Artie and his Issues

[abyeb]

Poor Artie! I hope he starts feeling better soon. I’ll be sure to keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[artiemom]

Thanks Guys! @neely , I do have one of those draft dodger on the door. I have a huge gap at the bottom of the door--poor construction. I also have a bath towel on top of the dodger and up the sides of the door. I think they made the doorway, a bit too big....sigh

Artie was waking me up before 5AM.. was very persistent with waking me up..
I refused, ignored him..

I should have gotten up...

woke up to diarrhea on the cover sheet, I have on top of the bedspread.. sigh...

Sweet boy was telling me he had to poop.. and I ignored him.. poor thing..

So, As soon as I got up, put gloves on, grabbed the Natures Miracle, a roll of paper towels, took the sheet off, scrubbed it down with the NM.. It is now in the washer, with bleach.

I am going to wash the quilt also.. no stains, but I think it stinks a bit of poop...sigh...

Thinking I may have caused this episode of diarrhea. I tried a stronger probiotic on him yesterday. I think that did it. sigh... cannot believe all that you read..

From now on, I am not deviating from the norm.. or from NVet's advice. I do not know why, but the stronger probiotic, which was suggested for IBD cats, did this to him...sigh...

Guess it does not agree with his system, the current food he is eating and the meds...

live and learn... poor baby..

 

[rubysmama]

Hugs to you and Artie. Hopefully this is just a little bump in the road. Good timing that Artie's appt. with NVet is Thursday, so he can see Artie and you can discuss things. Fingers crossed that the rest of your day is better.

 

[artiemom]

yes, more poop, vomit going on... since my last post.. diarrhea on him.. cleaned him up.. he had to poop more, in the litter box this time... then discovered some vomit on the cardboard top of the cat tree.. sigh...
That had to be thrown out.. a replacement cardboard is in place now..
Got diarrhea on the sleeve of my shirt.

Late on giving him the prednisolone. Late for his sub-q's..

Windows open.. smells like poop, bleach, Natures Miracle in here. poor baby...

Pretty much my fault.. I gave him a different probiotic yesterday.. but the vomiting is not from me.. I need to brush him, yet I do not want to disturb him.. sigh..

A lot of this is from the junk food... I tried to find a good food without chicken, giving him some Blue Buffalo Turkey last night.. I think part of all of this is from that..

I feel as if we are at the exact same place as we were a few years ago.. but worse...sigh...

perhaps the beginning of the end??? we have exhausted so many food possibilities.. so much medicine.. so many more medical issues with him.. my little sweet boy...

It is 10AM ~~ I feel as if I have worked an entire day.. and accomplished nothing but clean up poop...wash clothes, cleaned with Natures Miracle... have not even finished giving Artie his meds.. no shower yet, have not washed dishes yet.. just want to curl into a ball and forget everyone and everything...

 

[artiemom]

It is now 11:46 AM.. I think I have just about finished picking up from the morning, and doing almost all of the morning stuff.. very late...

Have been waiting for Artie to quiet down, which he is doing now. I can give him his
sub-q's then I can jump in the shower, go out-- dump trash (Cartload) and then off to pick up his med..

This cat is costing me a fortune. sigh...

After all the poop explosions, Artie seems to have quieted down a bit. He did get a quick brushing.. he has been nibbling all morning: FF Chopped Grill. I think he is hungry from all of this... sigh... He has eaten about 3/4 of a small can--good for him. He did not eat much last night..

I am exhausted.. still have to wash out the pj's I am wearing-- put on an old top to replace the poopy one...

I really need a nice long shower..

Also swiffered, picked up my bathroom, did a quick hand vac of his bathroom litter rugs.

Put some laundry away, while I was waiting for him to calm down.. He was hiding in the corner of my bedroom, behind a computer chair. He has had enough of me washing his bum. Still a bit stinky, but without a bath, it is the best I can do.

Learned my lesson: Do not believe everything you read on the internet.. No more changing out his probiotic, on my own... and No more Blue Buffalo.. had a feeling about that. I think that messed him up before.. sigh

I am going to continue to go with medicine... no holistic things for us.. I am not understanding enough about them, in order to dose accordingly.. no more.. I can read, store the info away in my mind for possible use in the future..

