*Absolutely echoing that*
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Artie and his Issues
- Thread starter artiemom
- Start Date
- Status
Yes they are just words, but they express so much ... love, support. Prayers and positive powerfully healing things.
Also, sadly, negative things like this vicious mean barn owner is texting nasty judgmental crap to me daily. I've fought back and answered all her false accusations with the truth and pointed out the discrepancies in her words and actions and contradiction in what she says herself and she's backed off.
I've shared my stories with the intention of trying to help others with what I've learned and just empathy of shared experience, not to burden anyone else. It can be helpful to open up and talk about an agonizing situation too, when you're ready too. Not from pressure.
Words have as much power as you give them. I try to use them positively.
Also, sadly, negative things like this vicious mean barn owner is texting nasty judgmental crap to me daily. I've fought back and answered all her false accusations with the truth and pointed out the discrepancies in her words and actions and contradiction in what she says herself and she's backed off.
I've shared my stories with the intention of trying to help others with what I've learned and just empathy of shared experience, not to burden anyone else. It can be helpful to open up and talk about an agonizing situation too, when you're ready too. Not from pressure.
Words have as much power as you give them. I try to use them positively.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2016
- Messages
- 68
- Purraise
- 63
I'm so sorry to hear things aren't going well with Artie. I know it's frustrating. I tried every trick I could think of with Ruby and second guessed everything I could. Maybe if I feed at this time of day? Maybe she only eats when I'm home? Maybe she wants this and I don't have it? And then what worked one day wouldn't work the next and so on and so forth. I understand your frustration 100%. It's awful but we do what we can. Because of all that love. In the end these little independent things will do what they want. When she was sick things felt so out of control and confusing. But I will tell you the one thing I don't regret doing—trying everything I could for her as long as she kept "telling" me she wanted to keep going. Do what you can and love real hard.
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2005
- Messages
- 19,862
- Purraise
- 48,360
No words of advice, no suggestions or ideas, just plain old empathy for Cindy and Artie. We understand they are going through a difficult time. I want to be supportive as do so many of the other TCS members. Hugs and tender loving prayers being sent your way. 
Cindy, I hope your dr. Can help give you some relief with your toe & didn't lecture you about anything (doctors sometimes make me just Ughhh).
Try not to be too hard on yourself for what you are feeling and most of all THANK YOU for being so real and sharing the ups and downs with us. You and Artie are very loved and respected and I just want to hug all the pain, fear and frustration away
Try not to be too hard on yourself for what you are feeling and most of all THANK YOU for being so real and sharing the ups and downs with us. You and Artie are very loved and respected and I just want to hug all the pain, fear and frustration away
inkysmom
, the barn owner refuses to feed your horse the food you've asked for? That's truly outrageous! Isn't he working for you?It's always difficult when you get a vet (or a PCP for yourself) who blows you off. It sounds to me as if you need to be searching for a new vet, as well as a new barn for your horse. Is there a horse site that's similar to TCS? You need a place where you can research vets and barns.
Margret
Me, too, on all. But I'm ready, willing and able to rip a new one out of anyone who is cruel or heartless. Those who love are my family.
Margret, yes I've been posting on a horse site about my concerns for years. The horse community is small and when I posted there this week about my concerns about the new vet, the barn owner saw it and figured out it was me from the details about my horse. She got furious at me for "bashing" her beloved vet of many years, which I wasn't doing at all. It's an anonymous board with no names and I put absolutely no identifying information about myself or horse or the vet or barn in there and I said I had concerns but that I was giving her a chance. She's been nicer recently and may be excellent medically but the office doesn't return calls promptly and they have very limited hours and aren't prioritizing my horse. They're ok but not excellent like the last vet. With horses the vets travel to them so it's by geographic area and the former vets are too far away. I can't afford barns where they are now and I can't move her again. Moving her at her age and in her current health woukd kill her. I don't think she'd survive a ride on the trailer she's that frail right now. It'd be like moving your thin, half blind grandmother with heart problems to a new house and neighborhood and doctors and telling her to figure it out.
As for the food, I'm renting the space and on a low budget way due to all my dying pet credit card debt and now looking for a job. Some barn owner's are obsessive and believe only one brand of feed is good and will only feed that. This may be nutritionally superior to what my girl was eating before but she's very picky and won't eat if she doesn't like something. She's been chronically thin her whole life and picky with health issues but never lost this much weight this fast. Every barn I've been at in the 21 years I've had her have tried to "educate me " about superior foods and how if I fed her the correct food she'd look so much better and need much less than she gets. I know her they dont. Her Royal Highness will not eat the hood food. It's like a kid being all the expensive cereals or oatmeal. She'll starve unless she gets her Frosted Flakes in large quantities and she won't eat anything else no matter what. But a barn owner can choose to only buy 1 type of grain and say this is all I will feed. Buy your own. But the feed is part of the cost of board so of its extra to somehow pay for.
