7/10 Maggie AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123; PMPS 101

7/9 Maggie

Yesterday
AMPS 144
+3 104
Vetty all day/enema for Megacolon
+16 390 No Shot - Vetty and Enema stress :shock:

Morning I was so surprised at Maggie's amps number, as I skipped last night's pm shot. I was already four hours late, and Mags was not eating, and she also needed fluids. I was surprised to get the 390 reading but rememberd the last enema she also came home in the 300's range.

Thanks you all so much for all the vines, prayers, support pics, KTSS. It meant so much to me and Mags. This time Mags came home looking much better, as they took into consideration her pain and everything. She has a nice shaved butt, which will be much easier to wash. She's not eating as well this morning though, so I gave a skinny dose. I think this is a recovery day for her.
Sorry I didn't get to condos yesterday. I'll have more time today if they keep my car.

The main changes for Mags are in the increase in Cisapride to three times/day to help with the motility. The Miralax stays the same for now and she may need less if I see she has diarrhea. We also may need to increase the Cisapride. She now needs fluids twice a day, 1.25 cc. Her b/p was good there, so that stays the same. Pepcid twice/day. Dasuquin the same. Mags has a new med, Tumil K, which she told me to order from Amazon or Thriving Pets. I like Thriving pets, as I buy her needles for the fluids at that site. She's doing some research on a pain med for Mags and mentioned Tramadol but needs to further research and discuss with some IM's. Anyone heard of this med for cats? I've heard of it and will do some research myself. Also restart the binder.

I need to have my car in by 8 am for repair or see what the panel light is indicating. The scanner says a vapor leak, and hopefully this isn't too expensive. They always give me a ride home and pick me up, too. They used to have loaners, so not sure what happened there, most likely the insurance was too high. Have a great day. Healing vines to kitties needing them.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145

Morning Ann,

Hope the car fix is a minor, inexpensive one. Nice number for Maggie to start her day. And I like the term "recovery day" - so appropriate~ Your vet seems to be on top on things, and not in a rush to prescribe/advise without investigating first. I like that

Healing/appy vines for Maggie as the day progresses. And nice poopy motion vines for Mr.Colon!

Hope you have a great day!

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145

I had to check on Maggie first thing today :smile: ...wow, it is amazing the difference between her "vetty stress number" and her AMPS - so interesting to record how stress truly affects BGs like that.

It sounds like she's doing much better this time, even though her appy is off a bit. Tumil K is potassium...I had to give that to my Mr Kitty many years ago. It was a gigantic tablet...hopefully by now it comes in easier-to-administer forms. Another place you could check for things like that is Drs Foster and Smith. They do lots of great compounding of various things to make them palatable for pets. I've heard of tramadol, but know absolutely nothing about it. I know I've heard it mentioned here before, so maybe include it in your subject line to get feedback from people who are experienced with it.

Sending "improved appy"vines and "consistent poo vines" to sweet Maggie, and "I hope it's a cheap car fix" to you, too !

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145

So glad Maggie is home and nice blue. It is amazing how high they go with vet stress. Poor girl. it was a rough day for her and you, but hopefully it is all downhill now. I don't now anything about Tramadol for cats, but have used it for Charlie with one of his knee surgeries. He didn't react well to it, but EAID (every animal is different). :lol:

I hope your car isn't too expensive. It sounds like you have a good mechanic and they have taken care of you in the past. Have a wonderful day Ann!

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145

Hi, Ann, I echo the feel-better vines for Mags (and easy-&-cheap fix vines for your car). :smile:
I hope her appy improves as the day goes on. Good luck with the new meds/doses/increased fluids. It seems as though this enema went much easier on your sweet girl. **whew**

I hope your day is as restful as possible (I know it's kind of hard when there's a car issue), but both you and Maggie deserve a 'recovery day.'
((Hugs)) to you both!
:YMHUG:

(Yay! The hug smiley guy is back!!)