 

[LTS3]

 

[tarasgirl06]

It is now 11:46 AM.. I think I have just about finished picking up from the morning, and doing almost all of the morning stuff.. very late...

Have been waiting for Artie to quiet down, which he is doing now. I can give him his
sub-q's then I can jump in the shower, go out-- dump trash (Cartload) and then off to pick up his med..

This cat is costing me a fortune. sigh...

After all the poop explosions, Artie seems to have quieted down a bit. He did get a quick brushing.. he has been nibbling all morning: FF Chopped Grill. I think he is hungry from all of this... sigh... He has eaten about 3/4 of a small can--good for him. He did not eat much last night..

I am exhausted.. still have to wash out the pj's I am wearing-- put on an old top to replace the poopy one...

I really need a nice long shower..

Also swiffered, picked up my bathroom, did a quick hand vac of his bathroom litter rugs.

Put some laundry away, while I was waiting for him to calm down.. He was hiding in the corner of my bedroom, behind a computer chair. He has had enough of me washing his bum. Still a bit stinky, but without a bath, it is the best I can do.

Learned my lesson: Do not believe everything you read on the internet.. No more changing out his probiotic, on my own... and No more Blue Buffalo.. had a feeling about that. I think that messed him up before.. sigh

I am going to continue to go with medicine... no holistic things for us.. I am not understanding enough about them, in order to dose accordingly.. no more.. I can read, store the info away in my mind for possible use in the future..

So sorry you two are going through a rough patch. As with all of the other rough patches, you'll get through this one. That's what I always tell myself when I hit one, as stressful as they are. And Artie was doing quite well up until this one! I believe he will again. It's just a rough patch. Poor Artie. He must feel very badly because cats are so clean and dignified. I know he can't enjoy having these accidents. But you will both get through this and it's really great that you have that appointment this week. Do what you know works best and we're all sending *PRAYERS* and best thoughts for you both!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

As always, in my thoughts and prayers, each moment, each day.

 

[angels mommy]

I'm sorry to hear the update as well. I hope it's nothing serious, & you will both be feeling better by weeks end.
Hang in there & give that sweet boy some smooches for us!
Sending hugs & good vibes & prayers to both of you!

 

[lavishsqualor]

Here's hoping you and Artie will be in a better place come Friday than you are on Monday. In the great grand scheme of things, that's all any of us can actually hope for.

Blessings.

 

[zed xyzed]

I hope Artie gets better soon

 

[inkysmom]

It's good you're seeing the vet you trust. Try not to worry about the skin thing. My little cat had ringworm when he was a kitten and I caught it from him and the past few weeks I've noticed little marks on myself that looked just like when I had it but apart from one sore he had from scratching his allergies he hasn't had anything else. And my other cat and dog have nothing. And my marks haven't itched which ringworm does. I took my cat in to see the vet and they did a ringworm test but it's not back yet. They gave him a steroid and antibiotics shit for his sore and said if he had ringworm the steroid would make it worse. A week later the wound is almost completely healed so I don't think it is.
I saw my doctor and asked and she said to treat it with the cream for ringworm and see what happens. I asked her where I would have gotten it from and she said we all carry all kinds of fungus, viruses and bacteria passively in our bodies and it's just a matter of if our bodies stay healthy and fight them off consistently or not.
Apparently at any time if our immune systems become stressed from chronic allergies, illness, whatever we could develop skin or other health problems. Maybe that's what's happening with Artie.
He's sensitive and a bit older now so any changes to his diet or medications might affect his little kitty tummy. But you also have to change his diet at times for his health and to accommodate his pickiness.
You guys will get through it and n vet will help you.

 

[Antonio65]

He put his paw over my hand, grabbing my index finger. He then proceeded to give me a few 'squeezes' with his paw, around myindex finger. This was not a fluke. He did it several times.. then put his head down on top of my hand... sweet boy...

