Krista's Care

[tarasgirl06]

Her schedule of four meals plus two feeder shifts was borne out of small meals more frequently. This cat would be dead by now on two gut bombs a day. Before the feeders, I was feeding her every four hours, night and day. I fed her 2, 6, and 10 whether it was AM or PM. For the short-term, I can do that again. I'm actually feeding her every three hours so that we can get closer to the 7 oz I want her to eat. The food journal I've been reviewing is all about small meals. During pancreatitis, sometimes she would only eat 10 grams at a time. I'd record it and wait until she was hungry again or a couple of hours had passed, and we would try again.

That's a kitten schedule, almost. It's said, "Once a man and twice a child" and that's true of cats, too. Things get more delicate. So a kitten schedule is really good for a 16-year-old kitten.

 

[daftcat75]

That's a kitten schedule, almost. It's said, "Once a man and twice a child" and that's true of cats, too. Things get more delicate. So a kitten schedule is really good for a 16-year-old kitten.

After I plated her 10 pm meal last night, I packed a single feeder, "in case neither of us want to wake for the 2am feeding." At 2am, her plate was empty, the feeder hadn't opened, and she was doing laps across my chest. She'll walk from one side of the bed, cross over my chest to the other side of the bed, and then repeat a short time later.

"Do another lap. Cross one more time. If you want to get me up, tell me you mean it." So the little booger doesn't just cross again. She sits on my chest. Not the belly ride, "give me scritches" but the, "you will feed me now" expectant sit. "And how do you suppose I do that with you [all seven pounds of you] pinning me down?"

Still on poop watch this morning. It's been longer than 12 hours. I'd feel better if she was pooping more frequently given how much food she eats and how much poop she produces. I even cooked a hot breakfast trying to tempt "Murphy's Pooper". I don't get many hot meals at home because that's usually when she chooses to poop. And lately those poops are poop jail, multi-box affairs. I get back to my cold food 20 minutes later. But I still have to watch my poop bomber for any imminent threats or impending strikes. Maybe last night's blowout was more thorough than I thought even though it was only a single box affair.

 

[daftcat75]

I don’t know what it is.

When this adorable cuddle nugget climbs onto my belly, walks straight up to my chest, and sits down so close to me, her paws actually go to one side of my neck, when she gets her face in mine, I can’t look at her or I bust up laughing.

“Look at the balls on this cat!”

“Give me scritches and tell me I’m pretty!”

I think what I find so hilarious about this is that, in this very tender moment, she has such a serious face.

"What's my name, b? Say my name!"

 

[tarasgirl06]

After I plated her 10 pm meal last night, I packed a single feeder, "in case neither of us want to wake for the 2am feeding." At 2am, her plate was empty, the feeder hadn't opened, and she was doing laps across my chest. She'll walk from one side of the bed, cross over my chest to the other side of the bed, and then repeat a short time later.

"Do another lap. Cross one more time. If you want to get me up, tell me you mean it." So the little booger doesn't just cross again. She sits on my chest. Not the belly ride, "give me scritches" but the, "you will feed me now" expectant sit. "And how do you suppose I do that with you [all seven pounds of you] pinning me down?"

Still on poop watch this morning. It's been longer than 12 hours. I'd feel better if she was pooping more frequently given how much food she eats and how much poop she produces. I even cooked a hot breakfast trying to tempt "Murphy's Pooper". I don't get many hot meals at home because that's usually when she chooses to poop. And lately those poops are poop jail, multi-box affairs. I get back to my cold food 20 minutes later. But I still have to watch my poop bomber for any imminent threats or impending strikes. Maybe last night's blowout was more thorough than I thought even though it was only a single box affair.

Yeah, that happens to me right -- RIGHT! -- before dinner time when Baby Su decides it's time. Her box is in our bedroom, and that's where I eat, in front of the TV, so it must get immediate attention. Before dinner, of course. *Cold food? Who doesn't love cold food?*

 

[daftcat75]

Yeah, that happens to me right -- RIGHT! -- before dinner time when Baby Su decides it's time. Her box is in our bedroom, and that's where I eat, in front of the TV, so it must get immediate attention. Before dinner, of course. *Cold food? Who doesn't love cold food?*

I have become an early bird eating dinner before 6 pm, usually out of the house. I enjoy my dinner more when I don't have to run blocking with the cat at the same time. Like the clutter wall on the desk for foods that cannot be eaten out of a bowl in a chair.

 

[daftcat75]

Back to solid poop.

But also a helicopter poop barf after. On the carpet. Several Bot spots worth.

 

[daftcat75]

And a blowout poop after. Luckily I waited to clean up the barf. That would have made an awful mess on the carpet if I wasn't here to shoo her into poop jail.