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145

Glad to hear it went better for Maggie this time Sending you guys feel better and poo vines today :YMHUG:

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145

Morning Ann

Nice amps! I like that 145, a great recovery for Maggie. I am SO GLAD that she is having a better tine of it this go around, and am so glad they took into account her pain level. They have put Maggie on tumil-K? Was her potassium level low? Mannie was on that for his mobility issues, and his potassium level was below accepted values. I was told at the time that it may cause some tummy upset, i think it did a little with Mannie, but not 100% sure, as it was a minor thing. There are two forms of tumil-k: huge tablets, or a gel. I have both. The gel us supposed to tastes good to them - I wasn't convinced of that, and... it can also be a little on the messy side. anyways : I still have Mannie's, so if you want it (gel, and a few tablets) let me know and I will send it to you. As a precautionary note: if she stays on this med, make sure they monitor her potassium levels, as too high a level can cause issues too, of which I am sure they are aware.

No clue on the tramadol, though I have heard of it.

Good luck with the car too. it is so nice that they will shuttle you. Hope it isn't a huge problem on your car.

Have a great day. Maggie - keeping you close in my thoughts today. Surf well, feel good.

Good luck with everything. Elsa is on her way with tons of , all in to go cups.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135

+3 135
A nice and easy drop. I'd be happy if Mags just surfed these nice blues. She seems tired today with good reason.

Thanks Jane on the Vet. I was happy with her treatment and recommendations of Mags. It was nice she has experience with her kitty with severe constipation issues.

Thanks Amy for that recommendation of Dr. Foster and for the vines. Mags hopes to get back to the Lagoon to see bff Trixie soon.

Thanks Melissa on the vines, it is a good repair shop and I get a discount with my auto club membership.

Josie, many thanks for your support and vines. I was hoping to kick back all day with Mags, but do need to take care of this thingy with the car. :?

Thanks pam for the Maggie feel better and poo vines.

I'll catch up later on condos. Going to make myself presentable and take the dear car in for check up.


ETA Michelle, just caught your post and will catch up when I returns. Sounds like you have expertise withh some of Maggie's meds.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135

I'm glad everything went well with the enema yesterady. I hope Maggie's appy gets better today. That's great your vet is willing to investigate instead of just prescribe. I hope your car repair goes well.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135

Detective Poo here, checking in. Very nice recovery, Mags! And you have the day off, since there isn't anything in the pipeline. Ann, where do you get the cisipride? Our vet said they aren't making it anymore. Paws crossed for the car.
Liz

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135

Hi Ann. Nice to see Maggie make the slide into the blue numbers. I hope she surfs there for you today. She's doing good considering her very eventful day yesterday. We'll be keeping you and Maggie in our Prayers. Sending Maggie some poo vines to use as needed.

Hope your car repair is purse friendly. Have a great day Ann.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

+6 123

Mags is having a nice slide, considering she had no pm shot, and I skinnied up this dose as much as possible. Mags isn't eating very well though, so that could be why the nice cycle. She had just a little bit of wet and som bf mixed in with the Miralax. She's been sleeping all morning, and she is sensitive in the tushie. I wonder about the pain and will let them know.
I dropped the car off, and the Owner gave me a ride home. For a minute I thought the car was okay, as the light went off. But the scanner found something amiss, and that light would probably flicker back on.

Thanks John for your prayers and vines. I hope it is purse friendly, too. love that term.

Hi Liz, yes I have the day off today. Thank goodness my other early appt. is tomorrow. Yes, it's true the Cisapride is not made for humans any more, but the Vets are able to order it thru their Veterinary pharmacies.

Hi Carla, yes, I'm glad the Vet is investigating first the pain med for mags. I wish we could give her Bupe, as it's the most effective and gives relief quickly.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135

glad to hear that Maggie is doing much better after this enema! and 145 is a great preshot for having skipped!

