Author Topic: Mazy cat's arthritis  (Read 50049 times)

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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #60 on: November 29, 2016, 04:16:27 PM »
I am beside myself whether to give the GLM time, or make an appointment for Mazy cat.  Tonight I watched her try to sit.  She really just...CAN'T.

Thing is, if I am noticing her trying....I don't know if that's new as in..she is starting to feel better, and so soon will be sitting again? Up until tonight, I have not noticed her actually trying to sit..she just...stands or sits on her tail bone or lies down.  But I opened the porch just before dark and I watched her, twice, try to sit, she gathers her back legs toward her front as if her haunch is going to lower, but then..it doesn't, but it did seem to go just a tiny bit lower.

Inside again, I saw her do it one more time, and this time she instead stuck her right leg out, and settled on her spine, then went into a lie down.

OH! Two other things that make me wonder...I saw her get up from a lie down, and it was a much more fluid movement that it has been.  Usually there is a hitch and hesitation and her movement goes very slow.  This time, there still was a slight hitch, but she definitely moved more quickly into the jump up from lying down.

I guess what we need is x rays.  So this will involve multiple visits.  Just thinking about vet trips with Mazy cat makes me sick to my stomach.

How long do I wait?  If it were any other cat, I would have had her there already.  But with Mazy cat, I really do have to weigh what's going to be best for her. And of course x rays means more anesthesia.

 She's almost up to the full dose of GLM.. Do I give it more time?  She doesn't cry out as she tries to sit, or wince in any way..but I know cats hide pain until they are in agony.

But then...I DO think I am seeing signs of improvement.  I just agonize daily over whether to take her in or give the GLM a chance.

Oh one more new thing...she came downstairs to greet me and use the litter box when I got home from work.  Lately she stays upstairs until I come up. She asks to be carried down the stairs and sometimes I do, but most times I take her down three steps and set her on the landing and she runs the rest of the way down, and comes up on her own.

But tonight she came up on her own.

I don't know if maybe she get Reiki today, or if the GLM is already helping her.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #61 on: November 29, 2016, 04:30:07 PM »
My  2cents:

If I remember correctly, she's only been on the GLM for about 1 week or so.  If you're already seeing signs of improvement, as difficult as it may be, it might be best to give the GLM (and Reiki, or both) more time.  I know that's hard to do.

I'd suggesting asking Mazy what she recommends, but I'm pretty sure she'd say "no" to the vet!   funny2

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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #62 on: November 29, 2016, 04:57:25 PM »
Most natural joint supplements can take 1-2 months before you see actual benefits.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #63 on: November 29, 2016, 05:49:23 PM »
I think I would make a decision based on her behavior for everything else she is doing... other then the sitting.   Hug1
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #64 on: November 29, 2016, 06:39:17 PM »
Thank you all so much!

Most natural joint supplements can take 1-2 months before you see actual benefits.


Thank you Dee! The brand I am using states it can take a two to three months to see benefit "in some cases" . But..I believe cosequin for cats says the same thing, and when I first started Ootay on it way back when, she was improved in a week.

They recommend a double dose for the first week or two (I would cal it a "loading dose") but of course I can't do that with Mazy cat, I have to start from the other end, very tiny amounts and slow. 


My  2cents:

If I remember correctly, she's only been on the GLM for about 1 week or so.  If you're already seeing signs of improvement, as difficult as it may be, it might be best to give the GLM (and Reiki, or both) more time.  I know that's hard to do.

I'd suggesting asking Mazy what she recommends, but I'm pretty sure she'd say "no" to the vet!   funny2

HangInThere

Okay, thank you Pookie!  Mazy cat has been on the joint power for 11 days, and tonight I gave her the first full scoop. I went to a half scoop after 4 days, and after 5 days on half scoop, two days on 3/4 scoop, tonight she had a full scoop. They recommend giving it all at once in one meal, and that is what I am doing.

