Chickster Growling at butt

[mrsgreenjeens]

Originally Posted by otto

I've said it before: Whoever said that having pets relaxes you and extends your life, must never have had pets.

Isn't THAT the truth!! Although when they aren't having any health issues and behaving themselves (does that ever happen?), it's probably true

.

On another subject, I've taken Gabapentin too, for the pain associated with Shingles, and it's a generic and very inexpensive. For humans, the nickname for it is Morontin, because it makes you a moron...don't know how it effects a cat, but that website will probably give you everything you need to know.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by LDG

Gabapentin is generic of Neurontin. We tried it for Gary's clusters, and I don't remember it being expensive.

Yes, I have a friend taking neurontin for some kind of pain, not sure if it is helping her.

I only mentioned expense because the VIN link I posted said it could be costly. Expense is relative, of course.

Phenobarbital is very inexpensive, about $3 a month, and when Tolly was only getting super chem and phenobarbital levels once a year, it wasn't too bad. He now gets blood work every three months, (just the super chem, he still only gets the levels checked once a year) so, yeah, the vet budget has gone up a bit.

 

[snickerdoodle]

You know, I asked for a super chem, and when they printed out my bill it said "Geriatric Profile". They said it was a wide test and I asked if it was a super chem, and they said it's like "Chem 11" or something, anyway, it was a wide panel. I trust this vet not to be like the other one, but I dunno.

Anyway, the miralax isn't getting to where it needs to go apparently. She has not pooped again overnight. I am hoping some more nuggets will come out soon or I'll be massaging the rear tonight. She really hates that, and I don't want to do it too often because it'll get raw.

She's eating, and drinking, and playing like crazy. Last night she was SO RELAXED it wasn't funny. She was really comfortable on the floor, I haven't seen her stretched out like that in awhile.

Otherwise, her pilling is still, well, a pill, because she just hates it so much. She's getting to swallowing them faster but I am having to try to keep her jaw shut and boy can she wiggle, even when I'm doing the squatting on top of her (Not ON her) with my ankles crossed so she can't get away. She turns her head to the side in the strangest way and it's like wrestling a tiny crocodile!

I really hope it's the Amytrip cycling out of her system like you say. She is peeing every 2 days, instead of every day. I know the Amytrip could cause urine retention but I was hoping to see that start to wear off with the Zoloft. Will keep an eye on it of course.

I am pondering getting our regular cat litter back, I switched to Target brand because I was low on money and I Don't think she likes it. She likes the Fresh Scent Scoop Away. So, we'll try that today.

The strays love the Wellness core, I tried again to get her to eat some, threw it on the carpet (She loves making crumbs on the carpet) no go. She really didn't give it but one look and went back to what she was doing. Boca LOVES the stuff. I figure I can stretch that in with the other food for them and extend the money a bit.

She still loves the Nutro, am pondering if maybe I should try a different food because of this rather severe (in my mind) constipation. I keep seeing that X-ray flash in my mind like a bad nightmare, it was just this big long question mark of poop!!! It's never been THIS bad before, and she's so finicky I have no idea what to try next. The only thing I remember not giving her issues was Hill's C/D and I am not putting her back on that.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. But the BEST news is, she has NOT had any fits since that last short one after her last pilling. But this morning all is well

 

[otto]

Are you putting a dot of mayo or soft butter on her nose/lips after you put the pill in her mouth? Doing this makes her lick, and when she licks, she has to swallow, and down the pill goes.

 

[snickerdoodle]

No, I haven't tried that, I will try it. I've just been prying her mouth open and pushing it back in there, holding her jaw shut.

 

[snickerdoodle]

I've been curious, does anyone have any idea what "Behavior Modification" means? I've read up on medications and it is constantly stated that the meds should be given along with a Behavior Modification .. course, or whatever.

 

[ldg]

In that context, I have no idea what it means.

You might want to call your vet Monday to ask the questions about the urine retention. It does seem like she should have normalized by now... maybe the zoloft causes retention too?

As to the geriatric panel, it is a "super chem" plus other stuff that provides more detail about liver and kidney function, so that's great!

 

[snickerdoodle]

Ah, great. I'm glad to know the panel was ok.

She is doing fine today, I have tried "Stimulating" her very gently but still no poo. She has peed. She's not vomiting, is still eating and was playing like crazy earlier. She is sleeping in her crinkle tunnel now holding onto her play stick. She destroyed both wands for the Pouncing Paws toy so I had to tie on an indestructible toy of hers to it.

I am going to call Monday about the pooing and peeing. The pooping has really got me nervous now. I'm giving Miralax every day, I think the Nutro is complicating matters.. I just am at a loss. What are the signs I should look out for when it comes to her not pooping? I don't want to miss any warning signs... Of course I'm a big worry-wart and I put her in her pan this afternoon, and she peed. I was hoping she was pooing, but nope.

I am hoping she'll leave me a surprise overnight *sigh*!! I told her I didn't care if she pooped on my head, as long as she pooped!!

