Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Mark on January 19, 2009, 08:41:32 AM
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She is still coughing & sneezing on & off. She had a coughing & sneezing session at 5am followed by being sick. I am trying not to worry as it was followef by her eating some RC sensitive and then she jumped on the bed tapping my face and purring :Luv: She has always been sick a lot but has been doing it more. Also the increased drinking is worrying. I am going to get them to do a full blood panel. As we are there, I am going to get her urine checked as well. She also scratches one of her ears sometimes. Basically I think she needs a thorough MOT.
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awww, I know some cats are sick more than others we have had a couple like that but I think you're doing the right getting her overhauled Mark with her being a bit off it too She does sounds sweet though and always makes me smile when you say she taps your face and purrs :Luv2: bless her. Good luck at the vets.
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I was hoping it was a furball and have been giving her Katalax but no luck. Its hard to tell if she has a cold as her eyes have always been runny due to cat flu when she was a kitten. She is also the runt. The thing is, she is as energetic as ever so I hope it is just a case of eliminating things. (no pun)
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Leo had a full health check last year and it cost me 80 quid which i thought was reasonable. They did full blood works etc.. and kept him in for part of the day.. Well worth doing on senior puss cats... Not sure if AH vets do that though, i used Broadway.. But i am sure if you ask they will
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£80- does seem cheap. I have warned OH to expect £150+ - It's worth it as I would hate to think she has something that could be controlled.
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Hope everything goes well at the vets and that Willow is soon feeling better :hug: :hug:
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I. too, hope all goes well and that Willow is ok :hug:
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The vet said her lungs are clear, heart OK, Temp OK etc and if anything it is likely to be an upper respiratory infection. She was going to give an antibiotic jab + anti inflammatory tabs. I asked about full bloods. She asked if I wanted T4 as well. I said yes. When I went to pay, I questioned why she wasn't given the jab. They said that they will wait for blood test results - which I should have later today. Full bloods + consult was £95
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Glad that Willow seems to be okay and good luck with the full results :hug:
If all is well Mark you have some spare money for treats to!!!! ;)
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glad it went ok, how is the widdling going at the moment?
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Willow has CRF and has to go on Fortekor from today. Her T4 is borderline high so they want to retest once the kidneys have stabilised. One of her white blood cell types is raised which is usually caused by worms so I will worm her today. She said none of these things explain the sneezing so to bring her back in for an antibiotic jab is she continues. I said Willow is difficult to pill. She said a few of their customers who have cats that are hard to pill bring them in once a month for vitamin B + steroid jabs but this isn't ideal.
I will just have to be firm with Willow. She doesn't eat treats and never even eats the food put in front of her so it will have to be a case of brute force.
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that's horrible for you Mark, I know when Star was given ab's recently I found it really hard to get them into her, she ended up being scared of me which I hated and in the end took her back for two long lasting ab injections even though they weren't really the right spectrum - hope you manage to find a way
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Poor Willow.
Good luck with the pills!
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We really are going to struggle. OH is working at home today. I decided that getting her to take a Milbemax was top priority but 2 of us couldn't manage. OH thinks she is still stressed from the vet trip and to let her calm down. How I am going to get a Fortekor down her every day for the rest of her life is another story. I will give it my best shot but if we are fighting a losing battle, we will have to discuss her having a shorter but less stressful life.
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I wasn't going to say anything but as you have brought it up...... when I explained to the vet the trouble I was having with Star, the terror, the foaming at the mouth etc she told me she had two cats herself one of which was very timid and that if the time ever came when she needed daily medication she would not be able to give it to her as it would ruin her quality of life and terrify her - it seems that even professionals face the same dilemmas
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OH was getting upset seeing her upset which made it even harder for me. Although I am a bit more of a "get it done and dusted" type, I can only do so much. I was supposed to be studying today but so far, nearly all day has been cat stuff. Something has got to give.
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If all is well Mark you have some spare money for treats to!!!! ;)
We have the money but the only treat Willow will entertain are the tiny "good girl" catnip "choclit buttons" :Crazy:
She never even eats food put in front of her. She prefers dried up left overs and even then, pick up 2 or 3 chunks with her claw and calls it a meal :Crazy:
I am worried about the HyperT as she is already underweight.
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Mark, my Martha has been CRF for 2 years now and she's never had Fortekor - my vet doen't seem to prescribe it as standard for this condition. She had a course of steroids initially which boosted her appetite and I managed to wean her off Sheba onto the Prescription food which of course has helped. I have also found that because she is hyperthyroid, her appetite is good compared to the non-hyperthyroid, CRF cats I've had, so if Willow does develop this, maybe - in a roundabout way, it might help (I crush her tabs for this in her food, as pilling her would be impossible).
On the other hand, Metoo is on Fortekor for his CRF -the rescue started this, so my vets continued with the medication in this instance, and he will eat it out of your hand!! BUT, he won't touch any prescription food at all, well, only the dried stuff, which isn't good for his urinary tract problems (but that's another story!)
