She’s In Remission!

Afternoon, all!

Today was the 14th day of Soleil’s OTJ trial. Her numbers are phenomenal! She’s been tagged as a remission kitty!

She’s in love with her Freshpet Select food (I found two flavors that she enjoys very much). She’s down to eating twice a day; the same can be said for her brother, Flash. He’s also be transitioned to a wet food diet twice a day. Granted, he’s on a different wet food than her (Sheba) but they’re on a healthier path, so this makes me happy.

So...what’s next? We’ve made it over the obstacle in regard to learning how to home test and transitioned her to wet food.

How often to we test now that she’s in remission?

 

Usually we recommended continuing to test twice a week, then gradually reducing to once, then every couple of weeks, then monthly.....but if at any time you start to see "the signs" (like increased appetite, drinking, peeing) get a test immediately.

The sooner you catch them coming out of remission, the better your chances of getting them back!

Keep an eye on her dental health....dental issues are one of the biggest causes of losing remission.

 

Twice a week is something she’ll be happy about for sure. I’ll be sure to do it Monday and Friday.

In regard to her dental health. I know that’s why people swear by the dry food because it’s supposed to help prevent tarter buildup. Are there any red flags that I should specifically keep an eye out for since she’s on 100% wet food? It was recommended to give her pieces of boiled or raw chicken, but neither her or her brother will touch it. My next best option would be to give her a dry dental treat or two once a week by Greenies. Are Greenies / dental treats the next best option for dental wellness? I’d rather get some helpful tips / recommendations before choosing something that will take her out of remission.

 

Jackie, this is phenomenal news! Congratulations to you and Soleil!

I give Idjit raw gizzards, and sometimes chunks of chicken meat, to hopefully help with cleaning his chompers. But if she and Flash don't like raw food, that might not work. I have read that the Greenies and other so called dental treats are higher carb than you want, and Idjit would just gobble them down whole anyway. These cats rarely actually do much chewing of the dry food or treats, if they've ever barfed up you've seen the evidence.

I am surprised that neither cat would gnaw on a piece of the cooked chicken, have you tried any other unseasoned meat that they do like?

I have never tried cleaning or brushing Idjit's teeth, but some members have and/or do. Another option that might work for dental health, is that there are additives to put in the water, if your cats are still drinking from a bowl or fountain. Since I add water to Idjit's meals he doesn't even look at his water bowl anymore.

 

The "dry food cleans teeth" is a myth that just won't die. Here's a good article on "6 reasons why dry cat food doesn't clean your cat's teeth"

If you start with a clean mouth (which means having a complete dental), then you can help reduce buildup by brushing your cat's teeth (or just taking a piece of wet gauze and rubbing it against her teeth/gums)

Yes, chicken gizzards, necks and wings will help keep teeth clean because it requires the cat to chew ...the action of grinding against bone/sinew helps keep the teeth clean (just like a cat in the wild)….but if your cat refuses to acknowledge that it's edible, you can try giving them large "chunks" of any meat. You can start with small pieces and gradually go bigger. Other than that, you're only real choice is to brush/rub the cat's teeth and keep a close eye on them.

There are lots of products out there that promise to clean your pet's teeth just by adding it to their water....save your money.

 

@Idjit's mom @Chris & China (GA) thank you! Is there a particular additive you use for your cats that I can look up? Seeing as how they’re both now on wet food, I’ll have to monitor both of their little mouths to make sure everyone is on the up and up.

I haven’t tried a different kind of meat. I have only tried unseasoned boiled chicken. I tried giving it to Flash first considering he’s always curious about food, but he turned it away. Soleil will give it a sniff but turns it away as well. Soleil’s food does require her to chew it since it’s wet food, but not the same wet food consistency like Sheba, which is what Flash is eating.

Years ago when they were younger and on pet insurance, Flash did get his teeth cleaned through Banfield because he had some tarter buildup. I wasn’t a fan of how he was after the procedure; he was quite miserable. That’s an option if necessary, but I’d rather it be the last option.

I could also look into videos on how to brush their teeth. Which may be difficult because they won’t let me look in their mouths when I think they’ve gotten into something they shouldn’t. I also thought testing Soleil at home wouldn’t get easy either but everything turned out okay. I definitely want to make sure they both continue on a healthy path.

 

Just to make it clear....it is NOT safe to give cooked chicken (that includes any bone) to a cat. It should only be given raw.

