Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

Sadly we did not have a repeat stop in meds town for the fuss bus tonight. I also realized that when I thought she was getting a dose of gabapentin, she really wasn't. The 1 ml syringe that came with the bottle makes a good seal, pulls a good dose, but Betty can squirm away before the full mL is shot into her mouth. The 2 mL syringe that came with the last prescription doesn't have a good seal at all, pulls a dose but only if tipped upside down, and drooling out its loose seal, but I can shoot that 1 mL dose into faster than she can squirm away from it. Tonight I learned that when I thought I was pulling a dose on the 2mL, nothing was coming up because the seal sucked--or didn't suck as the case may be. So tonight, despite having her drool up a waterfall afterwards, I have high hopes that when the full dose kicks in, she'll more than make up for that awful taste in her mouth. I tried to give her kibbles and Greenies afterwards. But she was all drama and trauma smacking her lips and drooling ropes and wanting nothing more to do with anything I had to offer her. And I felt guilty about every minute of it. I miss those days when she used to willingly take as many capsules as I put down for her and purr the whole time.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Sadly we did not have a repeat stop in meds town for the fuss bus tonight. I also realized that when I thought she was getting a dose of gabapentin, she really wasn't. The 1 ml syringe that came with the bottle makes a good seal, pulls a good dose, but Betty can squirm away before the full mL is shot into her mouth. The 2 mL syringe that came with the last prescription doesn't have a good seal at all, pulls a dose but only if tipped upside down, and drooling out its loose seal, but I can shoot that 1 mL dose into faster than she can squirm away from it. Tonight I learned that when I thought I was pulling a dose on the 2mL, nothing was coming up because the seal sucked--or didn't suck as the case may be. So tonight, despite having her drool up a waterfall afterwards, I have high hopes that when the full dose kicks in, she'll more than make up for that awful taste in her mouth. I tried to give her kibbles and Greenies afterwards. But she was all drama and trauma smacking her lips and drooling ropes and wanting nothing more to do with anything I had to offer her. And I felt guilty about every minute of it. I miss those days when she used to willingly take as many capsules as I put down for her and purr the whole time.

Really hoping Betty will forgive, if not forget, very quickly. Maybe she just wants to take a holiday, as so many are doing now, and not deal with the syringing. I've probably asked this before, but does Betty like those Churros or similar? I've never bought them but so many cats seem to love them.

 

[daftcat75]

Really hoping Betty will forgive, if not forget, very quickly. Maybe she just wants to take a holiday, as so many are doing now, and not deal with the syringing. I've probably asked this before, but does Betty like those Churros or similar? I've never bought them but so many cats seem to love them.

She hasn't shown much interest in them before. But there are a number of flavors to try.

I really believe we're dealing with pain here the way I see her do a lick and wince. She'll forgive me. It's just awful that we have to do this. When Wedgewood reopens on Tuesday, I'll ask if they can send me unmedicated samples to run past Betty. It would be awesome if I could get Hills to compound her meds into the kibble she loves so much.

I tried to get Betty another couple of "tins" of Sheba. But I ended up getting the pate in turkey and the grilled in chicken. I don't know if she'll like either. But I'll go back to Petco/Petsmart on Tuesday and get the right pate as well as look for more sprinkles and frostings she might like to take her meds with.

 

[daftcat75]

What a difference her meds make! When I actually get them in her!

 

[tarasgirl06]

What a difference her meds make! When I actually get them in her!
View attachment 466429

You can always run whatever foods you get through the blender/food processor if you think that might help Betty to eat them more easily. Homemade Churros, in other words.
Elvis gave me a present last night. He snorked his dinner and puked. This is why my MagLite is on the nightstand.

 

[daftcat75]

I thought Betty might appreciate not having to be booted from my lap at 9:30am this morning. I spent the first half of the Taylor Swift's boyfriend's game with Betty in my lap and enjoying my morning coffee at a leisurely pace knowing I have nowhere to go this afternoon. No burgers. No taprooms. Too people'y at the movies. Betty seemed to enjoy the extra time. At half-time, I get up for a bathroom break and find that Betty had already burrowed in for her afternoon nap. "That extra morning time was nice, Dad. But now you're cutting into my busy afternoon schedule."


She's my cat alright. She knows when she's hit her limit and needs her own time. I guess I'll finish up the game in the office then. I wasn't planning on commuting today.