So I'm stuck there for now
As for the food, I'm renting the space and on a low budget way due to all my dying pet credit card debt and now looking for a job. Some barn owner's are obsessive and believe only one brand of feed is good and will only feed that. This may be nutritionally superior to what my girl was eating before but she's very picky and won't eat if she doesn't like something. She's been chronically thin her whole life and picky with health issues but never lost this much weight this fast. Every barn I've been at in the 21 years I've had her have tried to "educate me " about superior foods and how if I fed her the correct food she'd look so much better and need much less than she gets. I know her they dont. Her Royal Highness will not eat the hood food. It's like a kid being all the expensive cereals or oatmeal. She'll starve unless she gets her Frosted Flakes in large quantities and she won't eat anything else no matter what. But a barn owner can choose to only buy 1 type of grain and say this is all I will feed. Buy your own. But the feed is part of the cost of board so of its extra to somehow pay for.
So I'm stuck there for now
I don't know what to say, except that that's just wrong. I think that, if it were me, I'd be inclined to tell the barn owner that if my horse dies of starvation because she refused to feed the horse the kind of food she'll eat I would call the cops and have the barn owner charged with animal abuse. And the only reason I wouldn't call the cops immediately is because I've seen pictures on the news of the aftermath of animal abuse charges with starving horses, and the first step is to remove the horse from the abuser, which you say she can't survive.
It reminds me of an old Law and Order episode, where parents were charged with having starved their baby to death, after a nursing counselor at the hospital bullied the young mother into refusing to bottle feed no matter how much trouble she was having establishing breast feeding. The best, healthiest food in the world is useless if, for whatever reason, the animal can't eat it. Make no mistake, this is animal abuse.
Margret
It reminds me of an old Law and Order episode, where parents were charged with having starved their baby to death, after a nursing counselor at the hospital bullied the young mother into refusing to bottle feed no matter how much trouble she was having establishing breast feeding. The best, healthiest food in the world is useless if, for whatever reason, the animal can't eat it. Make no mistake, this is animal abuse.
Margret
Problem is I'm the owner so I could be charged if I anger the barn owner and threaten her. She's already saying I neglect the horse by not seeing her or brushing her or hosing her down when it's hot and by not calling the vet sooner, so is turning it all on me. None of her allegations are true and I've refuted her on every one. The barn is 35 miles from my house, 1 hour with no traffic each way and easily 2 hours in rush hour so 2 to 4 hours driving so I can't get there daily to hose the horse in heat multiple times a day, that's the barn owner's responsibility. I brush and groom her whenever I'm there. I repeatedly told her what food works for her and that she loses weight rapidly and is a very picky eater with a long history of severe weight loss in short times in the past 15 of 21 years that I've owned her.
At the end of April she was seen by a vet at the last place and given shots and called perfect weight and ideal body condition. I moved her in June, had to, but was worried about moving her at her age. Owner said she was already too thin and I ignored it. Since Inky died 2 days after I moved her and was so sick all of May, possible but i doubt it. I gave texts and emails from last barn about what she ate and them increasing her food
And numerous texts to and from her about my concerns and her being defensive and accusatory.
But getting owner to make up stuff and myself arrested or a legal battle or anything that hurts the horse is the last thing I want. She's been my heart and soul for 21 years and kept me safe on her back through countless riding and jumping adventures and has literally picked herself up from a near fall to push me back safely off her neck and onto her back to avoid throwing me. She was the one I went to when my mom died. She's too weak to trailer to her old vet or get used to a new environment.
I do believe this woman has good intentions that the food she feeds is truly the best and wants to cover herself liability wise by blaming me for everything to protect her custody of her own horses, her infant, her farm, business and other animals. She has a lot to lose and is a very rigid harsh judgmental and unhappy woman.
However I'm killing myself by going there daily for 2 hours now and falling asleep driving. But the time with my girl is always worth it and at least I don't feel guilty for neglecting her emotionally (never physically) like when I was caring for Inky so much daily and my other sick pets. Especially if my time is limited with her I want every second.
And this is Artie's thread! I hope he is eating and pooping lots and lots and I'm sorry to digress from him! Cindy i hope you're feeling better and taking care of yourself!
At the end of April she was seen by a vet at the last place and given shots and called perfect weight and ideal body condition. I moved her in June, had to, but was worried about moving her at her age. Owner said she was already too thin and I ignored it. Since Inky died 2 days after I moved her and was so sick all of May, possible but i doubt it. I gave texts and emails from last barn about what she ate and them increasing her food
And numerous texts to and from her about my concerns and her being defensive and accusatory.
