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Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 8:39 pm
by MarkB
Laz had had still been acting odd despite altering his Felimazole dose. I took him to the vet today. They said his heart rate had gone down to 160 (from 180) so he was confident Laz was on the right dose. I said that I was concerned his pupil were dilated. The vet checked and said his retinas aren't detaching and there are no ruptured blood vessels. He said he would run a T$ and it might be an idea to run full bloods to make sure there isn't anything else going on to affect his behaviour.

Result came back as 2 of the liver enzymes are raised. The vet said he wants Laz to start on 1/4 tablet of Demerol a day for a month and re-test bloods. He said the only real way to find out what is going on is to do a scan or possibly a biopsy :(

I wasn't expecting this - the poor boy already has enough health problems :(

PS -The vet said he knew there was a Liver diet for dogs, but didn't think there was one for cats - I'm sure there is and I will look into it - although, he needs his fibre response for his megacolon.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:11 pm
by booktigger
Fingers crossed it is nothing, it certainly isn't unusual to have high liver values with thyroid issues. Molly had high liver values for a while, but my vets aren't concerned in older cats until they are over twice the top end of normal, how high are his values?

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:21 pm
by MarkB
He didn't give me any numbers, but he said that unless it improves in a month, the scn and/or biospy will be needed to determine if it is a localised issue or if the whole liver is affected. Laz is really down. He did say it is quite commomn for hyper-t cats to have liver issues.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:05 pm
by SarahT1 [PLLE]
Oh poor Laz, I am sorry. Pepsi's liver enzymes were up in Feb but back down a month later so no experience with meds or diet yet. I hope he perks up soon. Fusses to that precious boy. He couldn't have a better daddy on his side.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:30 pm
by MarkB
Thanks Sarah :)

I can only assume they are quite elevated (he said there were 2 enzymes affected) to suggest meds and tests?

I seem to remember last year they mentioned one of the values being high, which suggested an issue with the gall bladder, but it was quite usual in older cats.

This time he mentioned bile. I asked if that could be affecting his behaviour and he said yes, becuase toxins could be going into his brain :( - he said the Demerol should help to drain the liver of bile.

Rather oddly, it seems we went to the vet in time, because he did a rather yellow poo today.

I was chatting with one of the women in the co-op and she said while some of us are taking good care of our pets, there is an article in the local paper about a 'man' who kicked his dog to death on the beach here :( - it was the last thing I needed to hear about today :(

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:37 am
by jan1957
Oh Mark
There will always be idiots around who mistreat gorgeous animals but I do believe 'what goes around comes around' .... Etc etc. so that vile person who kicked his dog will get what's coming to him.
Wish I could offer some sound advice on Laz but I have no experience of the condition just reiterate what Sarah said. You're just the very best daddy and I'm sending healing vibes to you both.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 12:17 pm
by SarahT1 [PLLE]
How's lovely Laz today, Mark?

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 12:58 pm
by MarkB
He has finally perked up a bit in the last 1/2 hour :)

Surely Demerol can't work that quickly? - maybe it is just a coincidence, but just happy that he is feeling a bit better. I was up with him until after 2am this morning as he wasn't comfortable at all.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 1:13 pm
by SarahT1 [PLLE]
That's good, Mark. Hopefully he'll get brighter still as the day progresses. I wondered if you were up with him last night. Pepsi's been very clingy the last couple of nights and I haven't gone to bed till nearly 1am, but I thought you were likely to be up later than that. I remembered that sweet Alice liked you with her till she settled.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 1:16 pm
by MarkB
It is just as well that I don't have to get up early for work! :) - I don;t know how others cope.

PS - I got the drug name wrong. It is Destolit. No idea where I got the Demerol name from :) - off to read up on it.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Demerol?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 1:51 pm
by Crewella
I have no experience of either, I'm afraid! ;)

Hope the lovely Laz continues to pick up today. xx

Re: Anyone have any experience with Distolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:49 pm
by MarkB
Thanks Helen :), he is sound asleep now :). He had been lying down hunched up and not sleeping properly. Apparently Destolit dissolves gallstones, so I doubt the drug could have had any effect in a couple of hours?

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:41 pm
by Crewella
I had a read too, it seems that it can take weeks/months to work, but at least he's perked up a bit.

By the way, Hill's i/d seems to come in a liver support version:

http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-fel ... h-dry.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:51 pm
by MarkB
Thanks Helen,

I will give it a try but he will only eat fish flavour foods - apart rom the Sanabelle Urinary - which reeks of something - not sure what though :)

I saw a site that recommends low cholesterol diet as apparently, most stones are cholesterol (although there has been no diagnosis yet) one concern I have is that he likes a saucer of full-fat milk down. he rarely has much of it, but he visits it for a couple of licks now & then. Even more worrying is that although he won't touch any cat treats, he adores butter. for the last couple of months, i have been giving him a knob of butter on a saucer a few times a week, which he loves. I wonder if i have been aggravating an existing problem? I will cut it out for now. although he slept when I was in the room earlier, when i left him and went back, he was lying roast-chicken style staring midair again. i wondered if he was in pain. rightly or wrongly, i have given him a low dose of metacam to see if it helps.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:28 pm
by Crewella
I remember how restricted you are with Laz - this page seemed useful too, though, in giving an overview.

http://www.vetinfo.com/managing-feline- ... mulas.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's horrible to see them in pain, hope the Metacam works.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:35 pm
by booktigger
Mark, some renal foods say they can be used for liver issues.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:46 pm
by HRHFluffy
Hi Mark, I've only just caught up with this.

