Introducing Betty White

lisahe

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I don’t know that Betty likes egg yolk. I can try again. But I prefer to get her up to two of the Pet Naturals of Vermont chews and another month of the poop pills. If the VT chews still don’t do the trick (and I think they are but we’re not yet at two per day), I’ll see about egg yolk again.

Just waiting for Betty’s discharge now. I told them I’d be here at 4:30 and then quickly amended to 5. The woman on the phone kept insisting that she’d be ready for 4:45 pickup. And I’m here at 5 like I told them and Betty’s still not ready? Is she giving them any trouble back there? 🤷🏼‍♂️
Start small with egg yolk. Our cats weren't thrilled about it when I first started putting it in their food but now they seem almost happy that I've increased the amount. I bought Pet Naturals chews for Edwina, too, though she's only had one so far. (Successfully... I need to give her a real start with them. Hair is definitely a problem for her gut, too.)

I was glad to see below Betty was finally released but sorry to see she peed herself. I'm now hoping that her small meal has stayed down! Have a good night!
 

daftcat75

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Her small meal has so far stayed down. She was (still is?) so inconsolable when I came home even after her dinner portion. I only had maybe twenty minutes left on my work day. Betty was having none of it. She hasn’t shut up unless I give her full on attention. I had to pass my end of day tasks on to coworkers. “Cat came home from vet anxious and vocal. She will not let me work another minute. Here’s what I had done. This should be an easy fix. But Betty won’t let me look another minute at it.”

She’s cooled down for a minute right now because I sprinted through dinner cook (with Betty yelling the entire time) and got us to baseball, beer, and Betty in my lap. I cannot wait—she CANNOT wait—until next dinner.

I’m trying her without the famotidine tonight. She didn’t have it in the morning anyway. And she probably still has Cerenia in her. But for what antacid/PPIs might be doing to her gut biome, let’s see if we can halt this one first. Dr G (internist) says studies show PPIs lose their effectiveness anyway. It might not be having as much or any effect now. Only way one to know…. 🤞
 

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Poor Betty peed herself. I’m guessing it was on the drive home. One moment she was quiet. The next she wouldn’t shut up for the rest of the drive home. She was loudly upset. Now I know why. Fortunately she let me clean her quite a bit. I don’t know how much I should use those EarthBath wet wipes and how much I should just let her clean up.

I’m glad they told me to feed her only a half meal. She tore through it in record speed. I kinda expect it to come back up. 🤦🏼‍♂️
O the indignity! it took me forever to realize that a great idea is to have a backup cat carrier you can pop em into while you clean out the other one...maybe you don’t need to, but it definitely helps on a 2 hour trip. So glad she’s back! :)
 

cat nap

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Poor Betty peed herself. I’m guessing it was on the drive home. One moment she was quiet. The next she wouldn’t shut up for the rest of the drive home. She was loudly upset. Now I know why. Fortunately she let me clean her quite a bit. I don’t know how much I should use those EarthBath wet wipes and how much I should just let her clean up.

I’m glad they told me to feed her only a half meal.
She tore through it in record speed. I kinda expect it to come back up. 🤦🏼‍♂️
Here's hoping that the meal stays down. :thumbsup:
She must be so hungry, after this whole day's endoscopic prep and procedure. 😼

I wonder if the IV fluids that they gave Betty also contained some sort of 'clean out endoscopic prep solution'...(like they give to humans, before an endoscopy)
They actually should have told you this, beforehand, but who knows,...often times I think they do these procedures so frequently, that they just give you the main details.

Poor Betty, having all those fluids, and also coming out of sedation,...probably caused her bladder to fill up fast. 🤔
No wonder she peed.

**(these are the times, well after the fact, that I remember that 'puppy pee pads' are a good idea to line the 'cat carrier with'.
I usually just use a small to mid size towel, for the cats, but...the puppy pee pads are not very expensive, and do catch a lot.
Not that it will help you, now, after it already happened. But maybe for next vet trip.) :ohwell:

Are those 'Earthbath Wet Wipes'...very sudsy, or moisture rich?

If not, then I would use some 'blue dawn dish soap'...or 'cat shampoo'...and fill up a small size rectangular tub, or salad or margarine plastic tub...and 'sponge bathe Betty'...in the bathroom sink...or bathroom shower. (if the rectangular tub, is large enough, you can even do it on the bathroom floor,...just by placing some towels down, and just sponging her back area, and legs. Those rectangular plastic tubs, from dollar stores, are handy for all sorts of cleaning jobs.)