But getting owner to make up stuff and myself arrested or a legal battle or anything that hurts the horse is the last thing I want. She's been my heart and soul for 21 years and kept me safe on her back through countless riding and jumping adventures and has literally picked herself up from a near fall to push me back safely off her neck and onto her back to avoid throwing me. She was the one I went to when my mom died. She's too weak to trailer to her old vet or get used to a new environment.
I do believe this woman has good intentions that the food she feeds is truly the best and wants to cover herself liability wise by blaming me for everything to protect her custody of her own horses, her infant, her farm, business and other animals. She has a lot to lose and is a very rigid harsh judgmental and unhappy woman.
However I'm killing myself by going there daily for 2 hours now and falling asleep driving. But the time with my girl is always worth it and at least I don't feel guilty for neglecting her emotionally (never physically) like when I was caring for Inky so much daily and my other sick pets. Especially if my time is limited with her I want every second.
And this is Artie's thread! I hope he is eating and pooping lots and lots and I'm sorry to digress from him! Cindy i hope you're feeling better and taking care of yourself!
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,117
- Purraise
- 2,891
I don't read this thread very often, so this could have been already covered, but why can't Artie's prescription food be mixed with a food he does like? Either wet or dry? All the prescription food in the world does no good if you can't get it past the mouth.
Inkysmom, I am sorry about your horse. I would suggest looking for either the local Humane Society or SPCA. You say the barn owner could put in a claim of neglect, but if your horse does die the barn owner definitely will contact authorities to save her own butt. You have to move pre-emptively. Does your old vet have any records that discuss the food stubborness? Are there other people who would be willing to make an affidavit concerning that issue? Witnesses and an animal organization on your side could be the push needed to get the authorities to intervene on your side and get the barn to feed your horse the needed food.
Inkysmom, I am sorry about your horse. I would suggest looking for either the local Humane Society or SPCA. You say the barn owner could put in a claim of neglect, but if your horse does die the barn owner definitely will contact authorities to save her own butt. You have to move pre-emptively. Does your old vet have any records that discuss the food stubborness? Are there other people who would be willing to make an affidavit concerning that issue? Witnesses and an animal organization on your side could be the push needed to get the authorities to intervene on your side and get the barn to feed your horse the needed food.
Cindy. I hope there has been a turnaround for Artie. We are all thinking of you both and hoping to hear some good news
I have 21 years of regular and extra vet records discussing her temperament and chronic thinness and extensive medical history and many emails at both this and last 2 barns discussing food rations and her weight as well as texts.
Just a few minutes ago I got a call finally with the rest of the horse's bloodwork. She has Cushing's disease, which can cause sudden rapid severe weight loss in elderly horses. She showed no other typical signs of this disease. I asked the vet who saw her in April when she was seen because she wasn't shedding normally and was extra fuzzy, which can be a sign as is her age a risk, but the vet then said she had no symptoms and her coat wasnt that fuzzy and she wasn't a significant risk so didn't draw blood since she was a good weight then.
So that clears both of us since with this disease untreated she'd lose weight no matter what she's fed. I asked a vet to test her 3 months ago and was told it wasn't an issue. She is eating now what the barn owner feeds her and the barn owner did add some food that I'd asked for after the new vet told her to. And now she's going to make sure what she eats is safe for this medical condition since she can't have sugar. Hopefully the treatment will work.
Thanks for all your concern but it really is common in the horse world for barns to feed what they want for economic and simplicity purposes and tell owners to buy their own extra grain or leave. My situation is frustrating because of her age and health. But I don't want any agencies involved who are going to try to mandate anything. I take excellent care of all of my animals especially her. This woman does feed her many times a day, not my first choice of what but still healthy nutritious food and in large amounts. Now that I know she has Cushing's she has to eat low sugar food anyway so neither of us can blame anyone for abuse or neglect.
Now I really want to thank everyone again for their concern but the situation is being handled and the horse is safe. Now I finally have a medical diagnosis to explain her weight loss and am starting treatment today. I also started ulcer medicine yesterday as soon as the order arrived in case she has ulcers again from the stress of moving and a new environment and the pain of recent abscesses on her feet. Ulcers also cause decreased appetite and weight loss in horses and have for her many years in the past, also in her vet records.
Now let's go back to making this a cat forum and specifically about Artie, since it's his thread!!! I'm sorry I wandered off topic at all, I was frustrated at being falsely accused of neglect and worried but things are resolving now. So enough about horses and back to Artie!!! I hope he's doing better! Sending good healing thoughts to both Artie and Cindy!
