Booboo is confusingly not well

[mews2much]

Thanks Everyone,
This is what Coco takes.
Baytril
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Norvasc (Amlodipine
[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Pepcid AC Acid Controller (famotidine) when needed.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Azodyl[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Aluminum hydroxide
Normosol-R
[/font]

 

[snickerdoodle]

Does Coco have CRF only or does she have other problems, and how old is she? Have those meds help extend her life with CRF?

 

[mews2much]

She has CRF and yes these meds have helped.
She was given 5 months to live in Jan of 2009.
If you want I will post what her numbers were before the meds.
Coco is 18 now.
The Baytril she has been on for over a year now because if she is not on it the bladder infection will come back.
She has high bp also.

 

[snickerdoodle]

I would love to know her numbers. Wow that is amazing. I will be talking to my new vet about some meds for Boo. They can take blood pressure there, too, they make my old vet look like they are from the stone age I tell you.

 

[mews2much]

These are her blood tests results from last year.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...&postcount=471
I would have the vet take Boos bp.

 

[snickerdoodle]

I will certainly have them do that. I can't wait to get him in there to see Dr. Pierce. I am excited to hear what she would like to do, and her reaction to his fluids and his almost being drowned.

Wow! Coco's BUN dropped nicely! What is a normal BP for a cat? I know 130 is high in a human, but I always figured a cat's BP would be a high # normally (I guess cause their hearts beat so fast)

I bet Boo's BP is high too. As soon as I can afford to get him over to Old town I sooooo will.

And btw, he was doing great last night, he got up as I was leaving to go to work and wanted a bit of water, then sat in the window as I was leaving! SO precious. Mom says he is wanting lots of petting adn being vocal when I am not there. So that is good.

 

[mews2much]

That is good he is doing better.
Coco has not been to well the last few days.
Tonight I got blood all over my hand.
I pulled the needle out and thought some fluid came out of Coco but it was blood.
That has only happened once before.
I think her numbers will be worse now.
Many CRF cats have high bp.
Here is a link to bp in cats.
http://www.pets.ca/encyclopedia/hypertension_cats.htm
Coco breathes fast sometimes also and has a fast heartbeat.
Shes only weighs 5.9 pounds now.
Sorry you had a bad vet.
I would ask about the [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Azodyl.[/font]
It has helped Coco.
She also has Arthritis

I think your boo might have it from what I read in some of your posts.

 

[snickerdoodle]

I am so sorry to hear about Coco ... was it a lot of blood? That would scare me to pieces.

I think Boo has arthritis too, he does not like it if you rub his shoulders on the sides. I think they hurt him so I try to be careful with him. But he still jumps well. Boo's heart rate has gone down since this past weekend and that whole scare, and his breathing is still nice and slow and relaxed. He is purring a lot more now too. He does not purr when he is in pain, I know from past experience with his struvite crystals. But I shouldn't be sure of anything now I guess!

I am going to ask the new vet about Azodyl. I believe she is very proactive and she mentioned checking his BP before I even brought it up to her when I consulted with her. I was shocked she had the ability to check BP (Seems like a lot of vets around here do with bare minimum stuff)
I am so sorry Coco weighs so little. Boo weighs 7.6 and he used to be really big, he would shock the vets coming in at around 11 pounds, sometimes 12 or 13. He was a big boy! Now, especially that he is shaved, he looks so pitiful. Mom says it breaks her heart to look at him sometimes. But he is strong.

I hope the best for your Coco and sorry you are going through what I am going through.

 

[otto]

You can give Booboo cosequin for cats for the arthritis. It helped Ootay

for a long long time, with a very dramatic difference when I started it.

Ootay also had high blood pressure. Very high, like 200-250 systolic. I think 110-170 is considered normal range. She could not take the norvasc, it gave her fainting spells.

HBP is very common in CRF kitties.