So, I have two cats with the same condition, but on entirely different treatment. At the end of the day, we do what we can with the individual cat don't we and as my vet reminded me last time, you really can't tell a cat what to do and I guess, that's partly why we love them so much. :Luv:
Try not to worry too much.
:hug:
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Very similar with Schui. he was diagnosed CRF last summer and was put on Fortekor but the vet said if there were problems getting him taking it not to worry, so I am not too strict about whether he takes it or not tbh. He was very ill and the vet wanted him in on a drip but in the end we weighed up the odds of how it would stress him, he was given a steroid injection and has been brilliant since.
Regarding the hyperthyroid typically it presents as large appetite but not always as it affects all parts of the body it can affect digestion too, the worms could be a factor too Mark.
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Sounds like Willow is the same as Max with the CRF and Hyper-T as well, his thyroid count was too high, so he's on Vidalta every other day, and the renal issues are still being done by diet for now.
Does Willow eat any other treats at all? The Defurrum treats are great for hiding tablets inside as the gooey mixure inside keeps it hidden?
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Poor Willow. :( Hope you figure out a way to give her the tablets without causing too much stress - have you tried the primula thing?
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Aw give her a cuddle from me, Mark (when you're able). I can imagine the stress and would most like do the same as you in Lexy's case as she's so hard to pill as well and gets so stressed with any type of medicinal care. I even opted to get her antibiotic jabs instead of giving her tabs because of this. I understand its not practical though. I do have the option of a home visit vet though, and it means I don't have to put her in the car and freak her out as well.
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Big hugs to Willow from me too. Blip isn't one to take pills either - I have to get our catsitter to come and do her wormers - so I empathise with your dilemma :hug:
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She might surprise you and just eat the Fortekor. My Dragan (RIP) used to. Try that way first and I hope she will eat it herself and save all the stress. That is one thing Charlie is good about, he will let you pill him anytime. About the only thing he is good at right now :hug:
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have you tried the primula thing?
Mark do try the Primula cheese , Williow might surprise you and take it, its great to hide the tablet in and it comes in different flavours.
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Don't know what to suggest Mark if she doesnt eat treats, cheese and wafer thin ham are the ones the work for mine. :hug:
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Sorry to hear this Mark :hug: Hope you can find a solution for the tablets (de-furrum treats?) :hug:
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She won't eat treats of any description so there is no point trying to hide them in anything. She basically has never had any interest in food. She won't lick cheese. Even with the Good Girl treat, she mostly just rubs her face in them. I forgot to mention earlier but the vet said she is also very anaemic.
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Poor Willow :hug:.
If you mashed the Fortekor into something and rubbed it on a paw do you think she might lick it off?
The anaemia might make her feel less like eating as well, did the vet give her any jabs today?
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I don't think Fortekor is palatable. I suppose if I mashed it into some katalax and rubbed it into her fur, she would clean herself but might be unpleasant for her. Still worth a try and less stressful than trying to pill her - good thinking :evillaugh:
She is mad a me right now and trying to lick her shaved neck :(
The vet decided against jabs for now but said to keep an eye on the sneezing after she has been wormed. Annoyingly, before any of this I had planned to ask her to worm Willow anyway but it slipped my mind. The problem is I am at uni for the next 3 days and way behind on my studies.
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Dragan's was palatable Mark. He used to love it sadly :hug:
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Problem is I don't think you are supposed to give Katalax every day but I could be wrong?
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I only scan read this thread as too upseting for me at the mo but just wanted to give you all major hugs Mark x
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So sorry, Mark. I hope you find a way to give the Fortekor. I've given lots of different pills and fortekor are the most palatable by miles. I've only had it spat out once. So if Willow won't take that....oops. Vitamin B jabs can help I've found, with appetite too. Has your vet discussed either Laurabolin jabs and/or Kaminox liquid for anaemia? Steroids could be a problem with the upper respiratory thing as they'll lower immunity, but then again, with antibiotics at the same time, they may help to get Willow eating and eating better may make her feel stronger too. The trouble is I have found that the injection antibiotic (convenia) works less well than the tablets like synulox, but this may not apply to all cats of course. My vet also told me that lactulose (if you can syringe her?) is better for CRF cats than katalax, as helps rid the body of some of the urea toxins and you can give it every day as it's safe.
Good luck with Willow and with your studies.
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Thanks Kate,
I ground the Milbemax up with some katalax but lucky if she ingested 3/4 of it. I'm hoping it's enough with her being a tiny cat. I am going to leave her be for today as she hates me right now :(
I will order some lactulose and CRF dry food. The vet annoyed me a bit today as she was really pushing thing on me. She said they could post me some Fortekor and I told her I only got fresh ones today. She then asked about ordering dry CRF food. I told her I will think about it. She asked if I wanted a prescription for it (£10) but I informed her that I don't need one to get low phos foods and that prescription food doesn't actually require a prescription.
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The trouble is I have found that the injection antibiotic (convenia) works less well than the tablets like synulox, but this may not apply to all cats of course.