So sorry that Laz isn't good at the moment. What a worrying time it is for you. It's horrible to watch them and know that they aren't happy. I hope the metacam has helped. It can be such a roller coaster. Your giving him the butter has probably had nothing to do with this whatsoever so try not to think it has. He is in the best hands having you to look after him. Really hope he is starting to improve.

That poor dog. There really are some evil people out there aren't there. It's so upsetting.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:13 pm
by MarkB
Thanks everyone. Thanks for the link Helen :)

I remember reading that obesity food can be good for liver issues re being low fat. Laz won;t touch any renal dry, including RC so unlikely he will eat the hepatic version.

Anyway, he slept for a few hours and seems brighter now. Not sure if it is the Metacam that helped him.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 7:18 am
by SarahT1 [PLLE]
RC do an obesity management wet, Mark, which must be pretty tasty as Edgar snaffles it down.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 8:38 am
by MarkB
The problem with Laz is that he is very particular. He won't touch any type of supermeat/pate food (except once in a blue moon, a Felix supermeat pouch, but only tuna flavour) Whiskas, any kind of real meat etc. At one time I had him on a mix of Felix Senior and AGAIL senior + his dry. He recently decided he wasn't going to eat Felix any more. It has got even worse since he tried Doubly delicious fish variety. He is refusing AGAIL senior now. Even with the fish mix he often refuses to eat it without 'sprinkles' which has to be either JWB senior fish dry or Sanabelle urinary, not fibre response though. The only way I get him to eat the fibre response is to have a bowl of dry down that is a mix of JWB fish & fibre response. I have tried dozens of different wet & dry foods to tempt him but he just won't touch them.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 3:17 am
by Camdengirl
Sorry Mark, only just catching up on this. I hope Laz is feeling better today. What did his T4 come back as? Pip's liver enzymes go up every time her T4 starts to climb (before it goes above the high end of normal), it was actually the factor that made the vet repeat the thyroid test before she was diagnosed - she'd lost weight and shown a couple of other symptoms before, but the test had come back negative. When we up her Vidalta dose and get her back down to the lower end of normal her liver enzymes drop back down. I never notice any difference in her behaviour though, it's just something that crops up every so often in her regular bloods. But then every cat is different.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 10:38 am
by MarkB
I could be wrong, but I thought he said it was 10 now. He has asked me several times if I am finding spat out pills around. He does seem a bit brighter, but he has never been like a normal cat (whatever that is)

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:08 pm
by Camdengirl
I don't think there is such a thing as a normal cat!!

Pip quite often spits her pill out, but usually I spot it and she doesn't get away with it!

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:30 pm
by HRHFluffy
How has Laz been lately Mark? Any improvement? Been thinking about him.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:58 pm
by MarkB
Thanks Carol.

He still isn't right. If he doesn't perk up, I am taking him in again. Not sure what else they can do at this stage though. He is still eating but seems uncomfortable.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:28 pm
by HRHFluffy
I'm sorry to hear that Mark. I was really hoping that no news was good news. Poor boy. The positive thing is that he's eating ok. But you know him best and if he seems uncomfortable then something is going on isn't it. Let's hope he perks up soon. It's awful when you feel so helpless. He really is a brave lad. Keep us informed. We are all very fond of Laz. Give him a gentle cuddle from me.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:50 pm
by SarahT1 [PLLE]
Give him cuddles from me too, Mark. I am sorry he's still not right. Perhaps a scan might be in order if he seems uncomfortable but there's nothing more that bloods can tell you and the vet. Do keep us up dated. As Carol says, we all love Laz, and want only the best for the darling boy. Give him a kiss from me. Hope you can keep your spirits up, Mark, but we know how nothing feels right if our babies aren't right.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:22 pm
by Crewella
Poor Laz, thinking of you both. xx

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:35 pm
by MarkB
Thanks everyone. I will see how he goes over the next day or two. I am supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow, but OH will be home and I will be back by mid afternoon. He sneezed a couple of times last night and more this morning - although not for a couple of hours. Anyway OH is in the office 'working' on the sofa in there and Laz is asleep for now - always a good sign :) (Although as I typed that, I heard a sneeze)

It's a tough one given that he only had full bloods done a few days ago and waiting for the meds to drain his liver. The scan might have to be bought forward, although I don't want to put him through a biopsy unnecessarily.

Re: Anyone have any experience with Destolit?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:25 am
by SarahT1 [PLLE]
Hi Mark

How's the sweet Laz doing?