I, too, centered my life around Ootay's care. I never went anywhere that would keep me away from home more than 4 or 5 hours at a time. I got up twice in the night, every night, to feed her (she could not go more than a few hours without food) I timed my life around her meds and other needs.

I did the same with my Bibbs

who had cancer, though her care was almost hourly toward the end, it was very hard, I was lucky my one job was less than 4 miles from my house and my other job is itinerant and I make my own schedule.

I will do the same for the ones I have now too, if ever a time comes.

Ootay took:

Cosequin for cats 1x a day
Cisapride 3x a day
psyllium 1x a day
mineral oil 2 x a day
(wish my vet had known about miralax)

She should have been taking norvasc for HBP and methimazole for hyperthyroid but she could not tolerate either medicine, and that ultimately was what was her end, stroke.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Wow. I will ask the new vet about all of this but I have a feeling she will recommend them before I get a chance.

Just updating quickly to let you know Boo wanted to stay outside all day, but I only let him stay out about 45 minutes. He laid in the sun for a bit, then wanted to walk around the house but I could see he was starting to get tuckered out and it was getting hot out (75+ then and it's 82 now, feels like 90 in the sun) so I brought him in. He's been out of his box and in the livingroom/kitchen all day. He has been feeling super great today, I hope it stays that way. Somebody, or both him and Chickster, pooped. I don't think either pooped that much in one night on two separate occassions, so I think they each pooped, and they were both large and normal.

Chickster is on Purina One Chicken and Rice formula now, slowly mixing it into the C/D and lessening the C/D. I hope this helps with her constipation. She hates wet.

Anyway, things are going great!! Thank you guys so much for your help!!! (hugshugshugshugs)

 

[otto]

I would have brought him in, too.

I forgot to add that Ootay took a 1/4 pepcid ac in the morning with her first cisapride, too.

thanks for keeping us updated. Look forward to hearing how it goes, when you can get Booboo in to see the new vet.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm still reading this thread everyday (1st one I read), just don't always have something to say!!

 

[snickerdoodle]

Boo is doing great today, just letting you guys know. He's been grooming and yowling for my attention when I'm not in the room. He had water and food and his appetite is starting to grow again. He has had his pet-tinic. Does anybody give pet-tinic twice a day?
I had read something about how iron is stored in a CRF cat's body, and I'm wondering if I give it twice if it won't do more harm than good.

I have to go get his last test results (The vet brought the handheld ISTAT machine in there to me, so I am wondering if they were even printed out, though I wrote down each of them...) I don't know if I posted them last time but here they are, forgive me because he said "His [blank] is OK" so that is why they say OK on some:

SOD: OK
POT: OK
CHLO: OK
BUN: 102
GLU: 159 (Vet said this was fine)
Hct%: 13 (Unchanged)
Hb*: 4.4 (Up from 3.7)

He weighed 7.6. So the ISTAT Is an electrolyte panel (All i had money for at the time, including the "recheck exam" fee which is much less than an exam fee) He said his lungs sounded raspy, and he seemed dehydrated. He had recommended a lateral x-ray and I also, panicked at the time, got pricing on a pts injection and a sedation injection also.

This was on Monday, 6/7, and he had suffered through the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He had clear salty discharge from his nose, he was snuffling (not completely sneezing) and he was breathing through his mouth. He appetite slowed. He weighed 8 lbs Friday and 7.6 the following Monday.

Anyway, I was just writing this down to have it here to show it to you guys, in case I forgot in the chaos of things. Since the 7th (It is the 12th now) he has no more nasal discharge, his breathing has returned to normal, I cannot account for any raspy sounds in his lungs as I do not have a stethoscope, he is purring, appetite returned to normal, has normal BM's and is peeing. He seems much happier, and last night I got a very nice shot of him getting comfortable for the first time in over a week:

So we are chill. Today is a good day so far, and since just this past monday as I've told you he's gone on a couple of walks outside and is much more active than he has been. I just love the heck out of all you people, thank you for saving my cat's life.

