Vibes for Lucy please

[booktigger]

Thanks very much, I'll speak to the vet

[Mayday21]

Hi re your comments below re cartrophen injections, don't know if I've previously posted but the vet where I volunteer uses a 'laser' treatment. Depending on how severe the arthritis dictates how many weekly sessions. Clients are giving +Ve comments. Depending on our ages I recall as a child a 'red ray' lamp my mum used for my corgi who got hit by a car in PNG & had broken leg/hip. Sandynalways walked/ran with a limp favouring that leg.

We do also have the option of cartrophen (glucosamine) injections if we feel she isn't getting the benefit of the acupuncture.

And as always lots of fusses, earbrubs & treats to Lucy. Vivian

[booktigger]

I did a home visit a few months ago who used laser treatment for their dog but the centre is quite a distance, I didn't pursue it due to stress

[Antonio]

Hi booktigger,
Any news on Lucy? How's she?

[booktigger]

Leg wise she seems fine, although she's very edgy since the new fosters arrived

[booktigger]

Had a bad weekend with Lucy, she was sick at 6.30 am on Sat - she isn't normally sick till the afternoon, so I give her Ranatadine about lunch time to make sure she isn't sick. I gave her some when I got up, gave it an hour and offered her some food, but she growled at me, which panicked me. She did eventually eat about 12.15, ate her tea, but not interested in supper, so had to give her another dose of Ranatidine, and got her to eat a small amount of biscuits 2 hours later. Gave her her calcium meds yesterday and she has been fine since, but I'm worried in case this means either the meds aren't working well enough, or that the renal food is affecting them. Will see what she is like next weekend before deciding whether to bring her blood test forward (currently booked for 30th)

[Antonio]

Had a bad weekend with Lucy, she was sick at 6.30 am on Sat - she isn't normally sick till the afternoon, so I give her Ranatadine about lunch time to make sure she isn't sick.

What do you exactly mean by "she's sick"? Is she feeling belly ache, or nausea, or else?
I don't remember, is the Ranitidine you're giving her in pill or injectable?
My experience with the pills was tragic, difficult to dose correctly. Plus, in more than one occasion she threw it up a minute later. With injections I was very precise and effective.

Will see what she is like next weekend before deciding whether to bring her blood test forward (currently booked for 30th)

Why wait a whole week? I think that if she's feeling sick for more than two days in a row a vet should be seen.
All crossed for Lucy! Give her a big hug for us

[Lilith]

Aww poor lass - all the best to the pair of you x

Hi Antonio and Pallina by the way

[booktigger]

She was physically sick, her Ranatidine is given orally, first time I've had to give her two doses in a day. The reason for waiting a week is that is how long her calcium meds last for, she hasn't been sick since sat morning and appetite and behaviour is back to normal.

[Antonio]

She was physically sick, her Ranatidine is given orally, first time I've had to give her two doses in a day. The reason for waiting a week is that is how long her calcium meds last for, she hasn't been sick since sat morning and appetite and behaviour is back to normal.

So you see her battered? Is her arthritis giving her pains? This could explain her growling.
When a few weeks ago I had to give her the Ranitidine, I would give two shots a day, 7 am and 7 pm. My vet told me that this was the minimum to provide some relief and 3 times a day would have been the optimum.
Glad to read that something has improved.

Hi Lilith and Mousey

[booktigger]

Am not sure what you mean by battered? She had acupuncture on Thu, and i discussed her being sick the day before her meds with the vet, she was happy for me to give Ranatidine once a week, as we have to balance her quality of life.

[Antonio]

Am not sure what you mean by battered?

I mean she's feeling down, under the weather, probably I used a wrong term. Sorry.

[booktigger]

She was on Sat, been fine since

[Mayday21]

Hi hope things keep improving for Lucy - poor girl being sick. Sending +Ve vibes from me & the famous 4 from Oz. And good to see that Antonio & Lilith are keeping up on things & posting advice. Vivian

[booktigger]

Well, we haven't had a repeat of last week - at first I thought it might be the increase in renal food, but then realised that she hadn't eaten the third lot of it, and in hindsight, she was off her food on Fri, so I am wondering if it is connected to the cake she pinched out of my bag - although she often eats human food that she really shouldn't. I had cut out renal food this week, so will try it again next week and see if last week was just a one off or if that is the reason

[Lilith]

I'm not surprised, naughty girl, she must have been waddling round lol. I used to bake Madeira cake and some cats would go mad for it when it was warm and fresh. Well, a little of what you fancy ...

[Antonio]

I am wondering if it is connected to the cake she pinched out of my bag - although she often eats human food that she really shouldn't.

How much of that cake and what was in it?
Sometimes some ingredients are a real earthquake in pets' stomach and can give a bit of trouble for a few days.
Come on, Lucy, don't let you mom worry for you.
Show us that you're a good girl

Give a kiss to Lucy for me

[booktigger]

Am fairly sure she just licked the topping, I think it was some kind of buttercream, but didn't get to try it! Will give her a kiss, she seems in a good mood, or that could just be the fact she wants my chow mein - Chinese is another favourite!

[Antonio]

Well, I don't think that a bit of buttercream could have affected her stomach to that extent.
Might I ask you why you think that renal food could be an issue?
How is Lucy today?

