Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

Forgive me for asking again,...but can you ask the Vet to also check Betty's B12 levels, pancreas, and thyroid levels,...just in case...as not sure if this is normally done in routine blood work?

Could her throat/esophagus be inflamed from the anesthetic and endoscopic procedure?
And could you ask the Vet if there is anything for this, to soothe her throat?

I came across this "Hydra Care" supplement, and something like this may be beneficial.
PURINA PRO PLAN VETERINARY DIETS Hydra Care Liver Flavored Liquid Supplement for Cats, 3-oz pouch, case of 12 - Chewy.com
Although it does contain 'guar gum'...so not really sure how good it is, and if something like unflavoured pedialyte would be better.

Sending Mega Health Vibes to your Betty...for a speedy recovery.
(ps. definitely ask for the mirtazapine pills, versus gel...to give her ears a rest)

B12, pancreas, thyroid were all checked by the IM a few weeks ago. I don’t think any of that is this. The fever will likely go down as unknown origin. Any voice raspiness from her I expect is from dehydration rather than irritation. She had plenty of voice the other day. I’m going to try watered down A/D to see if she’ll slurp it up like soup for both nutrients and hydration. Watering it down would also help appease my fear of getting her hooked on the pure stuff and having nowhere to go if she gets fussier. I always want to use just the minimum amount of kitty crack for the shortest time just to bridge from the exceptional back to something more normal.

 

[tarasgirl06]

B12, pancreas, thyroid were all checked by the IM a few weeks ago. I don’t think any of that is this. The fever will likely go down as unknown origin. Any voice raspiness from her I expect is from dehydration rather than irritation. She had plenty of voice the other day. I’m going to try watered down A/D to see if she’ll slurp it up like soup for both nutrients and hydration. Watering it down would also help appease my fear of getting her hooked on the pure stuff and having nowhere to go if she gets fussier. I always want to use just the minimum amount of kitty crack for the shortest time just to bridge from the exceptional back to something more normal.

Good strategy. Always keep something in reserve.
Well, idiopathic is better than the stuff of great concern...even though you'd like to know, sometimes you just can't.

 

[daftcat75]

How quickly can I change her to Rawz rabbit? Maybe it’s just because it was a new food. But she practically inhaled the 10 gram starter portion I offered her. Her little alligator jaws couldn’t close around that mound fast enough. I feel like I owe it a poop cycle before I offer anymore. But I also feel like I could end this hunger strike in a single can.

 

[daftcat75]

I’m not impressed with the build quality. But it’s quiet. I like the water window. But we’ll see if Betty likes it. So far, no go. I modeled it for her and the water was cool and tasty. Probably need to find a better location for it. I think I’m also going spring on more expensive, more popular fountains. Because Betty isn’t Krista. And we have to go through this all over again. New cat. New fountain.

 

[Furballsmom]

How quickly can I change her to Rawz rabbit?

I'm reading in several places that a 7 day transition period is necessary, although the timeframe can be shortened if the cat's digestive system appears to be handling the new food well.

 

[daftcat75]

She got a dexamethasone shot. She wasn’t terribly interested in eating what I served except the Rawz rabbit. But I don’t want to rush her gut or butt on that one. I don’t want the failed food transition we had two months ago. I got her to eat a couple mounds of some A/D : I/D slop. I’m not even sure what amount she ate or what ratio. If I had to guess, probably 10 grams. Then she also ate 10 grams of the Rawz rabbit. That puts her about 15 grams behind on lunch and about 25 to 30 grams behind on the day. Or nearly a whole meal. I feel like she should probably curl up in her poof for warmth if she’s not going to be eating or drinking right now. But all she wants to do is be with me right now. I don’t know if I’m going to log on to work at all today. It would just be me and her arguing for the next three hours.

 

[daftcat75]

I'm reading in several places that a 7 day transition period is necessary, although the timeframe can be shortened if the cat's digestive system appears to be handling the new food well.

I really want her on it faster. But then she started to get gassy next to me and I decided we’ll work one meal at a time. I’m not sure which one. Maybe lunch. That and the late night sometimes seem to be hard sells when she’s being fussy.

 

[Margot Lane]

I’ve had a bit of luck on really hot days w/ ice cubes, both a quick rubdown on the nape and also freezing juice from the cat food…not much, but some. I’m looking into a mini split, which probably your landlord would veto, but perhaps they are getting less expensive. Did you ever try the cooling pads?…Did your vet say anything about using liquid electrolytes?

