Am I overreacting?

[Furballsmom]

Lol, I gotta remember that one

 

[Twylasmom]

I’m wondering if Twyla is struggling with a hairball that she can’t puke out. She has been getting hiccups and gagging and coughing occasionally, but not like an asthma cough (she still gets her inhaler daily for asthma and her respiration rate is normal). It also doesn’t seem to be reflux or nausea as her appetite is good and she is having regular bowel movements. Once the moment passes she goes back to normal. Yesterday she ate too fast and regurgitated wet food but has not brought up a hairball in months, even though she has been shedding a lot.

Does this seem like a possible cause for these symptoms? I will probably call the vet tomorrow to see if I can bring her in for evaluation this week. I’m concerned it might cause a blockage if it is a hairball and she can’t bring it up.

She refuses laxatone and I’m not sure what else might be safe to try as a home remedy.

 

[Furballsmom]

I will probably call the vet tomorrow

If you can, see if you can get a video of her doing it, that often helps the vets.

 

[fionasmom]

I know that there is a lot going on with Twyla and that you are restricted in what you can try. This article covers most of the options for hairball treatment; some may not be useful to you, but it might be worth glancing over.
What to Do About Hairballs in Cats

Graycie has to use Laxatone from time to time for constipation and hairball control. I keep it in the fridge, spread out a little on a plate so that I don't have to hold her and unscrew a cap, and then pick her up and spread it across her lips. She hates it, but does lick it off that way.

 

[Twylasmom]

I might try the olive oil since I have that on hand. I am holding off on the vet for now because she seems perfectly normal today and 95% of the time. Testing a theory that it might be nausea? Doesn’t seem likely with her appetite but am looking to see if there is a pattern. She gets Cerenia every other day so I want to see if the hiccups/gagging happen the day prior to a dose. Also upping her inhaled steroid from once to twice a day just in case it is asthma related (we are having air quality issues because of the heat and my asthma is worse, so who knows?)

 

[Twylasmom]

Still having some asthma issues - occasional coughing fits - so she is getting three puffs of Flovent a day (once in the am and twice pm) Whereas before she was doing great on once a day. The new dose can take a while to kick in And I can still add an additional puff in the morning if needed. My vet recommended adding in oral prednisolone if she doesn’t improve, but we aren’t there yet. I would prefer to not subject Twyla to the side effects of oral steroids and the possible negative effects on her seemingly stable kidneys. My vet would not prescribe an albuterol rescue inhaler. I don’t understand that thinking at all! Probably because we only did a phone consult. She has a wellness checkup in 2 and a half weeks - hopefully the asthma will be stabilized by then.

 

[fionasmom]

I am not the most well versed in feline asthma, but if you feel that you need a discussion of the albuterol inhaler, bring it up face to face when that would not be a reason not to prescribe.

 

[white shadow]

Hi Twylasmom !

In case you weren't aware, there are two specialized online groups for folks managing their asthmatic kitties' health:

• Feline Asthma and Respiratory Disorders "This board opened in January, 1999....."
• Feline Asthma, Inhaled Medications "Discussion of methods for treating feline asthma with inhaled medications..."

The first began in January 1999, the second's been active since 2002 and combined, over 4000 folks and their cats have participated....that makes for a huge trove of collective experience to be drawn on.

These were the original internet cat communities...before forums like this came along.

Lots of expertise and help there for you. Hope it might help!

 

[Twylasmom]

Could use some good vibes for Twyla today. She went in for her 3 month geriatric checkup and her kidney values (BUN & CREA) were elevated, though both her phosphorus and potassium levels were in normal range. Vet thinks it might be a UTI but couldn’t get urine so is keeping her there until she has a full bladder (but less stress than another round trip car ride). Her blood pressure has gone up so will need to increase her amlodipine. Glucose was high but she was really stressed. Not sure about her thyroid number except that it is in normal range.

Despite being on 100 mg of gabapentin she was very fussy about everything. That’s not unusual for her.

She has outwardly been doing so well that I wasn’t prepared for negative news. Vet commented on how great she looked - weight is holding steady and her coat is thick and shiny.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Twylasmom]

She is finally home. No UTI, thank goodness. Her kidney values are up a bit from her last checkup, with creatinine just above normal and her BUN, which has always trended higher was up a bit. Her T4 is 1.9. Working on the theory that her long term lower thyroid values have unmasked the true state of her CKD. She is also losing protein in her urine so Benazepril has been added to help her kidneys retain more protein. She is right on the line between Stage 2 and Stage 3, based on her creatinine.

Also recommending upping fluids to three times a week - hoping I can find a helper for that third day.

She is still stoned on gaba, but came home, used the potty and ate her dinner. Hooper is hissing and growling at both of us.

We will do a recheck in a month when she gets her Solensia.

It has been a very stressful (and very expensive day)!

 

[Furballsmom]

For Hooper, try this;

either with vanilla or raw coconut (which still has fragrance) ;

From valanhb
You put a dab of vanilla extract under the chins, at the base of their neck (by the spine) and at the base of the tail (again, on the spine not the underside of the tail!) of all of the cats to make them smell the same. Cats recognize each other by scent, so if that kitty smells the same as "me", then he must be a friend. Kitty logic at it's finest.
This trick works when introducing cats into the household as well, or during a reintroduction after a redirected aggression event.

Also, it's possible that low volume Cat Music can help too

 

[Twylasmom]

For Hooper, try this;

either with vanilla or raw coconut (which still has fragrance) ;

From valanhb
You put a dab of vanilla extract under the chins, at the base of their neck (by the spine) and at the base of the tail (again, on the spine not the underside of the tail!) of all of the cats to make them smell the same. Cats recognize each other by scent, so if that kitty smells the same as "me", then he must be a friend. Kitty logic at it's finest.
This trick works when introducing cats into the household as well, or during a reintroduction after a redirected aggression event.

