Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

The lil fuss bus finally made her scheduled stop at meds town tonight. I ground up a rabbit treat and a rabbit nugget. She sniffed it. What else you got? Greenies pieces? Yeah. Okay. I’m sure this formula won’t work tomorrow morning. But for one meds meal, it’s nice not to have to wrestle the foul potion into her.

I’m also experimenting with a slightly higher dose. Probably something closer to 45 mg. A full 100 won’t split into two size fives. But it’s close.

 

[daftcat75]

I guess the extra gabapentin did her well. She cleaned the overnight plate. Down to crumbs! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that. Yes. She still has mirtz onboard. But even still. She had mirtz in her the two prior fussy days. My nom goblin reappeared. At breakfast the fuss bus once again made her regularly scheduled stop. Ground rabbit nugget and rabbit treat topped with Greenies pieces. I can likely never go on vacation again because her meal and meds routines are too involved. I have been soaking her cans in hot water for a few minutes while I get everything else ready. It must be helping because she mowed down the first half of breakfast in one go. It was both impressive and worrying. Betty, save some for later. I don’t want you to simply relocate your breakfast a few inches to the side of the plate.

I think she made it. She’s now resting herself on my shoulder and chest. She’s chosen an arrangement where she doesn’t really fit. But I’m bending my next to make it work. So obviously this is only going to work for a minute or two. But this is where and how she wants to take her after breakfast nap. I’ll roll her off me soon enough and I’m sure she’ll sleep on my head.

 

[artiemom]

Glad the mirataz and gaba are working..

Just a reminder about the Mirataz: In the tube; It does lose its effectiveness very quickly. The instructions are not to use the tube for longer than a month. I have noticed it happening with Geoffrey.
A month after opening the tube, I find that I have to use a bit larger dose, until the tube is finished. I do not keep the same tube for more that 2 months. That is my limit.. 2 months.

Just wanted to mention this..

 

[daftcat75]

Glad the mirataz and gaba are working..

Just a reminder about the Mirataz: In the tube; It does lose its effectiveness very quickly. The instructions are not to use the tube for longer than a month. I have noticed it happening with Geoffrey.
A month after opening the tube, I find that I have to use a bit larger dose, until the tube is finished. I do not keep the same tube for more that 2 months. That is my limit.. 2 months.

Just wanted to mention this..

I’ve had this tube for more than a year and it still seems to have plenty of punch left in it. I’m not using it regularly with her. It’s more an occasional jumpstart. And for that, the 1/3 dose even from a year old tube is still plenty to drive her appetite for a few days.

 

[daftcat75]

It’s a fine morning to curl up between the tree and the radiator.

I’m more than a little jealous of her right now.

 

[daftcat75]

tarasgirl06 you dropped off the thread again. We had catastrophe, panic, change, and triumph while you were gone. She's doing well again with a larger gabapentin dose, warmer food, and probably still some mirtz onboard.

 

[tarasgirl06]

daftcat75 I hate when that happens (falling off the thread) and yeah, it wasn't nice reading about the first two, but better reading about the second two, and seeing that Betty's weight is still very good. Glad you found the half dose vs. full(er) dose and that she's got a good appetite once again!
artiemom Maybe what Betty's getting will be okay for Geoffrey as well? Would be great...

 

[daftcat75]

Glad the mirataz and gaba are working..

Just a reminder about the Mirataz: In the tube; It does lose its effectiveness very quickly. The instructions are not to use the tube for longer than a month. I have noticed it happening with Geoffrey.
A month after opening the tube, I find that I have to use a bit larger dose, until the tube is finished. I do not keep the same tube for more that 2 months. That is my limit.. 2 months.

Just wanted to mention this..

If I was using Mirataz on the regular, I would keep up with the tube freshness. But since I'm using it as a spot medicine, I'd hate to have to replace it every two months when I can and did go a year between uses. Thankfully, for Betty's purpose, even an old tube still packs enough punch for the occasional emergency use.

 

[daftcat75]

Well that went poorly!

Multiple attempts to get her to eat her own capsule with several frostings and sprinkles were picked around with the capsule left behind. Sadly she doesn’t seem Interested in taking capsules with A/D alone. Indeed it seems like too much A/D turns her off. It’s a tight balance I obviously still haven’t purrfected of putting just enough gushy stuff on it to keep the dry stuff attached but not so much that she snubs it. I tried to pill her and that went horribly. Lots of unproductive wrestling. Finally I pulled the full dose from the liquid and squished the ondansetron crumb into the top. I was able to catch up with a traumatized but recovering Betty on the daybed in the office and shot the liquid into her. I think. Somehow the ondansetron fragment remained in the tip. I’m pretty sure I got a clean shot down the hatch. I really hope the fragment didn’t spray it everywhere (but in) like a thumb over the hose opening.

I want to say the mirtz is still onboard because her plate was polished when I picked it up this morning. Hopefully this morning’s wrestling match wasn’t the last of her recent rally. Though she can skip a meal today. I had been plating with a heavy hand lately reasoning that she wouldn’t need to literally hit bottom to get enough to eat. Well with mirtz plus enough gabapentin, that’s no longer a concern of hers. She’s been cleaning those heavy handed servings. It’s obvious in the litter box that she’s eating more than she usually does.