 

[artiemom]

Maybe I should ask the doc for a prescription for the mirtazapine pills to give her poor irritated ears a break.
View attachment 424618

I gave the transdermal prozac to Geoffrey for almost a year. I never had an issue with inflamed ears. I was told to alternate ears, and wash out the previous ear, daily.. I used a piece of wet cotton ball.. drying with another cotton ball. Geoffrey was good with that..

When I transitioned either Artie or Geoffrey onto a new food, I added it very slowly to the food they were currently eating. I found that giving an entire meal of the new food, was not worthwhile--to either of us.. Slow transition, over at least 5-7 days was the best.
I increased it slowly.. adding more and more of the new food each day, to the mix.... It worked without any issues.

 

[daftcat75]

I’ve had a bit of luck on really hot days w/ ice cubes, both a quick rubdown on the nape and also freezing juice from the cat food…not much, but some. I’m looking into a mini split, which probably your landlord would veto, but perhaps they are getting less expensive. Did you ever try the cooling pads?…Did your vet say anything about using liquid electrolytes?

What’s a mini split?

Fever treatment is keep them warm and keep them hydrated. We can worry about a cooling pad when I’m not worrying about her fever. Ear thermometer is reading out low. Seems we’ll have to go the butt route after all. I think one of the tests was electrolytes. I’m assuming if she needed electrolyte replacement, they would have either done it there or told me how to do it at home. Not trying to add to her treatment and handling if it didn’t already come up. Kinda overwhelmed between this fever and her internist wanting to rush her into a new diet and new drug regimen. Hold up everyone! Too many cooks in the kitchen right now!

 

[daftcat75]

I gave the transdermal prozac to Geoffrey for almost a year. I never had an issue with inflamed ears. I was told to alternate ears, and wash out the previous ear, daily.. I used a piece of wet cotton ball.. drying with another cotton ball. Geoffrey was good with that..

When I transitioned either Artie or Geoffrey onto a new food, I added it very slowly to the food they were currently eating. I found that giving an entire meal of the new food, was not worthwhile--to either of us.. Slow transition, over at least 5-7 days was the best.
I increased it slowly.. adding more and more of the new food each day, to the mix.... It worked without any issues.

I *hate* cotton balls. It’s like a nails on chalkboard texture thing for me. It’s an awfully uncomfortable feeling that sets my teeth on edge. I have to use tweezers or steel myself to remove a cotton ball from a medicine container. Just the worst feeling I can think of. And I can’t even tell you why. But cotton as a fabric like clothes and towels are no issue with me. So yeah. I am vetoing the cotton balls. I have makeup squares which she kinda tolerates. I just don’t do it often enough. So yeah. It’s probably on me that her ears got irritated.

I can try the mixed food transition. I’m just concerned that if she’s keeping score and developing food grudges, the rabbit may get thrown under the bus if she’s getting sick of the A/D or I/D. But I also have to constantly remind myself that Betty is not Krista and things that did (or didn’t) work with Krista may still work with Betty. And vice versa.

She cruised the A/D and A/D slop plates and showed little interest in them. So I broke open a new I/D can and offered her some straight I/D. It’s been a long time since I let her have the I/D on its own. She ate about another fifteen grams of the I/D. So she’s probably caught up on lunch.

 

[Furballsmom]

But I also have to constantly remind myself that Betty is not Krista and things that did (or didn’t) work with Krista may still work with Betty.

You're ok, --there's a lot going on now and has been previously for you with both of them. You're one heck of a trooper to be hanging in there with all of this, in my book.

 

[Margot Lane]

You're ok, --there's a lot going on now and has been previously for you with both of them. You're one heck of a trooper to be hanging in there with all of this, in my book.

Seconded. And sorry for the xtra advice! You’ve got a great lead on this & we are all rooting for you two. Bases may seem loaded but you have a strong pitching arm!

 

[tarasgirl06]

I *hate* cotton balls. It’s like a nails on chalkboard texture thing for me. It’s an awfully uncomfortable feeling that sets my teeth on edge. I have to use tweezers or steel myself to remove a cotton ball from a medicine container. Just the worst feeling I can think of. And I can’t even tell you why. But cotton as a fabric like clothes and towels are no issue with me. So yeah. I am vetoing the cotton balls. I have makeup squares which she kinda tolerates. I just don’t do it often enough. So yeah. It’s probably on me that her ears got irritated.

I can try the mixed food transition. I’m just concerned that if she’s keeping score and developing food grudges, the rabbit may get thrown under the bus if she’s getting sick of the A/D or I/D. But I also have to constantly remind myself that Betty is not Krista and things that did (or didn’t) work with Krista may still work with Betty. And vice versa.