Yes, my vet told me it isn't so effective, but I had to use it on Metoo because getting ab tabs into him was hit and miss (although he loves the Fortekor!)
Mark, the CRF dry food is mega-expensive, I've just ordered some Hills 2kg and it was over £15 - if you would like me to send you a sample for Willow and/or some of the RC, just let me know.
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Mark. I'm in two minds about whether to post or not. After a lot of thought, have decided to in case it helps and hope I don't cause any upset :hug:.
Willow's symptoms sound a little similar to Toms. The major difference is Tom also had a heart murmur for some years and eventually a very rapid heart rate. The similarities are sneezing (no coughing or running eyes though), not eating well (little and often worked for a while) although tapping face and purring which we took for hunger, significantly increased thirst altho kidneys OK, anaemia (it was quite bad which we eventually understood must have affected his appetite and he was prescribed Laurobolin), occasional but noticeable ear scratching and head shaking which we thought may indicate balance problem but vet quite sure wasn't, often being sick but, like Willow, that was not uncommon for Tom.
We never did investigate the cause of anaemia as he was approaching 19 and didn't want to cause him discomfort.
We made the mistake of thinking slightly raised T4 was something needing medication and ended up with Tom experiencing raised liver enzymes as a result of unnecessary HyperT meds.
What I learnt from the experience was anaemia was the main issue with Tom. Took me ages to realise how serious anaemia can be. I suggest you ask your vet more about the anaemia result, mild? or more serious? Can't remember, how old is Willow? Is she losing weight (need to weigh her to be sure)
Hope I've done right by mentioning our experience. Primula worked for a while with Tom and ABs BTW but he was always a good lad with his meds. Best to both of you :hug:
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Thanks Rosella,
The vet said once her kidneys are stabilised, she wants to repeat the tests in a month. She thinks the raised T4 could be a false reading down to the kidney issue. I will write a list of questions ready for when I am there, including the anaemia issue. I'm not sure how anaemia is treated with cats so will have to do some homework. I think she is a bit confused right now. I think she is cold as she has been sleeping under a radiator upstairs. She will be happy when I go to bed :Luv2:
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No advice but wanted to send a :hug: for you, Willow and OH. She is in the best hands and will be well loved through her problems
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I found a few sites that link anaemia with CRF so hoping that it can be sorted. http://www.felinegood.co.uk/treatments/en/anaemia.shtml
We have always said that Willow will outlive all the other cats as she is so healthy :(
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She tried to jump onto the window ledge in the garden tonight but only made it half way and fell. We were worried until I caught her up on the wardrobe in the basement spare room :evillaugh:
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She can't be that bad if she's climbing on wardrobes Mark :)
I read the anaemia link and am more relaxed about it with Willow as it probably is CRF linked which will indicate how to treat it. Our problem with Tom was not being able to investigate the cause as investigations involved nasty stuff and he had by that time stopped eating.
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Mark, there's a tremendous amount on anaemia on Tanya's CRF site. My vet gave Swampy an injection (or I gave it; it's sub Q and easy to do yourself at home) of Laurabolin, an anabolic steroid which helps produce (I may be a bit hazy here!) red cells that the body no longer does. I think now it's a standard treatment. Plus depending on how high or low her potassium is, the Kaminox liquid (you can get it from vet uK) has caused a very shiny coat and seems to help too as it has amino acids, iron and potassium - it's a supplement for older, CRF cats, not a drug. Not too cheap at about £30 and with a dropper (will Willow allow a dropper? It's an easy one to get into the corner of the mouth).
Anaemia can make them extremely weak and it is mostly treatable.
What dry CRF food are you trying as the Hills stuff is only munched by a few cats (the renal dry)? However at least Hills or RC will take it back if it's no good, although not via online retailers, you'd have to ask your vet to resell it or send it back for you. If Willow won't eat renal food, Hills do quite a few senior foods (Max won't touch renal but eats the senior) in their Science range and they are cheaper than prescription diet.
Just read your post further back - £10 for a prescription! My vet's £6.50. They are allowed to charge something 'reasonable'. I don't think more than a human NHS prescription is "reasonable" :Crazy:
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I don't think Fortekor is palatable. I suppose if I mashed it into some katalax and rubbed it into her fur, she would clean herself but might be unpleasant for her. Still worth a try and less stressful than trying to pill her - good thinking :evillaugh:
She is mad a me right now and trying to lick her shaved neck :(
The vet decided against jabs for now but said to keep an eye on the sneezing after she has been wormed. Annoyingly, before any of this I had planned to ask her to worm Willow anyway but it slipped my mind. The problem is I am at uni for the next 3 days and way behind on my studies.
The vet told us that Fortekor is one of the most palatable tabletsand most cats are fine taking it, I would still mash it in food though, I hate giving my cats meds Mark so I can understand, infact I'll only give them anything if really necessary as I think it's too stressful for them. Did the vet have any idea why Willow is anaemic?