 

[ldg]

I just don't have any experience with constipated cats. I'm hoping she doesn't poop on your head, but I'm hoping she poops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[snickerdoodle]

SHE POOPED LAST NIGHT!!!

While I was asleep apparently. She needs the utmost privacy I suppose. It was a large amount, it looks like most of the hard has come out of her (AT least what was on the Xray, more may develop)


I really need to stop worrying so badly! Thanks guys!!

 

[otto]

Hurray for poop! Now that all that's out, hopefully now the miralax can keep her regular.

How's she doing on the prozac? Any side affects? Are you still seeing fewer episodes?

 

[ldg]

The poopy dance!

the Miralax WILL keep her regular!

 

[snickerdoodle]

No more episodes, but she gets pretty well mad at me with the pilling. I split the half of pill in half, so it was two small pills to get in. The dabbing on the nose didn't work, she licked it but spit out the pill. So I have to shove it in there and shut her mouth. The quarters did better, I think they were easier for her to swallow. Then the chaser of miralax. Mom saw this episode as we were out in the middle of the dining room floor, and she was laughing (Which, some of you may know, cats do not like)

Oh and of course as soon as I start writing this she has a fit. She hasn't had any fits unless it's a small one after her pilling, but her toys have kept her distracted enough that it doesn't happen. SHe's also stretching out in places where she can't turn around to get to her butt, like behind the couch, her crinkle tunnel, etc.

We are getting ready to go sleepy times and lay down, and so I need to do that before she really starts having a fit. I've gone through a 12 pack of C batteries already for that pouncing paws! She's running me dry ! LOL

BUT, the fits aren't as severe if they do happen and they are very much shortened. Mostly just being forced to do something she doesn't want to do, I think.

Bed time! Thanks guys. And no, not seeing any weird side effects. She is still retaining urine though, so I'll be asking the vet about that soon.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Well, it sounds like good news, for the most part. Much fewer fits, finally a poopy

, and you're getting her pills down her. I forget, have you tried pill pockets?

 

[snickerdoodle]

No, I've heard of them but never tried them because she's so finicky about food. I can get those at PetCo right? I may try those.

I've been playing with her with her stick and getting her to jump around and run around, and that seems to help with the bowel movements.

And that last fit i mentioned didn't last very long at all, I got into bed and she got in with me and we went to sleep!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Yes, you can get pill pockets at Petco. They're made by Greenies, and I know they come in chicken flavor, maybe tuna too. Sven liked them at first, until he actually chewed them up once and found the pill, which must have tasted foul, because he would never try another one!

 

[snickerdoodle]

Looks like sometime soon we'll need to go back to the vet. Something is way off. She had another fit this morning and it was pretty bad, so I picked her up and put her in her pan, and she peed. Then, no more fits.

She hasn't pooped though and I'm filling her up with miralax, and I'm starting as of today, giving her 3mL of water along with the miralax. I am thinking for some reason she's not drinking enough water, even though she's got clean water sitting out. So .. I dunno. The pills are going down okay, but I am thinking this prozac is not the answer.

I swear I believe it's somehow connected to her bowels. More constipation = more aggression at her butt.... I will talk to the vet soonl

 

[snickerdoodle]

And also, what if the Prozac is making her constipation WORSE, thereby making the medication pretty useless as she's already annoyed with her bowels? When Boo was alive, I switched her food once and Boo was fine with it, but she had diarrhea, and she attacked her butt after that. Once she had hard stools and dropped a nugget on the carpet and before she dropped it, it was apparently stuck, she went attacking her rear.

This is why I am attaching so much emphasis on her bowels with this attacking of the rear end. Maybe it's not FHS, but simply "There's a pain in my behind and I can't get to it," though her tail does twitch. But bottom line, prozac isn't cutting it. Though she's as loving as purring now as ever, it is AFTER I had to take her to the pan and watch her pee, same thing as yesterday.

This is definitely curious. Even the vet claims she's an enigma. *sigh* I've never been good at mysteries!!!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

how much Miralax are you giving to her, and how often? Sven only weights 6 lbs, and we give him 1/4 teaspoon, twice a day to keep him regular, PLUS, he drinks tons of water (because he's CRF). If Chickster isn't drinking much, and is only eating dry food, and IF her meds might be making her constipated, then maybe she needs more Miralax and most definitely more water, if possible. Is she good about taking stuff orally from a syringe? (like the Miralax in water?) If so, maybe you could at least dose her twice a day and give her more water, as long as she swallows it well. I know some cats are good about swallowing water that way, and some aren't.

 

[snickerdoodle]

She's not terrible with the miralax. She weighs 8 lbs. I gave her 1/4 teaspoon with another half of a 1/4 today. And it's only once a day. She only eats dry (Nutro Senior, senior b/c she actually eats it.. she's very finicky)

She's alright with being syringed water and miralax. It's the pills she fights over. How much water should I be giving her, I only gave her 3mL this morning with the miralax, which was suspended in 1mL of water.