hello from newbie Frisky's broken-hearted mom

[friskysmom]

Hello kittycat friends and mommies and parents of beautiful sweet wonderful fur children. I posted the following lengthy 2 paragraph message a few days ago in the new cats on the block forum and it was recommended that I post it here in the health forum, so I'm doing so...below it I'll add 1 or 2 new comments as an update to let you know what's going on...

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Hello all,
I was so delighted to discover this wonderful message board forum. I'm always so touched and it always warms my heart to see so many animal lovers like me caring for and cherishing their animal furry friend companions the way I do. Sadly, I come here and post on a very painful sad note. I'll try to be as discreet and delicate sensitive as I can because I respect those who have trouble as I do. Please pardon the long post, I hope no one minds. Long story short, our kittycat (my hubby partner and I) Frisky somehow started having intestinal problems or just elimination difficulties...it's unpleasant and gross to talk about, but last nite we had to keep him "locked" in the bathroom with his litter box and his bowl of water because he can't seem to clean himself properly. And even after I bathed him in peppermint soap and a little Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds, he still "leaks" a little. The odor is unbearable and the problem is just overwhelming.

I'm emotionally drained and he's breaking my heart. I'm sure it will correct itself very soon, but I can't stand the thought of leaving him locked in there...1st I was just feeding him dry organic natural kibble and then he got blocked up so I mixed in some of my yummi homemade veggie potatoe nutritional yeast and brewer's yeast mixture. Then, apparently it was a bit too much, ACK! Ugh, sometimes I feel like I can't win here, but I won't beat myself up. I love him and cherish him as my little furry baby furry friend companion and I care about him and I want him to feel better and stop stinking and be cleaner! arg...I hope this doesn't get posted repeated as twice, but if it does forgive me...I just wanted to add that we put lavendar oil and peppermint oil in the air and orange Mia Rose non-toxic biodegradable Air Therapy to clear the air so we can all breathe easier. I'll give him some grass, perhaps that's part of the problem and will help him...I'm holistic-minded and I'm not about to take him to a "slash and burn" vet who will give me some negative crap news...please help, thank you. *sigh* :'-(

from my heart,
Dayna, Frisky's Mom
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*sigh* even as I reread part of this post I feel like crying again! Sweet little Frisky has been meowing his little head off and keeps trying to knock the door down and get out...essentially, the reason why we've (my hubby/partner and I) had to keep him in the bathroom like this is because when we discovered his yucky messy bum or butt leaving awful stinky gross residue in various places my hubby couldn't take it any more and franky I couldn't take it either. I'm going to mention 1 more thing and then I'll post because I don't wanna risk losing this post...last nite I had to shut down the pc abruptly right as a thunderstorm hit ACK!

I'd like to take him to a vet, but the only vet here in this small town is extremely expensive and strictly conventional - into "slash and burn". The truth is that I don't have the funds to take him to the vet...a neighbor had to pay $200.00 for some regular routine shot for her puppy! ACK!!! I am very holistic and herbal in nature and I feed my furry companion and treat his ailments and illnesses as I would care for myself...I give him Bach Flower Rescue Remedy and aloe vera and today I gave him some Olive Leaf Extract. I put a few drops in his mouth and a few in his water and I put some slippery elm powder herb in his water.

After a 24 hour fast I gave him a few pieces of dry kibble cat food, his favorite food, but I gave him just a few and a piece of saltine cracker...his system seems out of whack and I'm trying my darndest to stay level-headed and keep a clear head but I'm worried and I'm so sad and I miss my sweet cuddly little baby guy! :'-( waaaaaa *sniff* A few nites ago I was delighted to see a decent-sized poop and a few more little ones, but he still has some "leakage" and arg I'm sorry, but this is just too much for me to write right now at this moment...I feel that I'm taking good care of him, but I'm trying not to, but I'm worried...we gave him some grass, which he eats at times...

Okay, well, that's all I can write for now...I appreciate everyone's kindness and support here and I look forward to hearing from you again soon and getting to know you all...

from my heart,
Dayna, Frisky's Mom

 

[ktlynn]

Hi Dayna - Sorry your poor baby is having difficulty right now.

