Artie and his Issues

[bbdoll22]

My moms cat had severe constipation issues and hated the lactulose, the vet sent to a compounding pharmacy and it was compounded into a 2x daily transdermal gel that was applied to his ear tips.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I am of the opinion that SOME poop is better than no poop at all.  And he is eating a bit.  This is a small step in the right direction with our boy.

My moms cat had severe constipation issues and hated the lactulose, the vet sent to a compounding pharmacy and it was compounded into a 2x daily transdermal gel that was applied to his ear tips.

HUH...Now that may well be worth speaking with N Vet about!  Anything to make your lives easier is worth considering!  I keep forgetting how many meds can actually be done transdermally!

 

[angels mommy]

I didn't realise they could do that topically w/ meds. Yes, a great idea! "A little ear "massage" while getting brushies!"  

 

[artiemom]

 
Sorry I'm late to the party here in wishing Artie a Happy Birthday

.

Also, that diarrhea is probably from the increased amount of Lactulose, right?  And he may have cramping from the same thing.  I read that it's one of the side effects.  But since you've said he's been eating less lately, it seems natural that he's pooping less.

Since he's hiding from you now and is so adamant that he doesn't want his meds, I wonder if you could give him most of them as injectables?  Most can be given right into their scruff while they are getting their "brushies" and they never even know what's happening

  And for the Miralax, since it's odorless and tasteless and doesn't gel up, could you possible just mix it with a teeny bit of food and give that to him, then don't give him any more food until you've made sure he has eaten the stuff that has the Miralax in it?  Or even give it to him in tuna juice, even if it's just 1 teaspoon of the juice so he laps it up?  That way you don't have to syringe it into him.  (and did you know Lactulose also comes in powdered form?  Don't know what happens to it though if you mix it with anything, like food )

OH!  And also, have you seen this site?  http://felineconstipation.org/introduction.html  More light reading

Thanks for the link.. I have that site bookmarked.. 

the miralax I mix with water and put it in his food.. the problem is when he is not eating.. I then have to syringe it into him~~ that is the issue...

tuna juice will be my next try.. 

Injectables, I do not mind. I did insulin shots for my last cat... I am giving Artie sub-q's so what is the difference?? nothing..

My moms cat had severe constipation issues and hated the lactulose, the vet sent to a compounding pharmacy and it was compounded into a 2x daily transdermal gel that was applied to his ear tips.

I saw that on my R Vets website. They are affiliated with a mail order compounding pharmacy.. do not know which one, but I can check it out...

and they sell lactulose granules call krystalax.. 

Just kind of down. I will feel better when he poops normally.. I am seeing some pieces smeared, but that could be from constipation also.. sigh.. He is not feeling well. I can tell. He is looking at me.. asking for help.. I do not know what to do.. His R Vet is off today because she works Saturdays. If I knew he really needed an enema, I would have a different Vet do it.. 

Tomorrow we are getting hit with a major snowstorm.. an good old Nor'Easter... and blizzard conditions at times.. so Artie has to wait until Friday afternoon, when the roads are clear, to see a Vet....sigh

Thinking about making an appointment for Friday and then cancelling it, if not needed..

Fingers crossed that he is feeling poorly from cramps, not from constipation.. Lord knows I have given him enough lactulose and miralax to produce a nice gush of poops... 

He is eating pretty good today.. 1/2 large can last night and 1/2 large can today.. That is something.. and he did not even move during his sub-q's.. even when I got up twice to look at the fluid level in the bag.. hanging the bag against a white wall makes it hard to see the flow.. 

Surpassingly, he just stayed there, on his quilt..sweet baby.. 

You can tell by his face and his body language that he does not feel well.. He did run out of the apartment when I came back from the dumpster.. but came right back in... 

I cannot wait for this N Vet appointment.. I hope Artie can hang on .....sigh..

thanks for the support...

 

[angels mommy]

That's great that he ate a good amount. He will probably be able to poop more now.  So yes, hopefully he won't need "assistance." I know you'd hate to put him through that again. Now that he's eaten, it will just take a little time to come out... I know it's hard, but as long as he's eating, try & be patient. I agree with if it goes more than 3 days, then be concerned. Especially if he's eating the better food. His little body is handling a lot. 

