Is my SS showing? I don't have MANY results but I've entered them damn near 3 times and they're not showing though I'm logged into Google, and Drive, etc. Am I doing something wrong? Fena was due for her 2nd vet curve on Wed, the 27th - but my car which I took in last week Tuesday morning after Fena's 1st curve, isn't ready. Hell they haven't even GOTTEN to my car yet, just this afternoon which I didn't know so I rescheduled for Oct. 1st. Post from main forum: My vet, which I got off the phone with an hour ago, wants NO part of Miralax, etc. Only wants to push Lactulose and Digestive Health Royal Canin RX food. Needless to say I'm discouraged, upset and DON'T agree. My baby got jump started PM Aug 17th with Lactulose 2ccs, and had it for another 4 days - 18 cc total before switching to 1/8 Miralax 2x daily. Tonight at 8pm will make day 3 of Miralax. What prompted my call was to reschedule Fena's 2nd curve, since my car isn't anywhere near ready - it's now Oct 1st, plus I asked about her constipation, she's been going a little each day - 1" pieces mostly but this morning one was soft but firm, the other broke in half easily using mild pressure when I squished. The outer millimeters were soft (and easily coated in litter) but the break was due to slightly crumbly/dry stool in the interior - never saw anything like it, so I called the vet. They were NOT happy with the Miralax and NOT happy I'd started testing - as scant as it is thus far. I don't know whether to be angry, disappointed or what. And if they asked once they asked a million times about "when I can get her in" - like they didn't believe my car was broke and in the shop and they hadn't gotten to her yet! Why in the sam hell would I lie about that? Ugh. Tonight I'll do the other 1/8th teaspoon then in the morning I'll switch her to 1/4 in the morning and night, and watch, closely. It'll have been 3 full days of 1/8 2x and while it's "working" it's not REALLY doing its job so I'll try and see. It's getting easier for me to test, I am determined, I WILL do this.. this ugh, the vets!
I see them too. Well done! Don't worry about the vet too much. Most of us more or less ignore our vets, but do it with a smile. Doing that requires taking responsibility to do research, ask questions, and act wisely of course. And the smile is required because sometimes we need our vets -- we can't do dentals on our cats, run blood work, etc. So it's important to keep an amicable relationship, even while acting without their full consent sometimes.
Ah vets. Yes they can be pretty unreasonable at times. For the food, you can just say Fena won't eat it...that's what I did. It was the only thing we disagreed on so I didn't see the point of arguing about it. As for testing...it's YOUR cat and you're doing what you can to keep Fena safe. Don't let them make you feel bad for it! Yes, I think we have all disagreed with our vet on something, but we did so with a smile so that we can keep a good relationship with them. Some of us have converted our vets to our way of thinking over time, but mostly it's just been doing what we want and smiling and nodding in the vet's office.
Thanks! I'm so sorry both to my cat Fena and this board, about the slowness of testing - I just didn't want to rush, and now I'm doing it! I know it's silly and maybe stupid but sometimes, if I take my time, if I feel I CAN - it sets a great pattern for me for the future. Hopefully it's what I've done here. Now I just need to start testing when I NEED to, slowly but surely I'm on it. But yeah, I had such high hopes for my vet - I'll still do the 2nd curve, just to check... plus I'd like them to check out her constipation issue again, etc. but yeah it's disappointing. I even told them this on the phone, that I know medical is more an art form than a science and the 4 people I spoke to, before I got the vet, didn't disagree with me.. it's true in humans and animals, which makes it all the more stressful, try and fail, intuition, etc. I have Miralax and Lactulose for her constipation, I have the insulin, have the food - need some more treats/tricks, and need to bring up neuropathy - I'm pretty such she has it, to a degree and I need to address it and her slightly, only slightly, elevated kidney levels. Can I ask, how often do you (or anyone) recommend full blood tests? Every X amount of months, or..? Fena for an update is eating GREAT - she's up to 8 - 9+ oz. during the day, plus another 5.5oz at night to split with her brother. She's getting now 3 tbs. water with each meal plus more if she eats on her brothers left overs (he's much smaller than her) - he's getting 1 tbs per meal, not including overnight. Overnight can gets split between 2 bowls, 1.5 tbs each water - Mao's food ends up with this, Fena's is a separate bowl right along side. When I calculated, when I'm awake - Fena gets 9 tablespoons a day, Mao gets 3 - overnight each 1/2 of Friskies gets 1.5 tbs. and when she gets her Miralax at night, she gets 1 tbs. plus 1 teaspoon chicken and broth Beechnut babyfood. I also always add a dash of water to food, so it doesn't dry out. Is this too much water, adding in the moisture from the wet food or..?