As long as you get most of the urine out, from her underside, and paws,...and do a fast enough job...then Betty shouldn't protest too much.
Her small meal has so far stayed down. She was (still is?) so inconsolable when I came home even after her dinner portion. I only had maybe twenty minutes left on my work day. Betty was having none of it. She hasn’t shut up unless I give her full on attention. I had to pass my end of day tasks on to coworkers. “Cat came home from vet anxious and vocal. She will not let me work another minute. Here’s what I had done. This should be an easy fix. But Betty won’t let me look another minute at it.

She’s cooled down for a minute right now
because I sprinted through dinner cook (with Betty yelling the entire time) and got us to baseball, beer, and Betty in my lap. I cannot wait—she CANNOT wait—until next dinner.
Good that her meal stayed down. :thumbsup:

Hopefully, some of your co-workers also have animals, and understand.
Twenty minutes isn't too bad to check out early.
You're so honest. I would have probably said, "Ooops, I'm not feeling well, gotta go."...and..."I'll sign in twenty minutes earlier the next day".

"..baseball, beer, and Betty in (your) lap"...sounds like a good way to end a stressful day."
(maybe not the beer, but 'to each their own'...hopefully it's lite beer. :drinking::blush: :wink:)
I’m trying her without the famotidine tonight. She didn’t have it in the morning anyway. And she probably still has Cerenia in her. But for what antacid/PPIs might be doing to her gut biome, let’s see if we can halt this one first. Dr G (internist) says studies show PPIs lose their effectiveness anyway. It might not be having as much or any effect now. Only way one to know….
Sounds good. :tabbycat::)

I was trying to figure out what the 3 meds were...that you had earlier mentioned, while talking to the AnimalBiome person.
So it's famotidine, cerenia, and mirtazapine?
With stopping the famotidine, now,...hopefully it will show some sort of positive effect...if Betty does not need them for excess stomach acid. :crossfingers: :bluepaw::greenpaw:
 

daftcat75

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Here's hoping that the meal stays down. :thumbsup:
She must be so hungry, after this whole day's endoscopic prep and procedure. 😼

I wonder if the IV fluids that they gave Betty also contained some sort of 'clean out endoscopic prep solution'...(like they give to humans, before an endoscopy)
They actually should have told you this, beforehand, but who knows,...often times I think they do these procedures so frequently, that they just give you the main details.

Poor Betty, having all those fluids, and also coming out of sedation,...probably caused her bladder to fill up fast. 🤔
No wonder she peed.

**(these are the times, well after the fact, that I remember that 'puppy pee pads' are a good idea to line the 'cat carrier with'.
I usually just use a small to mid size towel, for the cats, but...the puppy pee pads are not very expensive, and do catch a lot.
Not that it will help you, now, after it already happened. But maybe for next vet trip.) :ohwell:

Are those 'Earthbath Wet Wipes'...very sudsy, or moisture rich?

If not, then I would use some 'blue dawn dish soap'...or 'cat shampoo'...and fill up a small size rectangular tub, or salad or margarine plastic tub...and 'sponge bathe Betty'...in the bathroom sink...or bathroom shower. (if the rectangular tub, is large enough, you can even do it on the bathroom floor,...just by placing some towels down, and just sponging her back area, and legs. Those rectangular plastic tubs, from dollar stores, are handy for all sorts of cleaning jobs.)

As long as you get most of the urine out, from her underside, and paws,...and do a fast enough job...then Betty shouldn't protest too much.

Good that her meal stayed down. :thumbsup:

Hopefully, some of your co-workers also have animals, and understand.
Twenty minutes isn't too bad to check out early.
You're so honest. I would have probably said, "Ooops, I'm not feeling well, gotta go."...and..."I'll sign in twenty minutes earlier the next day".

"..baseball, beer, and Betty in (your) lap"...sounds like a good way to end a stressful day."
(maybe not the beer, but 'to each their own'...hopefully it's lite beer. :drinking::blush: :wink:)

Sounds good. :tabbycat::)

I was trying to figure out what the 3 meds were...that you had earlier mentioned, while talking to the AnimalBiome person.
So it's famotidine, cerenia, and mirtazapine?
With stopping the famotidine, now,...hopefully it will show some sort of positive effect...if Betty does not need them for excess stomach acid. :crossfingers: :bluepaw::greenpaw:
She takes ondansetron. I do have some Cerenia on hand. I usually reserve that for fasting nights. But since she was only skipping a couple meals (theoretically), and I figured they would give her Cerenia at the vet, that I didn’t give her any Cerenia last night.

