Chickster Growling at butt

Can you shop at a Costco?

Please read this link totally. The ingredients are posted near the end. It is an impressive list, and the food is inexpensive and my cats love it!

O.O I always was curious about what "Animal digest" was.. EWWWWW!!! Thank you for that article, I am continuing to read it.

Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle

O.O I always was curious about what "Animal digest" was.. EWWWWW!!! Thank you for that article, I am continuing to read it.

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Thank you for reading it!

Just as an "aside", when our Vet prescribed Purina dry K/D for Sven and I asked her for a prescription for a different brand and she wanted to know why, I told her that Purina had animal digest as one of the ingredients in it! I told her I just couldn't deal with that, hoping she would talk to the partners and maybe switch from the Purina presciption diets to Royal Canin or something else.

(We usually use Kirkland too, except right now, since Darko is on a diet, and we are feeding a higher protein, lower carb diet)

Just a random thought, thinking back on an episode of Good Times where the family found out a lady was so poor she was having to eat dog food, ... I know there were (and most likely -are-) people who are still forced to do that... animal digest... I am beside myself!

Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle

Just a random thought, thinking back on an episode of Good Times where the family found out a lady was so poor she was having to eat dog food, ... I know there were (and most likely -are-) people who are still forced to do that... animal digest... I am beside myself!

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yuck - I can't even imagine.

With how expensive things are I wouldn't doubt there are people out there eating Alpo(or whatever cheap dog food.) I know Paul spends a lot of money on prescriptions, I just had my doctor switch my drugs since i was sick of paying $300 a month for 2 bottles of pills(the 3rd bottle, which is generic sleeping pills, is like $4.) Now I'll be spending about $20 on medications, counting the sleeping pills(switched one, and discontinuing another on the expensive stuff, hope it works.) Paul is already on the cheap antidepressant I'm now on, but he spends in excess of $300-$400 a month on medications alone(Medicare part D is a joke.)

Gotta put my kids to bed but just wanted to say I'm sure there are plenty of people who are forced to eat dog food.

Taryn

Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle

As of 11:30 AM to 11:45 approx Chickster had another fit. It was milder, in a sense, and didn't last as long but I got her into the bathroom and gave her both her medications.

Sort of disheartened, was kind of hoping the pred would work on its own. Will talk to the vet tomorrow.

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How about an update on our Chickster?

Sure, sorry I haven't done it sooner. Chickster is having a fit as we speak and I just finished giving her her medicine. It is really tedious. I try to play with her afterwards and she really enjoys that, but I can't do it ALL day, and now I'm going to go try to distract her.

She's pooped today and pooped yesterday. It's tearing my nerves up but Mom is not bothered by it. Her stool was soft today, solid and firm but not hard like it has been in the past.

She had a fit yesterday as well. I'm continuing with the Amitrip and Pred every 12 hours (Says every 12 to 24) She had a dose last night at 8 and another one this morning just a bit ago.

I don't get it. She went poop right before I gave her medicine. She started having a small fit of attacking her tail and it was time for her meds, she took her meds, sounded a little croopy in her nose (I think maybe some water got in there... ) and was OK. We played with her stick and felt bow, she had fun, and I said ok, I need to go finish my things now. As soon as I started typing this her fit started again.

She's quiet now.

I haven't yelled or swore or anything, she scratched me on my hand when I dared to reach out to get her yesterday, so definitely no more of that. She gets really upset when I have to corral her with a coat but by the time I set her in the bathroom and uncover her she is ok and stops growling.

I try to make her understand I'm trying to help her and I don't get angry but I can't hide my nervousness if she can feel it, not even the Xanax helps it. Mom says it's because of everything with Boo but I am just going nuts here.. feel like everything is falling apart.

Otherwise she's eating, pooping, peeing and usually OK. Having another fit again, I am going to try to distract her.

Thank you all <3

So I guess the allergy hypothesis can be ruled out since the prednisone is not helping. Have you spoken to the vet about stopping it? If the steroid was going to make a difference it would have already.

As you know the amitriptyline will take longer for you to know if it is going to have any effect. The waiting is difficult, I know.

I will call the vet and leave the Dr. a message so she will know she is still having fits. She is laying here beside me after a particularly grueling playing episode. She has so much energy!!

And yes, waiting it out is the hardest.

Strangest thing just happened. She was having a fit when I went downstairs and something told me to make a noise with my mouth. I popped and spit and made funny noises, nothing worked. Finally I said heck I'll just whistle. I used to whistle a lot with Boo, though I don't think he liked it.
She IMMEDIATELY stopped the fit and came running to me and loved all over me for I think 20 minutes or so, felt like 20 minutes. I mean crazy loving, sucking on her toe, purring like a freight train. It was WEIRD! She is STILL calm and I stopped whistling 10 minutes ago I think. I am going to try it again. I am waiting on the vet to call me back, she said she is going to research a few more things and get back to me.

Keep us posted okay? Chickster is on my mind a lot.

Sweetie, I can't imagine how I missed this thread for so long, but my heart goes out to you and Chickster!