Just a few minutes ago I got a call finally with the rest of the horse's bloodwork. She has Cushing's disease, which can cause sudden rapid severe weight loss in elderly horses. She showed no other typical signs of this disease. I asked the vet who saw her in April when she was seen because she wasn't shedding normally and was extra fuzzy, which can be a sign as is her age a risk, but the vet then said she had no symptoms and her coat wasnt that fuzzy and she wasn't a significant risk so didn't draw blood since she was a good weight then.
So that clears both of us since with this disease untreated she'd lose weight no matter what she's fed. I asked a vet to test her 3 months ago and was told it wasn't an issue. She is eating now what the barn owner feeds her and the barn owner did add some food that I'd asked for after the new vet told her to. And now she's going to make sure what she eats is safe for this medical condition since she can't have sugar. Hopefully the treatment will work.
Thanks for all your concern but it really is common in the horse world for barns to feed what they want for economic and simplicity purposes and tell owners to buy their own extra grain or leave. My situation is frustrating because of her age and health. But I don't want any agencies involved who are going to try to mandate anything. I take excellent care of all of my animals especially her. This woman does feed her many times a day, not my first choice of what but still healthy nutritious food and in large amounts. Now that I know she has Cushing's she has to eat low sugar food anyway so neither of us can blame anyone for abuse or neglect.
Now I really want to thank everyone again for their concern but the situation is being handled and the horse is safe. Now I finally have a medical diagnosis to explain her weight loss and am starting treatment today. I also started ulcer medicine yesterday as soon as the order arrived in case she has ulcers again from the stress of moving and a new environment and the pain of recent abscesses on her feet. Ulcers also cause decreased appetite and weight loss in horses and have for her many years in the past, also in her vet records.
Now let's go back to making this a cat forum and specifically about Artie, since it's his thread!!! I'm sorry I wandered off topic at all, I was frustrated at being falsely accused of neglect and worried but things are resolving now. So enough about horses and back to Artie!!! I hope he's doing better! Sending good healing thoughts to both Artie and Cindy!
arouetta
, Artie only likes wet food, and the RC Fiber Response doesn't do at all well when mixed with wet things. I'm not sure, but I seem to recall it's the psyllium.Okay, time for a quick update, all:
- Artie continues to refuse the RC Fiber Response, and now weighs just 9.6 pounds. His ribs are visible. (Yes, awful, I know. Keep reading; it gets better.)
- Artie managed a 5&1/2 inch poop of soft stool last night. He is now getting 0.6cc of cisapride 3 times a day, an increase of .1cc. (Cisapride is the drug that softens his stool.
- When Cindy reported all this to the NVet he wanted to know what food she had in the house, and if they'd ever tried Science Diet W/D food. They hadn't, and it's the NVet's go-to food, so he had Cindy pick some up from the RVet. The W/D is available in cans as well as kibble, so when Cindy got home from picking it up she said, "Artie, want num-num? Nummies!!!" He ran over, saw the can (Cindy was flipping the flip top), and Artie started yelling at her and walking in excited circles around her.
He ate 1/3 of the can within 5 minutes and licked the bowl. 
Cindy doesn't want to give him too much at once on an empty stomach, for obvious reasons, so she's waiting a half hour so she can give Artie his cisapride on an empty stomach and will wait an hour after that before giving him more. - Cindy is returning the RC Fiber Response and getting a refund
, and the vet will also give her a refund on the new food, even if it's been opened if it doesn't work out. - As far as I'm concerned, this is all cause for guarded optimism.
Margret
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,117
- Purraise
- 2,891
Can she feed on demand instead of measured for a while? That way he can bulk back up.
Psyllium, yeah that makes sense. If anyone's used Metamucil, it turns water to goo because the expansion of the fiber is crazy big. That's also why fiber pills have you drink a ton of water with it, it apparently also expands like crazy and they want you to make sure it's in your stomach with sufficient water, not in the esophagus when it expands.
But yay for the new food. I was really worried over the weight loss and the vet's belief a cat won't starve himself.
Psyllium, yeah that makes sense. If anyone's used Metamucil, it turns water to goo because the expansion of the fiber is crazy big. That's also why fiber pills have you drink a ton of water with it, it apparently also expands like crazy and they want you to make sure it's in your stomach with sufficient water, not in the esophagus when it expands.
But yay for the new food. I was really worried over the weight loss and the vet's belief a cat won't starve himself.
The new food works out well.
I'm glad there's some hope. Maybe Cindy can get some good rest tonight. Go Artie Go!
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2005
- Messages
- 19,862
- Purraise
- 48,360
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2005
- Messages
- 19,862
- Purraise
- 48,360
Don't know why my reply showed up in red since I did not change the text color and the emoji's didn't show either - anyone know why this happened?
Never mind it's working now.
Never mind it's working now.
- Status