I hid her next meds dose just under the kibble layer of her lunch. I'm pretty sure she's going to find it and spit it out. But maybe we'll get lucky and we won't have to have a wrestling match at dinner.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I thought Betty might appreciate not having to be booted from my lap at 9:30am this morning. I spent the first half of the Taylor Swift's boyfriend's game with Betty in my lap and enjoying my morning coffee at a leisurely pace knowing I have nowhere to go this afternoon. No burgers. No taprooms. Too people'y at the movies. Betty seemed to enjoy the extra time. At half-time, I get up for a bathroom break and find that Betty had already burrowed in for her afternoon nap. "That extra morning time was nice, Dad. But now you're cutting into my busy afternoon schedule."


She's my cat alright. She knows when she's hit her limit and needs her own time. I guess I'll finish up the game in the office then. I wasn't planning on commuting today.

I hid her next meds dose just under the kibble layer of her lunch. I'm pretty sure she's going to find it and spit it out. But maybe we'll get lucky and we won't have to have a wrestling match at dinner.

I just sent Elvis' dad his annual pic and message for his holidays. He sent nice text back. He always loves seeing/hearing from his son. *Funny, they don't look much alike -- in fact, you would never guess they're father and son.*

I had to look all that celeb stuff up, because I don't follow any of them. Or watch sports. Anyway, hope the ones you want to win, win.
And that you get lucky. *C'mon, Betty girl. We KNOW you want to be a well cat.*

 

[daftcat75]

She found it and ate around it. Repeatedly.

She ate well during the day but she ate around the capsule each time I tried to hide it. I would love to get it compounded into either a treat or a flavored oil that she can and will willingly take mixed with food. This way I could just drop it in and stop fighting with her about it.

She woke from her first afternoon nap and came to hunt me down. So I laid down on the day bed in the office and let her scoop in for afternoon spoon. After the obligatory mutual face smooshing session, she decided she wanted to be big spoon. She climbed on top of my head, did a U-turn, and draped herself over my neck like a laying down reenactment of the Taylor Swift Time Person of The Year cover where she has her ragdoll (of course it's a ragdoll) around her neck like a stole. I'm sure peta shipped their pants over that one. Like a good cat dad, I let her have her fun and snuggles.

For about an hour. Then I needed to get up. While I was gone, she got back into her food and once again ate around the capsule I had re-hid. This was usually about the time I'm contemplating picking up the lunch plate and starting her dinner prep. Since she already ate around the capsule again, I figured I may as well get started on dinner. Perhaps she didn't eat very much on her return and she's still hungry enough to humor me for another round of will she or won't she eat the dang capsule? Yeah. She wasn't up for it. She apparently ate enough that all she wanted to do was sleep it off in her cave. And as much as I want to get meds into her, I don't want to chase her into her cave to do it. I have changed out the capsule, encapsulated it in a chicken flavored capsule which so far has not proven all that enticing, and dressed it as best I could with kibble and greenies powder and kibble pieces and signs that say "Eat at Joes". I dropped it off and I'm going to let her sleep, wake for first pass, and then come seek me.

I am not certain how much liquid gabapentin I have left because the bottle is small, dark, and covered in labels. This morning's pull was a little uneven like we're getting towards the last of it. Since I didn't have a Betty siren wailing from below, I decided to try my hand at compounding once more. I emptied one of her capsules that I already break down from larger doses (with my vet's blessing) and the tiny fragment of ondansetron into a small spoon and squirted a mL of water in as well and mixed it in the spoon and syringe making certain to pull it all back up into the syringe as best I could. While I've never done it myself, this certainly sounds suspiciously like free-basing. Except there was no heroin, lighter, or injection involved. I don't know if this suspension tastes any better or worse than the one that's prepared by the pros. But it's waiting in the fridge for when Betty wakes up from her next nap and eats around her next capsule. Won't someone please tell her that if she eats the capsule, she won't need the foul liquid? She doesn't seem to listen to me there anymore.

 

[tarasgirl06]

She found it and ate around it. Repeatedly.

She ate well during the day but she ate around the capsule each time I tried to hide it. I would love to get it compounded into either a treat or a flavored oil that she can and will willingly take mixed with food. This way I could just drop it in and stop fighting with her about it.

She woke from her first afternoon nap and came to hunt me down. So I laid down on the day bed in the office and let her scoop in for afternoon spoon. After the obligatory mutual face smooshing session, she decided she wanted to be big spoon. She climbed on top of my head, did a U-turn, and draped herself over my neck like a laying down reenactment of the Taylor Swift Time Person of The Year cover where she has her ragdoll (of course it's a ragdoll) around her neck like a stole. I'm sure peta shipped their pants over that one. Like a good cat dad, I let her have her fun and snuggles.

