Muffin - Bad news vet visit today

[ldg]

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear the news. :rub: I know you'll keep Muffin comfortable and happy, but that doesn't make your heart hurt any less.

:heart2:

 

[otto]

I'm sorry to see this bad news, but I know Muffin is getting all the best love and care there is. I hope he stays feeling comfortable for a good long time.

 

[harleydiva]

Sending prayers for Muffin!!!

 

[tjcarst]

I am so sorry to hear this news.  Many cyber hugs coming to you right now.  {{{Hugs}}}

 

[barbb]

Barb, I am still thinking of you and Muffin every day. I can see that he is looking to you for his well being, in sneaking inside to be close to his human parents. It is good that you are nurturing him so much. I know what you are feeling and I hope he rallies enough to enjoy the warm weather and like Toby, chase butterflies and feel the spring air and sunshine and all the smells of spring. 

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Thought I would post an update on Muffin. He is still holding on. Some days, it is a struggle getting him to eat. For now, I am still feeding the Purina UR, wet and dry. Sometimes he gets it laced with Fancy Feast or Forti Flora, basically whatever it takes to get him eating. The past two days have been difficult. Also, I am noticing that he is not grooming himself as well as he should. His fur is very thick and is now getting matted in come places. I try to brush and comb some every day. Sometimes I just resort to small scissors and cut out the mats. He still acts like he feels okay and is very appreciative of all attention, head butts, hugs, etc. I love him.

 

[barbb]

I am glad to hear he is holding on but sorry that the past few days have been harder :-(. It is good that you are still able to get him to eat! With his mattings, a friend of mine gave me a tip for my longer haired kitties that a seam ripper (from sewing) works very well! It is a good sign too that he has been grooming himself at least until recently. He may still have some quality time to run after birdies and squirrels and lay in the sun. Sweetest kitty!

I will pray for Muffin and you and your family. 

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I am glad to hear he is holding on but sorry that the past few days have been harder :-(. It is good that you are still able to get him to eat! With his mattings, a friend of mine gave me a tip for my longer haired kitties that a seam ripper (from sewing) works very well! It is a good sign too that he has been grooming himself at least until recently. He may still have some quality time to run after birdies and squirrels and lay in the sun. Sweetest kitty!
I will pray for Muffin and you and your family. 

This is so sweet. It makes me want to cry. Thank you for the tip about the seam ripper. I will try that.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Muffin has struggled the last two days with his food. I finally gave him a dose of appetite stimulant this morning before I left for church. I hope that will perk him up a bit for a few days. Need prayers and all positive thoughts for us. Thanks.

 

[ldg]

Vibes on the way!!!!!!!! :heart2:

 

[farleyv]

As always Barb, prayers.

I feel like I know Muffin....and I hurt at the thought of him and you going through this.

But I know that he is in the most loving hands he could possibly be.  And there is nothing better than that.

God Bless.

 

[barbb]

Barb, I also hope he responded to the appetite stimulant 

With Toby, when he started having problems he did better with food that was easier to lick. If he licked all the liquid out of his wet food, I would put a little bit of water in there. He also liked Royal Canin babycat first stage instinctive, loaf in gravy wet food, it is a small can like fancy feast, sold at PetCo. If you get this, be careful to look for the words first stage and loaf in gravy, because there are a lot of cans that look the same, but this one is the only one that is the right consistency. The others are minced or sliced. 

You can also get Hills A/D at the vet, it is a wet food that has almost a slushy consistency. Plus it has extra nutrients in it. This is only if he isn't eating much of anything else. I think they also sell Hills K/D for kidneys but I am not sure of the consistency.

I think Muffin knows you are his caretaker while he is ill and that is why he is wanting to be closer to you all. He is very lucky to have you as his kitty parents :-). I will pray for you and Muffin!

