Ok, so we just had ANOTHER rainstorm in SoCal, and Meph had a relapse. She was doing so well taking her 5mg prednisolone/daily and eating chicken/wheat free foods. She's eating duck and seafood varieties now. Her mood was vastly improved and she was eating about 4.5-5oz food daily. She wasn't in pain.
I've been suspecting it for weeks and weeks now. Coincidentally every time we have a rainstorm something (more often constipation) happens with Meph. The vet and I are treating her as if she has IBD, and I think the rain (or environmental conditions preceding and during rain) stresses her out to have these episodes.
Her relapse started Thursday, just before the rain I could tell something was up. Thurs she had eaten the usual amount but only left a little poop. By Friday she was eating less and had pooped a little but based on my notes (and photographs), smaller and harder than usual. Then Saturday she hardly ate and I could tell she was backed up (waddling, crying when picked up, tootsies in lower abdomen, I'm getting good at this (I don't want to!) and gave her an enema. I also restarted her daily Miralax (1/4 tsp). She seemed a lot happier after a big poo and ate a bit more that evening. Sunday's present was a poop that started out pea sized and hard (with a little red mucous- so scary!) then normal to mushy. Yesterday she seemed more normal (willingly left the bed cave YAY!) and ate about 4oz again and left me a semi-firm normal looking present this morning.
It sprinkled a bit where I am but more rain is coming this weekend. (OMG instead of "Winter is coming," my coworkers tell me, "Rain is coming." I dread it.)
I had used a feliway wall diffuser for a month but I don't think it helped (though a different vet and I were treating her differently at the time...). Does anyone have ideas on how to manage/prevent her stress during rainstorms? Do you have a cat like that?
I've been suspecting it for weeks and weeks now. Coincidentally every time we have a rainstorm something (more often constipation) happens with Meph. The vet and I are treating her as if she has IBD, and I think the rain (or environmental conditions preceding and during rain) stresses her out to have these episodes.
Her relapse started Thursday, just before the rain I could tell something was up. Thurs she had eaten the usual amount but only left a little poop. By Friday she was eating less and had pooped a little but based on my notes (and photographs), smaller and harder than usual. Then Saturday she hardly ate and I could tell she was backed up (waddling, crying when picked up, tootsies in lower abdomen, I'm getting good at this (I don't want to!) and gave her an enema. I also restarted her daily Miralax (1/4 tsp). She seemed a lot happier after a big poo and ate a bit more that evening. Sunday's present was a poop that started out pea sized and hard (with a little red mucous- so scary!) then normal to mushy. Yesterday she seemed more normal (willingly left the bed cave YAY!) and ate about 4oz again and left me a semi-firm normal looking present this morning.
It sprinkled a bit where I am but more rain is coming this weekend. (OMG instead of "Winter is coming," my coworkers tell me, "Rain is coming." I dread it.)
I had used a feliway wall diffuser for a month but I don't think it helped (though a different vet and I were treating her differently at the time...). Does anyone have ideas on how to manage/prevent her stress during rainstorms? Do you have a cat like that?