So the vet office has some snacks in lobby. I took a bag of Cheez-It’s and then realized that a) they required masks in the lobby and b) I still had to pet Betty all the way home. I finally got a chance to enjoy them after my dinner while waiting out Betty’s next meal. I don’t know what’s in these that is so attractive. But I thought Betty was going to stick her face or a paw into my mouth for one or several Cheez-it’s of her own. She likes to climb my belly and chest to nuzzle my face. But this was something different. Noted. Cheez-it’s are an outside the home food for me. Good thing Betty is not a dumpster diver. I think this empty bag will be okay in the recycling. 🤞

Alright. Betty has waited long enough. I’ll advance her second dinner a half hour. She’ll get a 2/3 portion.
 
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daftcat75

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Geeesh!

Krista’s alarm would go off at 3 am until I dropped her off at the vet. Betty’s giving it to me on the backend. She was peep-less last night. 🙊🔇 But now even after two portions and half a baseball game together, she still won’t shut up. 🤫🤐🙉

On yet another scorcher of a night, I’m having to go lights out early once more. She’s quiet for a minute right now as we cuddle it up after second dinner. Another clean plate. 🐷👍 Overnight will be closer to a medicine meal. A medicine meal is 31 grams. A lunch, second dinner, overnight meal is around 35 to 36 grams. Med meals are slightly smaller because I want them to stay down. And I also want her stomach and gut to have less to contend with so the meds can get where they need to go. So first meal home was 16 grams. This second dinner was 26 grams. I think she can do 31 on the overnight and return to full portions by morning.

Last night I was telling her that she would get a smaller wet willy. I don’t skip a dose on fasting days because the appetite stimulant is off-label use for an antidepressant. I don’t want to mess with her serotonin (anymore than I already am) by skipping doses. So anyway, I was saying to her, “you’re not skipping a dose. But I’ll give you a smaller wet willy tonight. It will be a Damp Deborah or a Moist Morty.” 🙉🤣

Best part about being a cat dad? The dad jokes *always* land. 😹
 

daftcat75

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Here's hoping that the meal stays down. :thumbsup:
She must be so hungry, after this whole day's endoscopic prep and procedure. 😼

I wonder if the IV fluids that they gave Betty also contained some sort of 'clean out endoscopic prep solution'...(like they give to humans, before an endoscopy)
They actually should have told you this, beforehand, but who knows,...often times I think they do these procedures so frequently, that they just give you the main details.

Poor Betty, having all those fluids, and also coming out of sedation,...probably caused her bladder to fill up fast. 🤔
No wonder she peed.

**(these are the times, well after the fact, that I remember that 'puppy pee pads' are a good idea to line the 'cat carrier with'.
I usually just use a small to mid size towel, for the cats, but...the puppy pee pads are not very expensive, and do catch a lot.
Not that it will help you, now, after it already happened. But maybe for next vet trip.) :ohwell:

Are those 'Earthbath Wet Wipes'...very sudsy, or moisture rich?

If not, then I would use some 'blue dawn dish soap'...or 'cat shampoo'...and fill up a small size rectangular tub, or salad or margarine plastic tub...and 'sponge bathe Betty'...in the bathroom sink...or bathroom shower. (if the rectangular tub, is large enough, you can even do it on the bathroom floor,...just by placing some towels down, and just sponging her back area, and legs. Those rectangular plastic tubs, from dollar stores, are handy for all sorts of cleaning jobs.)

As long as you get most of the urine out, from her underside, and paws,...and do a fast enough job...then Betty shouldn't protest too much.

Good that her meal stayed down. :thumbsup:

Hopefully, some of your co-workers also have animals, and understand.
Twenty minutes isn't too bad to check out early.
You're so honest. I would have probably said, "Ooops, I'm not feeling well, gotta go."...and..."I'll sign in twenty minutes earlier the next day".

