Gracie needs vibes.....

I know I'm late in reading this thread and replying, but I just want to add my vibes for Gracie and you, for her to continue eating on her own and to be well!!  I always wonder how she's doing, since I've got my Dorothy with hyperthyroidism too.. Though the vet is pretty sure we caught it in the early stages (when we adopted her from the shelter- good thing we found her when we did!!) and her levels were never too off the charts and have been good at her 6 month blood test.. but anyway it's almost like you feel a connection when someone else has a cat with the same issues.. I don't know. I'm rambling.

Anyway I hope the Y/D food is a success for Gracie! And I agree, they must somehow know what you're doing to them (FOR them) is for their well-being. Glad you 2 are getting along nicely too!!

Thanks for the happy update! Continued vibes and love!

:heart3:

I think our miss Gracie is going to be just fine! I will be shocked if her liver values are not normal by her next test - she is being a champ :heart3:
She is eating 1/2 cup of dry food a day on her own Not convinced about the wet yet, so I am helping her with spoon feeding, and if necessary I syringe feed her one meal..... It's probably not even necessary, but I rather have her liver have more food to process than less.....
So here is how she is now:
In the am, she is spoon fed 1.5oz of wet food, mixed with quite a bit of water - that food is SO dry! at night, if she doesn't eat by spoon feeding, I syringe feed her another 1.5oz of her food (y/d). And throughout the day she eats 1/2 cup of her dry - mixture of 50% y/d and 25% Z/D 25% RC Hypo Allergenic.

Y/D is an extremely rich food - you don't need a lot of it to make a full day's ratio - and since she is eating wet too, she is definitely covered - see below for dry only - she is 12.6lbs

10 lb (4,5 kg) 3/8 cup (45 g) - 5/8 cup (80 g)
14 lb (6,4 kg) 1/2 cup (65 g) - 3/4 cup (95 g)

I want her to be 100% on y/d on Thursday so she can be taken off of her medication completely in another week. I already see improvements on her behavior by lowering her medication..... I think it has a lot to do with her eating too.... She is more alert, no longer depressed, and has much more life into her. I just can't wait for her to be out of drugs completely - especially because I am going out of town beginning of December, and I want her to be on good shape by then :cross: I really really think she will be so much better by that time!

I just saw this thread!

I'm so glad that she's doing better!!!!  Lots more vibes coming her way!!!

I just saw this, and so wishing that Gracie is feeling better.  The latest Cat Fancy just had an article on the new Hills food - I so hope that works for Gracie.  IMO, I wouldn't unduly stress if Gracie prefers dry over wet - hopefully she'll love the wet,  but sometimes just doesn't happen.  My boy isn't big on wet food, and never was -  I just thank goodness that he does love the Hills dry C/D.

darlili said:

I just saw this, and so wishing that Gracie is feeling better.  The latest Cat Fancy just had an article on the new Hills food - I so hope that works for Gracie.  IMO, I wouldn't unduly stress if Gracie prefers dry over wet - hopefully she'll love the wet,  but sometimes just doesn't happen.  My boy isn't big on wet food, and never was -  I just thank goodness that he does love the Hills dry C/D.

Click to expand...

Hi... she doesn't get overly stressed with syringe feeding.... but she does have the beginnings of Hepatic lipidosis and I want to make sure she eats more than less. Also, for this diet to work, it is imperative that this is all she can eat... I don't want to rely on the dry only. I also want her kidneys to be healthy - she is an old gal at 13.... So I am more comfortable having her at a mixed wet and dry than on dry only..... (Gracie is a big wet food lover, and I want her to continue to be on this diet)

For now, I am syringe feeding to complement her dietary needs for her liver due to her hepatic lipidosis..... I know about the stress, but IMHO her liver health is more important now

Mommy brought the Katkabin for me, so I am here having a lazy Sunday- xoxo, Gracie


Sent from my BlackBerry 8900 using Tapatalk

LOL, Gracie we'll have to admire your new CatCabin when mommy can post the picture. :lol3: You keep eating girl! :rub: :bigthumb:

Carolina,I am so sorry I missed this thread,I am so sorry for all you and Gracie have been through.I really hope that she continues to improve,you are a great meowmy.xx

Oh Carolina, I'm sorry things are rough for Gracie right now but I'll chime in with the others that hopefully it's just a meds issue and can be resolved.

...and I definitely think they understand.

:scratch: She's been slow on the dry today...... but better on the wet... :scratch: These kids know just how to keep us on our toes, don't they? :lol3:
She is eating the wet with gusto now when I spoon feed her - sure, not on her own, but still, I am very happy! I fed her 2 meals of 1 1/2oz each, and she ate 1/8 cup of dry only
I will spoon feed her another wet meal before I go to bed.... and hope she eats more of the dry tonight - I am noticing she eats about 1/4 cup throughout the night, so there is still hope that she will pick up.
I am happy that she seems to be picking up the wet though! :bigthumb:

The bowl once again woke up empty empty empty :blobgreen :blobgreen :blobgreen
What's more, she is liking the wet more and more, it seems.... I am able to feed her consistently 1 1/2oz by sopoon-feeding 2x a day, so no more syringe feeding for our girl!
I will try to add another wet meal, as she is used to eat 6oz of wet food a day, and not 3, but as long as she is on wet and dry, I am game!! That's my girl!