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Have to re-order this for Max so thought I'd post it just in case it's of help. Does Willow only like dry food? This one is given in France to all senior cats - the vets are more RC than Hills obviously as RC is french - my 2 loved it and Max is still on it as well as his senior turkey muck. It's about 0.6% phosphorus so nearly double the renal food but still acceptable as well below 1g.
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=62_65_216&products_id=1004
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Don't have any advice but just wanted to send lots of :hug: to you and Willow
Love the photos on top of the wardrobe :Luv: It baffles me how they get to these places?! I had to get Nina off the top of a 6ft book case the other day :tired:
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Sending lots of :hug: to you and Willow.
Thought it nice your OH tried to help with giving Willow pills, mine wont. Could be the amount of scratches I've come away with.
I use the suprise brute force method for giving pills and its worked so far, but wearing denim helps.
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Did the vet have any idea why Willow is anaemic?
She is hoping it is related to the CRF. Also she is hoping the raied T4 is related. She wants to run full tests again in a month before considering any other m.ds :)
Our morning lecture was cancelled this morning as our lecturers wife was involved in a car crash. Anyway, I went shopping with my friend Sarah. We were in Holland & barrett and by pure chance, she picked something up and said "What's this?" - it was a pill splitter/crusher - I bought one and so I am going to mix it in some hairball paste. As it is palatable, I don't feel bad about it. I'm hoping a can do it without losing any of the powder
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Have to re-order this for Max so thought I'd post it just in case it's of help. Does Willow only like dry food? This one is given in France to all senior cats - the vets are more RC than Hills obviously as RC is french - my 2 loved it and Max is still on it as well as his senior turkey muck. It's about 0.6% phosphorus so nearly double the renal food but still acceptable as well below 1g.
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=62_65_216&products_id=1004
Thanks Kate,
I will order some and see how she goes on it. TBH, Clapton had managed fine on Fortekor and senior food for well over 2 years. I think quality of life plays a big part. Also as she is a picky eater, I can't afford for her to eat any less. I will give it a go but let her eat whatever she wants failing that.
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Just read your post further back - £10 for a prescription! My vet's £6.50. They are allowed to charge something 'reasonable'. I don't think more than a human NHS prescription is "reasonable" :Crazy:
Their sign also says 1 item per prescription :tired: - I don't know if they charge for repeats :Crazy:
Anyway, I was pleased to put them straight about prescription food not needing a prescription :evillaugh:
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sending loads of positive vibes you and Willow way :hug: :hug: :hug:
love the wardrobe photos :evillaugh:
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Right, it's good that she's looking to why, hope the pill crusher does the trick! :)
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tbh, it's just a screw on thing but it does the trick. Mixing it in hairball paste is the hard bit. I reckon she gets around 70 - 80% of the pill but she is a very tiny cat so hopefully enough for her :Luv2:
I have also given her an extra hooded tray in the bedroom which she has used today :) - I don't like the idea of a tray in the bedroom but needs must is suppose - I am using the rechargable carpet sweeper to clean up :evillaugh:
I have some "cat green" which is a clear gel so may be easier to mix the tablet into - I will give it a go tomorrow.
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Fingers crossed for her, Molly is like Willow and I am unable to pill her, the vet has already been warned that if she ever develops anything, I wont be able to medicate her, and she has a cat like that. Like Willow, Molly doesn't do treats and wont even do things like Katalax. My vet is like Jasmine's though, and doesn't prescribe Fortekor as standard for CRF. I hope they can get the anaemia under control, and am a bit surprised they haven't given an injection and just want you to pill her for month first - treating it might actually increase her appetite.
RC do samples of their Renal food, I still have some left from Rosie, so might be worth asking if they can get you some samples, and Zooplus do some renal wet food that went down better with Rosie than anything from the vets, although the tuna was hte most appetising from the vets.
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I have also given her an extra hooded tray in the bedroom which she has used today :) - I don't like the idea of a tray in the bedroom but needs must is suppose
You won't be the first by a long shot Mark. Litter tray moved into our bedroom when Dingle reached about 15 (circa 1991) Oh dear can't begin to tell you how bad her highness' business ponged . Really unbeliveable. :sick: She was the reason the carpet came up and bedrooms now floor boards and rugs. Her aim stunk too ;) .
Litter tray moved back in for Tom when he reached about 16 (circa 2005) but that boy was just no troublle. We started to pick him up and place him over it when he was going to be sick; he ended up making his own way to the tray to be sick. My super little lad :)
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Willow digs to Australia so I am looking forward to her night-time trips :tired:
Although Willow get litter on the floor, I have never once known her to miss the tray - unlike Alice, who tries but rarely goes in quite far enough so it ends up 1/2 in, 1/2 out :sick: - it's a pain as I have to clean the rim of the tray and quite often it is all in the join inside the tray :sick:
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She has only had 2 doses of Fortekor but seems a lot better in herself. She is eating more than usual - I know that in itself isn't always a good sign but this morning as I was going downstairs, she started batting me through the bannister. I put my hand through and she started her old trick of biting the bit between my thumb and finger and "killing" my hand - she hasn't done it much at all lately although it was one of her favourite games before. I wonder if the wormer has helped as it seems too early for the fortekor to have had an effect? - anyway, it's less than 3 months since she was wormed so maybe I should be thinking of doing it a bit more often.
