Hi Bonnie,
Prayers are on the way for your kitties and for you! I'm so sorry to hear that all this is happening; it's so hard when it seems that everything is happening at once.
Giving sub-q fluids at home is not at all difficult to learn; it can be a bit of trouble if the animal really dislikes it, because you need 8 hands to give the fluids and restrain them at the same time. I have a couple of kitties, though, who don't care at all; I literally "plug them in" and they just sit there while I do other things!
Sending you all best wishes, Julie
Bonnie Nelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Bonnie Nelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I have to admit, I have been only a lurker here for the last year or so. My teaching schedule and problems in personal life with family type stuff have kept me pretty busy. I have been reading every email but many times pretty late and felt awkward responding to some of the sad occurrences over a month late, hence I haven't been responding or posting at all.
I sent James an email a few weeks ago changing my email address because our college has just moved to university status and our addresses changed. I did not want to lose contact, so I just put through the email change and have still gotten them but looked back and noted the last one I have read was the end of June - still quite behind in reading.
I want to say I have cried many tears reading about the new furangels and celebrated when new kitties were given homes. I am just so sorry that I never posted anything. Especially since right now when I really need to ask for your support.
James the week after I told you my cats were doing okay - just getting old, I had 2 cats slow down on their eating. Collette - my asthmatic, IBD and positive FELV test once has slowed down but still eats some. The vet feels like she is moving into pulmonary fibrosus because of the asthma and may be coming to the end because of that problem. The real shocker was when my Antoinette pretty much stopped eating around the same time. I took all three of my cats to the vet - because Cossette needed new blood work before having her teeth cleaned - got all ready for it last November and then never got around to doing it. Any way the vet cleared her for teeth cleaning - all blood work was fine. Collette's blood work was fine but the vet noted her chest enlargement and the progression of her asthma - kind of like people getting chronic obstructive lung disease, but the real shocker was that Antoinette ( Annie) had lost 2 pounds in the 6 month period she had last been there - I told the vet, I really think it occurred in the last 2 - 3 weeks when she slowed down on her eating. She gave me some different suggestions and I tried them all.
I am glad that I have still been reading because I have also tried the turkey, chicken and beef lunch meats. Remebered that she liked cream cheese, plain donuts and an occassional potato chip. We have gone through absolutely every kind of cat food and even tried KMR since I remembered when I rescued her that she took that through a bottle for 3 weeks till she was big enough to eat regular kitten food.
I took Cossette in for her teeth cleaning and arranged a follow-up for Annie. She had gone from 11 lbs down to 8.9 lbs in about 4 weeks. The vet asked what I wanted her to do and of course I said find something we can fix. I know Annie is 15 years old but she still cuddles and massages my neck, so I didn't think she was ready to go yet. Unfortunately, the chest x-ray showed a lung tumor. Her belly looked fine but her blood work showed that she was heading toward hepatic lipidosis. I asked about an oncologist and the vet told me the closest one was in Southfield, Michigan and I live in Toledo, Ohio. Because of a bad back and legs I don't know how many trips up there I could make but I'm not giving up. The vet gave me some A/D food and feeding syringes but so far Annie has been eating that on her own - about 2 tsp. twice last night and 2 tsp twice this morning. Then I had to come to work. I will be leaving shortly and will let her eat or force feed her every couple of hours tonight.
I am taking Collette in for a new chest x-ray to check on her asthma and blood worrk because she still in not eating much either. Collette and Cossette were both from the same liter and are each 16 years old. I know my cats are getting old and the vet understands that I am not giving up on them. When I look in their eyes they are still there. Cossette's teeth cleaning went well yesterday and I even had them do chest an abdominal xrays on her and she looks fine. That was about the only good news this week.
So, I guess I need to ask if Belinda can add to the candlelight service - Collette - FELV + once, then negative 6 months later by IFA - thank goodness I joined this group and knew what to ask for. And please add Antoinette (Annie) to the list for her lung cancer and that she either start eating so we can see the oncologist or have a peaceful end. She cuddled in my arm the entire night last night and woke me up with a neck and cheek message. She isn't giving up yet and neither am I. The vet gave her 200 ml of subq fluids yesterday and will give her another 200 tomorrow when I go in for her weight check. I am going to ask them if I can take a try at this and continue doing it at home to keep her comfortable and maintain some fluids.
Again, I am sorry for not participating much lately. Annie, I remember when you joined the group and sense that you are not far away. Gloria, Belinda, and the rest of the old group when I first joined and to all the new folks since then, I wish the best of luck with all of your cats and other pets. Please consider giving a prayer for my 2 sickly kitties and some time soon, I will start participating more. I don't have a computer at home, so I am limited to after work hours and weekends which is another reason I get so far behind. I am leaving now to go home and get Annie to eat a little more and cuddle as much as she wants to. You guys have all been in my thoughts and will continue to be.
Bonnie from Ohio and her 3 girls
Cossette, Collette, and Antoinette (Annie)
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"I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is
to protection by man from the cruelty of man. "
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged
by the way its animals are treated."
Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)
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If you're thinking about de-clawing your cat, you need to re-think your decision to acquire a pet.
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