I'm such a bad mama, guys...Hobbes still not well

[maherwoman]

Well, things are progressing with the kitties...

Today they sniffed noses...but haven't progressed to bathing each other. Last night, we let them both in the livingroom together...but Sunny would still hiss now and then and growl (especially when Hobbes would jump onto the bed with her already there).

Haven't heard much growling today...I hope things continue to improve!

Hobbes is still licking his "ya knows" now and then, and still cries occasionally after being in the litterbox...but he's doing better...and those things are getting less frequent.

 

[Bassetluv]

Rosie, I think you should have a talk with Sonny and remind her that if she doesn't stop hissing, then Santakitty isn't going to be very good to her, and Hobbes will get more in his stocking than her. That should bring the two of them together again quickly!

Glad to hear things are continuing to progress!

 

[maherwoman]

Ya know, Bassetluv...that's a GREAT idea! I'm gonna have a talk with that stinky little girl. (Actually, they both smell quite nice, with the natural vanilla extract on them...ice cream kitties!! )

Here's hoping they make up soon!

I can't wait to see them bathe each other again...it's so cute! :biggrin2:

 

[maherwoman]

UPDATE AND GREAT NEWS!!

I wanted to let ya'll know...just a bit ago, I went into Em's room, and there on the bed were my babies...laying together like nothing had even happened! All snuggled and happy!

YAYY!!!

So, they're officially rebonded...and the world is good again.

 

[maherwoman]

Well, not so happy update, guys...

It's been about 48hrs since Hobbes' final dose of the antibiotics, and he's right back where we started. Still inappropriately peeing (peed on Em's brand new Spiderman shirts she got for Christmas...she's REALLY upset), going to the box frequently, and crying around the house.

I've called the place we took him to see if the dr would just go ahead and okay stronger antibiotics to try to kick this. We bought them a Drinkwell fountain on Christmas Eve, so they've had that for a few days now...but Hobbes had been sticking to the other water bowl...so we took that one away to see if he would just go to the fountain, but I have yet to see him drink from it. I'll be watching carefully to see about that. He didn't cry for water all night, so I'm assuming he drank while we were asleep (the level's down by about the amount it goes down each night with both drinking).

UGH!!

Oh, and the urine tests came back as negative on bacteria (though they also said that bacteria might just not have GROWN...whatever that means), but that he has VERY concentrated urine...in fact, she said it was more concentrated than they had ever seen before. Not sure what that means, exactly...but ok. She said that due to no bacteria having grown, it was most likely cystitis (meaning, just the general term for a urinary issue).

So, I've called to ask for a stronger antibiotic...just waiting to hear back...feelin' bad for my baby boy again...

 

[m.e.]

maherwoman wrote:

Oh, and the urine tests came back as negative on bacteria (though they also said that bacteria might just not have GROWN...whatever that means), but that he has VERY concentrated urine...in fact, she said it was more concentrated than they had ever seen before. Not sure what that means, exactly...but ok. She said that due to no bacteria having grown, it was most likely cystitis (meaning, just the general term for a urinary issue).

So, I've called to ask for a stronger antibiotic...just waiting to hear back...feelin' bad for my baby boy again...

Rosie, I'm sorry to hear that Hobbes isn't well :hug:

I was in your place almost two years ago with three of our cats, and I know the frustration of not finding a solution and the ache of seeing your baby (or babies) sick and just wanting them to be better. When they were in the hospital I could think of nothing else but wanting them home again.

I really hope that the antibiotics do the trick. We tried upping the antibiotics with the girls; it had a short-term effect because antibiotics also act as mild anti-inflammatories. But once the antibiotics stopped, they were sick again. We tried steroids, also as an anti-inflammatory; they peed constantly but didn't get better :? Their urinalyses showed no real bacterial growth (at least nothing outside the ordinary) and no crystallization. Their bladders were simply inflammed without any evident cause and after awhile I became concerned about the effects that antibiotics were having on their guts and on the other healthy, needed bacteria in their bodies. We exhausted literally every possibility that our vet suggested, save one: a prescription diet. I decided to feed them a raw diet instead and the results were nothing short of astounding. I know I've told that story here before, so I won't belabor the point.

I really do hope that Hobbes gets better. I know you're a good kitty mom and that you won't stop looking for the answers:hearts

 

[maherwoman]

Hmm...a raw diet...can you PM me what that entails, what it's about?

I'm going to try the stronger antibiotics...and see how that goes before changing his diet just yet. He's on a really good food...and I worry about him actually EATING a raw diet. (Never know, I guess...)

Both kitties have particular aversions to wanting to eat anything wet. And we've tried the whole range of wet foods, too. It's really frustrating.

Oh, and along with the fountain, we're also giving them reversed osmosis drinking water...so they are no longer getting fluoride-added water. (Giving it to the buns, too.)

Ugh...this is so frustrating...he's back to roaming the house constantly to find somewhere to pee...my poor sweet boy...

 

[Leaf]

maherwoman wrote:

Hmm...a raw diet...