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Only just found this thread, am a bit behind........sigh
Just want to wish Willow and you lots of good vibes :hug: cos I have one cat who cant be medicated at all and all 4 are fussy eaters, dont do treats or human food or anything, so very hard when they get ill.
My vet told me that convenia is only good for certain omplaintss but I know she has discussed jabs of this on a regular and permanent basis for Franta with a specialist at Bristol, if he starts getting kidney infections as he has only one working kidney.
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good to hear Willow seems perkier :)
Our Squeaky was like Alice in the tray Mark it was always 50/50 in/out and it was always a cleaning job afterwards!
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She is rolling around playing this morning and attacking my hand - so fingers crossed she is feeling a lot better :Luv2:
Amazingly, she is eating senior food (I have ordered renal) I always buy her special food as she usually doesn't touch the felix senior :Crazy:
It's funny as my old vet used to say that animals seem to know what is good for them.
(excuse the mess - I am off today so need to have a blitz :evillaugh: )
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A couple more
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:Luv: she's lovely and great to hear she's doing well.
I wish my 2 would eat the renal food, my vet gave me 2 types to try, Hills and RC and I mixed it in their food but they wouldn't eat it. They only eat Whiskas supermeat, I've tried other pate types as Schui won't eat anything with any texture but not luck.
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My vet also told me that lactulose (if you can syringe her?) is better for CRF cats than katalax, as helps rid the body of some of the urea toxins and you can give it every day as it's safe.
Sorry, just re-reading this thread to see bits I missed. I'm surprised a vet would recommend something that draws water out of the system for CRF cats? - maybe the benefits outweigh the negatives? :Crazy:
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Last year the vet was going to admit Schui to put him on a drip, which we were told among other things were to sort out the toxins Mark as he was very poorly, not sure of the ins and outs though. He has other issues though and after alot of thought we decided to try steroids which thankfully worked.
I think if the kidneys aren't working/filtering properly they can get a build up of fluid and nastys.
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What he told me is that lactulose is routinely used in high doses apparently for liver disease. With CRF they have so many toxins poisoning their body that elimination of some from the gut is good. It's also very safe compared to the other laxatives.
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Thanks Kate. I will speak to the vet about it. Willow isn't too happy about having stuff smeared on her fur. I tried putting a tablet in front of her and she ran a mile. After I crushed it and mixed it into a bit of cat green, I smeared in on her and she went into hiding for the rest of the evening.
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imho Mark, the only way to do lactulose is by using a 1ml syringe (the skinny little one) in the corner of the mouth and fire! The only problem is it is so sticky. If you put it on her paw, her paw would be glued!
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If you're giving her lactulose, would it be possible to dissolve her fortekor and syringe it all in together? Not sure if this would make the fortekor go through or get absorbed too quickly though.
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Last night, we had steak pie. Steak and burgers (especially McD's) are two things that Willow will eat. I cut a little pocket in a piece of steak and just left it on a piece of paper for her to discover (she is very suspicious and if I tried to give it to her, she would refuse it) - A while later, she started eating it. She makes such a meal out of the tiniest morsel (no pun) at the end, the pill was just sitting there :tired: - later on, she was fast asleep on OH (along with Clapton :Luv2: ) so I went over to pet her. She woke up very sleepily and I shoved it pill down her throat - I don't thin k she had even realised what had happened. She is very docile this morning and fast asleep as I type. I will keep an eye on her as I know that for the first few days, they can feel rough due to increased creatinine. I suppose this is the first time she has had a full dose and she really is tiny.
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aren't they crafty :evillaugh: thumbs up to giving it her half asleep, I've done that and it does work well they're so docile they hardly notice :) hope she's not too groggy after it though, I didn't know that until they kick in they can feel worse
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Apparently the creatine levels can increase and it takes a few days to settle back down.
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I am in two minds about giving it to her tonight as she has slept all day and is still asleep now. Admittedly all the cats have been sleeping most of the day but it's unusual for her. I don't know whether to give it a miss and speak to the vet, give her 1/2 tab or give her the full dose :scared:
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I would give her the dose MArk - if you remember with Clapton, you had similar problems, and if it is going to raise the creatnine, it is better done all in one go than miss a few days and then have to start again. Also worth remembering that Fortekor doesn't work on all cats, so Willow could be one of the cats it doesn't work on
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I think it is having an effect on her and remain hopeful - she is up & about now so I will give her the dose and keep an eye.
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Well last night, Willow was sniffing around on the rug and licking it. I realised there were some crumbs from some Felix Lickin's - she doesn't normally eat treats but I wrapped 1/2 a pill up in one -( quite difficult as they are really crumbly) and she ate it - I did the same again and that was Willow pilled ;D
I will try it again tonight but the chances are, she will refuse - maybe she just happened to be hungry?