She's eating lunch now. No worse for the wear. Very little concern about the noise the Bot is making. Sometimes she looks over like, "is that necessary?" But then she keeps on eating.

I put three drops of the CBD oil in her lunch.

 

[daftcat75]

I want to believe her blowout and the barf that preceded it is carry-over from the turkey medicine meals yesterday. To be honest, I'm fairly impressed that she returned to solid poop so quickly. But there's still the remainder we need to sort out.

Turns out I documented a fair amount about her med stack during pancreatitis in my private conversations with another member here. So I'm going back another 100 pages worth of that to see what's she's been through before and how I dealt with it back then. What I'm remembering and also being reminded in those messages is that Rad Cat turned her around almost overnight. Let me see if we can give rabbit more than a few days before I start in with the homemade again. But in the meantime, I have CBD, enzymes, and probiotics I can try.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I have become an early bird eating dinner before 6 pm, usually out of the house. I enjoy my dinner more when I don't have to run blocking with the cat at the same time. Like the clutter wall on the desk for foods that cannot be eaten out of a bowl in a chair.

Yeah, me too, almost. I used to stay up until 2 a.m. and have dinner at 8. Now it's bedtime at 11 and since I have roomies, I start making dinner between 5:30-6:15. I feed The Three at 6. So I have time to clean before I eat.

 

[daftcat75]

I put a Proviable Forte in her latest meal. I don't know if she notices and doesn't like it or if she's just eating this ounce slower than the others because that's what she does in the afternoon.

The guy at Vitality Science, where I get her supplements, suspects lymphoma so I don't know how much probiotics will help here. I heard from him after I plated this ounce. She's also already producing really great stools. It's just the bonus part that's so disruptive, so frustrating, and so sad.

I am reserving my freak-out for after the vet appointment(s). We start with a new, cat-only office tomorrow morning.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm sending Krista all my love and prayers!

 

[MissClouseau]

Good luck at the vet I am rooting for Krista and you.

 

[daftcat75]

It is 6:30am. She has had half a breakfast. She has a vet appointment at 8 am. I don't want to put too much in her.

And perfect timing, she just dropped a perfect poop. I bagged up a piece and the new vet will be welcomed with a stool sample. Enough to run a float and send out for a PCR.

Now we're waiting to see if the pudding poops are also coming...

But she also peed. Probably no urine sample will be collected this morning.

 

[daftcat75]

I don’t know if it was the Proviable or the CBD or if we’re in for a surprise later, but...

No pudding poops. No blowouts. No barfs.

One and done like I can’t even remember the last time.

We’re waiting in the new vet office, a cat only practice, for the dr. As much as I love (other people’s) dogs, it’s such a relief not to have any here.

I also assume since cats are all they deal with, everyone here knows how to handle them and there should be no one carrying her around like the Lion King cub.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I don’t know if it was the Proviable or the CBD or if we’re in for a surprise later, but...

No pudding poops. No blowouts. No barfs.

One and done like I can’t even remember the last time.

We’re waiting in the new vet office, a cat only practice, for the dr. As much as I love (other people’s) dogs, it’s such a relief not to have any here.

I also assume since cats are all they deal with, everyone here knows how to handle them and there should be no one carrying her around like the Lion King cub.

EXCELLENT update. Hoping the cat vet will be very good for you both. As for that "guy at Vitality Science", maybe he's just trying to be helpful but that kind of "help" I wouldn't solicit or welcome.

 

[daftcat75]

EXCELLENT update. Hoping the cat vet will be very good for you both. As for that "guy at Vitality Science", maybe he's just trying to be helpful but that kind of "help" I wouldn't solicit or welcome.

I take what he says with a grain of salt. Because he hasn't seen my cat and only knows her history through my telling. That said, since I shop his site for supplements to help with her various conditions--he did get us through pancreatitis a couple summers ago--I think it's fair to tell him what's up and listen to his opinions and suggestion.

Honestly, he may be right. She isn't maintaining her weight despite eating well. Maybe it's a simple matter like a B-12 deficiency impairing digestion and nutrient utilization. But I've always gone with the rule of thumb, "as long as she can gain or maintain weight, it's probably not cancer."

She's been through a whole lot. And hopefully this is just another thing she'll bounce back from. I am still reserving my freak-out until after we've gone through all the tests. But it is hard to see her this thin and having her pudding poop and poop puke issues and not think the worst.

She is a fighter though. This morning's poop was a bright spot that says all may not be lost yet.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I take what he says with a grain of salt. Because he hasn't seen my cat and only knows her history through my telling. That said, since I shop his site for supplements to help with her various conditions--he did get us through pancreatitis a couple summers ago--I think it's fair to tell him what's up and listen to his opinions and suggestion.