I really like this website, as it tends to wrap up many informative links:

http://www.diamondpaws.com/health/barf.htm

......

http://touchmoon.com/dotters/raw/index.shtml
http://www.diamondpaws.com/health/barfveg.htm
http://www.barfers.com/
http://www.barfers.com/barf.html
http://www.barfers.com/barflists.html
http://www.bravorawdiet.com/
http://www.lepus.reach.net/NRS.html
http://www.puppycentral.net/Links/foods.html
http://www.k9rawdiet.com/rawlinks.htm
http://www.bpmurphy.com/laura/DogRoom/BARF/barf_suppliers.htm
http://www.geocities.com/sue_delaney/rmb.htm
http://www.switchingtoraw.com/
http://www.diamondpaws.com/health/barf.htm


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BARFNE/




Follow these links for more information:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/7244/diet.html
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/riverien/nutritogether.htm

Good introductory page
http://www.wholedane.com

http://www.barfworld.com/sneak_preview/index.html
http://www.naturalrearing.com
http://www.listservice.net/wellpet/wpfaq.htm
http://www.jps.net/punchie/barf.htm
http://www.auntjeni.com/barf.htm
http://www.healthierpets.com/
http://www.sentex.net/~sirius/nutro001.htm
http://www.skansen.com/
http://wholedane.tripod.com/barf.html
http://siriusdog.com/nutro001.htm
http://members.aol.com/abywood/www/risk_rcw.htm
http://members.aol.com/addieloo/index.html


Barfworld- Ian Billinghurst http://www.barfworld.com/main.shtml

Ian Billinghurst- http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/

Kymythy Schultze- The Ultimate Diet http://home.earthlink.net/~affenbar/

Pierce Grinder- http://www.piercechefmart.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PCM00199&Product_Code=1150276386

Pottenger's Cats-(scientific article about raw feeding of cats)
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/PottsCats.html

BARF for cats- http://www.felinefuture.com/

Purveyor's Search- finding some food sources in your area - http://www.ipindex.com/IPI%20Folder/Header%20Index%20.html

.......


Very nice vitamin and nutrition breakdown:

http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/3023/barf.html

.......

Here's another one I like:

http://b-naturals.com/Feb2003.php

 

[maherwoman]

Thank you, Jessica!

Checking all those out right now.

 

[Leaf]

I can probably find more cat info if I tried but it mayy take a while.



Some of those links were the best ones given to me when I adopted a 4 month old Vizsla/Dobie. He had horrid stomach problems (kibble food could literally go through him in 15 minutes, becoming smelly soup on my new carpet)

I haven't checked the all in a while, but if anything I recommend getting the books by Ian Billinghurst.

 

[m.e.]

I follow the recipe from this site:

http://catinfo.org/

The cats went from near-constant urinary problems to absolutely none once I switched them over. I don't have time at the moment, but the next chance I get I'll post or pm you with more about their transition from wet/dry to raw.

 

[maherwoman]

Ok, great! Thanks for the site, m.e. I'm going to check that out, and see what I can find.

Do you think it'll be a smoother transition for them if I mixed their dry food with the wet? The thing I encounter with our cats is the fact that they flat REFUSE to eat wet food.

Any suggestions on a good quality canned food that goes along with the raw diet requirements?

 

[Pipp]

Rosie, been there, done that...

And the only fix WAS the diet.

I spent a year trying to figure out the problem myself (after four vets), read aboutfood allergies,and another year latersomebody who said their cat was allergic to fish, tried cutting that out of her diet, and bingo. (It is TOUGH trying to find any fish-free cat food, many have fish meal as a minor ingredient).

There is still another ingredient she has a sensitivity to, but can't quite figure out what it is other than it's in dry food (maybe a grain?), so as long as I stick to wet food, no problem.

Wet food is strongly recommended, anyway. If you can get a fish and grain free food like Wellness Turkey, might be the ticket, although Hobbes may have a different sensitivity.

My cat hated the vet stuff, and it was ridiculously expensive, but if Hobbes likes it, that also would be afix.

I didn't go the raw food route because of price and availability in my area -- after M.E.'s experience, I tried to find a fish-free supplyand couldn't -- but I would guess that would be a fix as well.

Good luck!



sas :clover:

 

[seniorcats]

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear your boy is feeling bad again. Everyone is spot one with the diet information. I would love to try the raw diet here but with 16 cats to feed (and #17 hanging out in the barn) I think my DH would go crazy and take me with him. Emily mentioned in one of her raw posts some time ago that her cats teeth and gums are very healthy. That would be one of my main reasons for switching. We had dentals on 7 cats last year to the tune of $200 to $300 each -eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Did the vet put him on a diet//food that adds an acidifier? I believe that is usually done for cystitis. There are some dry foods that contain acidifiers. Perhaps water could be added to that?

You already know, he needs to get more water in him. Concentrated urine just means it is less dilute. It can come from dehydration or insufficient water intake. Have you ever been sick with a fever or virus, gotten dehydratedand peed really dark? That's concentrated urine.Usually cats with chronic renal failure have the opposite problem and they cannot concentrate their urine so toxicities build up. In either case, subq's usually help.