Also, it's possible that low volume Cat Music can help too

I’ll have to try that next time! They did well overnight and both slept on the bed without incident.

 

[Twylasmom]

Twyla has been having appetite issues since her vet visit. I think the addition of the benazepril may be a contributing factor, as loss of appetite is a listed side effect, plus some reaction to the rabies vaccination. I gave a small dose of Mirataz on Wednesday, which helped a little, but I had to give a second larger dose today. It always takes a good 6 to 8 hours to really kick in so haven’t seen much improvement yet today. She will eat treats and the one wet food that I use when she won’t eat much else, but it is a struggle to get her to eat her dry food which she usually loves and provides most of her calories. (She simply won’t eat enough wet to sustain weight). It’s a new tube of Mirataz so it should have some effect!

I hope this isn’t a long term side effect. She had easily been going a week to ten days between Mirataz doses prior to her vet visit Monday. Other than that she seems fine, if a little quieter than usual. She is hanging out and snuggling and enjoying belly rubs and watching birds.

 

[Mac and Cats]

Still having some asthma issues - occasional coughing fits - so she is getting three puffs of Flovent a day (once in the am and twice pm) Whereas before she was doing great on once a day. The new dose can take a while to kick in And I can still add an additional puff in the morning if needed. My vet recommended adding in oral prednisolone if she doesn’t improve, but we aren’t there yet. I would prefer to not subject Twyla to the side effects of oral steroids and the possible negative effects on her seemingly stable kidneys. My vet would not prescribe an albuterol rescue inhaler. I don’t understand that thinking at all! Probably because we only did a phone consult. She has a wellness checkup in 2 and a half weeks - hopefully the asthma will be stabilized by then.

So, my cat has athsma and I have an Albuterol inhaler from our other cat that had bronchitis. I asked our vet about this vs the Flovent and asked if we could use Albuterol while we waited for her prescription to get to us in the mail. She said that Albuterol is more of for severe emergencies because it can stop working all together if used too often. I didn't push it after that or even look it up after that, but that may be why she is hesitant to prescribe it? I was pretty lax with the Flovent at first because our cat is not a fan of the whole process. But she recently started having 3+ attacks a day and so now I set a timer to make sure we use it twice a day. It's still too early to tell, I think, but we have been consistent at twice a day for a couple weeks and the last few days I have not seen her have any attacks. It sounds like this isn't working well with yours though. Can you make an in person appointment or possibly get a second opinion?

 

[Twylasmom]

So, my cat has athsma and I have an Albuterol inhaler from our other cat that had bronchitis. I asked our vet about this vs the Flovent and asked if we could use Albuterol while we waited for her prescription to get to us in the mail. She said that Albuterol is more of for severe emergencies because it can stop working all together if used too often. I didn't push it after that or even look it up after that, but that may be why she is hesitant to prescribe it? I was pretty lax with the Flovent at first because our cat is not a fan of the whole process. But she recently started having 3+ attacks a day and so now I set a timer to make sure we use it twice a day. It's still too early to tell, I think, but we have been consistent at twice a day for a couple weeks and the last few days I have not seen her have any attacks. It sounds like this isn't working well with yours though. Can you make an in person appointment or possibly get a second opinion?

She rarely has attacks, but had a couple this summer that were prolonged and possibly stress related. However, she is doing really well on twice a day Flovent and we seem to be passed that. She was just at the vet on Monday and her lungs were good. She has been good on one puff a day for almost two years.

 

[Twylasmom]

Twyla is doing better with eating and is feeling much better overall, so she must be adjusting to her new medication regimen. Back to all of her endearing and slightly annoying behaviors (alike trying to steal the salmon off my dinner plate. If she is only mildly hesitant about eating I have found that petting her head often triggers an eating response.

Three weeks off and then back to the vet for follow up bloodwork.

 

[Furballsmom]

What a wonderful update

 

[Twylasmom]

Twyla had her follow up appointment for her proteinuria today. The benazepril is working and there was just a trace of protein in her urine. Both her creatinine and BUN levels have gone up slightly (the raise in creatinine is most likely partly attributable to the benazepril as it is a known side effect, it may go back down some after continued use). The current levels are close to where they were in August of 2022, putting her at the lowest edge of stage 3. I’m not happy to see that but I know it is inevitable that it will go up eventually, but an improvement in the proteinuria was a relief! I am also making more of an effort to check the protein levels in some of her foods. Her phosphorus and potassium are unchanged and still in normal limits. Weight is down a couple of ounces, but is fairly stable.

Also had a good conversation with the vet about possible future treatments, if and when they are needed. She supports clients who read outside sources and even recommends Tanya’s site to cat parents. I don’t always agree with her (starting methimazole too high, for example) but appreciate her approach and that she stays up to date on newer treatments.

Now we get three months off from the vet except for quick trips for Solensia.

 

[Twylasmom]

Three month checkup today! Her kidney values have improved slightly since August putting her back at the high end of stage 2. So yay! However her phosphorus is up and now slightly above normal range. She will not eat prescription foods and most of the foods she eats are pretty low in phosphorus already so I think it’s time to be more consistent about using a binder (and cut back on treats). I
am just concerned about the likelihood of constipation and having to add Miralax to the mix of meds. Does aluminum hydroxide automatically equal constipation?

Other than that everything looks good and her weight is stable. Hydration good appetite good. She firmly said no to having a cystocentesis today