 

[mazie]

I promise I will not harp on this again, but you were able to move Artie's appointment up 2 days last week, and if I am not mistaken, you or LTS3 mentioned that you can try and move it up to an even sooner date.  I would take that leap and try to see if you can at the very least get him to be seen at the N Vet next week and keep your already established appointment with R Vet  this Friday.   The time used to just try and hang on and maintaining is taking such a toll on you and your cat.  All they can say is no, do not have an earlier appointment.  At this point, I would want to know in my heart of hearts, I have tried everything in my power to get him relief ASAP.  If you can't, you know you will just have to wait.  The good thing now is that at the very least, you have that appoint. for this Friday.   Go for it, girl!!

 

[bbdoll22]

My moms vet recommended Wedgewood pharmacy in NJ. Excellent customer service, easy ordering by phone or Internet and fast shipping.

 

[foxxycat]

yes wedgewood is a great pharmacy. The only issue with transdermal is if the particles are not small enough to pass through the blood vessels in the ears then it may not be as effective. I tried transdermal Pepcid for Floey and it didn't work. BUT I do know some people have had good luck with prednisolone transdermally but the amount is not as thorough as an oral or injection dose. BUT it is doable IF they can get those particles chopped up small enough.

Also don't forget he had diareah last night you said=so if I was you-keep the dose consistant..maybe the 1.75 was too much. Try to keep it at .5 or .75cc for 4 days to see if it stays good. also we don't want to make poop run too fast through the colon otherwise his body won't get the nutrients..so it's a delicate balance..

I heard about the storm..one says 6-10 and another station says 8-14. I will be at work..because if I go to work=I DONT have to SHOVEL!! LOL although I will have to dig out the furnace vents on the roof if we get a good amount...hang in there momma you are doing well!

 

[tiptopper]

We had meds compounded at Wingate's Pharmacy on Main street in Nashua New Hampshire. Satisfied customers!

 

[bbdoll22]

Wingate was also recommend but not chosen due to proximity.

 

[artiemom]

 

the office of the N Vet is trying to move it up.. as soon as there is a cancellation.. he is all booked.. a very busy man...I do not have any doubt that his secretary will help.. absolutely no question in my mind. I have faith in that..

Artie just played for about 10 minutes.. he was jumping, chasing his new toy... Da Bee.... it really flies through the air like a bee... 

Washed out his box and dumped the old litter.. 

 
We had meds compounded at Wingate's Pharmacy on Main street in Nashua New Hampshire. Satisfied customers!

I go to Village Pharmacy in Lynnfield, MA... it is a privately owned humane pharmacy which does compounding.. It has to be for human drugs which are used on animals... a big business with pets..  they are responsible and trustworthy.. 

oh oh.. he is digging in box.... lets see: 

   happy dance!!  He left a 4 inch by 4 inch of soft serve poop.....cancelled the appointment for Friday!! 

now the forecast is 12-18 inches of snow in the City of Boston.. the Mayor is having a televised message now...

snow starting around 8 am...yikes...

I can now relax... 

 

[hbunny]

@Artiemom  I almost bought Da Bee....is it wire that it is on?  Is it sharp or anything?  I have one that is a biter!!

So glad to hear about the poop!!  Relax, watch the snow, cuddle Artie.  It sounds like things are "moving" along.  I know it's hard to get a balance of intake vs. output, I went through that with Fuzz in her final years.  I finally reached a good balance of dosing on her, but then she would skip her food and throw me off on dosing.  If she hadn't eaten much and I gave her the lactulose it made her cramp, then I would cry because I did it to her, then she would poop and I would cheer, then the cycle started over.  I wish I had known about the transdermal compounding at the time, would have made my life so much easier.  I could give her fluids easily, but anything going down the hatch was a nightmare! 

 

[IndyJones]

@Artiemom
 I almost bought Da Bee....is it wire that it is on?  Is it sharp or anything?  I have one that is a biter!!

