Well, I called the vet. $200 to shave the bellies if they need anesthetic to do it. Yep - Tuxedo would absolutely, 100% need anesthetic. The others... I don't know. Lazlo has had a lot of abdominal ultrasounds, I'll have to find out if he was anesthetized to do it. He's the one I worry about the most.
I don't know if anyone saw I posted about Tuxedo in the health forum a few weeks ago. I think. I might have just told Feralvr via PM. :lol3: Either way, he was eating litter, so I immediately thought he was anemic (having fought an autoimmune disease that causes anemia for 8 years).
Well - he wasn't.
Yet - he's still nibbling litter from time-to-time.
And Spooky has peed in the bathroom several times, yet has no blood or crystals in her urine, no infection. She is prone to both, but her pH is good.
And Lazlo has a plastic pica when his tummy doesn't feel well.
I finally "got" it when Tuxie threw up a hairball filled with litter (!!!!) yesterday.
Tuxie is eating litter because of the hairballs.
We KNOW Spooky also pees outside the box when something isn't "right." The last several times it was cystitis - before that, it was her teeth. This time, it coincided with .... hairballs.
And Lazlo's eating plastic again because of ... hairballs.
I'm going out of my mind here. I don't know what else to do, and I cannot afford $800. I can't afford $200.
We will take Lazlo, and see if it can be done without. THAT will cost $25. (A lion cut is only $50!). Maybe I should give them some of Gary's valium before we go.
I really am at a loss here. I decided to bring in grass for the boys to chomp. If they can bring up the hairballs, or if it will help them pass it, that's what they'd be doing rather than eating litter and plastic. So ... I'm going to let them have it. There are no pesticides use here ever, and the ferals chomp it all day long. Well - Smokey and Baloo do.
I brought in a bunch of long, fresh grass (we're rural, this is not "yard" grass). The three of them went to town and LOVED it. No one puked. I don't know how much or how often to feed, but I'll just follow Baloo and Smokey's lead. They chomp several strands at a time, many times a day. So that's what I'll let the boys do (Spooky doesn't want any). For her.... I just keep using the vaseline, I guess. :dk:
Did I mention I figured out how to get it in them when they need it? I put it in my Four Paws Easy Feeder syringe. And I squeeze out a small bit, and "dip" it in powdered freeze dried chicken liver (which they all love. OBviously anything could be used). And they lick it off. I just keep doing these little bits until they eat the amount I want them to have.
FYI, Tux and Shel are eating a full tablet of VB TWO times a day. Still getting the yolks, egg yolk lecithin, and SEB syrup now twice a day. I'll see if the grass stops the need for vaseline. :dk: Lazlo is only getting yolks, egg yolk lecithin, and SEB syrup, because I can't get the VB into him. Same for Spooky. Spook won't eat grass either, so.... I guess if I hear her hack, her appetite goes off, if she throws up undigested food, or she pees in the bathroom, I'll use the vaseline on her.
....or should I just use it as a preventative at this point? I'm really not sure.
This just so sucks.
I don't know if anyone saw I posted about Tuxedo in the health forum a few weeks ago. I think. I might have just told Feralvr via PM. :lol3: Either way, he was eating litter, so I immediately thought he was anemic (having fought an autoimmune disease that causes anemia for 8 years).
Well - he wasn't.
Yet - he's still nibbling litter from time-to-time.
And Spooky has peed in the bathroom several times, yet has no blood or crystals in her urine, no infection. She is prone to both, but her pH is good.
And Lazlo has a plastic pica when his tummy doesn't feel well.
I finally "got" it when Tuxie threw up a hairball filled with litter (!!!!) yesterday.
Tuxie is eating litter because of the hairballs.
We KNOW Spooky also pees outside the box when something isn't "right." The last several times it was cystitis - before that, it was her teeth. This time, it coincided with .... hairballs.
And Lazlo's eating plastic again because of ... hairballs.
I'm going out of my mind here. I don't know what else to do, and I cannot afford $800. I can't afford $200.
We will take Lazlo, and see if it can be done without. THAT will cost $25. (A lion cut is only $50!). Maybe I should give them some of Gary's valium before we go.
I really am at a loss here. I decided to bring in grass for the boys to chomp. If they can bring up the hairballs, or if it will help them pass it, that's what they'd be doing rather than eating litter and plastic. So ... I'm going to let them have it. There are no pesticides use here ever, and the ferals chomp it all day long. Well - Smokey and Baloo do.
I brought in a bunch of long, fresh grass (we're rural, this is not "yard" grass). The three of them went to town and LOVED it. No one puked. I don't know how much or how often to feed, but I'll just follow Baloo and Smokey's lead. They chomp several strands at a time, many times a day. So that's what I'll let the boys do (Spooky doesn't want any). For her.... I just keep using the vaseline, I guess. :dk:
Did I mention I figured out how to get it in them when they need it? I put it in my Four Paws Easy Feeder syringe. And I squeeze out a small bit, and "dip" it in powdered freeze dried chicken liver (which they all love. OBviously anything could be used). And they lick it off. I just keep doing these little bits until they eat the amount I want them to have.
FYI, Tux and Shel are eating a full tablet of VB TWO times a day. Still getting the yolks, egg yolk lecithin, and SEB syrup now twice a day. I'll see if the grass stops the need for vaseline. :dk: Lazlo is only getting yolks, egg yolk lecithin, and SEB syrup, because I can't get the VB into him. Same for Spooky. Spook won't eat grass either, so.... I guess if I hear her hack, her appetite goes off, if she throws up undigested food, or she pees in the bathroom, I'll use the vaseline on her.
....or should I just use it as a preventative at this point? I'm really not sure.
This just so sucks.