Koko most likely has IBD - a new journey for me

[feralvr]

This is very positive news, Amy!!! It is so wonderful to see them tearing around - a good sign, of course !!!!! I really do hope that Koko continues to feel good and improve :cross:

 

[momofmany]

She is still sleeping more than she used to, but is coming out into the living room more and more. DH is giving her an abundance of love (she is his cat and still doesn't have a lot to do with me). She used to like to lick our toes when we came out of the shower. She started doing that to him the other day - another thing she hasn't done in a long time. She'll spend an hour at bedtime licking his face and my dear sweet husband allows it. Just another form of Love and Cheese Danish.

Just remembered a limerick I wrote about her a few years back for a limerick contest here:

Koko likes the toes on your feet
She’ll lick them until they are neat
It’s just kitty fun
Pedicure anyone?
Without one your life’s not complete


She's become much better about taking her pills each day. She wanders into the bedroom after dinner and DH and I will follow her in there to give her the pills. I used to have to pin her down while DH gave her the pills. Even though she knows what we are up to, she walks up to me and lets me put her into the pill taking position (I hold her front arms and give her a very light scruff) without fuss while DH drops in the pills. She purrs the entire time. I think she has finally figured out that the pills are making her feel better.

I found a new pet store that carries nothing but grain free foods. The owner knows his products very well, and we talked about various cat foods. Turns out that Orejen, while a great food, has one of the highest protein levels of any food (that and Evo). Some cats can't handle that level of protein. So I picked up small bags of Hollistic and Acana for them and took it home to do the side by side food tasting comparison. Hollistic is higher in carbs, but still grain free.

I put 3 small bowls of food out for them. Hollistic, Acana and Orejin. Koko buried her head in the Hollistic bowl and didn't stop eating until that entire bowl was gone. Others did the same with the Acana. The Orejin has not been touched since I put out the other flavors. I had just finished transitioning them off the SD C/D to the Orejin when we started the antibiotics. I'm beginning to think that she ate less because she didn't like the Orejin. Now I'm going to have to transition them to Hollistic very quickly, and give away the better part of a large bag of Orejin.

 

[ldg]

Well, money well wasted, I guess, if you've found something she loves to eat! Aw Amy, I'm just BEAMING at the wonderful, HAPPY Koko stories! Clean toes, face washes, stampeding.... it's all good! :rub:

Continued

 

[feralvr]

I am happy to hear you are finding something she will eat I LOVE the Koko poem :heart3: Very, very cute. I am glad you are having such good days with her!! Great news all around! Keeping up the vibes, Amy

 

[momofmany]

We're on the roller coaster of leukemia now. She had a great spurt once the antibiotics were finished, then she started on the down slide again. Some days she does great and other days she sleeps all day on our bed. I can tell her good days when she follows me into the bathroom to lick my toes.

Had her in for a blood recheck this morning and to quote my vet: "It's not good. She's following the pattern of classic leukemia." Her white blood cell count is way low now. At least she is maintaining her weight (7 lbs, 11 oz).

My vet was pretty blunt with me. If she catches any illness from the other cats she won't make it (at least she isn't interacting with the other cats right now as she is too tired to play). Her prognosis was reduced to under 6 months. Is that a month? Maybe. Is that 6 months? Maybe. Is there anything we can do for her other than to keep her comfortable? Nope.

The vet didn't see any need for more blood tests unless I want to monitor how bad her blood becomes. We'll try to reduce her dose of pred to a level where she is still comfortable, but it isn't doing anything other than to keep her comfortable right now. Human intervention doesn't sit well with her so I'm going to avoid vet visits and minimize pilling her, both of which she hates.

Koko is all daddy's girl. After hearing the news, DH committed himself to mega Love and Cheese Danish. She is still washing his face every night at bed time and sleeps in the crook of his arm. On her good days, she'll groom his face for an hour and he allows it. He's a good cat dad.

 

[finnlacey]

I'm incredibly sad to hear this news. Many hugs and purrs to you and your sweet baby and family. 

 

[feralvr]

OH Amy ... my heart goes out to you, your DH and to Koko. It is an terribly painful situation to be in and just heart wrenching news. I do know that Koko's days will be filled with great love and great food.... I hope you have some really good days yet with her. Keeping you close - and fresh vibes coming to you today. :rub: :heart3:

 

[ldg]

Koko is one very lucky kitty to be in such loving hands, because she'll get the best love and cheese danish EVER. :heart2:

I'm so sorry, Amy. to you and Steve, and to you all. :rub:

 

[jcat]

I'm sorry to hear that, Amy, and hope that she still has a lot of good days left.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm so sorry it wasn't better news. 

 

[barbb]

Amy I'm so sorry to hear this. Your journey with Koko has been a roller coaster and as the other poster said, she is so lucky to be your fur daughter. And those hugs and cuddles and all the extra loving mean so much to her. You have done everything possible to discern what is best for her and she has had a longer, richer life, her entire life, because of you. 

 

[feralvr]

Amy I know you have been busy and away from TCS with "life" and just want to see how Koko is doing. Hope you see this soon :cross:
With concern and care...

 

[pat]

Amy

I know you have been busy and away from TCS with "life" and just want to see how Koko is doing. Hope you see this soon

With concern and care...

I too hope to read an update soon on Koko.

 

[AbbysMom]

Just a note that the posts about Cruise have been moved to their own thread;

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/246502/my-cat-cruise-is-having-elimination-issues