So glad to hear about the poop!!  Relax, watch the snow, cuddle Artie.  It sounds like things are "moving" along.  I know it's hard to get a balance of intake vs. output, I went through that with Fuzz in her final years.  I finally reached a good balance of dosing on her, but then she would skip her food and throw me off on dosing.  If she hadn't eaten much and I gave her the lactulose it made her cramp, then I would cry because I did it to her, then she would poop and I would cheer, then the cycle started over.  I wish I had known about the transdermal compounding at the time, would have made my life so much easier.  I could give her fluids easily, but anything going down the hatch was a nightmare! 

My guys absolutely love their Bonks bamboozler and it seems virtualy indestructible. Kabby is a big strong guy and he hasn't been able to rip it like most teasers.

 

[bbdoll22]

Yay Artie pooped!

 

[artiemom]

@hbunny    Da Bee is really cool.. It is on a thin wire.. and has the wand attached. You can also change the toys, they do sell them separate. I had the Cat Catcher Mouse, but I think Artie grew tired of it. 

I bought it on a lark.. I did not think Artie would, now, get so  much enjoyment from it. It does flutter through the air like a bee, and when you move it a carpet, it jumps like a bee would.. it rotates also.. It is well worth the money.. 

Artie is a big boy, and a biter also.. everything goes in his mouth..He allows me to take it out of his mouth, he is gentle..

but he love feathers.. eats them... so I have to be careful with feathers and plastic..

Yes, I am going to relax.. and try to decide on how much lactulose to give him.. 

thanks...

 

[LTS3]

 
the office of the N Vet is trying to move it up.. as soon as there is a cancellation.. he is all booked.. a very busy man...I do not have any doubt that his secretary will help.. absolutely no question in my mind. I have faith in that..

There is nothing either Artiemom nor I can do to get Artie an appointment for like now. N Vet has a limited number of appointments in a day, some days he's not even seeing patients, and he also does consults with other vets in the hospital and oversees the interns and residents. Artiemom is on a cancellation list so there's a possibility Artie may be seen sooner if an appointment opens up. There are other IM vets at the same hospital who are more available if Artiemom decides Artie needs to be seen much sooner than Feb. 21. I have no experience with any of those vets.

Good job pooping, Artie

 

[angels mommy]

Yay!  

 Good job Artie!   

    See, he just needed a little time for his system to relax. Eating of course helped too. 

So glad to hear he is playing again too! Definitely a good sign! 

Sammy also LOVES Da Bird! She also lickes the feathers to death!  Mine is a long string, on a very long wand though, no wire. I did buy replacement feathers for it, for her Valentines gift. 

The Bumble Bee sounds great too! I will have to look for that. Did you get it from amazon? 

 

[artiemom]

 
Yay!  

 Good job Artie!   

    See, he just needed a little time for his system to relax. Eating of course helped too. 

So glad to hear he is playing again too! Definitely a good sign! 

Sammy also LOVES Da Bird! She also lickes the feathers to death!  Mine is a long string, on a very long wand though, no wire. I did buy replacement feathers for it, for her Valentines gift. 

The Bumble Bee sounds great too! I will have to look for that. Did you get it from amazon? 

No, I saw it at PetSmart.. I think they may have it at Petco, also...

 

[angels mommy]

 
No, I saw it at PetSmart.. I think they may have it at Petco, also...

Ok, cool. We have both of those here. 2  PetSupermarkets now actually, so one is on my side of town. 

 

 

[maddies momma]

I wonder if it would be helpful for artie to have a few litter boxes scattered around the house. I know that when cats have urinary problems they tend to avoid the box because they associate it with pain. If artie has had some painful times in that box I wonder if maybe he waits a little too long to go to the washroom because he thinks the box brings pain. Some new boxes might help alleviate some of that. Also if there are multiple boxes that he sees when he wanders around the house, it might encourage him to go more often just by seeing them out. You know what's best for him so its up to you, but it might be worth a try. Also it might be kinda fun when he leads you to the washroom in the mornings to guess and see which box he's taking you too.

Another thought with that is it might be good for his morale to be able to make that decision for himself over where he wants to go to the bathroom. With everything going on and all the medicine he has to take, if he can feel like he has at least some control over the situation (even if it's as small as deciding where to poop) then I think that would be good for him. He sounds like the kind of cat that wants things to be his way, so if we can give him something that is a choice for him to make and no one else, he might appreciate that.