For about an hour. Then I needed to get up. While I was gone, she got back into her food and once again ate around the capsule I had re-hid. This was usually about the time I'm contemplating picking up the lunch plate and starting her dinner prep. Since she already ate around the capsule again, I figured I may as well get started on dinner. Perhaps she didn't eat very much on her return and she's still hungry enough to humor me for another round of will she or won't she eat the dang capsule? Yeah. She wasn't up for it. She apparently ate enough that all she wanted to do was sleep it off in her cave. And as much as I want to get meds into her, I don't want to chase her into her cave to do it. I have changed out the capsule, encapsulated it in a chicken flavored capsule which so far has not proven all that enticing, and dressed it as best I could with kibble and greenies powder and kibble pieces and signs that say "Eat at Joes". I dropped it off and I'm going to let her sleep, wake for first pass, and then come seek me.

I am not certain how much liquid gabapentin I have left because the bottle is small, dark, and covered in labels. This morning's pull was a little uneven like we're getting towards the last of it. Since I didn't have a Betty siren wailing from below, I decided to try my hand at compounding once more. I emptied one of her capsules that I already break down from larger doses (with my vet's blessing) and the tiny fragment of ondansetron into a small spoon and squirted a mL of water in as well and mixed it in the spoon and syringe making certain to pull it all back up into the syringe as best I could. While I've never done it myself, this certainly sounds suspiciously like free-basing. Except there was no heroin, lighter, or injection involved. I don't know if this suspension tastes any better or worse than the one that's prepared by the pros. But it's waiting in the fridge for when Betty wakes up from her next nap and eats around her next capsule. Won't someone please tell her that if she eats the capsule, she won't need the foul liquid? She doesn't seem to listen to me there anymore.

Oh, Betty. Making the jump to the hard stuff, are we? TAKE YOUR DRUGS. I mean, meds. *Same thing. But anyway.* This just WON'T do, Betty. It's not fair to cause your dad all this concern and stress.
Drs. Foster & Smith compounded. I never took advantage of this, but I know they did. Where, if anywhere, can one get this now?
Well, at least she's eating. That's something.

 

[daftcat75]

Oh, Betty. Making the jump to the hard stuff, are we? TAKE YOUR DRUGS. I mean, meds. *Same thing. But anyway.* This just WON'T do, Betty. It's not fair to cause your dad all this concern and stress.
Drs. Foster & Smith compounded. I never took advantage of this, but I know they did. Where, if anywhere, can one get this now?
Well, at least she's eating. That's something.

Gabapentin Chew Treat

Wedgewood Pharmacy does compounding. And while they are based out of New Jersey, they do have a satellite site out here. I'm not sure what they do here because often my prescriptions are often shipping from Arizona. There are lots of formulations, dosages, and flavors to choose from and they have great customer support. The only thing I don't know which I will find out tomorrow when I call them is whether they can send unmedicated samples to run past Betty's discerning tastes. Or if we'll simply be on the treadmill of orders and exchanges until one sticks. Krista and her love of fish--she was an easy customer. Because I couldn't pill Krista either, I got her chemo compounded as a concentrated flavored liquid. I should see if Betty has any interest in any of the fish oils. She hasn't before. But I haven't tried them all with her. I also haven't run sardines past her. Krista's chemo was anchovy flavored and I never had a snub on it. She happily ate that nickel-sized fishy puddle every time I offered it. Betty used to do that with A/D. I need to find her next flavor that she likes that well. And that keeps changing. Yesterday morning it was ground rabbit treat. Today it was ground kibble and ground greenies but not enough to also take up the capsule. And none of it sticks well to the capsule. If I use a bit of food, she smells the food and it doesn't smell like kibble or greenies powder. I haven't found a frosting that she likes anymore. There are some foods she might like on her plate. But nothing she'll suck up a capsule with. If I'm lucky, I'll find the flavor I can put in either a treat or an oil that she'll just want to take on her own again.

If I put her back on pred and she doesn't want to take those pills, I can always have that compounded as a transdermal. But she only has two ears and I'm supposed to be alternating while washing the off day ear. So I reserve transdermal meds for the occasional mirtz or the critical compliance of pred. She won't be happy if she misses a gabapentin dose. But it won't be as hard on her as if she misses a pred dose. And in a pinch, there's still the foul liquid I can inflict on her when all else fails. I'm hoping to find a flavor she likes that will also make that liquid a little less foul.

