Update With The Cats

It's been some time since I last posted.  I did not get accepted for the animal fund because his condition is treatable with medication.   However,  since the fundraising aspect was not panning out, I took a 2nd Job.  I've been working hard to save some money up so that Smokie can get his Radioactive Iodine treatment.  He has been doing well on the Methimazole.twice daily.   I'm trying to save up at least $100-$200 a month to put away for Smokie's treatment.  Though right now I've had two cats with urinary tract infections which have eaten up any money I was putting a side for Smokie right now.   So hopefully next month will be better for Saving some money.  Right now I have saved $100 currently.  So hopefully the cats will stay healthy! ;)

Charlie was doing good until this past Tuesday July 5.  In the morning I heard a commotion at the bottom of the basement steps. Charlie's tail was all poofed out and he had pounced on poor Lucky who was in a corner.  She had a cut below her eye which I treated.  Had to separate him for a bit. So far so good. Her scratch is healing nicely.   If his behavior doesn't change soon he'll be going into the vet to be checked out.

All the rest of the kitties Faith, Callie and Sassy are doing good! ;)  Will try to update the blog more often.

Till Next Time
Melissa

Badger Animal Fund

Though word of mouth we found a local Animal Fund that might be able to help Smokie with the Radio Active Iodine treatment which would cure him.  We submitted an application about 2 weeks ago with records from the vet.  We found a treatment facility about 2 hours away that would do the treatment for about $1200.  Smokie would be in their facility for about 3 days and then he'd be able to return home.

The fund committee meets the 2nd Thursday of every month.  We are now waiting to hear the outcome.  Hopefully they will be able to help us to cure Smokie!

Charlie's Quandary

For Some time Charlie our orange and grey tabby has been chasing the females around and pouncing on them.  Lately it has gotten worse.  Pouncing roughly on the female cats and leaving big scratches and other small wounds.

I had talked to a behaviorist.  She brought up a point that male cats bond closely.  Charlie and Smokie are very close and always snuggle with each other.  Charlie will follow Smokie around if he moves and cuddle with him.  They groom each other all the time.  So I realized that Charlie's behavior is because he senses that something is wrong with Smokie (hyperthyroidism) and it is causing him stress.  I often give the cats cat nip as a treat.  Cat nip is also the cause that he is more aggressive in his play.  Since stopping the cat nip, he has calmed down some.  I've also gotten some calming chews which I give to him at night to keep him calm and relaxed.

The behaviorist also thinks that since Charlie can sense that Smokie is ill, he is also trying to be the dominant male now.  Since Smokie has been sick he isn't as pushy towards the other cats.  He lays around and sleeps.  Plays once in a while.  So being that Charlie is the only other male cat in the group, he is trying to fill the dominant male void.  Between those two things, Charlie is stressed out.  He is a very sensitive cat.  You look at him the wrong way and he'll run and hide.

So, the course of action right now is to give him calming chews nightly to help.  Will be getting some calming oil to put him on him to see if it helps.  If it doesn't then, we may have to go to the vet to get medication to help him during this time.


So far so good though! ;)

I

It's been a while since I've last updated this blog. Things have been busy over here. Finally I think all the urinary tract infections have finally gone, I am focusing on other things. Smokie is now considered stable. His T4 is now at 2.4 with the range being from (1.9 to 4.8) So he is in a good place. His next vet appointment is not needed for another 6 months!

I have applied for the Badger Fund to hopefully help me with the cost of the Radio Active Iodine treatment for Smokie. I filled out the application and will not hear the result of that decision until next Thursday or Friday. I am hoping for good news. If they can help with the amount for the procedure then all that's needed for him to be admitted is x-rays (2 views of the chest). Then I can send them to Radiocat and hopefully they will say he is a candidate for the treatment. Once he has the treatment then, he'll be cured! No more vet appointments, no more blood tests! It will be a relief!

The other kitties are doing well. The protien found in Sassy's urine when she had the UTI is now gone. There is no protien in her urine. Her urine is healthy and shows no kidney issues. YAY! She still has the red ears, and the vet attributes it to old age. But I am keeping an eye on that.

So all is going well at this point! Good news all around!

