Anxious cat mom is back

Hi everybody

I vanished for a while, and Kitkat and I have been fighting on, but it's TOUGH! And my brain is totally fried, I can't remember things in sequence very well - just too much going on...

Here are the edited highlights:
When I started home testing her BG bounced a lot. (please send me the link to that spreadsheet you have - I don't have it and am not sure where to look?)

Last week on Mon morning her BG was HI ( over 33.3mmol/L - or 599.4mg/dL) and again in the evening. It was 29.0 (or 522.0) on Tuesday morning and back HI again in the evening. And she wasn't eating.

Back to the vet we went on Wed morning and they put in a naso-oesophageal feeding tube, and told me to give her 10ml (0.33814 fluid oz) of food with half of the amount of water every hour to 90 mins. I didn't ask and they didn't say how much per day - and I found out on I've been underfeeding her ... - I wish there was an icon for weeping!

They also did a urine test and discovered that she had a bladder infection so she's been on antibiotics. 1 x Baytril daily.

At some stage after she got the feeding tube she was given a shot of Clopomon.

On Friday she started vomiting - when she had a bowel movement. I thought it may be the feeding tube, but the vet said no because the tube doesn't go into her stomach, but it may be because of the pressure when she defacates. It took me a while and the assistance of the reiki practitioner to figure that one out.

On Sunday night I could NOT get blood for a test, or get hold of anybody to help so I didn't give her her shot.
On Monday morning I took her to the vet for them to test her BG, and realised she'd lost more weight. Down to 3.585kg (7.9lb) from 3.8...8.37 only days before. Her BG was 17.4. I took her back in the evening for another BG test, and again, it was good for a dose of insulin.

The vet did an ultrasound and more bloodwork and discovered that she's in chronic renal failure (she was OK when she was diagnosed) and her liver enzymes are elevated and her bile ducts are enlarged (this by feel and pics from the ultrasound).

She has been getting regular reiki from a wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable animal healer, and we've started some homeopathic remedies - one for depression, one for diabetes, one when she vomits after defacating. I'm also giving her milk thistle tea to support her liver.

The vet gave me amphogel - she projectile vomited after getting the dose the vet recommended, and again when I tried to sneak a much smaller dose into her food.

I have also been given Fortecor for her kidneys. I got badly bitten when I gave her the pill yesterday, and she spat it out (That's my girl!), so I snuck it into her food without any problem, but she vomited up her feed when I did it again tonight.

I didn't test for a couple of days - too traumatised by the struggle to get blood, but she was very lethargic today and so I tested her earlier and her BG was 6.5mmol/L(117mg/dL). When she has bad days, I wonder if it's time, but then she has a good day, and then a whole lot more bad days, and I'm praying that one of you will have a simple suggestion that could really help....

She's dehydrated again too, so we're back to night watch and night feeding.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jenny and Kitkat

 

PS: The vet has her on Hills Critical Care (a/d)

 

If you go look on the main list of forums, there's one called "Suggestions, Tech Support and Testing Area". Click on it and you'll find the info stickies for the spreadsheet.

 

Thanks Kris and Teasel.

 

The vomiting when pooping is probably caused by being constipated. When they strain to poop they vomit, that's what Dusty did when he was dehydrated and as a result constipated. I mixed a little Miralax in his food and made his wet food wetter and soupy by mixing in a little water. I've tried plain pumpkin puree and at first he liked it then suddenly hated it. To this day I still add a little Miralax and now use Foriflora powder too. Fortiflora will calm their tummies, keep them regular and adds vitamins to their diet.

 

Many thanks!! She just vomited without pooping, but after feeding, so I've given her a tiny little bit of nux vomica, waited 30 mins, given her 5 ml of food and 5 ml of water... I can't get any meds into her at the moment - only homeopathic remedies. Will give her another feed in 30 mins and a little bigger ..... She is very dehydrated, so if she still wants to fight, we'll put her on a drip, but it's been a total rollercoaster for over a month

 

Jenny, this won't help medically but I need to say that what you and Kitkat are going through would send most people over the edge and I really admire you for sticking with it. I don't know how old either of you are but if I was 18 and had a cat like Kitkat I would have just packed it in. It's a lot of fun when they're kittens but I've known people who think it's cheaper to get another cat rather than pay to have one tooth pulled, pretty pathetic! I had a beautiful dog when I was 9 but of course when we moved the dog disappeared. My Dad told me Pepper went to a farm where she would eat bacon every day. They didn't have no-kill shelters in 1966. What really burned my bum was when my Mom got a yapping toy poodle and of course that dog flew with us the next time we moved. My dad got transferred every 2 or 3 years. Of course getting that poodle fixed would have cost money we could have spent on socks. We were upper middle class, kids aren't stupid! I really wish you and Kitkat the best of luck. I'm sure we all do.

 

Thank you so much!! She's looking good today - one day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. And the support is SO welcome. This is a lonely journey and I am so blessed to have found the most incredible cat whisperer!

 

Hi Jenny. I've always been fascinated by what different cultures believe in medicine, their philosophies, their views towards homeopathic and naturopathic approaches etc. Basically things that never even occur in "Western society". The birthplace of mankind is Africa so maybe there is something we can all learn from you. Unless you believe the Earth is only 4,000 years old. Where did those pesky fossils come from anyway?
Two things you said in this post, "She has been getting regular reiki from a wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable animal healer" and "Homeopathic remedies, one for depression, one for diabetes" as well as a previous post mentioning an "Energy healer" really made me curious if we're all so smart as we think we are. Maybe all this poking and prodding is only part of the answer. Modern medicine worked great for my many orthopedic injuries but when pain clinics turn me away because neuropathic pain is "Too much of a problem" it makes me lose faith (and makes me angry) in a system that, after four to seven years, teaches you to just repeat things written in a book . You read but you don't learn! I know that cannot be answered in a single post but we're all animals so I see human health directly related to feline and canine health. Are you ready to teach us something? If anything in this post offended someone it was not meant to. I'm tired and have had another mystery headache for the last 48 hours.

 

Little body has left. Brave spirit is free. My heart is so very very sore....

 

I am so sorry Jenny. We all try so hard. I hope your heart heals soon. There will never be another Kitkat but one day someone else will fill that empty place. You're so far away, I wish I could hold your hand right now and make you stop crying. Love from Cynthia and Dickson. I hope we talk again someday, I will always be here.

 

I'm so sorry you've lost your sweet kitty. Sending you all the peace and healing I can muster ...

 

so very sorry for you Jenny. you are a wonderful, caring person.
Kitkat is at peace and your shared love will live on

 

I'm so very sorry to hear that you've lost your kitty. There's such a special bond that is formed when we have been care takers to our friends with health issues. I've been through this so many times and each time I tell myself- never again- but yet I do it again with a new one. It took me many months to heal after my previous one left me but I did get to a point where I stopped crying every time I thought of her and felt lucky that I did have her the many years I did. Sending you peaceful thoughts and wishes.

 

May you find comfort in the fond memories you had together :hug: