Introducing Betty White

daftcat75

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She ate her 16 grams second lunch. On total, she’s only about 10 grams behind on lunch. Whether it was earlier or heat or simply timing, she ate only 20 of her 27 gram dinner. But since I started her earlier, I got her to finish that last seven grams off the carpet before I started my dinner. She’s been chirping away in my lap. I just finished my dinner and soon I’ll have to start her on her second dinner at 7:30 before plates up at 8. I sure hope I can get her to eat some more before plates up and lights out. Figures on the longest day of the year, we’re going lights out early in an attempt to fool her clock for a night.
 

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Figures on the longest day of the year, we’re going lights out early in an attempt to fool her clock for a night.
Will it be 'black-out curtains',...a short play session, or fuss and snuggle. :sleepycat::happycat::lovecat:
Maybe just a good 'sci-fi show, on a planet with ice and snow'.
(james bond in the snow) :cool2: 🥶

All the Luck, and Good Health Vibes sent your way, for Betty's endoscopic procedure. :goodluck::vibes::vibes::bicolorcat:
It would be good to get some answers,...but praying for those that are easily treatable. :catrub:
 

daftcat75

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Will it be 'black-out curtains',...a short play session, or fuss and snuggle. :sleepycat::happycat::lovecat:
Maybe just a good 'sci-fi show, on a planet with ice and snow'.
(james bond in the snow) :cool2: 🥶

All the Luck, and Good Health Vibes sent your way, for Betty's endoscopic procedure. :goodluck::vibes::vibes::bicolorcat:
It would be good to get some answers,...but praying for those that are easily treatable. :catrub:
I wish I had blackout curtains. Because of that sliding door, I’m sure it’s more difficult and more expensive than it should be. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I plated second dinner at 7:30. Then I shut off the lights and started my nighttime bedtime routine which includes brushing, flossing, and hiding on the toilet while watching on camera for Betty to finally hit the plate. 🤦🏼‍♂️😹
A2A6733C-6F51-4B06-9928-997791760466.jpeg
I’m hoping she clears that plate. Because I’m picking it up in ten minutes. We were technically supposed to start the fast at 7:30. But I spoke with someone in the specialist’s office and she said it was okay to feed to 8. But don’t push it further than that. I guess they understand that cats going in for endos usually have special feeding circumstances. I mean why else would they be going in for that procedure?
 
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I wish I had blackout curtains. Because of that sliding door, I’m sure it’s more difficult and more expensive than it should be. 🤦🏼‍♂️

I plated second dinner at 7:30.
Then I shut off rhestarted my nighttime bedtime routine which includes brushing, flossing, and hiding on the toilet while watching on camera for Betty to finally hit the plate. 🤦🏼‍♂️😹
View attachment 424020
I’m hoping she clears that plate. Because I’m picking it up in ten minutes. We were technically supposed to start the fast at 7:30. But I spoke with someone in the specialist’s office and she said it was okay to feed to 8. But don’t push it further than that. I guess they understand that cats going in for endos usually have special feeding circumstances. I mean why else would they be going in for that procedure?
It looks very promising from here, with Betty at the plate. :crossfingers:

I wonder if your Betty thinks that 'her human'...spends a whole lot of time in the toilet room,...since you have to 'hide from her'...in order for her to actually finish her food,...without being disturbed. :greenpaw::bluepaw: :think:
You're such an excellent cat guardian. :hugs::grouphug::catlove:

Yeah, 8 pm sounds fine,..probably also since they don't actually start...exactly when they say they do.

I cannot remember, the last time you took her for an ultrasound,...I thought you said that you forgot something,...but maybe it was just something to pick up,...and not anything you needed to take with you.

Do you get her carrier, and a towel, or paper towels, some water, bags,...any paperwork, or reports,...all together the night before, or do you wake earlier, and get that all together?
(my previous cat hated to see the cat carrier out,...he would go and hide,...so I just got all the other stuff ready,...and put it in his 'travel bag'...which was just a regular cloth bag)
 

daftcat75

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Plates up! It was a clean one. 🐷😋

It’s still light out and still almost 90 outside. My Dyson sensors tell me it’s 82 and 83 indoors. But Betty and I are snuggled in the island breeze between them. 🏝😎😽🥰

cat nap cat nap I leave her carrier out in the open as part of her environment. This way it’s not the carrier that she hates. She likes her carrier and feels comfortable in it in the car and at the vet’s. Like Krista, she reserves her 😾 for those things that are 😾 worthy. Actually I’m told that except for being shy and squirrelly because of it, she’s actually well-behaved in the back room and everyone loves her.

Betty travels easily. She maybe gets a little car sick. I’m not sure. She only gets vocal at freeway speeds. (No spits or 💩s) But if we take the longer surface street route she’s okay.

In the morning, I’ll simply get myself ready. Go out and warm up the inside of the car if needed. Then I’ll scoop Betty into the carrier and go. She’s really easy to get into that carrier. She doesn’t get too anxious on vet mornings. A little hangry. But not nearly as much as Krista was. Krista would do a feed me song and dance all over me from 3am to appt time. Betty will just go to the floor between plate, kitchen, and bathroom and silently pout until I get up. Honestly the hardest part left from here (besides waiting for the pickup call) will be trying to get some sleep in this heat tonight. 🥵

In a show of solidarity, we’re both going to bed an hour early tonight even though it would have been an excellent night for the tap room. There will be others.

I don’t remember what I allegedly forgot. 🤔🤨 The only thing I can think of is that I forgot to get my specialist’s email address to keep in touch with him between procedures. I can ask for that tomorrow. Oh. I didn’t share the poop test results with him. That would be better for email anyway given the length and breadth of those.

More than anything, I hope tomorrow means we’re done with this holding pattern because we’re done with the tests. I want this endo to be the end o the line for the testing and getting on to a treatment plan. I want to get her off famotidine first. I suspect the change in her stomach pH allowed bad bacteria to flourish. Maybe that Sarcina or Strep surge. 🤷🏼‍♂️ (Sent AnimalBiome an email about those two and asked them if that’s something that I need to worry about/seek treatment.)

“Okay bye!”

Betty got tired of me being on the phone during her cuddle time. But I am more hands off with her when she gets the post-meal cuddle burps. She’ll be back. We’ll have more cuddles tonight. 😽 And some hangry pouting.😾
 
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daftcat75

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We’re both warm and restless. She’s camped out in the office. I think it’s marginally cooler in there. But also I don’t think her cloud is in the Dyson draft zone. Since I was up, I opened the deck door some. I think at 11 pm here, we should finally be hitting the inflection point where the outside is cooler than inside and we can finally get some meaningful cooling.
 

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Plates up! It was a clean one. 🐷😋

It’s still light out and still almost 90 outside. My Dyson sensors tell me it’s 82 and 83 indoors. But Betty and I are snuggled in the island breeze between them. 🏝😎😽🥰
Island breeze sounds nice.
(As long as you don't get 'high humidity'...then I figure it's all bearable.
And those Dysons are supposed to be super quiet,...which seems like a bonus.)

Glad that Betty cleaned the whole plate. :p
cat nap cat nap I leave her carrier out in the open as part of her environment. This way it’s not the carrier that she hates. She likes her carrier and feels comfortable in it in the car and at the vet’s. Like Krista, she reserves her 😾 for those things that are 😾 worthy. Actually I’m told that except for being shy and squirrelly because of it, she’s actually well-behaved in the back room and everyone loves her.

Betty travels easily. She maybe gets a little car sick. I’m not sure. She only gets vocal at freeway speeds. (No spits or 💩s) But if we take the longer surface street route she’s okay.
That's an excellent idea, about leaving her carrier out in the open, to make it part of her environment.:bluepaw:
And really good that Betty travels well,...with no poops, or spits.

Also interesting that you notice the differences, in Betty getting vocal at freeway speeds.
(my female seems to get vocal regardless, but I will try a different route, next time, just to see. Both my cats never make a sound, coming back home, though. Pure bliss silence. No plaintive meows.)
In the morning, I’ll simply get myself ready. Go out and warm up the inside of the car if needed. Then I’ll scoop Betty into the carrier and go. She’s really easy to get into that carrier. She doesn’t get too anxious on vet mornings. A little hangry. But not nearly as much as Krista was. Krista would do a feed me song and dance all over me from 3am to appt time. Betty will just go to the floor between plate, kitchen, and bathroom and silently pout until I get up. Honestly the hardest part left from here (besides waiting for the pickup call) will be trying to get some sleep in this heat tonight. 🥵

In a show of solidarity, we’re both going to bed an hour early tonight even though it would have been an excellent night for the tap room. There will be others.
I don't blame our cats for getting a 'little hangry'. :hmmm: 😒 😾

(in this day and age, they should already have better diagnostics,...with 'swallowed camera pills'...and thought up of ways...of not having to fast, due to aspirations from sedation, or bloodwork, etc)
(They actually do have the 'diagnostic camera pills'...except they claim that it misses too many things, and may get caught somewhere, so it's not widely used, I guess. Probably cost is high, too. Hopefully, in the future.)

Your Krista dancing all over you from 3am to appt time...sounds like a typical female cat...that is not afraid...from making her wishes known. :) :heartshape:
Maybe your Betty is just a little too polite, still,...and with time...will come to 'make a few more daring strides'...as time goes on.

The "hangry pouting" sounds cute, though,..and for sure, a lot easier than Krista's walking all over you at 3am. :blush:
Don't tell Betty that story,...or you will give her ideas.
I don’t remember what I allegedly forgot. 🤔🤨 The only thing I can think of is that I forgot to get my specialist’s email address to keep in touch with him between procedures. I can ask for that tomorrow. Oh. I didn’t share the poop test results with him. That would be better for email anyway given the length and breadth of those.
Definitely get the Vet specialist's Email. :thumbsup:
(maybe it was just food, I was thinking of...and not anything...document related.)
More than anything, I hope tomorrow means we’re done with this holding pattern because we’re done with the tests. I want this endo to be the end o the line for the testing and getting on to a treatment plan. I want to get her off famotidine first. I suspect the change in her stomach pH allowed bad bacteria to flourish. Maybe that Sarcina or Strep surge. 🤷🏼‍♂️ (Sent AnimalBiome an email about those two and asked them if that’s something that I need to worry about/seek treatment.)

“Okay bye!”

Betty got tired of me being on the phone during her cuddle time. But I am more hands off with her when she gets the post-meal cuddle burps. She’ll be back. We’ll have more cuddles tonight. 😽 And some hangry pouting.😾
Yes, I also hope that the endoscopy...will lead to some sort...of 'good treatment plan' :crossfingers:
So that it could at least explain the frequent spit ups, regurgs, hairball vomits, etc.

(The second biome report was very interesting. Not what I expected, but still showed improvement in many areas.
(I just wanted to convert it into Word, so that I could try to look up a few more of those 'higher limit' findings, online.)
I'm glad that you emailed the AnimalBiome people, since it was a bit surprising with those two particular bacteria showing up..strongly.)

(I also wanted to know, from the AnimalBiome people,...how long does it take to 're-seed' a cat's intestinal tract...using the 'healthy poop'...if at the same time, a cat has an imbalance with their own various bacteria. Each medication that our cats take, would affect their biome,...so does that mean that the 'poop pills'...have to be given for a continuous amount of months,...to combat the 'unhealthy gut'? It is actually all rather fascinating,...but it would help...if they actually made 'food recommendations'...as well.)

With the 'burps'...she may have some sort of sensitivity to some ingredient
...or richness in the food...or perhaps even the way she eats, and swallows air...but hopefully, with the endo...you will get a far clearer picture of what is going on inside. :clover:
We’re both warm and restless. She’s camped out in the office. I think it’s marginally cooler in there. But also I don’t think her cloud is in the Dyson draft zone. Since I was up, I opened the deck door some. I think at 11 pm here, we should finally be hitting the inflection point where the outside is cooler than inside and we can finally get some meaningful cooling.
I hope you're able to get some good sleep. :sleep:
Even if it's short,...but as long...as it's good quality, and restful..
...(and when you awake, it does not feel like your head just hit the pillow.)

You can always catch up on 'missed sleep' later, as long as you can function okay.
Hope your night for yourself...and Betty...goes well...and cooler. 🌬⛄🌊🌃🌌
With not too much of a 'hangry Betty'....tomorrow. :crossfingers: :bluepaw::greenpaw:
 
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artiemom

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Good Luck today!!
I know how anxious you must be.. ((hugs))
It is so hard to wait it out. With us, Geoffrey's endo was completed earlier than what I had anticipated.
He was dropped off at 8am, and done by 2pm. A bit groggy.. but ok.. took him a few hours to get back to an ok place.
They also loved him. Geoffrey also a trooper.. not a peep out of him, during his travels.

I also keep the carrier out, 24/7. It is kept in the living area. Geoffrey is not a lap cat, but uses it in the evening, to be 'closer' to me.

With Climate change, you may want to think about investing in the blackout, insulated drapes for you patio doors. My last apartment, had a balcony. I did not have blinds for it; opting out for the insulated patio drapes. I found it was a great investment. It really worked at keeping the heat out. Something to think about.
I do not know how it is in your area, but blackout drapes are in almost every department, big box store. You could buy 2 sets of them for width. The only caveat is that they may not have the length you need.. I searched and ordered one set of mine, on line, because of the length and color The other one, I was fortunate. There was an old tiny curtain store, now defunct, which had drapes, curtains from everywhere..

Again,
Good Luck to You and Betty..
 

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IKEA has blackout shades and drapes. Just sayin'
Yes, it was definitely the AnimalBiome info. That should be helpful to Betty's care team today!
Hope you both got through the night okay. Safe journeys, and may it go smoothly and well.
We're getting the monsoons here in la-la land. Woke us up with LOUD thunder around 5 and it's been intermittent thunder, lightning, and rain since.
 

daftcat75

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IKEA has blackout shades and drapes. Just sayin'
Yes, it was definitely the AnimalBiome info. That should be helpful to Betty's care team today!
Hope you both got through the night okay. Safe journeys, and may it go smoothly and well.
We're getting the monsoons here in la-la land. Woke us up with LOUD thunder around 5 and it's been intermittent thunder, lightning, and rain since.
We were 100 here yesterday and 90 when we went lights out. I guess LA figured, "If we can't beat 'em on the heater, let's toss 'em a curveball!" Or a spitball.

I get the impression that he finds the poop pills and the FMT therapy, "interesting" but not all that compelling. Which is understandable. AnimalBiome, as a company founded in 2016, is probably younger than his education. So let's see what the endo says and what he recommends based on those findings. There's no sense in refusing the knowledge that testing brings even if we may disagree with the treatment plan that comes out of it. I'm not ready to simply pred and pray if the only answers that come out of this is, "it's inflammation and it's not cancer."

Meanwhile across town...

AnimalBiome got back to me in about one day's turnaround. Not bad. Not bad at all. The rep said the Strep was surprising but not yet alarming. She recommends just sticking with another course of Gut Restore. For the Sarcina, she wants me to try Rx Clay in Betty's food, once a day. Carries far less risk than pred. So sure. I'll order that today. She also recommended egg yolk for Betty's hairballs. And she said that while the trio of drugs that Betty is on could all be affecting her microbiome, if they are helping to stabilize her, they should be continued until such time that, with the vet's guidance and support, they can be weaned or discontinued. I really respect her response. It was helpful, holistic, and both respectful and deferential to veterinary medicine. In other words, they weren't trying to say they were smarter than the vets and it was their road or the high road. (While Vitality Science supplements are helpful, that attitude from one of their reps was not.)

It's another Bissell hairball day. Since Betty's going to be out of the home most of the day, I vacuumed and used the Bissell in Express Clean mode. It dries much quicker and I should be able to vacuum up any residue over lunch time.

Betty won't even be induced until after lunch. If I knew they were simply going to hold her on IV and fluids for several hours until the afternoon procedure, I would have set her up with the iPod and cat rock. 🤦‍♂️ 😿 If I had the guess, the specialist does consultations in the mornings and procedures in the afternoons. Dropping Betty off in the morning makes certain they can run all the last minute tests and that she'll be ready for the anesthesiologist and internist when he's done with morning consults. I'll get a call around lunch time just before he begins. The induction takes however long that takes and the endo itself is a 30 minute procedure. Internist estimates that she will be coming home around 4 or 5 pm tonight. He recommended reduced portions to start and return to full portions as she's up to it tomorrow.
 

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We were 100 here yesterday and 90 when we went lights out. I guess LA figured, "If we can't beat 'em on the heater, let's toss 'em a curveball!" Or a spitball.

I get the impression that he finds the poop pills and the FMT therapy, "interesting" but not all that compelling. Which is understandable. AnimalBiome, as a company founded in 2016, is probably younger than his education. So let's see what the endo says and what he recommends based on those findings. There's no sense in refusing the knowledge that testing brings even if we may disagree with the treatment plan that comes out of it. I'm not ready to simply pred and pray if the only answers that come out of this is, "it's inflammation and it's not cancer."

Meanwhile across town...

AnimalBiome got back to me in about one day's turnaround. Not bad. Not bad at all. The rep said the Strep was surprising but not yet alarming. She recommends just sticking with another course of Gut Restore. For the Sarcina, she wants me to try Rx Clay in Betty's food, once a day. Carries far less risk than pred. So sure. I'll order that today. She also recommended egg yolk for Betty's hairballs. And she said that while the trio of drugs that Betty is on could all be affecting her microbiome, if they are helping to stabilize her, they should be continued until such time that, with the vet's guidance and support, they can be weaned or discontinued. I really respect her response. It was helpful, holistic, and both respectful and deferential to veterinary medicine. In other words, they weren't trying to say they were smarter than the vets and it was their road or the high road. (While Vitality Science supplements are helpful, that attitude from one of their reps was not.)