Feline Hyper T Support Group

Just wanted to let those of you know who may have Hyper T kitties as well that there is an awesome support group for hyper t kitties through yahoo groups.  It's called Feline-Hyper T Support Group.  It was started in 1999 as a result of an overdose of HT medication.  Since that time, many many cat owers have been apart of this wonderful group.  They ask questions and report symptoms as well as blood test results and other information from their vets.  This
group has become the single larges source of experience with HT and information on the subject anywhere in the world.  There are no vets in the group, but there are nurses in the group though. But they have long-term daily observations of symptoms, reactions and general behavior with test results people get from their vets.  This type of information is not something a vet can get in an office visit, and even longterm studies don't get.  Not too many vets are aware that starting at too high of a
dose can lead to many problems healthwise with cats who are on medication.  They go by the standard dosing instructions from Plumb's Veternary Drug Handbook and what they read in other books.  The dosing guidelines are based on what they give HUMANS for a Thyroid disorder.  Through people posting about sideffects and reactions etc. They have realized that 2x a day dosing of thyroid medication is best and to start out really low at 1.25mg or 1/4 of a 5mg pill 2x a day. It has saved countless cats
lives including Smokies! The vet originally prescribed him 2.5mg to take once a day, and then upp it to 2x a day!  While 2x a day is what is at now, it was WAY too much to start him out on.  His original numbers were 12.7 for T4.  And with just 1/4 of a pill 2x a day it went down to 7.9!  The drugs given to cats for Hyperthyroidism are one step short of cancer drugs! So it's important that dosing be watched and monitored VERY carefully. Low and Slow is the best way to do it!

If your cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, please visit the Feline Hyper T Support group at Yahoo. The link to the page is:

 

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-hyperT/



Please visit this page and join.  It will help you and your kitty to master the rollercoaster called Hyperthyroidism! ;)

Long Time No Post - Update

 It's been a while since I posted.  Things have been crazy around this house.

Sassy is doing well and has finished her antibiotics for her urinary tract infection.  But since she was being treated, I spotted more small clumps of pee in the litter box that were not from her!


I had suspected it was Charlie my orange and grey tabby.  Smokie was going in for a blood work recheck and I brought in Charlie as well. I noticed him throwing up, and I thought that maybe he had a UTI that was causing him to throw up.  Well good news he didn't have a UTI.  Just hairball issues.  YAY another cat with hairball issues. He's been started on 1/2 a tablet of Walgreen's version of Fibercon.  This has helped with his constipation due to the hairballs.  He's also getting 2x a week hairball paste.  So far this has helped him. Though some days he doesn't want to take it. So I have to keep trying until he's in a good mood ;)  Same with Sassy. She doesn't always like to take her hairball paste either. I have to keep trying until she's ready to take it.

I thought that the UTI's were over, until Smokie started peeing in small amounts and not squatting down in the litter like he was supposed to. So I got a urine sample and brought it to the vet.  Sure enough there was some blood in his urine, and she put him on antibiotics.   He just finished up his last course.  And of course I thought this was it for the UTI's in this household.  Apparently not!  This past Sunday I spotted Callie squatting to pee, but nothing coming out!  She kept going into the litter box and trying to pee but it was dribbling out or didn't come out at all.  So of course, I started her on the left over antibiotic I had from Sassy.  The first antibiotic that the vet gave me for her she couldn't take so there was some left over.  Thank goodness, because I started her on it right away. I noticed a great improvement within 24 hours.  So into the vet she went this past Monday 3/28!  She's now on something to acidify her urine to help her out and, on antibiotics.

I am really hoping that is the end of the UTI's here.  If it were not for the $500 I got back in tax money I don't know where I'd be!  That has pretty much been eaten up with UTI's and Smokie's Blood test.

By the way the last time he had his blood work done, his T4 was at a perfect 2.1!  So he's now in the normal range. He goes back into the vet for more blood work in June!  Hopefully then his Kidney and other numbers will be good as well!

Update on Sassy

 

Since being put on Baytril, Sassy's eating went down and you could tell she didnt' feel well.  Her ears get pink and warm from time to time still. Not sure if that's due to the infection or something else going on inside.  I had to go to walgreens to pick up some vitimin B12 for her. Have been giving her 1/2 a 500mcg tablet once a day. She seems to be happier, and last night she ate 1/2 of a 1.5cup bowl which was almost full of the new cat food I got. It was just
a small sample pack of Purina One Smart Blends with Salmon and Tuna.  She seems to like it, as well as the other cats here.  Smokie and Lucky I had to fight off because they LOVED it.  Right now they are on chicken soup for the pet lover's soul cat food. It's a good food with no fillers, but it's a senior formula which there's not a whole lot of smell to it being it's made for seniors.  So that could be why they like the other stuff better.  Will be calling the vet this AM to have her
give another antibiotic.  So she seems to be improving nicely so far.  Her ears have been turning red on and off a little bit.  It could be fever, or blood pressure related to her infection. Hopefully once her course of antibiotics are done and the infection is gone, then the red ears will disappear. Praying they disappear. If not, then there is another underlying condition which I hope we do not have!  Sassy is not easy at the vets office. or to give her medication when she doesn't want to
eat.