I have followed your advice on the ACV and haven't noticed any more of that urpyness.  She did regurgitate Saturday, twice, morning meal and supper meal. She did not have the GLM that day.

I think I would make a decision based on her behavior for everything else she is doing... other then the sitting.   Hug1

Thank you Lola, and okay.  She seems content, has short spans of play activity, nothing really lively, but she does like me to roll the Yeeeow tomato across the floor  and she does a point and wiggle then trots after it.  Sometimes she flops down, well a greatly modified flop anyway, and takes it in her front paws and bites it a bit, no more bunny kicking though.  Sometimes she waits for me to follow her and roll it back the other way.  She does that two or three times in a row.

Normal appetite.

Using her stools, but waits to be lifted up to the table for meals.  Jumps off herself, onto her stool.

Likes to be carried downstairs, but will go down on her own if I set her down on the landing.  Comes up by herself.

She can't seem to get comfortable lying on my chest though, so she isn't doing that any more.  Well she's still trying, but not staying and settling.  One time when she was getting off, her leg slipped and she squeaked, so she must have hurt herself.  Since then she can't seem to settle and after trying, she gets off me again.

Comes to bed at night, though for a week or more, when it was very cold she was staying in the hammock all night.

The weather fluctuations are very hard on her I think, and when it gets cold she really feels it, even though I am keeping the house warm.  Much warmer than I am comfortable in, I hope it is warm enough for her (about 68-70). But when it goes from warm to cold to warm to cold, she and I both have trouble with that.

It seems so unfair that with all she has to cope with in her little life, she has to have arthritis too. Her stiffness started last winter but it went away in summer, and when it came back this fall it was much worse.  Here Jennie is, only a year or so behind Mazy cat and she (thankfully) shows no signs of arthritis.

Ootay was 13 I think, when she started needing the cosequin for cats

Thing is, there ARE other things to try. Adequan injections, which, after the first intramuscular (or maybe two times) can be given sub q at home.  Cold laser therapy.

But those involve vet trips. I planned to just wait for her 6 month check up in January. 

Tonight I just started to doubt myself. I've never been wrong yet about my choices for her, regarding to vet or not to vet.  I guess I should keep trusting.

Thanks for your support.


Offline Pookie

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #65 on: November 30, 2016, 02:05:51 PM »
Question:  how often does she get the bone broth?  I'm thinking the gelatin from that might also help, and maybe she could use more?   :-\  Just thinking out loud . . .
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #66 on: November 30, 2016, 04:35:19 PM »
Question:  how often does she get the bone broth?  I'm thinking the gelatin from that might also help, and maybe she could use more?   :-\  Just thinking out loud . . .

She gets bone broth every day.  She was getting slightly over a full tablespoon, but there were some problems. Her stool got very hard and dry, and she seemed to have some trouble peeing, so I cut her back to 1/2 tablespoon a day.

That broth is chock full of ACV by the way.  It smells of it even.

There is noticeable improvement today!

 This morning she jumped up to her meal spot on the table, twice.  She used to be able to jump from the floor to the table. Then she went to using her jump-off step (one of those S curve scratchers) then she started using the kitchen chair.  2 weeks ago she stopped jumping up at all, waiting for me to lift her to the table.

When I came home for lunch she jumped out of bed and ran over to the tower and got up on the top of it to greet me. She hasn't greeted me in weeks.  She stays in bed until I coax her out to come eat.

Her route from the top of the perch to a meal used to be: jump down to the book shelf, leap across the opening between the book case and the stairway half wall, trot along the wall, then leap from the wall to the sewing machine, and thus to the table.

She hasn't done that in over a month.

Today she has done it twice, at lunch time, and tonight for her pre-meal. I actually didn't let her leap from the half wall to the sewing machine, I lifted her over.  I was afraid it was too far and she would hurt herself, then never try again.