Honestly, he may be right. She isn't maintaining her weight despite eating well. Maybe it's a simple matter like a B-12 deficiency impairing digestion and nutrient utilization. But I've always gone with the rule of thumb, "as long as she can gain or maintain weight, it's probably not cancer."

She's been through a whole lot. And hopefully this is just another thing she'll bounce back from. I am still reserving my freak-out until after we've gone through all the tests. But it is hard to see her this thin and having her pudding poop and poop puke issues and not think the worst.

She is a fighter though. This morning's poop was a bright spot that says all may not be lost yet.

Yeah, well, she may be eating well but as you say, she's jettisoning a lot of it! so I would hardly expect her to gain much. When she does keep it, she DOES gain weight. So I wouldn't "think the worst." That's just me, and of course I'm very much in the Krista Army.

 

[daftcat75]

Predictably she was chill until she saw the woman in the white coat. She knows what those white coats mean. She started hissing and the doctor didn't flinch. She said, "I've read about her in her file. I'll bring out a sedation consent form, you'll leave her with us, and no-one gets hurt. You can pick her up in the afternoon."

It's hard to know what I think about the new doctor so far. She was professionally stoic. I could tell that even though she read Krista's file, she's reserving her opinion until the latest battery of tests come in.

Krista doesn't like her. But I think she'd hiss at anyone in a white coat. She was even getting hissy with me as I was extracting my phone playing her cat rock from the external carrier pocket. I'm relieved they are going straight to sedation rather than angering her and endangering the staff. But we'll probably lose poop stability for today and tomorrow because of the sedation drug.

Today it will be blood panels including pancreatitis, abdominal X-ray, physical exam, and fecal PCR. They have a traveling radiologist come in on Wednesdays. So next Wednesday, I bring her back for an ultrasound.

 

[daftcat75]

Yeah, well, she may be eating well but as you say, she's jettisoning a lot of it! so I would hardly expect her to gain much. When she does keep it, she DOES gain weight. So I wouldn't "think the worst." That's just me, and of course I'm very much in the Krista Army.

Yeah, I want to agree with you there. But I honestly don't remember when she wasn't blowing it out one end or another. Recent history, I mean. She's had IBD for a couple of years now (that we know of.) But I can't remember when or if she stabilized after clostridium this summer. I've always felt with a stubborn hope that we've always been so close to turning the corner. The perfect poops before the blowouts keep me believing that maybe if I just try this one thing or this other thing, we might finally stabilize and even reverse the trend.

I would feel horrible if it was my stubbornness to avoid the vet ("give her and my wallet daylight between visits" as I am fond of saying so much) that allowed what might have been preventable to progress too long.

For as much as she's been through, for as bad as the poops and barfs have been, she's still got a good attitude, and a lot of spunk too. She still shows up for meals and at least a couple of times she'll join me on the counter for prep. She's doing far better than she was during pancreatitis!

If only we can stop the weight loss....

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yeah, I want to agree with you there. But I honestly don't remember when she wasn't blowing it out one end or another. Recent history, I mean. She's had IBD for a couple of years now (that we know of.) But I can't remember when or if she stabilized after clostridium this summer. I've always felt with a stubborn hope that we've always been so close to turning the corner. The perfect poops before the blowouts keep me believing that maybe if I just try this one thing or this other thing, we might finally stabilize and even reverse the trend.

I would feel horrible if it was my stubbornness to avoid the vet ("give her and my wallet daylight between visits" as I am fond of saying so much) that allowed what might have been preventable to progress too long.

For as much as she's been through, for as bad as the poops and barfs have been, she's still got a good attitude, and a lot of spunk too. She still shows up for meals and at least a couple of times she'll join me on the counter for prep. She's doing far better than she was during pancreatitis!

If only we can stop the weight loss....

No matter how much we love our loved ones and how good and thorough care we give them, ultimately, we cannot control everything, as well you know. You give Krista way beyond excellent care. You know that, we all know that, and she knows that.
As for "before" -- well, she wasn't 16 "before", was she? An aging system would hypothetically last forever if things didn't break down. We all have a shelf life. And the vet has only just met you both. I like a good bedside manner -- in fact, it's very important to me because we are not just a set of symptoms and a credit card, we are emotional beings and cats, according to some experts, may well be more sensitive than humans -- but bottom line, it's how good a VET she is that really counts. I had an operation a few years back and the doctor performing it didn't score high on the bedside manner scale with me -- actually, we were kind of inimical out the gate -- but ultimately I would have kissed his hands and blessed him, because the 50/50 chance he initially gave me came out in my favor thanks to him.
Onward and upward.