I had a totally different experience with amytriptaline than Otto did. We ended up resorting to using it when Spooky had been having a peeing-outside the box problem (behavioral) for months, and we tried everything under the sun. We all needed a break. We had her on it for about three months and successfully weaned her off of it. It definitely made her pretty dopey for the first three weeks, but after that she pretty much went back to being her happy, normal playful self (only no more peeing outside the box). This is the same medication they give children, actually, who have problems wiht bed-wetting. What it does is cause the kitties (and people) to retain their urine - it's a "side effect" of the medication. Spooky, while on the med, peed one huge pee a day. So all of that was just to let you know you may see a change in Chickster's peeing habits.

I don't know how the liquid relates to the med, but Spooky was on one 10mg pill a day. My guess is that if the 1mg liquid 2x a day isn't helping, you may gradually increase it. But it is a med that takes a couple of weeks to reach the right "blood saturation" levels (which is why you shouldn't just stop giving it to a cat or a person, you have to gradually decrease the amount they're on and then take them off of it, or it's a shock to the system).

Mega to you and Chickster!

I just want to clarify that I myself have not used amitriptyline in a cat. I know several people who have, for FLUTD, stress licking and aggressive behavior.

However I DO take it myself, for sleep. I am deathly afraid of sleeping pills so my doctor prescribed this for me. I take 10 mg a night and it works wonderfully and after three years it still works, I have never had to increase the dose.

My friend whose cat had to take it for FLUTD never got over the dopiness. And he got fat too. After two years on it she and her vet decided to try taking him off it, (very gradually) and he's done wonderfully, she says he is like a kitten again, playful and sociable, she had forgotten how jolly he could be.

The kitty who takes it for stress licking only takes it for short spurts because her person doesn't like the dopey side effect. Kitty goes on it for three or four months, until the licking stops and all the fur grows back, then she tapers kitty off it again.

The aggressive kitty's use of it is still in the early stages, but they weren't using it right, were just giving it to him every once in a while, rather than giving it a chance to build up in his system and work, and I haven't heard an up date on that kitty lately.

My own personal feeling is that Chickster would do better on phenobarbital since the episodes seem to be increasing in severity and frequency, but I am not a vet, nor am I there observing Chickster. Perhaps I am partial to the drug because it has done so much for my Tolly boy.

Yes he had liver damage from it after 8 years of taking it (which has been reversed for now, all his numbers are normal for the past 6 months) but quality of life is the most important thing, and phenobarbital has given Tolly that, a wonderful happy episode free life, and he is not dopey, though I know LDG said her Spooky did lose the dopiness after a few weeks, so every cat is different I know.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with these medicines. I really do appreciate it.

Chickster really doesn't seem dopey or sleepy, but she does sleep with me more often now.

I went to pay some on BOo's bill and got to talk to Dr. Sparks (Or Sparxx I'm not sure) She is another wonderful vet there who I saw because Dr. Pierce was only taking drop offs that day.

Anyway, she said to take Chickster off the Prednisone because we should've seen improvement by now, and we'll just try the Amitriptyline. She said to give it 2 more weeks and hopefully we'll see improvement. She is hopeful though because we can distract her from the episodes. She also weighed the amount of foaming and fighting she was giving from the Pred and gagging and all sorts of drama with it, I think.

She is doing OK right now, small fit this morning but I had to run out to run errands. Been home for about an hour and no fits as of right now.

They haven't progressed to get any more serious, i.e., she hasn't harmed herself yet or groomed any fur off, though the foam has messed up her nice mane under her chin and I'm brushing and washing it trying to get it clean.

Once I get a hold of some money she is going in to have a full work up, I want everything from worms to bowels to Idunnowhatelse checked That should hopefully be very soon.

Thank you all so much. Sometimes I feel like I'm losing it and you guys help me keep steady so I can continue to keep Chickster (And with Boo) healthy as possible. You're all angels

You've sure had a lot to deal with.

Thank you so much :hug::hug::hug:

Just a quick update. Giving the Amitriptyline every 12 hours. It may already be giving her a dopey side effect as she's sleeping much more. But her fits have calmed down. She usually starts one near the time to take her meds, which is around 8am/8pm. The durations are shortening, she will continue to have one if she starts one before meds, it will continue after meds but only for about 5-10 minutes. She still has not harmed herself, Thank God!

I am worried about having to give her this med for the rest of her life so I AM going to have a full work up done, but it still worries me for her taking it just this short amount of time.

Thankfully she doesn't hate me, she is still loving, perhaps more lovey-dovey than before.

A note: That medicine in liquid form is SERIOUSLY STICKY. I got it on my hands and found out! Even worse, it's messed her mane up under her chin. I tried to wash it in warm water and brush it, but it is just ugh. Putting her in the bath tub -- never done it, she's terrified of water, so I will try to soap it out gently. I don't want to have to shave it

Chicken flavored is a joke, must be, because she still foams like crazy over it.

Thank you all <3

Sweetie, I'd talk to your vet about switching to the pill form. I'm glad to hear it seems to be helping - and I'm sending vibes that Chickster is one for whom the dopey side effects "wear off" like they did for Spooky after a few weeks or so! I know you're worried about the med - but I'm pretty sure it's safe at low doses (definitely discuss with your vet) - and I KNOW it's safer than Prozac or Phenobarb!!!! And her fits being fewer and shorter have to be a bit of relief!