 

[otto]

Awwww.....! What a sweet boy! So glad he's taken the turn for the better. You take such good loving care of him, of both him and Chickster.

Love, hugs and head bumps to all of you from me, Tolly, Mazy and Jennie

 

[snickerdoodle]

Thank you

Any advice for the random itching he is seeming to have? At first it looked like grooming, but I can see he is licking certain areas over and over again. There are no lesions, cuts or bald spots. He's been treated with Frontline already and I can't treat again until the end of this month. Should I wipe him down with a cool damp cloth, or a warm cloth, or what in the world can I do?

Because.. umm, I know it's driving him nuts, and it's driving me nuts, too. He's also getting very "climby" and wanting to go to places he's not supposed to. He's fallen off the desk twice, but he is just fine, no worries. He's still going well and eating like a piggie. His water pouch is completely gone it's only 9 at night, so I am wondering if I should up his fluids to 150? He has been drinking a bit more water today. I really need to see that new vet. Anyway. Any advice on the licking is so much appreciated. I want him to be comfy so he can sleep comfy again.

 

[otto]

Is he licking in spots where he had mats cut? Wondering if fur growing in is itching him. I think 100 ml a day is enough, until you can get him in to see the new doc. 125 ml max.

How about adding some fish oil to his diet? that will help improve skin and coat, and I've read it helps support the kidneys too.

 

[booktigger]

What a lovely pic of him. I have no idea on the itching though, sorry.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Thank you for the fish oil idea. I will look into it. We have capsules that Mom and I used to take here in the house. I can't take them because they give me headaches. Are those suitable to use? Or should I buy it from somewhere else?

He is doing well on the 100mL, he was EXTREMELY vocal about going outside, he muttered and meowed dang near a whole paragraph about wanting to go. And we did. I had to let Mom take him on the harness because apparently a deer tore through our front yard and yanked one of our gutters nearly off the house and did damage to a yard light. But all is ok.

We have another new wanderer outside. He is extremely vocal as well, constantly meowing. I am skiddish of him though, he came up and started rubbing on my legs and meowing, but I haven't seen him drink any water I've offered, and he has eaten well. He is very skinny, can feel his ribs and his belly is sunk in. I can't say no to those furry faces pleading for food. But all the other cats are getting along or staying away from each other. Let's hope I don't get pimp slapped in the back of the head by Rocky again. That really smarted!

Everyone's doing well. Boo went after my iced tea with vengeance today and I had to put ice in his water glass. that is what he wanted. I have read anemic cats like ice cubes, so.. maybe that is what that is. I am giving him his pet-tinic twice a day after he eats, and he is seeming to do very well. His skin flaps are completely devoid of fluid, zilch fluid in them when I give him fluids in the mornings. I am happy to see that. I can't say thank you enough and apologize enough for my ignorance.

I am putting money away slowly but surely, and I am hoping I can snatch some of the insurance money we got paid for a storm damaged pergola back in april that we just received, but it is my mother's and I do not know how that will work out

We will see. In any case, there is some OT coming at work again and maybe it will be enough to set aside to get a nice exam at Old Town.

he is resting comfortably. He slept in his dog bed on the desk last night, but then got sick of that, and won't sleepin in his little cardboard box anymore either. He chased Chickster for a bit, that was pleasing to see, and he enjoyed his long stay outside. It was VERY humid (So humid it was fogging the lens of my camera) so it wasn't an extremely long stay, but long enough. He jumped up on top of his harness after I took it off, about an hour later, and just yammered on for about 2 minutes "Mew mew mew mew mew meow!!" I siad honey I can't take you back out, it's almost 90 degrees, the sun is blaring, it is so humid and Mommy needs to sleep!! Sooooooo not happy with me right now. But he is settling down.