These are what her ears look from time to time. They don't stay red, but lets hope that this is just because of the infection!

 

Smokie Update

So, got the bloodwork from the vet. Smokie's T4 has gone from 12.7 to 7.9 just on 1/4 of a pill 2x a day. YAY. So she upped his thyroid medication to 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the afternoon.

After the increase he did gain 2lbs in the first week! He was up to 11lbs. Which is 1lb shy of his normal weight. However this past week we've had ups and downs which means he's still not stable. He's lost a pound. But hopefully he'll gain it back. He'll be going into the vet on March 10th for a blood work recheck before any upping of the medication. We'll see where his T4 readings are then.

She said his kidney's look good, so she doesn't feel there is any underlying kidney issues. This is good news! YAY.

It's been a busy week as the last post indicates. Many cats going into the vet. Glad that they were only minor things and will be healthy otherwise.

So all around good news. YAY!

UTI Going Around

Things have been busy around here lately. I noticed faith was drinking a lot of water. Because she is over weight I thought it might be diabetes. Didn't have a whole lot of money to bring her into the vet. I had to do it as cheaply as possible. Through an angel they gave me a free blood glucose kit and I tested her blood. Her first reading was 51, and her second reading was 49. So I wasn't sure if the monitor was just off, or if she was hypoglycemic. The vet said that was very rare. She said she could do a urine sample. So Last Saturday I brang in a urine sample. The vet said her urine was concetrated so that was good. Kidney's were good. But what she found was a UTI! So faith was put on Baytril 22mg. One pill a day for 15 days. She said her urine was a little acidic, but that could have been due to the urinary tract infection. So after MUCH worrying that she had diabetes or worse kidney issues, I was relieved when it was just a UTI. Her water intake has been MUCH less which is good. I know it's good for them to drink enough water. But she was worrying me!

Then this past week I noticed Sassy had a pretty small urine spot in the litter box. So of course me being me, I started to panic that maybe she had problems with her kidneys. Since Sassy is not the most tolerant cat. I couldn't get a urine sample. I had to bring her in This past Thursday to the vet. I played the cuddle card and spent all day with her so she was in a good mood so I could get her in the carrier. It worked.

While at the vet she did pretty well up until the point the vet started to look at her. She let the vet tech pick her up with no sounds or acts of violence! I was socked. She let the vet pet her a little. Once she started to feel around Sassy then got outwardly mean and growled. And the vet got her nice big thick gloves. Sassy at one point bit her and the glove went flying off her hands! That's when Sassy cowered in the corner and left a urine sample for the vet! YAY! Poor Sassy though. She had to be a little embarassed that she peed outside the litter box. She's one of those cats that if there is no litter box she will NOT pee outside of it. She'll hold it. So, I was glad that she peed though. The vet got a sample and got a reading from it. She did have a urinary tract infection as well! So, she was put on 1/2 a pill of baytril for 15 days.

Her urine was nicely concentrated so no Kidney problems! YAY. She did find some protien but, she said that the infection can cause that so she's not really worried. If after she's been cleared of the UTI and she still had protien in her urine, then there could be a hole in her Kidney. Nothing huge, but she'd have to be put on special food with low protien. But right now Sassy looks healthy.

She did want Sassy to come in for a teeth cleaning soon though. Then she'd also get a blood sample. However, with monitary issues. That will have to wait until it's something necessary. With all the cats going into the vet, it's taking a tole on my cash flow.

Till next time -

Update on Smokie and Faith News

Just an update. Smokie went to the vet yesterday February 15th for a blook work recheck.  Still waiting for the results from the vet.  But she said he seems to be doing so well right now.  Just waiting to find the test results to know if we have up his meds or not.



For the past couple of days I've noticed Faith my overweight cat, making large pee puddles in the cat litter box.  I saw her drinking what I thought was a lot.  I've talked to the vet and others who have diabetic cats.  They both say that she doesn't really show the major signs of diabetes. It could be a possibility because she does weigh 17.5 lbs.   She also said it could be behavoiral as well.