 

[daftcat75]

She ate well on an unmedicated first pass. But she also found and ate around the capsule again. So I started cooking my dinner and she usually shows up for a treat at the sound of the first microwave timer. She was suspicious. And rightfully so. I opened the Greenies bag and had the syringe ready for her. She came down for her treat. I ambushed her with meds instead. Gosh I hate doing that to her. She really is a forgiving soul though. After she had her moment in the office where she wants nothing to do with me or my mea culpa treat offerings, she came out again and went to her self-heating pad on the bed. She loves that pad. Not as much as my head. But it’s an acceptable substitute. Sometimes. I put my face down at her level across the bed from her and she came up brushed my face to let me know she forgives me. She’s having a good ole gaba nap in my lap right now.

 

[tarasgirl06]

She ate well on an unmedicated first pass. But she also found and ate around the capsule again. So I started cooking my dinner and she usually shows up for a treat at the sound of the first microwave timer. She was suspicious. And rightfully so. I opened the Greenies bag and had the syringe ready for her. She came down for her treat. I ambushed her with meds instead. Gosh I hate doing that to her. She really is a forgiving soul though. After she had her moment in the office where she wants nothing to do with me or my mea culpa treat offerings, she came out again and went to her self-heating pad on the bed. She loves that pad. Not as much as my head. But it’s an acceptable substitute. Sometimes. I put my face down at her level across the bed from her and she came up brushed my face to let me know she forgives me. She’s having a good ole gaba nap in my lap right now.

Cats are very intelligent and intuitive and I know they know when we mean them well. It can p*** them off, but they know it's coming from loving concern.
Well, let's see. There's goat. And mutton/lamb. And venison. Quail. I haven't seen the first in cat foods, but the other three are obtainable, or they used to be a few years ago, anyway. I used to buy Nutro Chicken & Lamb in large tins at the feed store in the Mojave. It was apparently really popular up there, hence the large (15 oz.?) tins. It also came in the 6 oz. tins (before "shrinkflation") and I bought those as well. There's venison in one of the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Red Meat Feast varieties (there are two. I think it's the flaked version that has venison) and I've bought a tinned selection with quail, but can't remember the brand as I only bought it a couple of times. That one bothered me, because I used to love watching the quail families walking single-file across our land (actually THEIR land. They let us live there, too): Adult in front, kids in the middle, adult bringing up the rear.

 

[daftcat75]

Betty woke ten minutes before my morning alarm and ate her second pass of overnight. Since I knew she wasn’t going to be hungry, I got up anyway, fixed her breakfast, hid her capsule, and went back to bed. She had the last laugh as she still hasn’t touched her breakfast yet. I emptied another capsule and prepared another homemade suspension. Although she quickly forgave me and is back in my lap. She still hasn’t touched breakfast. Maybe homemade suspension isn’t effective. Giving her a little more lap time this morning before I start making calls to the vet and Wedgewood.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Betty woke ten minutes before my morning alarm and ate her second pass of overnight. Since I knew she wasn’t going to be hungry, I got up anyway, fixed her breakfast, hid her capsule, and went back to bed. She had the last laugh as she still hasn’t touched her breakfast yet. I emptied another capsule and prepared another homemade suspension. Although she quickly forgave me and is back in my lap. She still hasn’t touched breakfast. Maybe homemade suspension isn’t effective. Giving her a little more lap time this morning before I start making calls to the vet and Wedgewood.

Laptime is good. Elvis is doing that, too.

 

[daftcat75]

At 10:30 (I gave her an extra hour in bed so I gave her an extra hour in the chair), I finally booted her from my lap for a second cup of coffee and to make this morning's phone calls. While I was in the kitchen, Betty mowed the top off breakfast. That includes the kibble layer. It's okay by me if she doesn't finish the plate. But she may get another wet willy tonight if lunch is also light.

I called up Wedgewood first and they said they absolutely have unmedicated samples, but confusingly, they still wanted a prescription before they could send out a sample. I'm asking for unmedicated samples here. Oh well. I'm too tired from all of this that I'm afraid I would get all pissy and rude if I try to question their policy. She'll need the prescription anyway. So my next call was to the vet. At first they were going to leave a note for old doc who doesn't come in today making us wait another day. I said the reason I had Betty see all the vets in the office is so that I don't have to wait on any one schedule. Turns out new doc, the one I like more, is in today. Message left for her. We're also getting a refill of the liquid today or tomorrow.

So I had the thought the other day that putting her on pred to stabilize her appetite might not be the best idea if it runs her organs harder and puts more weight on her frame. It seems to me that if we simply find a gabapentin that she will take with her food, maybe she wouldn't even need the mirtz if she had more constant pain relief. But is every other day mirtz better or worse than every other day pred? Let's see if we can square away the gabapentin situation first.