I think that might be my problem until I'm totally cool and comfortable testing - even though I KNOW, it kinda.. pricks, irritates, makes me wanna spout out at the mouth. I want the best for my babies so don't argue with me if I've done my homework, etc. Which is .. bad. I went through it with my Mom too, ugh. But yeah I STILL have.. *thinks* 5-6 cans of Hills i/d, something like that.
Sometimes you just nod and smile at the vet and do your thing at home. My vet doesn't like the idea I use levemir. Have you tried pure pumpkin in some food? My previous kitty required pumpkin twice a day and miralax twice a day to keep moving.
Actually it's my Mao baby that could probably use the pumpkin - Fena's stools are large, not huge or anything but they're big like her and well formed - just... hard/dry, etc. But Mao? Yeah he could use it! Every so often he'll have a huge BM with firmed stool (softer than heck) plus liquidy pudding.. due to the canned food and the added 1 tbs I think. His needs bulking up but not sure if he'll eat it? To start out with pumpkin, how low to start? And if he doesn't eat it, if he knows it's there and refuses... what psyllium can I give him, Metamusil or?
Start with 1/4 tsp of may be even 1/8. Freeze cubes and take one out when you need to since it doesn't last long when you open the can.
Thanks so much! Think I'll do 1/8 to start, since it's not all the time that he suffers from it - just once in a blue moon. But if he does smell and detect it, what should I do? Fena likes pumpkin but it would actually harm her, her stools are big and meaty enough right now but Mao...? I've heard I can freeze it yes, or use it for my own food/cooking. Can I ask a crazy question? There's this dish I make that Mao about loses his brain over - it's zucchini, spiraled to pasta and steamed lightly - I also cook up 1/2 chicken breast in some chicken broth (not stock), then shred to mix into it - and I can add ANYTHING - beans, other veg, etc. Mao's fav. though is green beans! Canned, frozen, steamed from fresh, he doesn't care - but it's cut up and added to the dish with the chicken, plus a touch tomato sauce like Ragu, Prago, etc, but only a touch and then a sprinkle of parmesean. Is him licking at it a little, or eating a little, okay..? I feel so bad for him because Fena gets ALL the attention - I try hard to keep him included, etc. but it's not always easy - sometimes he'll "think" he's not here or expendable, etc. We have our own "cook nights" 2 times a week - we cook (I cook) for both cats, but Mao's up on the counter and he's the center of attention. Chicken breasts, thighs, rotisserie, etc. he's right there with me - "helping" - and Fena is the "taste tester". Another hit - get a beef or pork butt 1/2 - 3 lbs. (cooked 1/4 or half/etc. - remove and add half beef broth, half pork or chicken, half water), the size for your family - grab a hunk, shred and cut it up finely (1/2 cup) - mix it with 1 scrambled egg, add a bit of mushed peas (1 tsp), and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar - for full recipes contact me, I have a TON of them. The human version is extremely tasty too!
Cats in general don't have a strong thirst drive so, especially when using Miralax, it's important to encourage water consumption. Tubby suffered from constipation (in addition to acromegaly and other issues) and literally ate canned food "soup" the last few years of his life... that's how much water I added, lol. Water consumption is also very important for kidney health. So I'd add as much water as possible to the food. Definitely don't restrict it. There's no such thing as the cat drinking "too much" water.
Yeah for Fena she gets 3 tablespoons now, per meal - plus I blend it, literally. Mao gets 1 per meal since he's still healthy. Sometimes she eats his left overs, etc. so extra water. Overnight is a 5.5 oz. can split between 2 bowls with 1.5 tablespoons each. There is such a thing as too much water though.. it can wash them out of electrolytes, etc. Fena's initial blood work was a little low on sodium and chloride, and I wasn't adding extra water to the diet at the time. So I am worried... how much is too much, how much is too little?