"..baseball, beer, and Betty in (your) lap"...sounds like a good way to end a stressful day."
(maybe not the beer, but 'to each their own'...hopefully it's lite beer. :drinking::blush: :wink:)

Sounds good. :tabbycat::)

I was trying to figure out what the 3 meds were...that you had earlier mentioned, while talking to the AnimalBiome person.
So it's famotidine, cerenia, and mirtazapine?
With stopping the famotidine, now,...hopefully it will show some sort of positive effect...if Betty does not need them for excess stomach acid. :crossfingers: :bluepaw::greenpaw:
Once I figured out how to combine the wet wipes with snuzzling, she was pretty tolerant of me wiping down her peed on parts. It was mostly one leg. I wiped her down and then sniffed her up. Repeated with another wipe until she was “good enough.” I am trusting these wipes not to give her the runs (or worse?) I am assuming they wouldn’t be in the cat section if they weren’t lick safe. As for her carrier, the bottom is a fake fur lining that easily pops out. The stiff insert zips out leaving the fake fur bottom easily machine washable. And that’s where it is right now. I think she’s been on IV most of the day and she tends to be a super collector of pee. Maybe it’s from the days when she had crystals in her bladder but she seems to go as long as she can between pees leaving something between a golf ball and a baseball behind when she finally goes about two to three times a day. She probably didn’t pee at all at the vet office and then finally couldn’t hold it on the drive home. 🤦🏼‍♂️ I don’t think she peed before then because there seemed to be a point where she was quiet and content and then loud and inconsolable on the way home. She’s usually quiet on the drive home. Especially when they’ve given her a Cerenia shot. It was quite alarming. I couldn’t get her home any faster than the route we were taking because the freeways back from that vet office were a mess at that hour. I have a cardboard carrier and a pee pad in the trunk. But I didn’t think I’d need either. We need to clean her teeth sooner than later. When we do, I’ll give her the litter box in the car option before we drive home.
 

daftcat75

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I fed her at six. And at eight. She’s not going to wait it out until 12:30. Let me get her newly washed carrier bottom from the laundry and then I’ll stuff another portion into this 🐷🐷🐷
 

daftcat75

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Purrhaps, like a slow drain, she just needed to be snaked.
🐍
😹
Now I can’t seem to fill this bottomless hole tonight.
🍔🍕🌮🍟🕳😾

It seems like she’s been keeping a tally of the missed meals and she knows we haven’t caught up yet.
03DA5EDE-82F8-47F6-816B-F59D8DAB9A25.jpeg
 

artiemom

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Got a call from the internist. She came out of the anesthesia just fine. Stomach looks good. No ulcers. Small intestine has non-specific changes, reduced pit length consistent with inflammation. No answers just yet. Now we wait for the biopsies to come back.

artiemom artiemom Anything I should be asking him either the next time he calls back or when I get the biopsy results?

She should be ready to come home in a couple hours or so.
Sorry, I did not see this until morning.
Glad Betty did well with the procedure. Yes, she probably peed herself from the IV fluids.. She probably did not feel comfortable enough to pee in the litter box they provide. I made sure when I dropped off Geoffrey, that he had a litter box.
They automatically put the kitty in a cubby with a box..before and after the procedure.
For really sensitive kitties, they have cubbies with some hiding spots for them. I specifically asked for that one. Never heard of that, but Angell is awesome..

As for the biopsy: I am really not certain what to ask for regarding the biopsy. The initial biopsy results came back, in a few days-- around 3 ... I was not available when Dr B called me with them. They showed IBD and some lymphocytes..
Dr B tried to get my authorization for further testing because of the lymphocytes; but could not. He went ahead and ordered the more intensive testing. The biopsy went out to the University of Michigan for in depth.. I think PARR, testing...althought it was not named that.

I think it was the lymphocytes that tipped him off for further testing. This testing took about 10 days. We were both shocked when the results came in. I was really shocked, so I just listened to him..He had a plan in place. I just took notes. He asked if I had questions, but I was in real shock.
I did make a list of questions, and have asked them, over email... and some on phone calls from him.
~~~
It took Geoffrey a few hours to eat... I gave him a smaller amount that day, but back to normal the next.
~~~~~~~~
As for cleaning Betty.. I use baby wipes--unscented. I used them for Artie, who really needed cleaning, at times.

Good Luck!! :vibes: :vibes: :grouphug2:

Betty is so cute.. such a sweet face.. :redheartpump::redheartpump:
 

artiemom

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Oh, forgot to add. If there are non specific inflammation seen visually, on the endo, then I think, you can assume it is probably IBD... just my gut feeling.. intuition. But I think you knew that. And the narrowing.. another sign.
Geoffrey's visual biopsy came back negative.. no thickening or strictures. That is why we were so shocked with the SCL diagnosis.