 

[tarasgirl06]

At 10:30 (I gave her an extra hour in bed so I gave her an extra hour in the chair), I finally booted her from my lap for a second cup of coffee and to make this morning's phone calls. While I was in the kitchen, Betty mowed the top off breakfast. That includes the kibble layer. It's okay by me if she doesn't finish the plate. But she may get another wet willy tonight if lunch is also light.

I called up Wedgewood first and they said they absolutely have unmedicated samples, but confusingly, they still wanted a prescription before they could send out a sample. I'm asking for unmedicated samples here. Oh well. I'm too tired from all of this that I'm afraid I would get all pissy and rude if I try to question their policy. She'll need the prescription anyway. So my next call was to the vet. At first they were going to leave a note for old doc who doesn't come in today making us wait another day. I said the reason I had Betty see all the vets in the office is so that I don't have to wait on any one schedule. Turns out new doc, the one I like more, is in today. Message left for her. We're also getting a refill of the liquid today or tomorrow.

So I had the thought the other day that putting her on pred to stabilize her appetite might not be the best idea if it runs her organs harder and puts more weight on her frame. It seems to me that if we simply find a gabapentin that she will take with her food, maybe she wouldn't even need the mirtz if she had more constant pain relief. But is every other day mirtz better or worse than every other day pred? Let's see if we can square away the gabapentin situation first.

"...I called up Wedgewood first and they said they absolutely have unmedicated samples, but confusingly, they still wanted a prescription before they could send out a sample. I'm asking for unmedicated samples here. Oh well. I'm too tired from all of this that I'm afraid I would get all pissy and rude if I try to question their policy "
THIS My boss told me the average IQ here is 90-100. That ain't Mensa material. Sometimes it's just more than the (few!) little brain cells can manage for them to work out things like this.
Not to worry. Betty has New Doc in her corner.
Hoping that that conundrum can cease being one with her help. AND that Betty's ear will remain unbesmirched.

 

[daftcat75]

"...I called up Wedgewood first and they said they absolutely have unmedicated samples, but confusingly, they still wanted a prescription before they could send out a sample. I'm asking for unmedicated samples here. Oh well. I'm too tired from all of this that I'm afraid I would get all pissy and rude if I try to question their policy "
THIS My boss told me the average IQ here is 90-100. That ain't Mensa material. Sometimes it's just more than the (few!) little brain cells can manage for them to work out things like this.
Not to worry. Betty has New Doc in her corner.
Hoping that that conundrum can cease being one with her help. AND that Betty's ear will remain unbesmirched.

I've said to friends and others in idle taproom conversation that it won't be very long before AI takes over because the bar is so low. I am genuinely concerned for the upcoming election--especially because one of the candidates will lean into any lies that benefit him.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I've said to friends and others in idle taproom conversation that it won't be very long before AI takes over because the bar is so low. I am genuinely concerned for the upcoming election--especially because one of the candidates will lean into any lies that benefit him.

I'm in that club we don't want to be in, too. Unfortunately.
Watching the day-by-day descent into...what is this, exactly?
I'm an avid science fiction reader who has been yelling all my life that the folks who wrote those great classics meant them to be cautionary tales, not primers.

 

[daftcat75]

Doc’s office called back and was trying to nail me down for a formulation to call into Wedgewood. I don’t know. But they won’t talk to me without a prescription. And it sounds like I can’t get a prescription without a formulation. What?! I told her to talk to the doc and work it out with Wedgewood because I need the Rx before I can talk formulations. Ugh. Just take your meds, Betty!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Doc’s office called back and was trying to nail me down for a formulation to call into Wedgewood. I don’t know. But they won’t talk to me without a prescription. And it sounds like I can’t get a prescription without a formulation. What?! I told her to talk to the doc and work it out with Wedgewood because I need the Rx before I can talk formulations. Ugh. Just take your meds, Betty!

Yup. It's like when we moved to the Mojave. Our unincorporated community didn't have house mail delivery, so we needed a P.O. Box.
Which we couldn't get without utility bills with our (new Mojave) address on them.
Which couldn't be mailed to us without -- you guessed it! -- a P.O. Box.
And most people drove their rubbish to the landfill out there. It was free to dump if you had a dump card.
BUT...

We did finally get our dump card.
I think it was shortly before we moved out, 3 years after moving there.
I guess there are consequences to meth use.
Or something.