Krista's Care

[mrsgreenjeens]

I hate it when I have to give my guys antibiotics because it seems they always end up with diarrhea and/or nausea. It's so frustrating, but sometimes absolutely necessary. I give them probiotics everyday, just to keep their gut flora happy, and I still do it when they are on the antibiotics, so I can't imagine just how bad it would be if they weren't on the probiotics. Last time it took Darko about a week of the addition of FortiFlora (plus his regular probiotic) AFTER stopping the antibiotic before his diarrhea stopped. Tinky's stopped soon after stopping his antibiotic without using anything else, since he won't touch FortiFlora.

for no more poopfoot

 

[daftcat75]

No FortiFlora for Krista. It has an allergen. Maybe the animal digest is not “digested” enough. Lots of scratching and head-shaking. Probably the reason her liver enzymes were still slightly elevated at last recheck.

I’ve been using Proviable Forte from the vet and she either likes it or doesn’t mind it. While there was still a soup serving and a poop foot, it didn’t smell nearly as bad as I was expecting. I assume I have the Proviable to thank there.

One thing I’m not sure about:

Does the probiotic need to be given all in one meal to ensure that enough organisms survive to be effective?

Or can one capsule be split across multiple meals?

 

[daftcat75]

I feel cheated. I bought the Petkit Eversweet water fountain off Woot.com. It was a great deal on a good machine. It tears down easily without having to unplug it from the wall and unthread the power cable through it like pretty much every other fountain I've had. Whisper quiet. It has an indicator to tell me when the water is low and another indicator to tell me when to replace the filter. It does its very best to make sure I keep up my end of the maintenance. This morning the filter light came on. Okay, let's see where I get this filter and how much? The fountain woot.com sold me is the 1.0 version. The only filters available are the 2.0 filters. Okay. There's a tray to make the 2.0 compatible with the 1.0. So I'm adding that to the Amazon cart. I go to check out and they tell me both the filters and the tray aren't even available for shipping until March. I just ordered the 2.0 fountain which will arrive next week. A $65 "filter replacement"! Maybe by the time its filter light comes on the 2.0 filters will have come back in stock. I do like the machine though. Even if Krista never uses it. She never uses any of them. I think she eats more than enough wet food to not need to drink any extra moisture. But I like this machine because it reminds me not to neglect it. And I've seen Krista drink from it once which is one more time than I've seen her drink from any of the other fountains!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

In answer to your probiotic question, I split the capsule between breakfast and dinner (normally - unless I'm giving antibiotics and need to figure out timing issues)

As to the fountain, I've not used that particular one, but have read (and done this) that you can just rinse the filters really well and reuse them. I did that often since the filters are quite expensive. My cats continued to drink from the fountain, so don't think they noticed any difference between a rinsed filter or a new one on those occasions when I did put in a new one. I finally gave ours away though because it was our kidney cats who drank from it, and since they passed no one drank from it. Since I already add extra filtered water to the boys' canned and/or raw food, I seldom see them at the water bowl. Maybe once in a blue moon, after I've given them treats sometimes. It's such a rarity that if I do see one of them there, it makes me worry a little bit (well, after three kidney cats, who can blame me?)

 

[FeralHearts]

for no more poopfoot

I feel stupid for asking but what is poopfoot?

No FortiFlora for Krista. It has an allergen. Maybe the animal digest is not “digested” enough. Lots of scratching and head-shaking. Probably the reason her liver enzymes were still slightly elevated at last recheck.

I’ve been using Proviable Forte from the vet and she either likes it or doesn’t mind it. While there was still a soup serving and a poop foot, it didn’t smell nearly as bad as I was expecting. I assume I have the Proviable to thank there.

One thing I’m not sure about:

Does the probiotic need to be given all in one meal to ensure that enough organisms survive to be effective?

Or can one capsule be split across multiple meals?

FortiFlora has beef in it. Many people don't know that.

I split charlies packet. I started him at only half a day as at first it gave his tummy an upset - a bit of diarrhea. Now it's split and the Vet said that was okay.

I haven't read the whole thread yet - but working my way through it. :-) Krista and you have a lot going on. It's amazing to read.

I've had three fountains. One is gone now as I think the plastic contributed to Charlies issues.

The original one was this:


I wish it came in a metal as it was awesome. Charlie loved it and it was quiet, just the sound of running water. Peaceful. Hard to clean though and I think as it aged the plastic didn't hold up. Shame as it was the best one.

I replaced it with this: (I regret it and wished I bought anther Pagoda instead)


I hate it. It's a PITA, but, Charlie doesn't seem to mind it. It is a bit louder and again hard to clean.

This is the second one:


Not very loud, sounds like running water, easy to clean but the downside is that it needs to be cleaned more often and you have to be careful when cleaning it or you could break it.

Upside: All the kitties, but one - love it! Mia is scared of it. She is a very skittish kitty though. The other 3 thinks its great. Charlie, Brave Heart and White label just love it.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I feel stupid for asking but what is poopfoot?

Poopfoot is when the cat steps in their poop and gets it on their foot Mostly happens when they have diarrhea.

 

[FeralHearts]

Poopfoot is when the cat steps in their poop and gets it on their foot Mostly happens when they have diarrhea.

