Krista's Care

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FeebysOwner

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I also got Krista Advantage 2 because I know she’s had it before. I have some from before. It has no expiration date. But I only want to do this to her as few times as needed. So might as well get the new stuff.
I used the old Adv II I had - also no expiration date. There was a method to my madness. Even if it is less potent - unless it has gone totally useless - it was better than full dosage if it accomplished anything at all. I think it accomplished something, and will likely use another old tube, but maybe a day or so before the month is over - just in case it's potency has been diminished. I think if I am within a day or so ahead of schedule, it should be no big deal. Hopefully, that will take care of the remaining buggers that are escaping the vacuum.
 

daftcat75

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A third and fourth poop came at 5:30am this morning. First the runny one that made the box. Then all the tell-tale signs of an impending carpet bombing. After chasing her out of a squat a couple of times, I brought a box out to her. Except that about half her load went over the edge onto the carpet anyway. Doh!

She's getting a "free" day. No mirtz. No stock. No Capstar. If she eats only half her food, so be it. I want her poops stabilized once more. It's stressful on the both of us. My suspicion is the stock. I'm going to look for a fancy (probably spendy) defatter since I'm not doing it right myself.
 

daftcat75

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I think she just needed to sleep off the poops from this morning. She came out from under the bookcase, made her way into my lap and onto my belly/chest (she's a little big for that when I'm not laying down) for her fill of loving. Except this time, she was giving kisses as much as she was getting in scritches. Then it was off to the food after she had her fill. Cats like routines and I guess I'm stuck with this one. ;)

I got pregnancy pillows off woot.com. I didn't know they were pregnancy pillows when I bought them. They looked like these huge curved body pillows. Pillow enough for under my head and between my legs. Pillow enough to roll from sleeping on one side to sleeping on the other without having to take my pillows with me. And pillow enough for Krista to half-Sphinx on me (other half on the pillow) just about every chance she can get. I think she was on me between 4 and 6 times last night alone!

It's a rough job getting this one to eat sometimes!
:purr:
 

daftcat75

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Wish the eating issues could be solved...
Me too! But they couldn't find anything wrong with her mouth when they did a dental. There is one board certified veterinary dentist in the area. They are about 45 minutes away. They are likely very expensive! And also likely booked quite a ways out.

My thought is that we finish up this month without any major changes (except today's free day and likely Advantage tomorrow.) Then I will take her in next week to re-test the blood and urine for the things that were out of range last month likely due to dehydration. If that was the case and everything looks good once more including no anemia and no pancreatitis, then we'll finish up the flea eradication and book that expensive vet dentist.
 

daftcat75

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Wish the eating issues could be solved...
Is Feeby eating any better? How goes your flea eradication?

I feel like our home is mostly flea-free but then I get eaten alive everytime I leave it. So maybe the shoes kept in a box outside with DE is not helping, maybe the car still has fleas, maybe I am picking them up every time I go on a run because I prefer the (paved) creek trail over the roads. I would like to find something similar to the lemon eucalyptus oil except water-resistant. I feel like I can't put much of anything on me that's not going to have to be immediately washed off before I interact with Krista. I am tempted to start taking Capstar for dogs. On the other hand, the more I read about imidacloprid (the one in Advantage 2 and the carpet and upholstery spray), the less I worry about it. I've done a few test sprays indoors around the bed. If Krista doesn't have any reactions to it today or tonight, I may get a little more targeted about where I spray it. But I still think it's me more than her that's got the flea problem now. :(
 

FeebysOwner

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Is Feeby eating any better? How goes your flea eradication?
Thanks for asking! She is eating better, and is inclined to take a few more ventures away from her 'coffee table safe zone'. She actually came to bed to sleep with me last night! I can't even tell you for sure when she did that last. She is not scratching at all, so Adv II must be working for her. Husband still gets some bites, but more tolerable than before.

I feel like our home is mostly flea-free but then I get eaten alive everytime I leave it.
Is it when you leave or when you return? My husband seems to think that rooms that have not had recent activity (maybe your car too?) and then he goes in them is when he finds some. This goes hand in hand with what I read about "dormant/pupae' fleas waking up because of the vibration/heat from someone entering an area. The good thing is that as areas are treated, the IGR should help diminish this.

the more I read about imidacloprid (the one in Advantage 2 and the carpet and upholstery spray), the less I worry about it.
I agree. I think it will work - enough so, as I said Feeby will get her second Adv II within the next few days. I have read that even with Adv II and carpet treatments, you can still expect to see fleas for as long as 3 months. Argh!!!