I think this is the best thing a cat could give their human.
I do love those "squeezes" on my fingers, I see them as a gesture of intense love.

 

[artiemom]

Artie's pooping issues calmed down later in the day. He was exhausted, sleeping in his tent/quilt for hours; waking up around 7pm.

I did have to clean him up once. That was when he got up. I had a funny feeling I should check his bum. Sure enough, there was some poop stuck there. I gently picked him up, took him into his bathroom. He was still sleepy, so he did not sit down. I wiped him off, and that was the end of it.

Yesterday, he ate 1 small can and 1/4 cup of dry.
During the night he ate, 1/3 cup of dry and 1/4 can.. that is good for him

He is refusing the FF beef ~~ not his favorite flavor... No miralax yesterday, none this morning.. but did give him the Proviable probiotic, his usually one..

Up very late today.. very late.. another late start to the day..

Artie's lump and the scabby area is still there. I do not know what it could be..

He is not in contact with other cats. He does not go out. I do not have ringworm. We are pretty isolated.. so if it was ringworm, how could he have gotten it??

I am thinking it is a large scratch. He has been scratching and grooming a ton.

The lump is still there.. sigh

Artie was sleeping with me last night.. yup, right up against my legs.. He did not wake me up.. strange.

He is curled up on his quilt.. not his cat tree. weird.. It is a dark day outside. Snow tomorrow.

I think I am going to try to dump out his used litter and thoroughly clean his litter box, which is overdo. I think I am going to pull out a mask when I dump the litter into the trash bags..

That is going to be my day.. nothing else really planned.. except to wash some more clothes..

 

[Timmer]

Artiemom, I'm sorry you are going through this. My Timmer passed two weeks ago with IBD and I know what you are going through. I didn't get to read through each and every post here. Do you have him on chemo? I had Timmer on it for a short time. He never responded to any medications or miralax. It seems like he and your kitty started having issues around the same time of year. Tim also was constipated. I am sure you know that with IBD it causes the lining of the colon to thicken, and in Tim's case, it swelled shut. When he passed stool it looked like a small twig off a tree. Oh, he strained and strained. I had to let him go. He was a proud cat and to see him in such pain was beyond me.
Our GI specialist told me early on he would have good days and bad days and be up and down. I think you are finding this out.
She also told me do not feed grain free. That is too hard for someone with GI issues to digest.
OH, I hope you get more time with your kitty!!!!! i really do. God bless you and Artie.

 

[artiemom]

Timmer I am so sorry to hear about your baby. I have read your other posts on this website. I know you have been through a lot, in a short period of time, and are still grieving. ((Hugs)) to you.

This thread is really a blog.. really very long to read..

Artie has been going through various aspects of IBD and almost Megacolon for a while.
He is currently seeing an excellent Internal Medicine Specialist at Angell Memorial in Boston, MA. Artie is pretty complicated.

No, we have not even thought of chemo. Artie seems to be coming down with more and more issues, as time goes by. We have really been trying everything.

Thank you for thinking about us..

I will PM you with more info, since it is lengthy..

((hugs))

 

[verna davies]

Ive just caught up with the thread having missed a week or so. Sorry you and Artie are having a tough time. Poor Artie, his butt must be really sore and poor you, all that washing and cleaning up to do, you must be exhaused. Hope things improve and you both have a run of good luck, its well overdue.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

SO today is a better day for you both, if tiring. This is what I needed to see! HUGS to you both, Darlin!

 

[inkysmom]

