A Daisy Update

[vic23]

Hi All,
I still regularly view the forum on here, but it's been a while since I have updated you on Daisy. I am going to be open with you and tell you that this was mainly due to my anxiety problems - I have an issue with anxiety and was terrified that if I updated with some good news I would tempt fate. This may sound ludicrous to most of you, but if someone is reading who has experienced anxiety, then perhaps you can relate.

Some of you will probably recall Daisy had a problem with sickness and after some tests (no surgery) back at the beginning of October, the vet diagnosed a tumour due to a mass showing on the ultrasound, although couldn't conclusively confirm this without surgery, which I was not prepared to go ahead with as there was a high risk she would not come through it. So, back then, the only real option was to try her on steroids. For the first month or so, she was taking 5mg of steroid per day together with an anti sickness tablet - we gradually weaned her off the anti-sickness (I was terrified about doing so) and she was fine.

She has now been on steroids for around 2.5 months in total and has experienced no sickness during this time. I am in monthly contact with the vet about her condition and I spoke with her again this week. She was very pleased that there was still no sickness and - here is (hopefully) the good bit - she now thinks because she has responded so well, that the problem was not in fact a tumour, but just a patch of unexplained inflammation. I was of course over the moon with this news, but I am still very cautious and living one day at a time with this. Tonight has been another big step, as for the first time, we have reduced her dose down from 5mg per day to 2.5mg. The vet wants to see whether the sickness remains at bay on 1/2 a dose with a view to bringing her down to 1mg longer term. This frightens me and plays on my anxiety as I know that reducing steroids can be dangerous and with my personal situation, any risk is major in my mind. The vet said that 5mg is not too much of a high dose, but reading online other cats seem to be on a dose every other day or even every week. Also, I am fearful of the sickness returning and what this might mean plus I'm worried about the long term effects. Daisy was overweight when we rescued her and we had started to make a brief start on reducing her weight when the issues hit, so she is perhaps a little more prone to long term effects. However, I did read an article online saying cats should ideally not be on steroids for more than a few months and Daisy is only 2.5 months in, so hopefully we are still on the right side of things.

[Janey]

I remember Daisy and I am so pleased how things how turned out so far for her. It does sound promising and before I read the bit about the vet saying she thinks she may not have what they originally thought crossed my mind too. It sounds like you have a very good vet who taking things slowly and that seems to be working well. I will keep everything crossed that things continue to get better for Daisy give her a big snuggle from me please x

[Mayday21]

Hi Vic as with Janey I too remember your posts about Daisy. Greatbto read she's doing well. Rest assured you're not the only one to share issues of anxiety. I know what that's like. And yes tempting fate ... keep us updated on Daisy's progress. Fusses & ear rubs for her. Vivian

[Lilith]

Hi Vic, as one of the world's greatest worrybuckets I can relate totally to what you're saying. Anxiety is a terrible, debilitating thing; it's no joke.

But the news does sound very hopeful for Daisy - hope she continues to make more progress in future, hugs and congrats to both of you, all paws crossed here and Shahi the royal python is crossing his tail x

[booktigger]

I'm glad that things seem better for Daisy. Re the steroids, the only worry with reducing is doing it too quickly. My Molly was misdiagnosed with Intestinal Lymphoma when she was 17 and put on steroids which she ended up on for the rest of her life - she was 21 when she died. The aim for long term is the lowest effective dose, Mol's was half a tablet twice a week, and she had blood tests every 6 months. Hope that helps a bit.

[vic23]

Hi All,

Thanks for the messages.

I am so worried about reducing the dose, just in case she has a bad reaction to coming off them quickly. As we would never be able to give her a tablet normally, we have to crush it and put it in her food - We have a special pill cutter from the vets, so the tablets are definitely properly halved, but we then have to crush them. I am paranoid that she is not getting the full dose and this is a big risk - However, as my boyfriend pointed out, this may also be the case with the whole tablet, which we also crushed. If I am worried about her, I would usually pop home at lunchtime, but due to a work event tomorrow, I can't and I worry that she is OK.

@ booktigger - I remember you mentioned that Molly was on steroids in my older post. In your experience, do you think that reducing the dose from 5mg per day to 2.5mg is about right?

[booktigger]

Hi All,

Thanks for the messages.

I am so worried about reducing the dose, just in case she has a bad reaction to coming off them quickly. As we would never be able to give her a tablet normally, we have to crush it and put it in her food - We have a special pill cutter from the vets, so the tablets are definitely properly halved, but we then have to crush them. I am paranoid that she is not getting the full dose and this is a big risk - However, as my boyfriend pointed out, this may also be the case with the whole tablet, which we also crushed. If I am worried about her, I would usually pop home at lunchtime, but due to a work event tomorrow, I can't and I worry that she is OK.

@ booktigger - I remember you mentioned that Molly was on steroids in my older post. In your experience, do you think that reducing the dose from 5mg per day to 2.5mg is about right?

Yes, as the aim is to get the lowest effective dose, and I think the only way you can do it in cat tablets is by halving (when I personally last had a course of steroids, it was reduced by a tablet a day, and I did notice the tablets were pretty much the same, including the dosage, so I think I had to have 6 for the first so many days, then reduce it)

[vic23]

Hi All,

Daisy usually eats all her food put down for her, so I don't usually have to worry about her getting the crushed steroid, but tonight she has left a lot of food,so I am worried that she won't have got all of the steroid, if any. Plus I'm worried that she is feeling poorly and the steroids are stopping working.

If I read on the internet, there is a big emphasis on missed doses and reducing the dose too quickly and the high risks associated with this. Does anyone have any more information on this?

I'm really panicking about the steroids and whether her condition is worsening, even though it is just one meal. She ate her breakfast fine and some biscuits around lunchtime (she only has the steroid in the evening and has to have it in the evening).

I suffer from anxiety and the stress of this is already taken its toll on me and the worry of this on top of Christmas approaching too.

Sorry a bit garbled but I need to share.

[Lilith]

Hi Vic, I'm not well up on steroids, but this is cats for you, awkward little gits!

If it was me I'd just leave her grub down for her and say, get on with it overnight, missis ... yes, and I too would worry like hell.

Could it be possible to feed her meds separately in just a small spoonful of whatever she fancies? I do this with my oldies' joint supplement and it gets polished off straight away (but it does smell fishy!)

This is just one of these unavoidable glitches in the course of trying to medicate a cat; please try not to worry (famous last words from world's worst worrybucket )

All the very best, and for the holiday too