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The VetUK delivery came today. I put some RC Renal in front of her and she ate a few nuggets. She never eats a lot in one go anyway so hopeful that she will eat it. I am going to continue giving her senior wet food as I know how unpalatable renal wet can be - also I'm not convinced the whole reduced protein thing is good for cats in the long term. I can't stop her picking at Clapton's food as she has always done this anyway - also I am a firm believer of quality over quantity. I'm sure this will reduce her overall phosphorus intake.
There is a warning on the bag not to feed for more than 6 months without vet approval and to feed for 2 - 4 weeks for short renal episodes which makes me even more convinced that they should eat some other food as well.
I also got some pocket tabs to see if she likes them - they are expensive for what they are. I think 1/2 tab is enough anyway :evillaugh:
There were a few catnip balls and stockings in the delivery as well ;) - she is taken with the socks :Luv2:
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Mark, the way I do Max's food now is to mix half renal and half senior in the same bowl, i.e. 2 sachets a day, so its still a good mix of food, but mixing it makes it taste better (as long as the flavours don't clash too much!).
Maxy was becoming very reluctant to eat the renal on its own, but mixed in, he will always eat the whole bowl, or at least most of it :hug:
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I have given up with renal wet food - I have 2 unopened out of date boxes in the cupboard :tired:
Also some cans of Trovet renal.
I daren't offend Clapton. If he doesn't like it, he will sniff and go back upstairs in disgust :evillaugh:
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I think the dry is generally better, so more chance of being chomped :evillaugh:
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Dry renal tends to be more palatable, but it goes against what cats with CRF need, which is moisture!! Have you tried the Renal food from Zooplus Mark? Rosie would eat that although she wouldn't touch the RC/Hills
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I will give it a go but Willow is more particular than the average cat with wet food. I know food with moisture is a lot better but with her being underweight, high calorie food is also important for her. The vet said last year that she is borderline underweight so it's a case of feeding her anything she will eat really.
Has an unsiccessful pilling last night which resulted in me bleeding. I tried again this morning and she went mental. I thought she had swallowed it but she spat it out again - I will have a go again tonight. I was amazed when she took it in a treat on Sunday and thought it was too good to be true.
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Does Willow like cat milk MarK?
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No she is very hard to please. She won't touch cream or any of the things cats are supposed to like.
She does like olives - maybe I should stuff one with a Fortekor :evillaugh:
She is our little French madam :Luv2: (OH got her from a rescue in Paris in 1999 when she was one)
I managed to get a pill down her last night. I sprayed it with olive oil and pilled her as she screamed :( - It was doubly difficult as OH was behaving as if I was abusing her rather than trying to help her. I said there is no point her going back for more bloods next month unless she has been taking her tablets so they can assess the other issues.
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olives eh? :evillaugh: she does have quite a personality bless her!
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What a nightmare, it is so stressful for all of you and you have to watch that pill time doesn't become anxious time. Hope you can find something she will take it in :hug:
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I hope so too. I got some Waltham Pocket Tabs in my VetUK delivery the other day hoping that she would take it in those but no luck. The are much squashier than Webbox sticks but expensive - £5 for 20 :Crazy: - I can get 2 out of each though - I may even try to get 3. Makes it easy to hide Claptons pills :shify:
Maybe tonight I shouldn't try to Pill Willow when she is lying on OH as the claws were not appreciated :sick:
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Well tonight's attempt resulted in me with teeth sunk deeply into my finger just below the nail. Lots of blood, a stressed cat and a pill on the floor. OH & I are going to have to discuss if pilling her is viable. If she is going to be stressed and unhappy about it, I can't continue. Also my finger is throbbling and I can't handle going through this every day.
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Well tonight's attempt resulted in me with teeth sunk deeply into my finger just below the nail. Lots of blood, a stressed cat and a pill on the floor. OH & I are going to have to discuss if pilling her is viable. If she is going to be stressed and unhappy about it, I can't continue. Also my finger is throbbling and I can't handle going through this every day.
:hug: :hug:
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How stressful for you all. Hope your finger is ok and hope you can find some way that she will take the pills :hug:
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can you not sneak up while she is asleep, scruff her and quickly quickly shove it down before she's had time to think KILL HIM?! good luck Mark. Suppose a pill shooter wouldn't be tolerated either?
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I'm really not sure what to do now - as I am now on antibiotics due to her biting me, I'm not willing to risk it again. OH can help me or we will have to resign ourselves to her not taking them.
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Star is the same Mark, if she was on tablets full time we would definately have to think long and hard about it, last time was a nightmare
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She has now just peed on the log pile - I can't cope with her any more and she is so stressed, she might be better off out of it. I just can't handle her any more. I am handing her back to OH tonight and wash my hands of her - she is more trouble than the other 3 put together.
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can you not sneak up while she is asleep, scruff her and quickly quickly shove it down before she's had time to think KILL HIM?! good luck Mark. Suppose a pill shooter wouldn't be tolerated either?