Water - can't remember if I mentioned this before (CRS-can't remember stuff) but some cats like to have a water bowl away from their food. It may look funny but I keep an extra water bowl in the living room. Actually it's behind a chair. We find ourselves filling it much more frequently than the bowl that's by their food. Sometimes they will drain the bowl in the living room dry. Also, the cats will jump the bunny gate and go in bunnyland to drink water from the bunny bowl.

Tell your Em I am so sorry Hobbes peed on her new clothes. Poor boy, it's just his way of making sure you know he is sick. A little white vinegar in the wash water should remove all problems.

Hugs to you, Em and the kitties.

Ann

PS forgot to add, did the vet check for any dental problems? Sometimes a bad mouth can cause systemic bacteria and the cat gets cystitis. I know it sounds strange for one 'end' to affect the other but we had it happen with 2 of ours. A dental cleaning and removing some bad teeth stopped the urinary problems.

And another thing - SAS's post, fish is usually a culprit. We try and avoid it with our cats.

SAS -wheat could be the other problem with your cat. We've had a few at the shelter who have gluten//wheat issues and absolutely have to avoid it. Thee are some gluten//wheat free dry cat foods available. Pure Gold? Something like that...I can check this weekend at the shelter and let you know.

 

[undergunfire]

How about Wellness brand? It is a high quality brand, and I have heard great things about it for the dogs & rats that eat the dog food. I have not heard anything about the cat food because I am not into cats all that much. It is very high quality, though.


http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/cat_wellness_dry_indoor_health.html


Here is a supplement for cats that might help:
http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/cat_wellness_supplements_welltabs_cat_formula.html





Rosie....are you asking around on a cat forum at all?



EDIT TO ADD: check out this site, I LOOOVE it for treats for the rats. There is some raw diet stuff on there, too!
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/default.aspx



EDIT TO ADD, AGAIN: I am pretty sure this food is grain-free AND fish free :
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Natural-Balance-Green-Pea-Duck-Dry-Cat-Food/158129.aspx

 

[maherwoman]

Thank you so much for your advice!

Sas...I'll ask about that...sensitivities. The only thing that puzzles me (and not to invalidate your advice) is the fact that they've had this food for about a year now, and he's JUST NOW showing problems. Would it take that long for something to show up? There haven't been any other dietary changes, and when we switched them, it was gradually.

Ann...I'm going to print out what you said and take it with me. I'm also going to be SURE that our normal vet is experienced in handling (fully) this issue...to be sure that he'll get the help he needs.

Amy...Yep, been asking on a cat forum. I've had a thread going on about his health...and just created a new one asking for advice this time around. Thanks for the idea!

Thanks for your help and ideas, guys!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

This is so sad! I am sorry about Hobbes!

I'm curious and hope you don't mind me asking here, Rosie, but has anyone heard of cats having ear swelling from allergies? Tank does and we have not found a food he isn't allergic to at some small level at the very least! We manage to keep his symptoms to nearly nothing most of the time.

Also, he had the cystitus with crystals.... he's good now but does have bouts of peeing problems (like just crying like he's passing a crystal or something?)

I wonder if he would do better on a raw diet....... he's allergic to beef and hates duck and pea food..... we think chicken works but turkey sends him into ear digging and crying.

NOTE: I just about died when I read that they feed raw rabbit on one of those sites!!

 

[m.e.]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

I'm curious and hope you don't mind me asking here, Rosie, but has anyone heard of cats having ear swelling from allergies? Tank does and we have not found a food he isn't allergic to at some small level at the very least! We manage to keep his symptoms to nearly nothing most of the time.

Well, our dogs ears would swell horribly when his allergies flared up. I assume the same could be said for cats :hug: His problems were also dietary and he had to be put on a special food. I regret not trying him on a raw diet, because aside from the whole 'raw' aspect, the best part of a homemade food is that you know exactly what goes into it. And when you're trying to pinpoint an allergy, it can be a nightmare to figure out which ingredient in what food is causing the problem.

 

[m.e.]

maherwoman wrote:

Sas...I'll ask about that...sensitivities. The only thing that puzzles me (and not to invalidate your advice) is the fact that they've had this food for about a year now, and he's JUST NOW showing problems. Would it take that long for something to show up? There haven't been any other dietary changes, and when we switched them, it was gradually.

Just look at human allergies: people can be fine for years and years, and then one day develop a sensitivity or even a severe allergy to a certain food. The body has a limited tolerance and often can only handle so much exposure before reacting. Our cats had been eating the same food for well over a year before they started having problems (and then we tried everything from Wellness to EVO to Merrick)

 

[Bo B Bunny]

That's so true about humans! and for years and years we didn't know what was going on cause I would get stomach cramps and even vomit if I ate fish of any kind!

Amazing to find out one day my throat was closing, my face was swelling......... yep allergic to seafood!!!