It's another Bissell hairball day. Since Betty's going to be out of the home most of the day, I vacuumed and used the Bissell in Express Clean mode. It dries much quicker and I should be able to vacuum up any residue over lunch time.

Betty won't even be induced until after lunch. If I knew they were simply going to hold her on IV and fluids for several hours until the afternoon procedure, I would have set her up with the iPod and cat rock. 🤦‍♂️ 😿 If I had the guess, the specialist does consultations in the mornings and procedures in the afternoons. Dropping Betty off in the morning makes certain they can run all the last minute tests and that she'll be ready for the anesthesiologist and internist when he's done with morning consults. I'll get a call around lunch time just before he begins. The induction takes however long that takes and the endo itself is a 30 minute procedure. Internist estimates that she will be coming home around 4 or 5 pm tonight. He recommended reduced portions to start and return to full portions as she's up to it tomorrow.
I agree on the AnimalBiome rep. Excellent.
Yeah, that sux that they didn't clue you in on that so you could set Betty up with tunes. How would THEY feel if they had to cool their heels for all that time prior to a procedure?!! :sigh:
*PRAYERS* and best, best thoughts and wishes for all to go well for Betty, and safe journey home, followed by nice small dinner and cuddles in a hopefully cooler home. It's rained a couple of times since my last post, with thunder. Yeah, we don't like to enjoy it alone. We just can't resist sharing. :ohwell:
 

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Got a call from the internist. She came out of the anesthesia just fine. Stomach looks good. No ulcers. Small intestine has non-specific changes, reduced pit length consistent with inflammation. No answers just yet. Now we wait for the biopsies to come back.

artiemom artiemom Anything I should be asking him either the next time he calls back or when I get the biopsy results?

She should be ready to come home in a couple hours or so.
 

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Got a call from the internist. She came out of the anesthesia just fine. Stomach looks good. No ulcers. Small intestine has non-specific changes, reduced pit length consistent with inflammation. No answers just yet. Now we wait for the biopsies to come back.

artiemom artiemom Anything I should be asking him either the next time he calls back or when I get the biopsy results?

She should be ready to come home in a couple hours or so.
So far, so good, pretty much! Hope Cindy gets your post in time to answer.
 

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It's great to hear that AnimalBiome recommends egg yolk for hairballs -- our cats get daily egg yolk and they seem to even like it.

Fingers crossed for Betty White's happy return home.
 

daftcat75

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It's great to hear that AnimalBiome recommends egg yolk for hairballs -- our cats get daily egg yolk and they seem to even like it.

Fingers crossed for Betty White's happy return home.
I don’t know that Betty likes egg yolk. I can try again. But I prefer to get her up to two of the Pet Naturals of Vermont chews and another month of the poop pills. If the VT chews still don’t do the trick (and I think they are but we’re not yet at two per day), I’ll see about egg yolk again.

Just waiting for Betty’s discharge now. I told them I’d be here at 4:30 and then quickly amended to 5. The woman on the phone kept insisting that she’d be ready for 4:45 pickup. And I’m here at 5 like I told them and Betty’s still not ready? Is she giving them any trouble back there? 🤷🏼‍♂️
 

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I don’t know that Betty likes egg yolk. I can try again. But I prefer to get her up to two of the Pet Naturals of Vermont chews and another month of the poop pills. If the VT chews still don’t do the trick (and I think they are but we’re not yet at two per day), I’ll see about egg yolk again.

Just waiting for Betty’s discharge now. I told them I’d be here at 4:30 and then quickly amended to 5. The woman on the phone kept insisting that she’d be ready for 4:45 pickup. And I’m here at 5 like I told them and Betty’s still not ready? Is she giving them any trouble back there? 🤷🏼‍♂️
Just so long as THEY're not giving HER any trouble.
 

daftcat75

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Poor Betty peed herself. I’m guessing it was on the drive home. One moment she was quiet. The next she wouldn’t shut up for the rest of the drive home. She was loudly upset. Now I know why. Fortunately she let me clean her quite a bit. I don’t know how much I should use those EarthBath wet wipes and how much I should just let her clean up.

I’m glad they told me to feed her only a half meal. She tore through it in record speed. I kinda expect it to come back up. 🤦🏼‍♂️
 
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