Author Topic: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)  (Read 29841 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #75 on: June 05, 2012, 06:37:48 PM »
I don't have anything to add, but...    grouphug
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #76 on: June 05, 2012, 07:40:36 PM »
I don't have anything to add, but...    grouphug

Thank you Lola!  I love and appreciate all the support and understanding I get here. This is a great place to talk about food issues. No pressure, lots of feed back and support.

Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #77 on: June 07, 2012, 10:16:40 AM »
First of all,

 grouphug grouphug grouphug grouphug grouphug grouphug

I've been there. 
My first kitty, had a very similar issue.
The puking began when she was only about 5, and it was fairly infrequent, so I chalked it up to hairballs, par for the course.
As she got older, it became more frequent.  By the time she was 10, it was nearly every day.
The cleanup every day was so frustrating (carpets and puke... yeah, I relate to that).
And I was nearly a wreck knowing she wasn't holding down her meals and getting any nutrition.
I was such an idiot back then.
Took her to the vet multiple times.  Ran every test we could think of.  The most we could come up with was stomach inflammation.
Slowly, but surely, she wasted away, and I finally helped her cross the bridge.

The vet, being just as confused and frustrated, asked if he could do a necropsy.
I don't mean to be alarming, but what he discovered really surprised me... and explained everything.
She had a tumor, right at a small junction where the bile ducts and intestinal tubes met at the stomach.  It slowly grew until it was blocking almost all egress from the stomach.  Since it was at the junction, it didn't really show on the scans.

I know it's not the most heartwarming story, but it taught me not to take anything for granted.  Keep looking.  Expand the search, if necessary.  I still wonder, if the scans hadn't been so focused on one area, maybe we would have caught the darn thing earlier.

I'm so sorry you are going through this puking business. 
Truly hope you find the solution.
meow meow meow meow meow meow? -woof!
Translation: "I can has my raw food? -please!"

Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #78 on: June 09, 2012, 08:37:11 AM »
Thanks FMM. Believe me, tumors, growths and cancers hover in the back of my mind all the time.  However, I am still pretty sure that it is 7 years of corn heavy c/d kibble that has messed her up.

If she was loosing weight, vomiting every meal, unable to poop, lethargic, I would be pushing for much more testing.  But I have to consider her and what she can handle, too.  She goes berserk when caged in stainless steel.  And that's where she would be, if she has to have a lot of testing.  Caged in stainless steel. So I have to proceed very slowly with her.  Any other cat would have had all the test available done by now.  But this one......I have to take a more conservative approach.

Offline Lola

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #79 on: June 10, 2012, 02:24:11 PM »
FMM,
Sorry about the situation with your first kitty.   :(  You weren't an idiot, btw.   :-*

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Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #80 on: June 10, 2012, 08:50:57 PM »
FMM,
Sorry about the situation with your first kitty.   :(  You weren't an idiot, btw.   :-*



I agree with Lola. You weren't an idiot.  We learn as we go on.  No one can know everything. And you did everything possible for her. Stuff happens sometimes.   grouphug

Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #81 on: June 10, 2012, 09:22:31 PM »
FMM,
Sorry about the situation with your first kitty.   :(  You weren't an idiot, btw.   :-*

I agree with Lola. You weren't an idiot.  We learn as we go on.  No one can know everything. And you did everything possible for her. Stuff happens sometimes.   grouphug

Thanks guys.  I didn't mean to hijack.  Just... sharing hard lessons.  Cats3

... I have to proceed very slowly with her.  Any other cat would have had all the test available done by now.  But this one......I have to take a more conservative approach.
Fair enough.  You know your girl better than anyone. catmilk1
Is she getting the Stella and Chewy's with your other furkids?

.

meow meow meow meow meow meow? -woof!
Translation: "I can has my raw food? -please!"

Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #82 on: June 11, 2012, 06:56:23 AM »


Thanks guys.  I didn't mean to hijack.  Just... sharing hard lessons.  Cats3
Fair enough.  You know your girl better than anyone. catmilk1
Is she getting the Stella and Chewy's with your other furkids?



Pfft, that wasn't a hijack, it was completely relevant and I am very grateful for your input.