But I still think it's me more than her that's got the flea problem now.
That might actually hold true between Feeby and my husband. I would still NOT recommend you take Capstar for dogs!! ;)

Edit: Maybe soak a pair of socks (of course then let them dry) in IGR????
 

daftcat75

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Thanks for asking! She is eating better, and is inclined to take a few more ventures away from her 'coffee table safe zone'. She actually came to bed to sleep with me last night! I can't even tell you for sure when she did that last. She is not scratching at all, so Adv II must be working for her. Husband still gets some bites, but more tolerable than before.


Is it when you leave or when you return? My husband seems to think that rooms that have not had recent activity (maybe your car too?) and then he goes in them is when he finds some. This goes hand in hand with what I read about "dormant/pupae' fleas waking up because of the vibration/heat from someone entering an area. The good thing is that as areas are treated, the IGR should help diminish this.


I agree. I think it will work - enough so, as I said Feeby will get her second Adv II within the next few days. I have read that even with Adv II and carpet treatments, you can still expect to see fleas for as long as 3 months. Argh!!!


That might actually hold true between Feeby and my husband. I would still NOT recommend you take Capstar for dogs!! ;)

Edit: Maybe soak a pair of socks (of course then let them dry) in IGR????
What’s the IGR you are using around Feeby? Or maybe not around her? What’s the rules of engagement here?
 

FeebysOwner

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The IGR is for: 1.) in Adv II, and for 2.) I am using Adams Flea (and Tick) Spray. Only, I don't use it when she is in the area. The stuff stinks to high heaven of alcohol, but dissipates to nothing after dry. There are others IGRs as well. Check out this web sight - FleaScience

Edit: I do use it in her areas, but just when she is somewhere else. No adverse effects, other than the damn initial smell. This stuff is supposed to be able to be used ON cats - uh, no way.
 
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daftcat75

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She was actually eating alright for a free day. Until she threw up after first dinner. And hasn’t eaten anything since.

I’ll mirtz her this morning but she’s under the bookcase. I can wait for her. Probably.

Mission accomplished. I think. I’m never really sure until it kicks in.

We’re almost finished with the month and with the fleas and I can’t be taking her in this weekend for dehydration and next week to retest those things that were off with dehydration last time. Nope. I hope to stem off the dehydration by restarting her eating today rather than letting her hunger strike run its course.

And now we wait for it to take effect...
 

daftcat75

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After many cuddle sessions on me, she finally climbed down and started eating again. Mirtz is doing its job. I love that mirtz!

She had a small good poop last night followed by a runny one a little later. No carpet bombing attempts. That’s progress.

Between the barf last night, a small hairball this morning, and a little stomach acid that followed that (before and why I finally gave her the mirtz again), and the poops last night, she’s earned every bit of her time under the bookcase this morning.

I’ll pick up a defatter this weekend and make up another batch of stock.

I’ll wait for tonight or tomorrow morning to give her Advantage 2. Not so much medicine in one morning.
 

daftcat75

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My friends keep nominating me for Cat Dad of the Year. I think at best, I might be up for Best Cat Dad in a Supporting Role. If I was the lead, I wouldn’t be cleaning poops and barfs.
:crackup:
 

daftcat75

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She had a third awful poop later this morning. Poop soup! :( It’s a good thing she’s back on the mirtz or I would totally understand if she didn’t want to eat for awhile.

As it was, she finished about half of her morning meals and more than half of the daytime meals. But tonight. Tonight she is a rock star. She finished both plates including some Feline Comfort Plus to help with her loose stools and Pet Flora (probiotic) too.

I think my kitchen has the sleeper fleas that wake with noise and vibration. Or in my case, attack my legs every time I stand on the rubber mat in front of the sink (and trash/recycling underneath it.) I sprayed it with the Advantage spray. But it is a kitchen and a room she goes in so I have to be conservative.

Tomorrow morning I will put the Advantage 2 on the back of her neck. I wanted to wait until the vet reopens in case she has a reaction. We’ll tough it out for one more night. :(
 

daftcat75

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She finished all of first dinner. She’s finished second dinner. She’s down to crumbs right now. Her first feeder doesn’t open for another 3 hours. Crazy! Was this the same cat who didn’t eat anything last night after a first dinner barf-back? Let’s hope it all stays down and treats her right on the back nine.
 

daftcat75

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Still pooping soup. :(. I have a few theories. Unfortunately they all take 12-24 hours to test.