 

[feralvr]

Loads and loads of vibes, prayers of strength coming your way, Barb. Muffin truly could not be getting better care right now. It is not easy though and takes a lot out of us emotionally doing whatever it takes for them. :cross:

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Muffin has eaten very well since Sunday when i gave him the appetite stimulant. So that is good for now. I sat with him in my lap yesterday and worked on the knots of his fur on his belly with the seam ripper. That does work well, but he was not liking it. So that is going to have to be a daily thing a little at a time to get it knocked back. I don't want to have to ask the vet to shave him. I am also brushing him some and he is shedding bad now as well as Muffin. I guess they are getting rid of their winter hair.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

It has been a while since I have given an update here on my boy. He still is here and we still are taking one day at a time. He continues to lose weight and eating is a problem. I posted about this in the Nutrition Forum and his story is herehttp://www.thecatsite.com/t/257313/what-to-feed-my-muffin-boy-in-his-last-days. Some days it takes me most of the day to try to get any food in him. He had the appetite stimulant yesterday and ate really well last night. This morning it was a struggle and this afternoon was worse. He is still unkempt and often smells because he is not grooming himself. I notice that he is moving slower going up and down the steps and also just walking across the porch. I am trying to decide whether to let the vet examine him. He might could tell how large the tumor in his abdomen is just by feeling. On the other hand, I really don't want him poked on. Ugh. This whole situation is so stressful. Need all good and positive thoughts and prayers for me and my boy. Thanks.

 

[ldg]

:heart2:

It might be worth giving the vet a call to ask about B-12 shots. Until recently I'd forgotten about how much they can (in some cases) really help with appetite, and with nutrient absorption. I know his problem isn't IBD, but here is more information on how B-12 can help. It's not limited to IBD: http://ibdkitties.net/B12.html

 

[goholistic]

Oh man. 

You're doing great caring for your boy, and my heart goes out to the both of you. When Sebastian was sick and wasn't grooming, I'd wipe him down with unscented baby wipes for sensitive skin or for newborns. They're super gentle and he didn't mind.

Please forgive my ignorance, as I'm not sure what's appropriate in these situations. If you had a vet check, would that perhaps weigh the possibility of a feeding tube? It may reduce the stress for the both of you.

  Again, I really don't know. I'm just typing as I'm thinking.

I'm really sorry. I know it's stressful. Hugs for you and Muffin. 

 

[feralvr]

:heart2:

It might be worth giving the vet a call to ask about B-12 shots.

AW Barb, I know how you feel and what you are going through day in and day out. I used to spend hours a day trying to get food into Wilbur :heart3: (dog). I had to sit on the floor with him in my lap and gently put food into his mouth. I never force fed him though, he would always swallow it and rarely spit it out. He just would not eat on his own. The last two years with Wilbur were filled with the ups and downs and the pain on my heart wondering when the time was to come. It was extremely difficult. I can vouch for those B-12 shots. They did help with Wilbur. Even his holistic vet recommended he stay on a B-12 vitamin supplement all the time. It was a liquid and I had to mix it with something very soft and give it to him by syringe.

 

[mservant]

Hi, noticed this thread in recent posts and saw your comment about Muffin's grooming.  I've used a warm, damp micro-fibre cloth on my furbabies for a while: having had a rather frail, arthritic pensioner who couldn't groom her self very well and was quite sore a lot of the time, and now with my Russian boy because most brushes are too harsh and would thin out his dense fur too much  (he also hates them and runs off if he thinks I'm going to use one for some reason - I've only touched him once with one!).  It's a nice gentle way to groom and wash without using any chemicals to irritate you or the cat. The micro-fibre lifts out some of the oil based products in the fur as well as giving a basic wipe.  (They work wonders for lifting off the cat oil deposits around the edges of doors and furnishings too).   If you have one of the little micro-fibre travel towels you could dampen that with warm water and wrap him up in it to give him a rub then cozy him up however he likes afterwards.

 

[barbb]

Hi Barb, I am so sorry to hear this about Muffin :-(.

I used to wipe Toby with a wrung out warm washcloth and I also brushed him with these brushes from Sally's beauty supply. http://www.sallybeauty.com/hair-brush/SBS-217516,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH  

He did not normally like being brushed but he liked it after he was sick, especially around his mouth and the side of his face. Toby also got b-12 shots and those helped.

I think you could take him to the vet and it would be ok. It helped me to take Toby because they could feel his organs, whether any were enlarged or sensitive to the touch, and I did a blood test on him too which helped me to find out he was in kidney failure. Just the vet looking at him and maybe a basic blood test might help you to know where things stand better and to be able to look for any imminent things that might happen to him as part of his decline. It may help explain his eating too. :-( :-(. I feel so very sad writing this and my heart goes out to you. 

Having said all this, your boy is still walking around and that is good, even tho he is slower. I know you are spending quality time with him and that he so much appreciates all the attention and love you are giving him.