I put her in a room by her self since last night with food out only in the morning and water.  So far she's peed once and it's not nearly as big as what I was seeing in the litter box.  Which is GOOD news.  This means it could be behavioral and or because she's just eating too much food.  Diabetes and or Kidney disease is still not out of the woods. I have a wonderful diabetic group who is sending me a meter so I can check her blood sugar to rule it out.



Though a wonderful idea of another angel, I am now collecting aluminum cans and other aluminum items to recycle. The money that I get from recycling the cans will go to help diet change for all the cats.  They eventually will be on all wet cat food.  The money raised by collecting aluminum cans will help for me to be able to afford to feed them an all wet diet.  Right now I only work 2.5 hours a week because of back problems. I am trying to find other jobs however, am not having any luck in that
area.  So by collecting aluminum, I can help supplement.  If anyone would like to help me, please let me know!

Another 1/2 lb Gained!

Weighed Smokie today. He gained another 1/2lb which makes him now up to 9.5lbs! So proud of him! He has a vet appt for a bloodwork recheck on Tuesday at 9am. Can't wait to get his results!

~Mel~

Blood work Re-check

Just an update on Smokie. We have a vet appointment on Tuesday February 15th to do a blood work re-check on him.  Since being on the meth. medication starting January 22nd he's gained 1.5 lbs! He was 7.5 lbs when he was brought in for blood work.  He's now at 9lbs!  After the appointment we'll see where he goes from there.  Whether he needs to be upped or kept at the current dosage he's on.  He's on 1/4 of a pill 2x daily.

Because of his wonderful progress, I'm hoping that his numbers were cut in half at least.  His T4 was at 12.9, and I'm hoping it is at least 1/2 of that by now if not in the normal zone.  That would be awesome! So good wishes and thoughts on February 15th at 9am!

It's one of those days!

Today is one of those lazy days. It's freezing out and everyone is trying to stay warm.

Smokie's crying has tapered down today. But then I've been out doing erands and other things. I notice that if I'm around him doing busy things, he seems to cry more. that may be more behavioral. Hopefully, that will taper off soon.

He's been taking his medication like a good boy. I'm so proud of him, and myself for doing such a good job!

~Mel~

Smokie Update

Today smokie is much calmer. He is enjoying lazing about today. He goes back into the vet for a lab recheck the week of the 14th. Praying for good results since he's already gained 1.5 lbs since starting on a low dose!

~Mel~

Smokie - Update

 

The last I posted about Smokie is that he had stopped throwing up.  We gave him 1/2 a can of wet and that stopped him from throwing up.  His stomach has healed.  However, I noticed he was also loosing weight.  After some time he went down from 10lbs to 9lbs and when he was around 8.5 lbs I brought him into a new vet.  Dr. Sharpe DVM of Brightside Animal Clinic.  I liked her MUCH better than the other vet.  She seemed to care a lot more and be more intuitive with
Smokie.  She seemed much more knowledgeable as well.  She said that it could be just old age setting in, and that tests were not needed as of yet because the last blood work from the other vet was normal.  She said to wait a few more months and if he was still loosing weight to bring him back in.  Three months later I brought him back in as he was starting to throw up a little more and he was down to 7.5lbs.  She decided to do a full blood panel, and I received the results on January
21, 2011.  Smokie was positive for Hyperthyroid.  She suspects that the prior vet did NOT run a thyroid test, and should have.  I'm glad I changed vets!  She started him on the Meth at 1/2 a tablet a Day, and then in 2 weeks wanted him on 1/2 a tablet twice a day.  A friend from a Cat forum had pointed me to the direction of the Yahoo group for Hyper T cats.  I'm SOOO glad that I found them.  They cautioned me that even 2.5mg a day is WAY to much to start him on. So he's been
on 1/4 a pill 2x Daily. And since he's gained 1.5lbs back and I couldn't be more thrilled!

I had to wait a while to be able to bring him in for testing as I said before $60 is my cat budget for the month which only includes food and litter. Nothing else.  So over the Christmas break, the online store that I have which benefits Peaceful Paws and my kitties raised $160 so that I could bring him in to the vet to be tested. 

I also received awesome news that I'm getting close to $500 back in taxes which will go to help Smokie get stabilized. I'm continuing to sell from my online store. I am hoping to raise the $1200 needed to get his i131 Radioactive Iodine Treatment.  This would cure him. But for now we are working on getting him stabilized.  He is doing such a great job!