I think it’s possible the Loop soups her poops. This is something we experienced before. I used to wait two hours from her last meal to Loop her. Now she nibbles all the time that I started Looping her whenever she was tired enough to put up with it. Usually after a meal. The last time I Looped her was this morning. Doh! That might explain tonight’s pile. Which was actually approaching a pile instead of a puddle.

Second theory is the fish flakes. She’s perhaps not totally healed up and although I haven’t given her but maybe three flakes in three days, that’s more than she’s had in awhile. Last flake was yesterday morning.

I have been lax on her B-12 because I ran out of syringes and needles. And because I hate doing it to her. I stopped at the vet today and picked up some syringes and needles. I gave her a B12 shot tonight.

Her poops are probably soup because her gut or butt is inflamed. I made a new batch of stock last night and gave her half a spoonful of the new batch to help with inflammation.

First breakfasts and first dinners I feed from a new can. I have been adding her probiotic to that portion which is always more swiftly eaten than the second meals.

None of this replaces a vet visit because she likely needs fluids now. So I’ll book that visit on Tuesday.

In the meantime, I have a seaweed calcium supplement that is supposed to dry up her stools fast. A quarter dose is mixed into her overnight portions. Hopefully she’ll finish them because I just had to chase her into cat jail with her boxes to avoid a carpet bombing campaign. :(

My overall theory is that whatever started it, it’s inflamed now and will continue until the inflammation abates. Identifying the trigger is only one piece of this puzzle. No more Loop or fish flakes to be safe. The lithothanium (seaweed calcium), probiotic, and meat stock will all nudge her healing in the right direction while we wait for whatever tests and results the vet wants to perform.
 
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daftcat75

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Instead of a poop puddle, we had a thin pretzel. That’s progress! But I fear it’s the calm before the storm. Yep! We had a carpet pile. :( But... It was a soft pile rather than a puddle.
:yess:

We’re still a ways off from her perfect poops. But stopping the puddles is a fantastic first step.

Exciting morning! I woke up to clean plates but I’m keeping her on mirtz until we’re done with fleas. So...open up! This morning’s mouth wrestling match was a good one.

We followed that with a weigh-in: a “stable” 9 lbs. She was 9 lbs last week so she’s not losing weight (anymore.) But she was 9.5 last month.

Treat time! Gave her half a spoon of stock. I want to see a full 24 hours at half a spoon, twice a day before I give her anymore.

First breakfast had a pinch (1/16 tsp) of lithothanium (seaweed calcium, a drying agent for her diarrhea), and a 1/4 capsule of her probiotic. She has finished both plates of first breakfast. Getting these supplements in her is so much easier this time around with the help of mirtazapine. As with the stock, I want to see a full 24 hours of a pinch of lithothanium twice a day before I add anymore. Don’t want to swing things too fast in the other direction.

So that’s her med stack. Now we repeat that for another poop before we change anything.

This doesn’t replace the vet visit. This helps us get through the holiday to that visit and hopefully make some progress while we’re at it. Even if tonight’s poop is perfect again, I think this has gone on long enough that she should have some fluids.
 
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daftcat75

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The calcium did its job. No more puddles. So much poop though! The first one was a log maybe 1.5 to 2 times the length of her head. Then came a second poop that was a little softer but still mostly formed. Like a thinner soft-serve sausage. Nearly as long as the first. And yet, she’s still unsettled. So I keep looking at her like, “I know what you’re thinking and I have my eyes on you.” After crouching low a couple of times like she’s just waiting for me to drop my guard to switch to a squat, she gave me a short (defiant!) scoot and then went off to the boxes for one last contribution—a small collection of the softer bits that didn’t make the last two logs.

These still aren’t healthy poops even if we stopped the puddles. It’s like she’s not concentrating her poop. Too much poop! Whatever angry in the gut that is causing this is not addressed. Only that we have slowed things down.

Vet opens in an hour. I’ll call them up and see if she can get in for fluids and re-tests today. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep any of her poop to bring to the vet. I was just trying to keep the boxes cleaned fast enough to avert a carpet campaign. Double unfortunate though, she’ll likely evacuate herself at the vet in her carrier if they do need a sample. She does her business so you know she mean business.
 

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I saw in your previous posts you've been using DE to combat the flea issue. How often would you dust Krista with the DE?
We're currently going this route until we can possibly afford spot-on treatments soon for both cats + dog, although they had Frontline back on August 15th (which didn't seem to work). Today's another day of vacuuming for sure!
 
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