Sometimes its not in a cats best interest to be medicated, if that happened everyday she would start to resent her owners and lose any quality of life so i agree with Mark, she would be better off left untreated. A shorter life but a happier one.
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She is already getting really suspicious. If there was a treat she would take, that would be fine but there is nothing. Even with a small piece of beef, she disects it so will find a pill. She must have been very scared to sink her teeth into me so deeply :( - As much as OH doesn't want to talk about it, a decision will have to be made.
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Mark I feel for you and Dennis in this situation you have one stressed little lady who is being spiteful to get back at you, I hope that your hand isn't to bad - get the tetnus up to date for yourself to. Have you tried the pill pockets so far I have managed to worm even the worst ferals we have - Ace and Blue especially are suspious of anything but ate these with pill in as a treat when the others were to!
Sometimes it comes down to quality of life and if she is happier unpilled and getting all her treats and the good life perhaps that is the way to go. I know with some of our cats that that is the only route they have as it would be us on permanant tablets for scratches and worse things.
I know that whatever you and Dennis decide it will be with Willows best interests at heart :hug:
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Thanks Liz :hug:
I got some pill pockets from VetUK this week with high hopes but she won't go near them :( - I even left her food out overnight in the bedroom hoping she would take the bait but no luck she just isn't a treat girl :(
I will try mixing with Katalax and smearing on her fur again but she doesn't like me doing that either.
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One of our dishes was chicken in yellowbean sauce with cashews. I sucked the sauce off a piece and gave a bit to willow and she ate it. Then I hid a pill in a piece and amazingly, she ate it! ;D
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LOL well done what a relief. Perhaps you have to have that dish for tea everynight for a while!
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good news Mark. She clearly just needs some interesting cooking to sample it in!
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I bought some free range chicken legs the other day for the cats (breast for us!) so I will cook them tonight. I'm pretty sure she will prove me wrong and not eat them as they are plain - maybe I should marinade in 5 spice before cooking :evillaugh:
She amused us by doing an "Arthur" last night by picking bits of chicken out of the chow mein with her claw - luckily we had finished with ours :evillaugh:
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She has still been coughing on & off but had was sneezing this morning and had a nasty chesty coughing fit a while ago. She always comes to greet me but hasn't left her furry igloo since I got in 1 1/2 hours ago. She is eating but at the best of times she barely keeps the weight on. Apart from that and her runny eyes, she is usually the most energetic cat you could imagine. I was even playing with her before I left this morning and she was playing "kill the hand" - I really didn't like the sound of her chest - she sounds really bronchial. We don't smoke in the house and she rarely goes out.
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Back from the vets and she has an infected trachia. They said I had a choice of a long-acting (convenia) jab to see how she goes or to keep her in for a lung pattern x-ray. The vets said the wet cough I described sounds like a lower infection. I said she is back in a couple of weeks for more bloods so might be an idea to try the jab and take her back in if need be - I asked the vet her opinion. She said she agreed and said that there is a good chance the AB will get to the infection even if it is lower. She also has Metacam for 5 days.
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Awww, poor baby, hope Willow is feeling much better soon :Luv:
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Don't worry, she has thanked me for my trouble :tired:
She got into the carrier without the donut bed in it. I stupidly put my hand in to get her out and was lacerated :Crazy: - The vet let me wash my hands with iodine. She said it stings but is much better than the other soaps. I didn't feel it - I think I am impervious to these things now.
I have the hands of an 80 year old washerwoman :evillaugh:
Anyway, I opened the carrier back home and she dived straight into her new igloo and is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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I tried giving her the metacam but she went ape. I am not risking it any more. She is now being given metacam on her fur :evillaugh:
It is only a small amount as they checked her weight. She is still 2.5kg
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Ouch bless she is a feisty little madam isn't she :naughty:
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What a terrible situation to be in,its so frustrating when they wont let you help them isnt it,if only they realise you are doing it for their own good,my big lad Henry is the same ,no way can i get pills down him, more then my lifes worth to try but im lucky in the fact he loves treats so i can conceal in a piece of chicken or ham etc, :hug:
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Fingers crossed for her, but I wouldn't put Metacam on her fur, I would mix it with her food, as they are supposed to eat before having Metacam.
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The problem is she never eats what is put in front of her. She is a grazer. Sometimes she will only have 2 bites and other times will eat most of it - usually the former. She very rarely eats when it is put in front of her and might go back later but no guarantee. Although there is wet and dry down for her, sometimes she ignores the wet.
Also, with her being very picky and only weighing 2.5kg, I really can't afford for her to get suspicious with food. She always sniffs it a few times so there is no way of fooling her.
The only other thing I can do is wipe it on her fur after I see her eat. I just can't risk stressing her out so much that she is prepared to bite me hard enough for me to need medical treatment.
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Could you put it on her fur as soon as you have seen her eat a couple of mouthfuls?
