I know vets do prescribe Prednisolone for anemia and that it can help so I am asking a sort of hail mary pass type question even though I think I know the answer. My cat was on 5 mg a day and we increased the dosage to 10 mg a day but we didn’t do this until after she had blood work (last week) done that showed her hematocrit dropped from 27 to 17. This was over a month and she also had lost a pound (even on the 5 mg prednisolone and appetite stimulator and I added Pepcid to help as well over the last month). Is it possible, that with an increase in the prednisolone that her anemia would improve?
Now, I know that in all honestly that even if it did, it would just be putting a Band-Aid on a cut thinking it will heal when you really need to get stitches type of situation. I have posted about my kitty before, She has cancer (lymphoma) that was diagnosed last month and after talking with the vet yesterday who consulted with the specialist that diagnosed the cancer that there wasn’t really anything we can do that we are not already doing. My vet said that with a hematocrit below 20, the cat will not be feeling good, even if she is not necessarily showing it. Leukeran was mentioned but both the vet and specialist thought the chance of it really doing any good was small considering her overall health and the chance it would make the situation worse with the side effects. I agree, I have had chemo and I would rather not have her any sicker than she already is, you know? Even if it did work, it would just be delaying the inevitable (a phrase I have heard a lot the last few days). The vet said we are doing everything right and everything we can (minus chemo since we were trying to get her stronger to even think about starting it). That thought stings but also slightly comforting in a small way right now.
Basically, we decided that to prevent a crisis/even more traumatic situation happen, we are letting my kitty cross the bridge on Friday. I guess I am really asking for a peace of mind type of thing, my one doubt I have with my decision to do this. I think I see signs that she is getting weaker but it is also hard to tell if it is actually happening or I am just looking. I know letting her go now (when she isn’t in crisis – can’t breathe or walk etc or anything else) is the best in my mind but my heart is screaming at me NO NO NO! I am taking Thursday off to spend the day with her, giving her anything special to eat I can think of (she is eating a tuna a lot these days, in fact she prefers that over her dry food now and why not?) and I am still giving her prednisolone and pepcid just because I know its not good just to stop a steroid and I don't want her to get weaker because lack of medicine but I have stopped the other medications (Ursodial and same-e) at this point to hopefully prevent her getting an upset stomach.
She has had a little bit of sardines in water and I have bought some vienna sausages for her to try along with some yogurt and cottage cheese to see if she will eat that. Any ideas on anything else I can offer her in the next few days? I would go buy escargot if I thought she would eat it. She seems to have snubbed actual cat food right now and maybe it was my fault for saying, it doesn't matter and giving her other things. I think of her as being on the cheese danish diet right now.
Now, I know that in all honestly that even if it did, it would just be putting a Band-Aid on a cut thinking it will heal when you really need to get stitches type of situation. I have posted about my kitty before, She has cancer (lymphoma) that was diagnosed last month and after talking with the vet yesterday who consulted with the specialist that diagnosed the cancer that there wasn’t really anything we can do that we are not already doing. My vet said that with a hematocrit below 20, the cat will not be feeling good, even if she is not necessarily showing it. Leukeran was mentioned but both the vet and specialist thought the chance of it really doing any good was small considering her overall health and the chance it would make the situation worse with the side effects. I agree, I have had chemo and I would rather not have her any sicker than she already is, you know? Even if it did work, it would just be delaying the inevitable (a phrase I have heard a lot the last few days). The vet said we are doing everything right and everything we can (minus chemo since we were trying to get her stronger to even think about starting it). That thought stings but also slightly comforting in a small way right now.
Basically, we decided that to prevent a crisis/even more traumatic situation happen, we are letting my kitty cross the bridge on Friday. I guess I am really asking for a peace of mind type of thing, my one doubt I have with my decision to do this. I think I see signs that she is getting weaker but it is also hard to tell if it is actually happening or I am just looking. I know letting her go now (when she isn’t in crisis – can’t breathe or walk etc or anything else) is the best in my mind but my heart is screaming at me NO NO NO! I am taking Thursday off to spend the day with her, giving her anything special to eat I can think of (she is eating a tuna a lot these days, in fact she prefers that over her dry food now and why not?) and I am still giving her prednisolone and pepcid just because I know its not good just to stop a steroid and I don't want her to get weaker because lack of medicine but I have stopped the other medications (Ursodial and same-e) at this point to hopefully prevent her getting an upset stomach.
She has had a little bit of sardines in water and I have bought some vienna sausages for her to try along with some yogurt and cottage cheese to see if she will eat that. Any ideas on anything else I can offer her in the next few days? I would go buy escargot if I thought she would eat it. She seems to have snubbed actual cat food right now and maybe it was my fault for saying, it doesn't matter and giving her other things. I think of her as being on the cheese danish diet right now.
