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~