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I had thought of that but thought it might be better to wait until she is finished as she will stop eating as soon as I do it. If she had more meat on her bones, it wouldn't be so bad but I can't risk her eating less than she already does.
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Just wondered how things were going with Willow, have you managed to find a way to give her the metacam yet :hug:
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Mark have you tried holding her plate while she eats? It's a slippery slope as once you do it and if they like it, that's it, it's all meals from now on, but I found it worked with Swampy from about a year or more ago, when he started getting nibbly and picky about eating off a plate. It also helps if they stand or sit in a safe place while you hand hold their food.
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The problem is she doesn't eat like other cats and there is no such thing as mealtimes for her. She just has some of her own when she feels like it and some of Clapton's if she is passing his dish. Another thing is, she isn't a big fan of fresh food. For a picky eater it seems odd but she likes wet food when it is drying up and Clapton's food after he has licked the jelly off :Crazy: - Ithink the Fortekor is doinf something for her appetite though as last night, something really out of character happened. I went to feed Clapton and she niudged in to eat out of his dish - something I have never known her to do. I ended up splitting the pouch over 2 dishes and they were eating side-by-side :Crazy:
Also, I dicided on Wednesday that she was playing and purring so much that she was unlikely to be in pain so I decided not to give her any more Metacam. She isn't coughing now but she is still sneezing. She seems a lot better in herself :Luv2:
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Wow Willow that's wonderful news - hope she continues to feel better and eat.
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She seems a lot better in herself :Luv2:
Attagirl, Willow :wow:
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It's a week since her jab. The hacking cough has stopped which is the main thing we were concerned about - the vet was unsure if the convenia jab would work on a lower respiratory infection. However, she is still sneezing. She seems to get me every morning - she climbs onto my chest and sprays my face :sick: . Anyway, she is eating well - 2 pouches of Natural balance since last night + a few bits of stir-fry beef + whatever biscuits and bits she pinches from Clapton's plate so I assume it's just a matter of time?. She is still sitting on radiators but not huddling up the way she was. I am pretty confident that she is out of the woods but wonder if it is worth bothering the vet?
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It may be worth a call to put your mind at rest Mark, but it does sound like she's doing much, much better now, which is great :Luv2:
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I agree with Clare, if you are worried give the vet a ring but glad she sounds like she is improving.
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Well no coughing or sneezing today. She is sprawled out in front of the fire rather than hunched :Luv2:
I want to give her a couple of weeks to get fit before taking her for repeat bloods.
(http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn224/MarkB_014/007-3.jpg)
(http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn224/MarkB_014/006-5.jpg)
Alice was next to me when I took Willow's pics so one of her for luck :Luv2:(http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn224/MarkB_014/008-3.jpg)
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awwww Willow and Alice :Luv: :Luv2: lovely pics Mark
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:Luv2: Thanks
You can really see what a skinny 2.5kg cat she is and why I can't mess around with her food - although Paula, one of the fosterers thinks that Willow is perfectly proportioned which I suppose means that the average cat is overweight :shify:
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That's very true Byron was about that weight and our vet always said she does keep a very good weight for her age she didn't think she was thin at all but the last time we took her she didn't say that and she has put on a bit of weight (not alot though) - I think it is the milk she has. My vet will soon remark if they are getting a bit podgey.
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Lovely pics Mark, Willow looks pretty happy to me, one very chilled out little girl :Luv2:
Alice is :Luv: :Luv: as always :)
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Oh my she is a cutie there is something about the black cat magic - I'm biased - my first 2 cats were black and 17 years on Sweetie is still my number one in fact heard Robin say he would hold down any cat who looked at her the wrong way so she could bop it! Her coat is noce and shiney and she looks comfy must be the change in the weather Sweetie made it to the utility room today - she hasn't been out since October though she is a fairweather girl!
Mark we have a couple of real light weights in Storm and Lunarwho despite their petiteness are both crush cages at the vet due to the Bengal Tiger tendancies yet both are sweet little madams in the house
She looks like she is comfy and happy so I would be inclined to leave it a while as you said so she can build up that gorgeous figure just a little and remember good things come in small packages!
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May have been a mistake but I bought a small bag of science plan to help build her up. She won't touch the RC renal and has even gone off RC sensitive. I decided there is no point giving her what is good for her if she won't touch it. I will have to give it to her secretly as if Kylie gets a sniff, she will be after it :evillaugh:
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She is gorging on the Science Plan but not throwing up. One of the main reasons I stopped buying it was because Kylie is too fond of it. I am tempted to try their renal to see if Willow will eat that. Failing that, I will go back to proplan as the phos is 0.7 - I'm still tempted to try Orijen again. I wish they would make the fish one available here - it was supposed to be October but they keep delaying it.
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Well she is returning to the feisty madam we all know & love. She told me off for stroking her one tine too many tonight :evillaugh:
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Bless her :Luv2: :Luv2:
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Well she is returning to the feisty madam we all know & love. She told me off for stroking her one tine too many tonight :evillaugh:
Go Willow :evillaugh: