March 2010 - Page 3 of 4 - Hope for Liver Shunt Cats

Fingers and Paws Crossed

Newt had a pretty stable day today. Minor drool this AM, ate breakfast, lunch and dinner snacks. Not full veggie/chicken mix meals, just chicken, but at least he ate. Slept peacefully most of the day in his nest. (No, not the crochet cat bed work in progress, but rather his very own, red feathered, Newt Nest.

Eyes bright, active when out and about. In fact, he’s foraging the counters right now, searching for morsels of yums. Minimal clumsiness, no ataxia, diarrhea in the litter, so it seems the Lactulose has finally kicked things into high gear. Backing off now on the dose.

His new antibiotic prescription should be in tomorrow. His vet is switching him to Neomycin, after having been on the Amoxicillin for a year. As I understand it, the Neomycin is not absorbed from the intestines so it should be more effective than the Amoxicillin at keeping the gut flora off-kilter and better to minimize ammonia production. Oh, and yet another reason why we love our vet? On her own, she had the pharmacy compound the Neomycin in Newt’s favorite flavor … CHICKEN!!!

I seem to recall that at least a couple of our shunt cats are on the Neomycin. A couple are on Clavamox, and a couple are on periodic antibiotics instead of daily. Amazing how the varied approaches are being tailored to each cat’s situation.

Dare we hope that perhaps Pookie will be stable and able to enjoy his birthday tomorrow?

Day 13 – A, Roller Coaster of Rapid Cycling HE Symptoms

It has been 13.5 days now since Newt hopped on the HE roller coaster. Actually, probably a bit longer, as we noticed pre-episodic symptoms a couple of days prior. But the drooling commenced at 6PM on 28 Feb.

Overview, to date:
The only way we can describe it has been that he is rapid cycling between HE symptoms associated with his liver shunt (drooling, lethargic, inappetance, clumsy, agitated, crouchy, purring) to almost back to normal. Mild to moderately symptomatic for an average of 12 – 18 hours, then almost normal for 12 – 18 hours.

Not once full blown crisis as in the early days, (with major drool, dehydration, masssive lethargy, violent agitation, complete disinterest in food) and yet, not fully back to the normal Newt of the past glorious and wonderful year.

All possible triggers, however remote the probability, have been analyzed and discarded.

We’re staying the course with increased Lactulose, have offered him the holistic, low protein canned food in addition to his normal, home-cooked meals, hydration is still good. In fact, he was drinking like a camel last night (in and of itself a bit alarming). Finally caught him urinating today, huge relief there.

Working all points anywhere around the liver meridian, stomach points, liver points, heck am just massaging / acupressure anywhere I can get my hands on him in hopes of stimulating something to help him over the hurdle. He’s accepting Reiki periodically, but not drawing heavily. Only a couple of times did he want massive quantities, and then, only for a short duration.

This morning, he was drooling, but showed much interest in the canned food, only to eat a mere US Tablespoon of it. Turned up his nose at the creme fraiche. A bit of the wobbles, and a bit clumsy, but landed neatly on the counter to help me wash dishes. Also helped me clean the litter pans, sweep and mop, and initiated play with the Lactulose dropper. Once again napping with his One True Love on his bed.

Am headed out to teach a Reiki for Animals class this afternoon. Cat Daddy is on duty until he leaves for his gig, so at most, Newt will be unmonitored for an hour.

His awesome vet has called in a new Rx; going to try another antibiotic.

Many thanks to all for their continued encouragement and support. I can’t stress enough that he’s so far, not critical – not even nearly as episodic as we’ve seen him before. This is just so puzzling, to be bouncing up and down, mid-range, for so long.

Day 13

Typing one handed – Pookie is demanding drooly snuggles.

No drool from around 630 last night until about noon today. Ate chicken for breakfast and lunch fairly eagerly. Went wading in the water bowl -a first. Half crouchy, but scratched at post and gnawed on his OneTrue Love. Insisted on posing for pics of current crochet experiments.

Intermittently wheezing little wheezelets.

Not taking his meds as well as usual. Can’t say I blame him; he’s usually eating them with his food, and this AM of four ml syringes was a bit much – 3 Lact, 1 amoxy.

Got him some tofu, now I just have to figure out what to DO with it!

Roller Coaster Ride, Day 12

915 AM
Newt had 24+ hours of upswing, much better, but still not completely back to “normal.” Appetite still not his ferocious starving Jackal, but ate all of his mini snacks.

Back to drool and clumsy this morning. Still direct dosing meds, hydration still good.

630 PM
Drooled pretty steadily most of the day. Seems to have tapered off a bit in the last hour. Doesn’t want any food besides his chicken. Looking a bit scruffy, but hydration still ok.

He’s sleeping in his box now.

Vet suggested seeing if he will eat tofu, and to increase his Lactulose some more. And to give him a rub from her – particularly along the liver meridian Off to find my Four Paws, Five Directions book to refresh.