I'm glad Artie is eating better. Like I posted above with my vet and my own pcp visit just over a week ago, people and cats and other animals carry the bacteria and viruses if all kinds of potential for ringworm, that scary flesh eating disease, strep, chicken pox and all kinds of awful even fatal diseases in their systems all the time. So we all potentially have meningitis, ringworm, strep, that awful bacteria which is fatal or people lose limbs from (MRSA?), And all kinds of awful diseases lurking in our systems all the time. It's when our immune systems get compromised from age, stress, a cut or open wound, other illnesses or too many other factors like chronic conditions that we and/or our pets get things like ringworm, especially with a new exposure but not necessarily. Being older or very young makes it more likely as does having a compromised immune system.
My cat had it when he was a starving three month old kitten living on the streets and weighed only three pounds.
Artie has had health issues and is getting a bit older and you guys have had all that awful construction and he could have scratched an itchy soot too much and given himself a cut and maybe his inner potential for ringworm was triggered on the open wound.
Completely a guess based on what my vet and my PCP told me about myself and my cat last week. I could be completely wrong and it could be something else too.
Also if he's on a steroid long-term, steroids work by suppressing the immune which is why they're used so much for pain, inflammation and allergies and asthma. They work great for these things. But the body also can't fight off any infections as well.
Using steroids for five months on my last dog to manage symptoms of a degenerative spinal disease and keep him able to walk asong as possible unfortunately resulted in him suddenly developing a massive infection within literally one day. The vet at the emergency hospital after an overnight stay insisted I either euthanize him immediately as he was getting worse despite medications or let her do an immediate surgery which I knew he was too weak to survive. Instead of advocating for more supportive Cate I let her bully me into doing the surgery, which was useless and found no reason for his infection and sure enough he died soon after as I knew he was too weak to go through the surgery.
I'm much more assertive with any vets now and will never let that vet treat any of my pets again. Also I try to never use steroids unless it's a very limited short term use.
I've allowed my cat with severe allergies to have two steroid shots in the past six months to help him stop literally scratching his skin raw and giving himself open bleeding huge sores.
And I will always regret not doing more research on the steroid risks and not keeping my dog on it for so long since it didn't really help him anyway, and did make him incontinent.
So it's very hard on the immune system, especially with long term use.
Timmer, I'm so sorry for the loss of your cat! My thoughts are with you. I've lost many pets and it never gets easier. You sound like you were a very devoted owner and your beautiful furbaby is free of pain and illness and happy and healthy again, and will remain with you in your heart forever.
Hoping Artie feels better, eats and poops well, and in his litter box, and you have less stress til your appointment with the vet!

 

[artiemom]

Artie is still exhausted from yesterday.. poor little boy. He is still sleeping.. in his quilt/tent all day. He did not even want to be brushed.. just wanted to hide and sleep... I woke him up at 4pm for his med, but not a stir from him.

I took advantage of this time, by thoroughly cleaning and dumping out his dirty litter.. He has a nice clean box and litter.. Not used yet, but it will be very soon.

It is after 6pm. He is usually up by now.. Hooray, He just got up....and I can hear him licking his food!!!

However, there is more construction noise in this place.. I am going to pull MY hair out!!

It began, just as Artie was taking his 2nd lick of food. He heard it, and just walked away from the food... not to return, until a lull, later in the morning...

This afternoon, they demolished the marble on the floor in the lobby (below me).. and Doing a ton of drilling somewhere..

Tomorrow is a snow storm.. hopefully it will be quiet; however, wanting quiet only prolongs the agony of the construction.. They will then have a few teams in at once. I would rather have that, have a day or 2 of massive noise, and be done with it all... but no..
It is all piecemeal..

Poor Artie.. I feel so bad that I did this to him.. Now I know.. I am not going to use any holistic type remedies.... no... I am not experienced and not trusting enough to do so...
I feel horrible about what I did to him.. he was doing pretty good also.. sigh..

I am so out of it and trusting. I never checked the steroid which I picked up at Angell.

Artie had been taking Prednisolone.. I just took for granted the is what the NVEt prescribed.

I called in a refill today. Somehow, I looked at the name. It is Prednisone.
Not the steroid with the "L".... wonder if that is a mistake or if NVet wanted him to be on this steroid... sigh..

Good thing we have an appointment on Thursday.. I am going to ask about this.

forget the differences in the 2.. will look that up...

Artie is sitting on the coffee table/steamer trunk----waiting.. for what? I do not know.
He smells like he passed gas.. I picked up his tail, but could not see anything..

poor thing.. He was upset with me picking up his tail to look at his bum..
he was insulted ~~~ he walked away to go back to his quilt; this time on top... and now washing up again....