Miss Kitty and the peg tube

November 2013 we knew Kitty was going to die. Loosing weight from 11# to 8# tests and more meds. Hyper throid. Compounded medicines in her ears.
our vet suggested we take her to the University of Tennessee. They could do all the testing required plus sonagrams xrays on and on. We did and found out everything that was wrong. High blood pressure hyperthriod, renial failure, bladder stone, kidney stone. She"s 13 to 15 yesrs old. No longer eating, side effect of the thyriod medicine.
But still a loving green eyed trotoise who wasn't ready to let go. What to do. Where to start.
A feeding tube, peg tube, too keep her alive while we tried to find the right combination of medicines.
Stop the thyroid..start the blood pressure meds...
and feed her Hills KD through her tube. Keep her hydrated. It's mind bogling.
So we went for it. We"ve had constipation, vomiting, syringes that stick, human error, and fleeing Kitty.
And now we have a new problem, the peg site leaks and her hair has grown out and I can't keep the site clean.
Any suggestions for keeping site clean and trimming hair without giving her anisthetics to do it.
She still plays ..jumps off and on the furniture.

wow...someone will be here soon to answer your question, somewhere on the site is probably a video on this

sounds like she's not in pain so that's good

I really don't have any ideas.  So she still isn't eating on her own yet?  Is the Feeding Tube different from  the peg tube?  I thought they were one and the same?  Is it in her neck or directly in her stomach?  Did you try asking the Vet what could be done...perhaps just a light sedative to shave her again around the opening to the tube? 

When our kitty had his feeding tube, it was directly in his tummy versus his neck, and it was there for 4 months, but I don't recall ever having the issue of cleaning it at the site, and I'm sure his fur must have grown back during that time.  All I recall is cleaning the actual tube after each feeding by putting a little water thru it.  And I definitely remember the sticking syringes...you need a large supply of fresh syringes, that's for sure. 

I think I'd definitely check with the Vet and see what they recommend.  Surely this isn't a new situation for them.

The peg is in her stomach and we now have a basket of sryinges. Our vet has never had any ecperience with the feeding tube so I guess we'll have to go back to UT for futher enlightenment.unfortunately her tube is in for the rest of her life.
Thanks

Wow!  Feeding tube for life...that's a new one on me.  I thought perhaps with the changing up of the meds the idea was that she might start eating again on her own.  Franlkly, I've never heard of a cat stopping eating because of thyroid medication.  I guess you learn new things everyday...that's what "they" say anyway.

So, can you call your contact at UT and talk to them about what you might be able to do with the insertion site of the feeding tube?  Or do you not still take her back there for appointments to try to figure out changes in her meds? 

So is the vomiting and constipation due to her kidney disease?.  I've got experience with that (kidney disease) , and those two issues .  I'm working on my third kidney cat right now.  At least with a feeding tube, you can make sure your little one gets a low phosphorus food, and enough of it .  And you can give her antacids right in her tube, or slippery elm bark, or whatever is needed.  And Miralax for the constipation, unless any of those interfere with the hyperthyroidism or blood pressure

I don't know if you've seen this or not, but I refer to this website often.  It's everything you ever needed to know about kidney disease.  This particular page is on kidney disease and related diseases:  http://www.felinecrf.org/related_diseases.htm  Hyperthyroidism has it's own heading, and you'll find hypertension (high blood pressure) listed in the left hand column under "key issues".  There's also a section on this page about anesthesia, just in case she might need to be put under to get shaved again or for reinstallation of the rube for some reason.  I know our guy pulled his tube out once

Our kitty has a feeding tube, also probably for life. She was under 5 pounds and still losing and if we didn't do it, she would be gone. She's gained some, but it goes up and down, from 5lb 5 oz highest to 5 lb. 2 oz or so.  She eats a bit on her own but not much.  No diagnosis other than possible IBD and run out of tests except invasive ones that she might not survive.

I don't know what peg tube is.  Cindy's tube is in her neck.  We clean the site every day, put antiseptic on a cotton round, put that around the tube, and secure a kitty kollar around her neck. 

When you say it leaks, what do you mean?  Leaks food?  Or is it an infection?  Cindy has had two infections, one very severe.  And with that second infection, her tube came out and we had to have it put back in the other side of her neck.  The second infection I thought it was food coming out, but turns out it was brown pus.  They shaved around her neck and the fur hasn't grown back, but couldn't they very carefully shave around it without having to knock her out?  I was very lucky, the hospital we go to does a lot of tubes and the vet who did Cindy's is supposed an expert at it.  Unfortunately, she's also pregnant, so I don't know who will be seeing Cindy when she's on maternity leave.

that you can get it all sorted out.

What do you mean the PEG is leaking?  At the stoma?  I'd be calling UT immediately for advice.