I understand your reluctance to take him to a conventional vet, but you should give Frisky the benefit of being examined in order to get a diagnosis. Once you have an idea of what is causing the problem, you can treat it. No one here can diagnose what's going on with Frisky - we can only give you some possibilities of what it *might* be. Frisky's problems could be anything from an impacted hairball to pancreatitis, from dehydration due to an underlying condition like CRF (kidney disease)to a stomach upset from something he shouldn't have eaten. I don't tell you this to frighten you, but only to illustrate how his symptoms can run the gamut from being easily treated to something serious. If you don't take him to the vet, you have no way of knowing.

Even if you are dead-set against using conventional meds, you still need to find out what is wrong in order to use appropriate holistic meds.

Make sure he stays hydrated, that's important, and try some plain white-meat chicken breast. You want to feed bland foods right now. You can add a little canned pumpkin (NO spices) to his meals - it often helps with elimination problems. And PLEASE, find a way to get him to the vet.

Best of luck to you and Frisky. Let us know how he's doing.

 

[pat]

Excellent post by KTLynn...everything I was going to say, and then some.

 

[crazybash]

call the vet,but don't make an appointment.ask them what kind of food u should give him or what u can do.The vet should answer some of ur questions 4 u.i know the vets are expensive.I am in the same boat u are in with my stray pregnant cat.I am praying 4 u both...sending out vibes!!!

 

[ktlynn]

Tanya, it's going to be difficult for the vet to tell Dayna what to do without examining Frisky. In fact, they may not be willing to give her advice since they won't know with any certainty what the problem is, and may not want to risk telling her the wrong thing.

Yes, vets can be expensive, but they are a basic and necessary part of keeping your cat healthy. Anyone with cats, whether they've got only one house kitty or a whole colony of ferals, must budget for the inevitable time that the cat will require veterinary care. Putting aside a little money each week or month into a dedicated emergency fund can be very helpful.

For more ideas on what to do if you can't afford a vet, see the "Sticky" titled: "Important - Health & Nutrition articles" near the top of this forum.

 

[sharky]

The vet ASAP... I know it is hard for those of us who allopathic medicine has hurt to trust but you need to get this baby to the vet..

 

[crazybash]

I see what you r getting at..and you r right...someone could lend you the money or you can work out a plan with the vet for payments..there r alot of possiblities.....cause you really won't know,abd to keep your pet happy and healthy you should try your best to get him checked out

 

[arlyn]

I don't know where you are in FLA, but here are a few low cost alternatives.

Central FLA SPCA

Credit Loans for Vet care



Animal Welfare Society (305) 630-3940

 

[beckiboo]

You should not have a cat fast (or refrain from food) for 24 hours. That is very hard on a cat. If you hate the vet in your town, drive to another town for another vet. Your Frisky is sick, and he keeps getting worse! It may be something easily treatable, but you don't know how to treat it without professional advice.

Welcome to TCS, and please get Frisky to a vet quickly! (P.S. my first cat was named Frisky!)

 

[tuxedokitties]

Dayna,

If you don't trust the vet in your town, perhaps you'd be willing to travel a bit to find a feline specialist or holistic vet? Holistic medicine can do wonderful things, but it takes someone trained in veterinary medicine to properly diagnose and treat illness in a cat. Only a vet (regular, holistic, or feline specialist) can run the tests necessary to diagnose your cat. And if finances are an issue, if you're up front with the vet about it, they'll probably be willing to work out a payment plan with you. Please get your furbaby to a qualified vet ASAP - letting even something minor go untreated for too long can have serious consequences.

Click here to find a feline specialist in your area

American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association - click here

Best,
Tess

 

[ripley601]

Sounds to me like an anal gland is leaking. Is he leaving brown stains on things? That smell ungodly? You can actually express the anal glands yourself. Just wear some rubber gloves and perhaps a HAZMAT suit..just kidding of course about the suit. Just put your fingers at 10:00 and 2:00 right next to the anus and push. (I have a cat that needs to get her ananl gland expressed about every six months or so. I have actually accidentally expressed it picking her up and pushing her off of me while sitting on the couch...talk about stink.)That should get something out, brown disgusting super smelly liquid. If nothing comes out, then take your baby to the vet. The slippery elm is a good idea, however it maybe making the bowels a little too slippery.