I'm also trying to start a fund that would benefit Hyper T Cats.  It would help owners who couldn't afford the curing treatment to get the treatment that they need for their cat.  I am currently talking with other fund starters to find out how to start it on my own and what I need to do.

I am also currently looking into starting another side business as a Pet sitter of sorts which would help people when they go away and leave their pets behind.  I would clean litter boxes, feed and pill their animals. Make sure that they are safe and happy while they are away.

So hopefully those endeavors will be fruitful and pan out.  This would all go to help smokie and other cats get the treatment that they need.

I will be posting hopefully daily with updates on Smokie and his current treatment status.

Callie Sally McNally

I took in Callie in 2007 at that time she was probably about 2 years old.  Her previous owner could no longer take care of her and was having problems placing her due to her food allergies.  She too had scabs which were on her nose and face.

Again we went though food changes so that they could all be on the same food.  Callie couldn't eat what the others were on but finally we found the right food for her.  Her scabs went away and she is now healthy and playful.

She loves to curl up on anyone's lap. If you have time for attention, she's the first cat in your lap.  She loves to curl up underneath the covers and snuggle with you.   She also loves to play with just about anything she can play with. 

She is also a chewer.  She'll chew on your fingers, string, cords anything.  So we have to be very careful around here.

As you can see from the picture in this post, that she is all personality.  She has a habit of playing with other cats in the house even when they don't want to be played with.  We are working on her with this and hope to teach her when it's appropriate to play with her brother's and sisters and when it's not okay. 

Callie is such a loving and kind kitty.  She is also VERY tolerant of kids. My niece loves to try to "control" her and tell her to sit and carry her around. Callie never nips or gets mean. She has learned to "play dead" if she just lays there and doesn't do anything, my niece will move on.  SMART cat!  She also loves to try to open doors. If a door is closed and you hear a handle jiggle, it's Callie trying to be human and open the door!

Charlie Boy

This is Charlie, my boy.  He is 6 years old. I rescued him along with faith at the same time.  They are not brother and sister but grew up together as kittens.  Charlie has food allergies.  You'd never know it from looking at him! He eats very well.  When I rescued him he had scabs on him. They said it may be some type of allergy but were not sure.  After a LOT of trial and error, we finally found a food that he would tolerate. 

When I first rescued Charlie, he was very very skiddish.  He hid under the guest bedroom bed for several days.  We let him stay there as long as he wanted. Eventually he came out and became more secure in his surroundings.  I could tell that from when we got him that he was probably rescued from an abusive home.  He still does not trust people very much. You have to give him time to warm up to you.  Any sudden movements and he's gone .

He always wants attention from me. Anytime I sit down, he's right there pawing at me for attention.  This is a daily ritual. I will then pick him up and giving him kisses and hugs. Of course he squirms free and then looks at me like "What was that?!"  And I tell him it's attention! That's what he was looking for right?! lol

Charlie's nickname is Junior.  Because he's the younger of my two boys.  All my cats have nicknames as well as their called by names.

Charlie is very loving and gentle. He is patient and kind.  Such a wonderful boy.  I really don't think he'd adjust well to a new home.  He really doesn't trust people very well and anytime someone new comes in he goes into hiding. He's come along way from when he came home, but still doesn't completely trust anyone but me.

Have a little Faith!

I rescued Faith after Hope passed away in 2003.  I rescued her from Kindred Kitties as well.  She was being returned to Kindred Kitties because of litter box problems and failure to thrive.  They thought it was because she was being separated from Charlie.  Because of this I immediately took both cats.  When I got her she had worms which I took care of immediately.  She had an intestinal infection because of the worms and after treatment did MUCH better.  I worked on her with the litter box issue.  Now she goes in the litter box which is in the basement.  I took just a little time and effort and she was right as rain.

She is currently over weight and I am working on her to loose some of that weight.  She has lost 3.5lbs.  At one time she weighed 20lbs now she is down to 17.5lbs.  We switched food and got her more active.  Now she loves to play with the mouse around here and the lazer light.  Hopefully we can work to shed some more weight. 

Faith is such a loving cat.  She will literally crawl up you with both paws on either side of your shoulders and nuzzle her head for attention.  If you can imagine a 17.5lb cat crawling up you lol

I have also dubbed her Squeaker. She does not meow, she squeaks. It's very cute.  Faith is currently 6 years old, and I can't believe she's already 6! Just yesterday I bought this little ray of sunshine home! ;)