It's OK if it's just the "meat"...but if it includes any bone, it's a definite no-no

 

I'm glad you clarified that Chris. It is important. Per the water additive, I have no experience with it and did not know about it until I read posts here on FDMB about it. I do not know how effective it really is, or if it's just another product out there to help others make money.

 

Definitely understood. I’ve only tried giving them boneless boiled chicken pieces / shreds. So when I bought a pack of boneless chicken breast for myself for dinner, I placed a smaller piece to the side and boiled it unseasoned. I could try a raw piece next time I buy a pack for myself. If they won’t take it raw boneless, the next thing would be to try and find a small pack with bone to try with them raw.

 

I remember that I gave Idjit a chicken wing piece.. the larger part with plenty of meat on it. He went nuts!! he gnawed off one end completely and really chewed up the meat. I got a little nervous about the bone part and have not repeated it, but I am reconsidering. @Bron and Sheba gives/gave her kitties chicken wings and told us that her cats had excellent dentals, so I am willing to try again.
Idjit does have yearly dental checks and cleaning, although I never took any other cats in for that. Probably should have. I just didn't realize how important dental health is for our animals too. I want to keep our furkid as healthy as possible, and off the juice. I would rather pay for a yearly dental than buy insulin and syringes.

 

Exactly!! It's the action of gnawing against bone that "scrapes" the surface of the teeth to help clean them. Gizzards are good too because they're very fibrous and take a lot of work to break down

 

@Chris & China (GA) @Idjit's mom i take it the raw chicken with / without bone or gizzard should be at room temp?

 

I do try to let the gizzards get to room temp if I remember, sometimes I let a cold gizzard from the fridge sit for a few minutes in warm water, and offer the whole bowl to Idjit. If he gets some of that water in addition to the meat, I'm glad for it.
I buy the packs of gizzards/hearts, freeze them flat and separated first, then I use my Food Saver sealer thinger, or ZipLock freezer bags, that way I don't have to pry pieces apart. I can take out a couple of pieces, thaw in fridge so I know there isn't deterioration, and that's one of his snacks for the day.

 

Thanks again so much! I’ll try with some chicken wings / legs first. If they don’t go for those, I know I can cook them for myself. The. I’ll try the gizzards. I have a food saver suction machine, so I’m ahead in that regard.

 

Congratulations Jackie and Ms. Soleil!!!!

 

Great news!!!

 

Congrats!!

 

Congrats !!!!

 

Congratulations on OTJ. Fantastic!
The chicken legs are too big for most cats. I sometimes give small ones to mine, but mine are very used to eating bone. I would stick with the neck and wings of chicken. You can cut the wing into three smaller pieces to start with. Harry eats a whole chicken wing in 10 minutes but he has been eating bone since a kitten. Only raw never cooked. Gizzards or chunks of meat are good too for the teeth.
I get the raw food out of the fridge and place it on a plate for a couple of minutes in hot water in the sink. It just takes the chill off it. Don’t put the food in the water.
I feed a completely raw diet and brush Harry’s teeth every night. I can’t get near Clover’s teeth... she is not tolerant like Harry. Harry is almost 3 and he has beautiful white teeth and lovely gums. If you can clean the teeth it is certainly worth the effort. As Chris said you can start off with a rag on your finger. There is cat toothpaste that cats like. Don’t use human toothpaste. It is poisonous to cats. I use a cat toothbrush but a small kids toothbrush would be ok. It takes time to get them used to it. Harry doesn’t love it but he lies still while I do it and I tell him every time what a good boy he is and how beautiful his teeth are. He looks at me as if to say ‘ sure!whatever!’. Offer a small treat after each attempt.
It is a myth that dry food cleans cats teeth. If you ever see cat vomit after eating dry, it is just the complete chunks of the dry. They just swollow it whole.

 

Interesting. I haven't heard of this myself, and I'm curious. What danger is there in cooking it first? We give poached chicken breast chunks to our sugar cat as a testing treat. I've been reading about gizzards, necks, etc for a dental treat and have been wanting to try it. I'm glad I saw this first as I probably would have baked it first in ignorance! The only raw we've ever attempted was rabbit liver and heart, which our boys vehemently refused.

 

@Chris & China (GA) meant NEVER give cooked bone. Cooked chicken meat is fine. Poached, baked, grilled, fried. Cooked bone splinters easily and is not safe. Raw bone is fine but supervise the cat eating it.....raw meat is fine too

 

Ahhhh that makes sense. I know the cooked breast meat only was safe, just didn't jump out to me immediately why cooked bone was dangerous. I'm glad I saw this!