Woohoo Warmer Weather

Enigmatic Newt is still on his merry go round. Seems to be upswinging since midnight last night. No drool, decent appetite, but … you knew there was a “but,” didn’t you? He’s half crouchy, not attacking his snackies with his typical gusto, and still quiet.

So, not a “bad day” but not a great day for him either. Going on ten days now for him, being “half in, half out.” (Any Constantine fans out there? LOVED that quote about cats LOL) And so goes another cycle in the life of a liver shunt cat.

Am being naughty today. Very close to finishing tax prep, and was not going to start crocheting the cat bed for WARL to celebrate Petey’s adoption until finished. But, had to get a tire repaired, and no sense waiting there doing nothing, when I could create something, right? So I bundled together four skeins of various black and white yarns – Lion Incredible ribbon, Fun Fur (I think) some fuzzy thing with no label, and some leftover homespun. Grabbed my bigass speed hook and went to town. Already have about six inches completed from this pattern. Cool! Now I think I’ll take the dogs to the park so I can crochet in peace. Will finish the tax crap later today, I promise!

Am really enjoying Ravelry (maybe why the taxes aren’t done?!?!?) and was excited to find several knit / crochet – alongs for animal charity. Combine that with meeting Petey, and I’ve been itching to create a snuggle, a bed, something more challenging than a toy to donate. Am hesitant to do the snuggles, because my edges are always crooked. So, working in the round seems to be the answer, at least until I learn how to do this correctly. But, the fun fur is very forgiving, and the cats won’t care if I have crooked edges and dropped stitches, right?

Oops, gotta go, Newt is demanding snuggles.

Petey Got a Home!

Yay, Petey !!!

Just got word that Petey was adopted over the weekend! He went to a great home with another cat, and a dog. Woohoo so VERY glad to hear it.

Many thanks to all of Newt’s friends and fans from around the world for sharing Petey’s info, as well as your prayers, healing energies, and everything else you were doing to help him.

Now I really must finish my tax prep so I can reward myself with crocheting a cat bed to donate to Washington Animal Rescue League in Petey’s honor and to celebrate his adoption!

Upswing Again

Many thanks for all of the well-wishes, healing energies, prayers, positive vibes, and emails of support and encouragement. They are working. He’s had support coming from California to Australia to the UK.

Wow what an international Rock Star

Newt continued to upswing thru the evening, and ate his midnight snack, had a good bath, pounced on his One True Love, rolled and preened and seems generally back on track again. Will post any changes, but he’s acting like his normal, adorable, albeit sleepy, little self.

Still not back to normal

Has been nibbling a bit of chicken and marrow soup, especially when hand fed. Beastie has the jaws of a steel trap! Direct dosing meds and water. Intermittent drool all day. Slept most of day, but at least it was a comfortable, curled up sleep.

Still crouchy, but drank water on his own around 8PM. Hydration is good. Fresh chicken procured and more carrots to make another batch of goo.

Mummy is at her wit’s end. Have been pathetically whining like a brat, demanding Cat Daddy to “fix my Pookie Bear!” Still screaming sore hamstrings from last Thursday’s foray into yoga; knee / hip acting wonky as well; and brain is scattered to the four winds. It’s making bending to give meds and tax prep a bit more challenging than norm.

All I want to do is snurf my Schnookie and sleep.

Oh, and crochet a cat bed

Spoke Too Soon – Relapse

Well, frack.

Pookie Bear perked up remarkably Friday night, and had a really good day yesterday, complete with several rousing overnight games of attack the sleeping toes. This morning all was normal. Ate part of his lunch, spent the afternoon and the Boys of March Birthday Bash sunning in the window.

Around 530, he started drooling again.

Refused to touch his dinner.

::sigh::

Back on the merry go round again, it seems.

Petey Needs a Home

Am putting a temporary post up here, on Newt’s blog, and emailing to my Reiki students. I typically don’t do this, but this is stuck in my heart right now, and I feel compelled to do this.

If you know of anyone looking for a cat, I met a shelter cat this week during an unrelated visit to the Washington Animal Rescue League (www.warl.org) , and can’t stop thinking about him. His name is Petey, and while I know we can’t adopt him, I can’t stop thinking about him. So I’m sending out emails, blog posts, etc. to everyone I know who may know someone who knows someone who is looking for a cool cat.

Saw him again today. He’s an orange tabby, 1 yr old, a few black smoodges, white paws. Looked like copper eyes to me. We had a copper-eyed orange tabby before, so I’m not immediately thinking he’s a shunt baby. He leapt into my arms as I was leaving, demanding to be held and snuggled, and LICKED MY CHIN. Repeatedly. I almost cried – he reminded me so much of the two orange tabbies we’d loved before, and the only cat before him who has ever licked my face is Newt. And then, as someone else was holding him and I walked past the door to leave, his eyes met mine and he yowled. Oh geesh. Cunning little beast, to zing his way into my heart like that LOL.

So anyway, I’m not affiliated with WARL, I know lots of wonderful cats who also need homes, but am sending this out in hopes for the greatest good for Petey. (He was very receptive to Reiki.)