Maybe the visual normalcy was due to me automatically suspecting IBD and switching to a novel protein diet--rabbit.

Who knows..
Gotta go... will catch up later.. car troubles.. leaving for Garage in 30 minutes.
 

daftcat75

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It took three dinners and an overnight for her to finish her opera last night.

She has been polishing the plates. Literally. And vigorously apparently.
504F632E-EBA9-496E-BD39-11D6D68FA7DF.jpeg

Breakfast was more of the same. She took up both pills on first try—the repacked tic tac which contains only ondansetron now, and the 💩💊. Then she finished breakfast in one go and licked that plate sparkling clean.

Her Cerenia shot from yesterday morning should be wearing off soon. Let’s see how she does with lunch.
 

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Great that she came through all of that well, and hungry (or is that "hangry"?)
I do the same thing when I get really stressed. I used to give Rani hip baths in the sink when she became incontinent, after running warm water and putting in a little of my own cruelty-free shampoo. Then I'd towel her dry. Fresh as a flower!
Three dinners! That's phenomenal. Yeah, she's definitely put some real energy into cleaning that plate.
artiemom artiemom hope the car trouble has been resolved. *PRAYERS* and best for Geoffrey!
 

daftcat75

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She's so restless this morning. She's not singing opera like last night. But she keeps coming into the office to seek attention or food or both. I don't know if she's still hungry or if she has a little acid tummy since she's no longer taking famotidine or if it's the heat or if she's still a little anxious over yesterday's vet visit or....

Ceasing the famotidine makes me nervous. But the specialist says, at this point, it's probably not doing anything for her anymore. Twice daily dosing loses efficacy over a two week period according to the literature.

She's finally giving me a little peace. Hopefully she gets a power nap in before lunch goes down in thirty-ish minutes.
 

tarasgirl06

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She's so restless this morning. She's not singing opera like last night. But she keeps coming into the office to seek attention or food or both. I don't know if she's still hungry or if she has a little acid tummy since she's no longer taking famotidine or if it's the heat or if she's still a little anxious over yesterday's vet visit or....

Ceasing the famotidine makes me nervous. But the specialist says, at this point, it's probably not doing anything for her anymore. Twice daily dosing loses efficacy over a two week period according to the literature.

She's finally giving me a little peace. Hopefully she gets a power nap in before lunch goes down in thirty-ish minutes.
Hoping lunch will please. And placate.
 

daftcat75

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Playing my favorite mid-afternoon game: Don't Poke The Bear!

That's basically figuring out where Betty is sleeping and tiptoeing around so as not to wake her.

I dropped her lunch and then ran out the door to go get mine. I had to grocery shopping on my lunch break. But I came back to a mostly clean plate and a deeply sleeping Betty. There's the last few grams that I know she will polish off when she wakes around 3pm. She will come into the office and start singing her fuss me or feed me song while licking her lips.

It's a good thing she doesn't know that she could easily take me down and make me into several days' worth of meals.

I suppose that's still on the table if I ever fast her again.
424097-1396e8e2577689f1eb9b5c52c595c5ce.jpg
 
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tarasgirl06

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Playing my favorite mid-afternoon game: Don't Poke The Bear!

That's basically figuring out where Betty is sleeping and tiptoeing around so as not to wake her.

I dropped her lunch and then ran out the door to go get mine. I had to grocery shopping on my lunch break. But I came back to a mostly clean plate and a deeply sleeping Betty. There's the last few grams that I know she will polish off when she wakes around 3pm. She will come into the office and start singing her fuss me or feed me song while licking her lips.

It's a good thing she doesn't know that she could easily take me down and make me into several days' worth of meals.

I suppose that's still on the plate if I ever fast her again.
View attachment 424237
Is that Betty's "And don't you forget it, Dad!" face? :insertevillaugh:
 

daftcat75

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Betty may be brewing up something. 😿🤦🏼‍♂️

She left small remainders (7 grams and 5 grams) on second dinner and overnight. I was willing to dismiss that to the heat. But this morning, she hasn’t come down from her cloud at all during breakfast prep. I even brought her a chicken piece from her stew. She ate it. But she wasn’t much interested in coming down for more. She’s not even coming off her cloud for cuddles this morning. 😿

The lights will fade up beginning at 7. Hopefully she’ll be ready to eat by then. Or ready to spit. Either way, let’s move on from the cloud this morning.
A6D11ABD-E1EA-4580-8B34-5D70260B7C9F.jpeg
 
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