MarVista Vet is a great site for looking up drugs for pets. The have practically everything listed w/ info in "civvie speak." :lol: :lol:

Oh wow on the cisapride! I just looked it up and it is the maker stopping production not FDA. It may still be available in generic form.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Ann, thanks on that site. I'll check on Tramadol.
Oh wow, tghe way I understand it is that the Vets are still able to get it for their pet patients and thru the Veterinary pharmacies. The Vet yesterday didn't mention any hiccups and was placing an order for some condensed Cisapride for mags/

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

I think tramadol is the generic name, one site said that humans were buying up the veterinary version since they can't get their form anymore. But who knows how accurate that is. Bar/checkers said she was trying to lookup and old condo for Checks about tramadol.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Ann, I want to find my original post concerning this, but here is my own note, that I kept for myself, for now.
...............................................................................................................
threw up 1/2 hour after pill.....bile and bits of tuna

HYPER until after midnite, racing from one end of house to another....couldn't calm down
going to water bowls......not drinking, just sitting over them
didn't lay down for 9 hours

pupils dilated to only black eyes.....staring but moving head

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
He had 1/4 of a 50mg tablet. That dose was also givin to Susan's cat and she also reacted the very same way.
Our cats would not let us near them.!!! They seemed terrified by us.
Two different cats in two differnt homes, on different days.

Susan's theory was that because their pupils were dilated to just big black saucers, they probably had blurry vision, like when we get ours dilated, and didn't recognize us.

Dr Dave didn't want me to try to cut the pill again, because it wouldn't be consistent in all parts.

Now I don't need my post....I said it all :lol:

PS.....since ECID, Mags may not react the same way.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Oh wow on the side effects, Barb.
The Vet must be hesitant to prescribe it as maybe it affects many pets with those side effects. Her bottom does seem sensitive.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Me again. I posted this in mine, but you may not see it.
...........................................................................................

A different doc at clinic wanted to try him on gabapentin/Neurontin....it's for nerve pain.
It didn't work for me, before surgery.
It was given to me again, last month. I cannot take it, cause it gives me "medicine head", for all next day, if I take it at night.

I couldn't use it for Checkers, cause I could get it only in 100mg capsules, not the pill the doc wanted me to split.
That's how we ended up on bupe, which works well for him.
I think I'll put this in your condo too...about the gabapentin.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Thanks Barb for that info on Gabapentin. Bupe is the best pain med for Pets it seems. It would be nice if I could use it sparingly and then up the Miralax, but the vet said it is the worst one for constipation for Megacol kitties. It doesn't seem to constipate regular kitties though, does it? Checckers seems to do well on it, Gus, too.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

So glad to see Maggie with decent numbers and better results from this enema. We want our Ms Mags feeling chipper soon. :YMHUG:

Here's what we know about the Cyproheptadine.

We get the 4mg tablets, then cut those into quarters (1mg), then cut the quarters in half into eights (0.5mg), then cut the eights in half into 1/16 (0.25mg). It is a lot of cutting but we have a pill cutter and I've gotten lots of pill cutting practice. :roll: Vets often prescribe too much (our first vet prescribed 1 to 1/2 tablet per day - 4 to 2 mg) and our first go round with that much made Zener frantic, he would eat too much and with poor motility often would vomit. We learned on FDMB and from Karie (of Karie & Maverick) to use just a sliver. So, sometimes we just take a crumb, from the pill cutting detritus and that does the trick.

Zener has had appy issues since diagnosis. The transition from dry to wet food was fraught with issues. At one point, he would eat nothing and I was hand feeding, so I asked our first vet if there was anything to use for appetite stimulation. (This was before I got on FDMB). I remember my mom having to be on something when she was receiving chemo. That was when we got the cypro. We would go days and sometimes weeks without needed an appy stimulant and then have periods where he would need some everyday. Our wonderful vet we have now says the side effects are increased appetite, as the med is an antihistamine, used to be used for asthma until better meds came along for that, but it may help that or other allergies as well. She told us the side effects were minimal, if any, other than the increased appy, so not to hesitate to give it, if we couldn't get him to eat and were stressing. We give Zener anywhere from a sliver to about 0.25mg (1/16 of a tablet) 1x per day in the morning. We read it clears the body in about 12 hours. So, if it isn't helping and making cats meowy or lethargic, it clears the body pretty quickly.