She is getting the Stella&Chewy's as a garnish over her meals that has pumpkin in them. She really hates the pumpkin, and has started resisting eating it.  But now, with a little S&C sprinkled over it,  she eats the serving right up.

Offline Lola

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #83 on: June 11, 2012, 06:33:53 PM »
Conversations are often going to change directions.  That is just the way life is.  If PF ever has 500 members...we can worry about such things then.  For now...If an OP is "concerned" about a thread going OT, the OP can bring it back to the original subject matter.  Fair enough?  ;D

All of you apologize tooooooo much.   :-*   
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #84 on: June 11, 2012, 08:08:44 PM »
Conversations are often going to change directions.  That is just the way life is.  If PF ever has 500 members...we can worry about such things then.  For now...If an OP is "concerned" about a thread going OT, the OP can bring it back to the original subject matter.  Fair enough?  ;D

All of you apologize tooooooo much.   :-*   


Sorry.  Bumpurr1   funny2

I guess we just want to be careful of one another's feelings. You just never know if you're stepping on someone's toes.  We're a small group here and don't all know each other really well yet.

Some forums have such stringent rules about thread drift it's a wonder any thread gets past two or three posts.  Other forums, no one cares about drift at all.  My own opinion is, a little drift is not always a bad thing.  Unless it's someone trying to stir up trouble, and we all know those types.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #85 on: June 15, 2012, 09:57:01 AM »
She had her check up.  Vet agrees with me that, since she is not losing weight, and everything else is good (pending lab results for blood and urine) I should continue to use the pepcid as needed and see how she gets on.

She went 9 days without any regurgitation, two of those days she had a pepcid, then this morning she regurgitated her second serving of breakfast, with fur in it.

So I am content with where things are for her, for now.  I did say to the vet that if I had to start using the pepcid every day I was going to ask her to prescribe B-12 shots every 2 weeks and she said that would be okay.  Vet marveled over her soft coat and I said (smugly, I confess) that that was the result of getting her off the c/d kibble and onto a canned diet.  She wanted to know the brand I was feeding so I told her and saw her write it down. :)

I'm thinking there are two things going on here.  She has always struggled with hair balls especially this time of year, and I think that's part of the issue.  She is, by the way, allowing me to comb her now, a little bit.  This is a HUGE breakthrough for her. I want a separate thread for that though, but I think the combing is helping, given the 9 days between regurgitations this time.

The other thing is, I think her system just got so totally messed up all those years on the c/d kibble, that she is always going to be prone to regurgitation somewhat. It's just the way it's going to be.  If I can keep it to less than once a week, I will try to learn to accept that.

I'm going to start a new thread about how I caught her urine and I'll post all lab results, when I hear, in that thread.

Offline Lola

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #86 on: June 15, 2012, 11:17:50 PM »
MC,
You have probably already mentioned this, but... does she regurgitate shortly after eating, or hours later?  What is the reason you don't want to give her pepcid every day?  I'm one that prefers not to take anything every day if at ALL possible...is your thinking along those lines as well?
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #87 on: June 16, 2012, 06:16:49 AM »
MC,
You have probably already mentioned this, but... does she regurgitate shortly after eating, or hours later?  What is the reason you don't want to give her pepcid every day?  I'm one that prefers not to take anything every day if at ALL possible...is your thinking along those lines as well?

She brings the food back up immediately.  Pepcid causes constipation and B-12 deficiency and I hate putting chemicals into her unless they are absolutely necessary. So I watch her carefully and try to know when I think she might need one.

She'll have to have one today because I am going to be gone longer than nine hours, and that is about her limit for going without food, without regurgitating. I'll give it to her as soon as I walk in the door tonight, with a small amount of food, to break the fast.  Then wait a half hour and feed them all.  The other two don't get sick from waiting 10 hours.  Not yet anyway.

Offline Lola

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Re: It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
« Reply #88 on: June 17, 2012, 01:55:10 PM »
Pepcid causes constipation and B-12 deficiency and I hate putting chemicals into her unless they are absolutely necessary.

Gotcha.  Thanks.
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