I do think this is a result of the Reiki rather than the GLM.  She hasn't even been on that 2 full weeks, and not at a full dose until just a few days.

I hope Marci is willing to continue the Reiki indefinitely.  Or at least until the warmer months. I've offered to pay her, but she won't hear of it.  She already has a number of the beds I make, and toys too. I don't know that there is anything else I can do for her.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #67 on: November 30, 2016, 10:25:22 PM »
Quote
There is noticeable improvement today!

 love1 love1 love1 love1 coolgif2 tiggerbounce dancingbanana multistars multistars multistars

Quote
  I hope Marci is willing to continue the Reiki indefinitely.  Or at least until the warmer months. I've offered to pay her, but she won't hear of it.  She already has a number of the beds I make, and toys too. I don't know that there is anything else I can do for her.

You probably already do this, but:  let her know how much it's helping Mazy, and how much you both appreciate it.  Positive feedback never hurts.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2016, 10:26:55 PM by Pookie »
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #68 on: December 01, 2016, 10:45:39 AM »
Question:  when you increased the ACV, was that in the GLM meal, or close to the GLM meal?  If so, it occurred to me that maybe she's getting more out of the GLM due to the added ACV, since GLM is a meat protein, and maybe that's helping the GLM to work for her.   :-\

Then again, if the ACV meals are waaaay off from the GLM meal, forget the above.   :)
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Offline Lola

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #69 on: December 01, 2016, 12:00:38 PM »
Whatever the reason, glad Mazy is showing improvement! 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #70 on: December 01, 2016, 01:16:19 PM »
Question:  when you increased the ACV, was that in the GLM meal, or close to the GLM meal?  If so, it occurred to me that maybe she's getting more out of the GLM due to the added ACV, since GLM is a meat protein, and maybe that's helping the GLM to work for her.   :-\

Then again, if the ACV meals are waaaay off from the GLM meal, forget the above.   :)


ACV in the GLM meal. :)

Offline Pookie

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #71 on: December 01, 2016, 03:44:38 PM »
 thumbsup1 thumbsup1 thumbsup1 thumbsup1
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #72 on: December 02, 2016, 10:06:30 PM »
I could  Doh1.

I know you're thinking of having the bloodwork done on Mazy for the endocrine-immune imbalance the next time she goes to the vet.  I totally forgot that, if she tests positive for the imbalance, the low doses of cortisol should also help with her arthritis.

Think about it:  cortisone is used to reduce inflammation, and arthritis is joint inflammation.  Dr. Plechner has used his protocol to treat arthritis in dogs (and probably cats as well, it's just not specifically mentioned in his book).

From his book "Pets at Risk" (page 35):

Quote
  Dogs also develop rheumatoid arthritis, a painful and debilitating autoimmune condition of the joints.  Here the body attacks healthy joint tissue, causing inflammation and subsequent damage.  The joins of the elbows, ankles and wrists swell, and feel warm to the touch.  Over time, the animal may become lame.

I have helped numerous animals with these types of problems by correcting the endocrine-immune imbalances.  The therapy restores regulation back to a de-regulated immune system.  When imbalances exist, regulation is lacking, and immune cells lose their guiding intelligence and ability to discriminate between "self" and "non-self."  Without control, they lash out at both.

Just a thought!
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #73 on: December 03, 2016, 05:56:53 PM »
Thanks Pookie, yes it has occurred to me that a steroid will help her with her arthritis pain.

Tonight Mazy cat bunny kicked her Yeeow tomato! Not as violently as she used to, but she did use her hind feet for the first time in weeks.

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Mazy cat's arthritis
« Reply #74 on: December 03, 2016, 06:03:52 PM »
Tonight Mazy cat bunny kicked her Yeeow tomato! Not as violently as she used to, but she did use her hind feet for the first time in weeks.

That's WOOOOOOOOOOOONDERFUL news! I hope she continues to improve as she builds up the supplement in her body.
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