Anyway. I left her in the office to grumble and get over it. Hopefully she’ll be in a deep gaba nap shortly and wake up hungry later. Then she can join me for third sleep. Likely she’ll sleep on my head. Or she’ll aggressively take the little spoon position.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Well that went poorly!

Multiple attempts to get her to eat her own capsule with several frostings and sprinkles were picked around with the capsule left behind. Sadly she doesn’t seem Interested in taking capsules with A/D alone. Indeed it seems like too much A/D turns her off. It’s a tight balance I obviously still haven’t purrfected of putting just enough gushy stuff on it to keep the dry stuff attached but not so much that she snubs it. I tried to pill her and that went horribly. Lots of unproductive wrestling. Finally I pulled the full dose from the liquid and squished the ondansetron crumb into the top. I was able to catch up with a traumatized but recovering Betty on the daybed in the office and shot the liquid into her. I think. Somehow the ondansetron fragment remained in the tip. I’m pretty sure I got a clean shot down the hatch. I really hope the fragment didn’t spray it everywhere (but in) like a thumb over the hose opening.

I want to say the mirtz is still onboard because her plate was polished when I picked it up this morning. Hopefully this morning’s wrestling match wasn’t the last of her recent rally. Though she can skip a meal today. I had been plating with a heavy hand lately reasoning that she wouldn’t need to literally hit bottom to get enough to eat. Well with mirtz plus enough gabapentin, that’s no longer a concern of hers. She’s been cleaning those heavy handed servings. It’s obvious in the litter box that she’s eating more than she usually does.

Anyway. I left her in the office to grumble and get over it. Hopefully she’ll be in a deep gaba nap shortly and wake up hungry later. Then she can join me for third sleep. Likely she’ll sleep on my head. Or she’ll aggressively take the little spoon position.

The Battle of Betty! Hope it all went IN the cat.
What is it with cats sleeping on our heads? This is Elvis' favorite spot now. He'll root around under the covers first, and sometimes settle, purring, until he decides to get up, which isn't usually very long. Then he'll have a bite, go on PAWtrol, or something, and come back and root around on my head before becoming a cathat. Sometimes he'll decide to do a full-body spa treatment first. That's a lot of fun, as I get claws in the scalp, and sometimes kicks. Once in awhile, a tail mustache.*Get a cat, they said. It'll be a lot of fun, they said.*

 

[daftcat75]

I don’t know if the mirtz wore off, the gaba never got in her, or if there’s another reason her breakfast remains untouched. This time prior mornings this week, it would already be nearly finished. Like I said. She’s been eating more than enough that she could skip this. I just wish she wouldn’t.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I don’t know if the mirtz wore off, the gaba never got in her, or if there’s another reason her breakfast remains untouched. This time prior mornings this week, it would already be nearly finished. Like I said. She’s been eating more than enough that she could skip this. I just wish she wouldn’t.

*Another member of the Betty-Please-Eat! club*

 

[daftcat75]

Well that went even worse than the morning meds. She ate about 10 grams of breakfast and pretty much no lunch. She couldn't even be interested by the treats pile for meds. Sometimes she'll pick off a few treats and leave the capsule behind. Not even treats this time. I really thought I was close to getting the pill in her this morning that I decided to try that again. Well, we had a very spirited wrestling match which ended up in three defeats and a tooth sliced finger (not a bite but a struggle brushing.) When I couldn't even trick her into a Greenies with the tiny ondansetron fragment stuffed in the creamy center, I decided it was time for another mirtzing. I just want to get through the rest of this year without having to take her into one vet or the other. I think we'll be seeing the IM next month and scheduling an appointment with the dentist proper whenever they can take her. She's got no food and no meds onboard except for a smearing of mirtz in her ear. Hopefully in a few hours she'll either be willing and hungry enough to try the treats pile again. Or she gets the liquid.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Well that went even worse than the morning meds. She ate about 10 grams of breakfast and pretty much no lunch. She couldn't even be interested by the treats pile for meds. Sometimes she'll pick off a few treats and leave the capsule behind. Not even treats this time. I really thought I was close to getting the pill in her this morning that I decided to try that again. Well, we had a very spirited wrestling match which ended up in three defeats and a tooth sliced finger (not a bite but a struggle brushing.) When I couldn't even trick her into a Greenies with the tiny ondansetron fragment stuffed in the creamy center, I decided it was time for another mirtzing. I just want to get through the rest of this year without having to take her into one vet or the other. I think we'll be seeing the IM next month and scheduling an appointment with the dentist proper whenever they can take her. She's got no food and no meds onboard except for a smearing of mirtz in her ear. Hopefully in a few hours she'll either be willing and hungry enough to try the treats pile again. Or she gets the liquid.

Betty. BETTY. This will NOT do. Your dad loves you. He spends much time, effort, and $ because of this. The least you can do is to EAT your good food. It's something cats do. They enjoy it. In fact, it's one of cats' main pleasures in life.
So.
Betty.
EAT.