I would love to try the fish oil. He is not biting at hot spots or mats, he is licking at his chest, his shoulders, sometimes his lower front feet, where I cannot shave (absolutely a no no with Boo) and his sides. There are no lesions, hot spots, marks, red areas or anything. He just licks and licks and licks.

Ah well. I am exhausted, he is sleeping nicely so I will go now. Thank you all (hughughughugs!!!)

 

[otto]

I'm always watching for a Booboo update. Whew, now I can shut down this machine and go to work with an easy mind, having had my Booboo fix.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Guys, I am so tired right now. We now have a sixth cat that has come up, the thin one that I started feeding because I can't stand to see anything starve. I've uploaded some pics of him but have no idea what to name him right now. That is only part of the point. The point being Boo was feeling super great this morning and waiting for me at the window. He had no pouch whatsoever beneath his belly or back legs or anywhere. I'm shocked. Before he got sick and crashed, he weighed 11-12 pounds and had "spay sway" under him. All that is gone now, it's almost sad, but it's a good thing because now I can see when he needs fluids and when he doesn't (I don't think the vet mentioned keeping an eye on that at all, actually) I took him out on the front porch and unharnessed him, to give him a nice morning, and I was hopeful that if he did try to run, (Not to sound cruel or mean) he couldn't run too far without having to lay down. He had a BLAST. Rubbed on the chairs, stayed on the porch, was just a gentleman. He was so happy. Then BAM. Up comes Rocky (Our tuxedo male outside) just out of the blue, up the steps and onto the porch (I was standing on a bench beneath the porch so I could pet Boo easier)
Boo didn't even see him, thankfully, and Rocky isn't much of a fighter when he realizes someone is actually trying to injure him (One of those "ironic" names, he swats at the females and they run, but I've seen a big orange tom roll him over into a submissive position in about 1.4 seconds FLAT)
I grabbed Boo, fearing for his life if he got into a fight with this cat (I could just see it, he survived all of this BS and is killed by a stupid cat fight!!) and rushed into the house. Rocky was all bewildered, Boo was in pain (you can't carry him after fluids, he hates it) and I put him inside on the table so he could see out the window.
"Boo look! That's why! That's why I brought you in!"
You should have HEARD the sound he made when he saw Rocky standing there not a foot away, back turned. It was a dog growl combined with a yowling whine combined with a meow, and a possible cuss word. I swear. It was the funniest, scariest sound I've ever EVER heard out of him. I KNOW it was because he knew that was why I brought him in and it ticked him off, not because of the cat alone. Since he's been sick, he's ignored any outside cat and has no interest in fighting or anything, not anything like he used to (Tunnel vision, yowch for me!)
Everything is going great. He's eaten, had his pet-tinic and drank water. I noticed him trembling very slightly, all over, and am concerned he has arthritis. I wouldn't know what else would be causing his pain. This is on the sheet to be asked at the first exam with Dr. Pierce.

He doesn't tremble all the time, I should add. But we have had stormy, wet weather for the past 2-3 days and it's just humid and muggy and wet. Yuck.

I know this has nothing to do with Boo, but can anyone identify what type of cat this is? He is awfully large (If you can't tell in the photo) unfixed male, and his markings look strange to me. From a distance he almost looks like some type of wild cat mixed with domesticated cat. I don't know. Anything strange? http://s873.photobucket.com/albums/a...ona/New%20Cat/

One of them is large, for the sake of detail. Anyway. Boo is doing super great. He is purring his head off and muttering lovey dovey things to me

I am extremely thankful and happy right now. Must go clean pans, after trying to direct a dinner buffet outside between 4 cats!

EDIT: Just after posting this, he jumped down from the dining table and ran all the way up here to my bedroom, up onto my desk, and sat there for a minute, then just "Collapsed" (Not really, but more like he was laying down too fast and didn't want to go sliding off the desk) and was breathing a bit fast. But in about 1-2 minutes he was fine. *sigh* Things like that scare me.