[booktigger]

Well, renal food isn't advised for cats with hypercalceamia, so I wondered if increasing the amount she has was affecting her levels, but she has been fine since, although a tad grumpy today - didn't think the last feliway was working as it was lasting too long, but since changing it, she has been quite grumpy.

[Antonio]

Well, renal food isn't advised for cats with hypercalceamia, so I wondered if increasing the amount she has was affecting her levels, but she has been fine since, although a tad grumpy today - didn't think the last feliway was working as it was lasting too long, but since changing it, she has been quite grumpy.

I wonder if something that "trap" calcium from food exists. Just like phosphorus binders. I have googled but found nothing.
In the past I had noticed that those Feliway plugs didn't work at all in my house... I mean, I had three of them in different rooms and Pallina was still stressed and overgrooming. I spent a fortune in six months with zero results!

[booktigger]

Well, renal food isn't advised for cats with hypercalceamia, so I wondered if increasing the amount she has was affecting her levels, but she has been fine since, although a tad grumpy today - didn't think the last feliway was working as it was lasting too long, but since changing it, she has been quite grumpy.

I wonder if something that "trap" calcium from food exists. Just like phosphorus binders. I have googled but found nothing.
In the past I had noticed that those Feliway plugs didn't work at all in my house... I mean, I had three of them in different rooms and Pallina was still stressed and overgrooming. I spent a fortune in six months with zero results!

Well, they recommend high fibre food, rather randomly, but I wasn't impressed with the ingredients of fibre response. My main concern was her kidney values had gone back in normal range after 3 months of just changing her dry to renal, and keeping her wet normal, so I didn't really want to take her off it, as they would have gone back up again. Feliway makes living with Lucy bearable, all she wanted to do this morning was bite me when I tried to stroke her.

[Antonio]

Well, they recommend high fibre food, rather randomly, but I wasn't impressed with the ingredients of fibre response. My main concern was her kidney values had gone back in normal range after 3 months of just changing her dry to renal, and keeping her wet normal, so I didn't really want to take her off it, as they would have gone back up again. Feliway makes living with Lucy bearable, all she wanted to do this morning was bite me when I tried to stroke her.

Sounds like you have to find a balance between too little renal food that would increase her kidney levels, and too much renal food that would increase her calcium.
This can be quite stressful for you and for Lucy, especially for the frequent check-ups to see if something is not working.

Sorry, but the scene of Lucy that shows her love to you through her teeth looked funny in my mind.
We keep loving our furry friends even though they don't show too much gratitude.
It's the good part of having a cat, we have to deal with a small sized feline, tamed but still feline. It's like playing with an unpredictable small tiger. I would never trade a cat with a dog

[booktigger]

Yes, exactly!! The 3 monthly blood tests aren't too bad, it's the monthly acupuncture to keep on top of her arthritis without using something that could make her kidneys worse (not that she's good at accepting metacam, 2 days of doctored food and she refuses to come in the kitchen!!). The other downside of renal food is that it is harder to get them to lose weight, which she also needs to do to help her arthritis.

Thanks - at least they were love bites, not proper bites, unlike the claws that followed. She then gets annoyed and starts growling, but I can't physically move as she has claws in me. Really is a good job I love her.

[booktigger]

Lucy had her three monthly check up last night - whether it was the fact the vet was running late, or the pug that we walked past, but Lucy was in a really bad mood, took 3 of us to get blood from her, and we ended up having to use a really odd position to work round her!! She tolerated the acupuncture fine, but made the mistake of turning my back on her, so she jumped down and squeezed in a small gap, she was that squashed I couldn’t scruff her. Vet walked out of the room and left me to it!! Then she had a poo, so was trying not to drag her through that! Eventually got her out with no blood drawn, fortunately she didn’t hold a grudge when we got home.

[Lilith]

Is that a cat that you've got or a sabre-toothed tiger??

Mind you, pugs ... can never make my own mind up about pugs - are they cute or just another overbred nuisance dog? I was once in the vet's and a woman came in with a pug; naturally I smiled at the pug and then glanced at the woman and got a shock. She looked exactly like the pug! Poor woman - I wouldn't wish that on anyone! But then, beauty is in the eye ...

If it's true that owners look like their animals I'm glad I live with cats!

Hope you all recover from the latest episode Lucy and that the results are good

[Antonio]

booktigger,
were the needles of the acupuncture still in place when you drew Lucy out of her hiding spot? Was the acupuncture session effective at the end?
My God, such a stress for both of you.
Hopefully Lucy is fine and the reports will tell you exactly this. When wil you have the report?

Lilith,
I burst in a loud laugh when I read your post

[Lilith]

Lol Antonio, worse is to come ...

I ended up reading up about pugs and was intrigued by the 18th century painter William Hogarth who owned one, and called it 'Trump' ...

Was there something I didn't know about pugs?

There was.

In the list of possible health problems, it said that pugs are prone to ... flatulence ...

Never trust a pug, it seems. Or sleep with one ...

[Antonio]

[booktigger]

You would wonder Lilith! Antonio, fortunately we'd taken the needles out first. She still loves me, but had to bring a carrier in today, so she does keep hiding under the bed