 

[friskysmom]

Hello dear fur kittycat friends and mommies and parents, *meow purr* hehe :-)

I have to say I'm so happy and delighted to have discovered this wonderful forum cat community message board! This ordeal with Frisky has really taken its toll on me emotionally and I have literally spent some times crying for hours feeling so depressed, sad, and hopeless and helpless and very alone. But I don't quite feel as alone since I've started posting on this wonderful special important message board here. You all have been so supportive and kind and caring and understanding. I really appreciate your heartfelt words and gentleness. *hugs* to ALL of you! I'd like to respond to 2 or 3 suggestions and thoughts that some folks have made here. 1.) I tried not to feel bad about myself and "fladulate" myself, not sure if anyone knows that word, it's more of a high minded spiritual maybe older historical word, meaning to "beat oneself up", you know, self-critical. I just told my hubby this as I am posting this, but this morning, I was visiting with Frisky in the tiny silly tub we have (trust me it's only good for a baby or a tiny person, ack) and while I was in the bathroom with him, I watched as he walked over to the tub stopper thing and he started slurping lil drops of water from around it, trying to drink.

I started freaking out and wondering what the heck he was doing...not understanding...and I was thinking "why doesn't he drink water out of his dish"? Then, I saw his dish and looked at it seeing the slippery elm in it and wondered if he didn't like it or something. And then omg my jaw dropped, I freaked out and immediately got up and cleaned out the water, cleaned his dish, put some fresh clean water, without the slippery elm and as soon as I put it down he went to town and drank it up! YAY! I wanted to cry and felt so bad and awful, thinking I'd dehydrated the poor little guy, but I calmed myself down reminding myself that I'm human and I made a mistake. I know he drank some, but I guess the water got too icky. Anyway, sorry for this essay, hehe, but I just had to share this.

Now, to answer a couple more thoughts. 2.) I will check him more today and see what's up with his bathing. Frankly, I just don't understand what's wrong and going on here. I will say this though it appears that he has improved a bit. We both found a few decent-sized poops in his litter box yesterday and I think I found one this morning, YAY! :-) He's eating his dry kibble heartily and really loves and enjoys it. But he's still not bathing right or something. I'll have to clean him up a bit, not bathe him, but clean him up...I can't stand keeping him in the bathroom like that, but he's still occasionally leaving icky smelly residue and last nite I had to clean the floor because it was unbearable. Ack :-(

Okay, sorry, I've written a bit much here, but I just wanted to share a little bit while fresh in my mind. I also feel sad and bad and cried because I always snuggle and cuddle with him and kiss him on his head and his cheeks and hold him close, but with this icky residue and odor, ack, I just can't and it's gross and disgusting and I don't know if his head and ears are still yucky or not! Okay, I will post this now while I have the chance. Thank you again for listening and for your support and being there for us/me during this painful ordeal. I will do my best to update as best as I can. I'd really like to include a photo of Frisky and me in my profile. Can I do this?

from my heart,
heartfelt hugs,
Dayna Frisky's Mom

 

[pat]

This is just a tiny reply (and trust me when it comes to how to post images etc. I'm the last one on this forum to ask!)...but re cleaning him up (and if you are already doing this, I've forgotten) there are no-rinse liquid cleansers you can buy (Ring 5 makes one, and I get a different brand from my vet)..you spritz them on, comb through if needed, wipe off, and let air dry. They clean and deoderize.

glad to hear about the solid poops <G>...hope he continues to recover.

 

[hissy]

I can realize and appreciate that you eat healthy for you and follow holistic means. I too go off the conventional meds path every now again when it seems that what the vet is doing is not working. That being said, your cat is not adapted internally to be fed organic matter and brewers yeast is VERY bad for cats. Fed enough of it, it can strip the body of natural enzymes and you might lose this kitty to a long illness.

Keep your feeding program for yourself intact- but feed this cat a quality dry cat food and wet food. IAMS is a good choice, as is Royal Canin. We are far more adaptable to changing our diets than cats are, and your trying to keep him healthy by feeding him what you are, could possibly be damaging him internally.

I saw that someone has given you advice on expressing anal glands- PLEASE do not even attempt to do this (and this goes to anyone reading this post) unless you have been shown by a vet how to do it properly. Failure to do it correctly can result in some long-term problems for your cats. Also professional groomers are skilled in emptying anal sacs if you don't like your vet.

I wish you and your kitty best- I truly do.