She cruised the A/D and A/D slop plates and showed little interest in them. So I broke open a new I/D can and offered her some straight I/D. It’s been a long time since I let her have the I/D on its own. She ate about another fifteen grams of the I/D. So she’s probably caught up on lunch.

What about Q-tips?

 

[lisahe]

I am vetoing the cotton balls. I have makeup squares which she kinda tolerates. I just don’t do it often enough. So yeah. It’s probably on me that her ears got irritated.

I use a folded square of toilet paper to wipe out Ireland's ears. She's on transdermal antihistamine and the vet gave me the same advice artiemom got for Geoffrey: alternate ears and wipe them out. For some reason, I find it wipes out better with dry toilet paper than a wet makeup round but maybe that's just me! Ireland's ears got irritated, too, when I first started her on the cream. I'm not sure if that was because the cream was new to her or because I rubbed it in too hard then. She's been taking it for about a year now and only recently did I realize that the irritation had gone away.

I hope this evening goes well.

 

[daftcat75]

What about Q-tips?

I would be nervous about her getting squirmy and having it poke where it shouldn’t.

 

[daftcat75]

I wish she would drink some water. But she seems to be catching up on the food. She just ate about half of the A/D:I/D slop that I was just about to pick up. Let me weigh the remainder—not that I have any idea of its composition anymore—and take up the plates. Hopefully she’ll be ready for a bit more food with her meds.

Her voice is coming back. Her breath is horrible. I would really like to do her teeth already.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I wish she would drink some water. But she seems to be catching up on the food. She just ate about half of the A/D:I/D slop that I was just about to pick up. Let me weigh the remainder—not that I have any idea of its composition anymore—and take up the plates. Hopefully she’ll be ready for a bit more food with her meds.

Her voice is coming back. Her breath is horrible. I would really like to do her teeth already.

Not sure the name of it, but there are these cotton things that fit over the finger tip to apply medicine. I thought it was "cott" but that's apparently not it. Do you know what I'm talking about? Maybe those would work.

 

[daftcat75]

Not sure the name of it, but there are these cotton things that fit over the finger tip to apply medicine. I thought it was "cott" but that's apparently not it. Do you know what I'm talking about? Maybe those would work.

Finger cots. It’s what I use for her wet willies. I don’t think either one of us want to use those for this. For now anyway, I gave her a quarter mirtz pill via the repacked tic tac. I’m sure she’ll start chirping in an hour or two to let me know it’s working.

 

[daftcat75]

I’m sure I’m rushing this transition. But I didn’t want to make a three way slop and if I don’t mix her I/D with something, it doesn’t hold up well on its own. Because she’s only showing mild interest in A/D, I decided to make her nighttime meals mix with Rawz Rabbit instead: 1 part rabbit to two parts I/D. That was the minimum amount of rabbit I could add to be left with three meals worth to feed tonight. I’ll give her smaller portions just in case. If she likes this mix, we can feed this for a couple of days before I try to move the needle again. I just don’t think the A/D I/D mix is holding as much appeal today. But I did open an A/D can to serve her meds. I don’t know what I’m going to do about her meds when I can no longer use A/D. I hope she’ll still eat her repack tic tacs coated in Rawz.

She ate half of that I/D rabbit portion. Which is actually impressive as she ate a half portion of ID/AD just an hour earlier when she visited the slop plate before I picked it up. She also showed up on the kitchen counter twice this afternoon. So she’s definitely improved over morning. But we did have a tense moment where she coughed once. But the cough had texture to it like she almost regurgitated. “Noooo! Don’t do it. I just put too many pills in you to go searching through your vomit for them.” (Not that those would go back in her but I would want to see her intact repacked tic tac before she got re-medicated with fresh doses.)

Tonight’s med stack: 1/4 mirtazapine pill, 1/4 Cerenia (I was told I could do a half but I don’t feel like trying that new dose tonight), 1/4 ondansetron, and two size four capsules with Rx Clay so I didn’t have to sell her on dirty food.

You know what I’m also struggling with in this heat? Until this recent heatwave, I was able to mix a twelve hour shift of food in a gelato container and then keep that out of the fridge at room temperature (thanks to all the preservatives in cat food.) Now that room temperature has been warmer, it’s getting soggier left at room temp. I set an 8 pm alarm to remove that container from the fridge and maybe place the sealed gelato container in a warm water bath to take the chill out before second dinner.