We tried Mirtazapine (meow-zapine) and it made Zener frantic and meowy. He would eat, but he seemed miserable. It also takes longer to clear the system, so poor Zener was frantic for three days. We only used the mirtz once. Small amounts of cypro have been so much better for him. I also have read in Tanya's CKD book and webpage that cypro is a better choice for cats and small amounts are often enough. She says it will help with a cat who is still eating bits and bobs, but will not work in a cat who has stopped eating. Karie also advised us to NOT use an appy stimulant with a cat who is nauseated, so that was when we added the ondansetron. We give it regularly because we never know when Zener may need some appy help.

So, that's what we have learned from FDMB and the feline assisted feeding group and Tanya's CKD information. We hope it is helpful for you and Mags.

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Ann, I only know when Checks has a bm, if I'm in the room with him. Otherwise I have to go by what the deposit looks like.
Clancy doesn't cover....Tux makes pieces. Checks covers his, so I'm never sure, unless it's diarrhea.
And they all do it before I get up. :YMSIGH: Wish they'd all use a different box.

Home from the car vetty? How was the visit?

Re: 7/10 Maggie +16 390 AMPS 145; +3 135; +6 123

Hi Ann,

That is a nice slide for Maggie today. Sending tons of eat yer fuds vines, and feel better vines for Miss Mags.i don't know anything about the new meds, except for Tramadol... I had a drooler that was on that for a long time. I didn't notice any side effects in him. I wish you the best of luck with everything. I hope Miss Maggie will feel better soon.

Keeping fingers crossed too that your car is fixed and its nothing serious.

Hugs,
Kathie

PMPS 101
I was hoping Mags would be a little higher. I just gave her one drop dose, as she's not eating very well today. A couple times I got worried with how much she was sleeping, but last time the enema also took a lot out of her. I tried giving her some soupy Wellness in a food syringe, and she seems to like it. It takes practice on the syringe, as some splattered on Mags. She's so patient.

Anne, thanks so much on the history of how Zener got started on it and how much it has helped, as I've never heard of it as an appy stimulant. The only one I have a little experience is the Mirtz - meow-zapine :lol: so true. Oh my gosh with the pill cutting. It really just takes a little. I'll watch Mags tomorrow and hope her appy improves. It was similar last enema. She has been getting up and drinking water and doing a little vocal.

Barb, I picked up my car a while ago and had to get gas, but they had to order the part, and mostly likely the part won't be in until late tomorrow afternoon. I need to take it back Friday, I was so hoping to have it done today. The vapor is leaking from the gas cap and the neck mechanism , so both need replace (estimate of around $450 with the diagnosis and all). There was a much newer car in there for the same thing. I've never heard of it.

Hi, Ann, sending appy vines to Mags. I don't blame her for sleeping today. Sweet girl.
Bummer on your car not getting fixed yet. Hopefully this will be the last fix needed for a long time (anti-jinx).

I hope you both are having a restful evening.
Hugs to you and Maggie.
:YMHUG:

Hi Ann,
I'm no help with the meds, but sending vines so that you can get them all sorted out!!

Bummer on your car! I hope it gets fixed on Friday.

Nice numbers today for Mags.

Sorry to be so late. Catch you tomorrow morning,

Hugs, scritches,

Ella & Rusty

Hi Ann,
Sending tons of eating vines and feel better fine to Maggie.
I'm gland the enema went better than the last time.
Poor Maggie...
I really hope the new med will make her better.

Awwww, soft pets to Miss Maggie. I hope she starts feeling better soon and eating her fuds. :YMHUG: to you, Ann.