 

[daftcat75]

Betty. BETTY. This will NOT do. Your dad loves you. He spends much time, effort, and $ because of this. The least you can do is to EAT your good food. It's something cats do. They enjoy it. In fact, it's one of cats' main pleasures in life.
So.
Betty.
EAT.

I’m not terribly concerned that she didn’t eat much today. I worry that it’s harder to get her back on her meds if I let her have holidays. I’m saddened that I need to mirtz her to have a chance at getting her other meds in her. And it’s awful only knowing when her meds are not working. She needs thumbs so she can give me a thumbs up. I also worry that the more times I try and fail to medicate her the less she’ll want to show up for meds. Meds time used to be easy and fun.

I’m hoping that putting her back on pred will make mirtz less necessary and meal and meds time easier. But of course it’s that balance between that and her putting on too much weight again.

 

[daftcat75]

The mirtz must have kicked in because I see her eating now. Sad that I watch my cat on a camera from the other room to make sure she's doing something as basic as eating.

She's been pooping a lot this week. I think it's all the extra food with my heavy handed plates and her mirtz. I'm going to have to rein that in some. It's still good poop--well-formed, right size. But her once a days have become two or three a day.

 

[artiemom]

This is really strange-- the same behavior I am seeing in Geoffrey the past week; especially yesterday..
I have been giving me the mirataz, EOD. His stools have been getting harder, so I added a bit of miralax to his water chaser syringe.
He has been pooping twice a day!! My theory is that if his stools become harder; he gets backed up, does not eat much and then vomits.
Yesterday, he refused breakfast. I had to leave, so I gave him his Zofran and Bude on an empty stomach.. Came home to some vomit. He ate his breakfast, late, and then vomited it..But at the same time he also pooped and peed.. His BM was getting a bit harder-- due to almost no dose of miralax, and no laxatone this week. sigh..
I also did not give him his chemo, as he had vomited. He will get it today, along with a dose of Mirataz.

Weird, both Bettty and Geoffrey are kind of acting the same.. weird..

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hoping things even out and improve for Betty and Geoffrey, daftcat75 and artiemom !

 

[daftcat75]

This is really strange-- the same behavior I am seeing in Geoffrey the past week; especially yesterday..
I have been giving me the mirataz, EOD. His stools have been getting harder, so I added a bit of miralax to his water chaser syringe.
He has been pooping twice a day!! My theory is that if his stools become harder; he gets backed up, does not eat much and then vomits.
Yesterday, he refused breakfast. I had to leave, so I gave him his Zofran and Bude on an empty stomach.. Came home to some vomit. He ate his breakfast, late, and then vomited it..But at the same time he also pooped and peed.. His BM was getting a bit harder-- due to almost no dose of miralax, and no laxatone this week. sigh..
I also did not give him his chemo, as he had vomited. He will get it today, along with a dose of Mirataz.

Weird, both Bettty and Geoffrey are kind of acting the same.. weird..

Betty's poops are actually on the softer side if anything. Still formed. But not hard. I'm nearly certain that her hesitancy is dental pain related. But she won't take her gabapentin anymore. I tried to get a liquid shot in her and only managed about 1/2 the syringe before she jerked away. I guess some is better than none. But that still full plate tells me it's not enough. I'm pretty sure at this point she's filling up on the few dry pieces I leave her because she loves those more than she hates the pain I suppose. I really hope that once she's back on pred, meds time will become easier again. Thankfully she's not vomiting. She had that one regurg because I was pumping her full of the freeze-dried raw trying to get meds in her. Putting that one to the back of the pantry has put the regurgs away as well. This weekend and next week I'll be looking for new "cake frosting" and "sprinkles" to get meds in her. Since everything I previously used to avoid hasn't killed her after all (dry food, carrageenan, carbs), I think I have to set aside all preconceptions and find Betty's new irresistible frosting. Meds time used to be so easy....

 

[tarasgirl06]

Betty's poops are actually on the softer side if anything. Still formed. But not hard. I'm nearly certain that her hesitancy is dental pain related. But she won't take her gabapentin anymore. I tried to get a liquid shot in her and only managed about 1/2 the syringe before she jerked away. I guess some is better than none. But that still full plate tells me it's not enough. I'm pretty sure at this point she's filling up on the few dry pieces I leave her because she loves those more than she hates the pain I suppose. I really hope that once she's back on pred, meds time will become easier again. Thankfully she's not vomiting. She had that one regurg because I was pumping her full of the freeze-dried raw trying to get meds in her. Putting that one to the back of the pantry has put the regurgs away as well. This weekend and next week I'll be looking for new "cake frosting" and "sprinkles" to get meds in her. Since everything I previously used to avoid hasn't killed her after all (dry food, carrageenan, carbs), I think I have to set aside all preconceptions and find Betty's new irresistible frosting. Meds time used to be so easy....

May Elvis and I suggest Blue Buffalo Wilderness flaked Trout, Chicken & Trout, and Chicken & Turkey, then. These are favorites of Elvis and they just may hit the spot with Betty, too.