Since this food is replacing her meds (eventually), doesn't she need to eat a specific amount?  I don't quite understand how it works, but I guess I don't need too, as long as it does!  What a relief now that she is liking the wet, huh?   Go Gracie! 

mrsgreenjeens said:

Since this food is replacing her meds (eventually), doesn't she need to eat a specific amount?  I don't quite understand how it works, but I guess I don't need too, as long as it does!  What a relief now that she is liking the wet, huh?   Go Gracie! 

Click to expand...

She eats like any other food - per her weight - there is a range.... And, like any other food, if she is too fat, feed a little more, if she is too skinny, feed a little more
This food is not medicated - all it is, it is extremely low in Iodine.
The key for success in this diet, therefore, is that she eats nothing else at all - it doesn't really matter the qty, what matters is that she eats nothing else, so she doesn't get iodine from other foods - Fish, especially tuna, for example is very high in Iodine.
Once she is in this diet, there is no more treats, no more wet food aside from this one, no more hair ball treats, no more flavored supplements, nothing, nothing at all BUT this diet

Full transition for her will be complete this Thursday - that's when she will be 100% on this food, aside from the 2 treats a day she gets for her thyroid meds..... even that can throw the diet off..... but I can't cut the meds until a week later, so... we will have to compromise with the 2 treats a day.

Ohhhhhhh this girl is killing me of happiness and pride
She already ate almost her whole dry food for the day, and not only day, but she is doing SO well with the wet! She is not eating wet on her own yet, but boy, she is licking her chops on spoon feeding! Eating every bit of it with gusto!!
Hopefully she will eat this wet on her own soon.... I am weaning her off appetite stimulants - she is not taking tonight, and from tomorrow on, it will be mornings only. Crossing fingers, she will hold her own! :cross:

WTG, Gracie! You're such a good girl for eating your new food.
:cross: that this is just what she needs to keep her in good health. Carolina, if you hadn't taken her in, she would have been dead by now. It's been about a year now, hasn't it?

So glad to hear Miss Gracie is liking the new food and eating well on her own!!!

jcat said:

WTG, Gracie! You're such a good girl for eating your new food.
:cross: that this is just what she needs to keep her in good health. Carolina, if you hadn't taken her in, she would have been dead by now. It's been about a year now, hasn't it?

Click to expand...

Yep, November 1st was a year since she was here! Poor girl, I didn't post her gotcha day
I don't think she would been alive either .... She was only 7lbs, completely flea ridden, her thyroid was so crazy due to being off meds, she had tachycardia and problem breathing... Oh, and that awful rotten and abscessed nasty tooth that created a fistula all the way through her bone up to her nose... My girl was all messed up It was awful, she was skin bones and mats. Her behavior was pretty bad too - I think because of the thyroid, maybe- I couldn't even get close to her.... She would hiss at my sight. Today she is a total lap cat, 12.6lbs of pure honey She hates the other cats :lol3: But I give her the right to - one day at a time.... who knows if she will turn around one day?
She still has some areas that you can't touch or she will go for a bite - you can NOT brush her, only comb..... But boy, she melts with a metal comb! And she talks and talks and talks! :heart3:
She is a sweetheart, and I am just so glad she joined the family! My sweet little old lady :heart3: Hopefully these problems are indeed side effects of methimazole, and taking her off will correct the problem. It really seems to be the case.... :cross: If it is, this diet, even though we don't know what can happen super long term, can offer a lot of hope for a healthy life for her, and I am very excited about that!
I know her liver will recover, lets hope her bone marrow too! :cross:

DarkMavis said:

So glad to hear Miss Gracie is liking the new food and eating well on her own!!!

Click to expand...

Thank you

Didn't the vet say this is reversible? I really hope both her liver and bone marrow will COMPLETELY recover, no damage done!

And she was such a mess, there's no question in my mind you saved this girl's life. :nod: :heart3:

As it turns out, the medication was also making her ill! I mean - it made her better, and she felt better, but it was also hurting her longer term. What I'm wondering is if part of Miss Crabby Pants problem with other cats was in any part due to how she's felt. I mean - maybe once she's stabilized on the food, and the medication is no longer destroying her bone marrow.... if she ends up becoming friendly with the other kitties, now that she already knows them and feels VERY safe at home... if maybe once her body is completely "right," she decides the other kitties are OK?

Well - we can hope! :lol3:

Happy belated Gotcha Day Gracie! I remember the time well, Carolina. Does Bugsy still try to make friends with her, or has he become resigned to her dislike of other cats, even him?