DOH! makes sense thank you LOL

 

[daftcat75]

With everything Krista and I have been through, if I can’t laugh it off and give her mean nicknames, then we’d never have made it this far.

Three Tooth, Gallagher, Barf Grenade, Hat Trick, One Tooth, Super Pooper, Pooper Trooper, Poop Leg, Poopfoot, ...

 

[FeebysOwner]

Poopfoot - in Feeby's case has nothing to do with diarrhea, but rather the fact that she gets in the litterbox, pees on her foot and then poops on top of the pee and then walks all through it to get out. But, I guess that would be pee-poop-litter-foot!!!

 

[daftcat75]

No Poopfoot this morning. There were some very unladylike noises coming from the litterbox though. I thought that would be all soup and no poop. Soft poop, no soup.


"Three bites of tuna (and medicine) and you're done."


"Rabbit? Tuna flakes? Powdered duck liver? Powdered turkey liver?"


One hour later and we finally finished the tuna, rabbit, poultry liver bribe glop just to get 1 cc of medicine in her. Was that really easier than a "bag and gag"? Three days down, four to go.


"Still hungry?"


"Rabbit?"


"Rabbit grudge now, eh? Turkey?"


So she's over her turkey grudge from yesterday (because that's what the medicine was folded into yesterday.) I got a call that my Rawz duck order came in so we can try turkey medicine again tomorrow morning and rotate to duck when the turkey grudge returns. This is why it's important to have two or three foods to rotate through. Not personal preferences but grudges and supply issues.

We're finally done with morning shift. She's napping with me in the office. That'll do, Donkey!

 

[daftcat75]

I may have done the last stoma site clean. I finally got the last stitch out of her, and her scab fell off yesterday or the day before. She still scratches at the site a fair amount but that could be the kollar or the cream. I'm not sure I need to keep cleaning it when I don't even see where it is anymore. But I would like to keep the kollar on at least another day or three. Besides, she looks awfully naked with a shaved neck.

I found Krista's Valentine's Day gift: freeze-dried raw turkey hearts!

 

[daftcat75]

I think I mixed today's dose with both too little and too much food. I started little because it's easier to get her to finish a little portion. But then I started mixing in more food because I know she likes the food. It worked to a point. And then I realized there's a full portion out on the plate now. Lots of fish flakes and duck liver later and I'm pretty sure she got most of the dose. I'm not sure if I want to pressure her for the last few grams. I'll mix more food in and let her finish that on her own time.

Over the hump! 4 down, 3 more to go.

 

[daftcat75]

I'm so glad Krista is already holding a grudge against Rawz duck after I bought a case yesterday. You wait, girl! Medicine is going in a turkey portion tomorrow morning, and duck will be your new favorite food again.

 

[FeralHearts]

I love her 24 hour grudges against food. Cracks me up!

I'm really glad she doesn't hold it longer - so technically - really - Krista is very forgiving. at least in her mind. ;-)

 

[daftcat75]

She doesn't get very many choices. Partly because there just aren't that many foods I can feed her, but mostly because I can't afford to have her become opionated. (Because there aren't that many foods I can feed her.)


I need her to believe it's one or the other. I had turkey leftover from the overnight and we switched to duck in the morning for medicine. She's finished the turkey and the duck remains. When I swap out the plate in a few hours, I'll either pick up a cleaner plate (she'll be hungry again) or I dump the last of that duck can. She'll get turkey on the overnight. Then I'll poison it in the morning with medicine. She'll come back around to duck.


And when I say "the overnight", I mean I have a night shift feeding this cat! She has a night shift of eating. Every few hours, I wake to replace the plate with fresh food. She's been doing pretty good keeping up her end. That makes it a lot easier and more rewarding to keep up mine.

 

[Furballsmom]

HI!

She still scratches at the site a fair amount

Have you had a chance to try chamomile tea (from the little baggies)? It's anti fungal and anti bacterial, eases itchiness and if she were to lick it, it's safe.

Also, I meant to mention, --although that fountain you have has an indicator for the condition of the filter so this idea doesn't really have legs (especially if it's an audible indicator), but what if you didn't bother with that filter and used either a pitcher or faucet-end water filter? I can buy 7 filters for my faucet-end unit at Costco for about $40 which is approximately 6-7 months of use, and the faucet-end filters remove a lot more contaminants than the ones in the fountains.

Anyway, I just thought I'd toss that out there

 

[daftcat75]

I already fill the unit with pitcher filtered water. The filter in the unit is to keep anything that falls into the water (dust, cat hair) after it's been poured into the unit from being recirculated and accumulating.

 

[Furballsmom]

You're way ahead of me
Anyway, maybe the tea would help her itchiness

 

[daftcat75]

I haven't tried chamomile yet. I kind of want to finish up the antibiotics before I take on another thing. She can wear the kitty kollar for a few more days. At this point, it could be 50/50 site vs. collar that's causing the itchies. She only just got the last stitch out yesterday. Tomorrow we can swap out to the other new kitty kollar I had ordered just days before she pulled her tube out.

 

[Furballsmom]

it could be 50/50 site vs. collar that's causing the itchies.

Tomorrow we can swap out to the other new kitty kollar