one type that diabetic cats cannot eat.  Pate types of food are better.  So, we began in October to feed him pate and we believe we have not had any out of the box incidents from him since then.

Prozac Cat Part 2

Jimmy Stewart

It's been a week without Prozac for Jimmy and he's doing fine.  A bit anxious sometimes, more playful at others, once in a while wants a lot of cuddling. 

His attacks on the others, especially Myrna (HCM) happens from time to time but they are not violent, just strong. We mitigate the situation by separating the cats even when things are quiet but especially when I can tell he's riled up. There may have been one or two slight marking instances but they were slight and difficult to pinpoint-could only get a whiff of something suspect and so I cleaned the area. 

He was going only about every 18 hours for a few days and then began on Saturday or Sunday to go q 12 hours approximately.  We are monitoring to see if there are any health issues involving the bladder. But if we can get him on a schedule, give him water by mouth to help flush out his bladder, then I think he will be on the mend.  Once he goes more often and seems to do well off Prozac, if we think he needs it again we will start him on a very low dose and begin monitoring urine frequency all over again. If we can keep him off of drugs, that's even better. I do however, feel that I'm on tenterhooks waiting for things to resolve or get worse.  I can only pray that God takes over the situation and helps me know what to do.

Here's the strange thing: his bladder-which I can feel in the very back of his stomach area-isn't as full as it was while on Prozac even when he hasn't gone for over 12 hours.  There must be something about Prozac in the chemistry of it that acts like a diuretic, drawing the water from the body to the bladder and making it quite abnormally large or full. No one knows what I'm talking about but I can only tell you what I've felt and there is a difference post Prozac.