Just a quick update with some Newt News.
Have missed you all. Been working on-site with a new client’s project. Great team, great work environment, and this company has a wonderful corporate culture. Work hard, play hard, and family friendly. The “family friendly” seems to extend to ALL family members, as folks have been very understanding about coordinating my schedule around my “family’s” special needs.
How refreshing!
Having a blast, in spite of having to be gone from my Pookie Bear so much. Cat Daddy is doing his usual amazing job of taking care of Baby Newt.
Newt’s been doing
really well lately (knock on wood!). Had a crisis at the client’s
yesterday, and was delayed two hours in getting home for his lunch / meds and letting the Dog out. They were fine. I, on the other hand, was a bit of a nervous wreck LOL
Any significant deviation from his schedule, or additional stress can be enough to trigger an episode in him, so we do our best to keep things on an even keel here in Newtopia. Anytime something abnormal happens, well, it can be a bit concerning, as it might trigger him. You may remember me mentioning before how he seems to have had episodes shortly after significant stress in the home – like my job stress, or temperature extremes.
We are seeing this appears to be a fairly common concern with many other liver shunt cat parents, as things like significant environmental stressors, or major changes to their meal and meds, etc. can cause challenges for some of our kitties.
Like today, for example. Ugh. Heat
Index of 105 degrees (40 Celsius) and the A/C has been broken all day. The fan
portion was running, but Cat Daddy and I were both working this afternoon, so no way to
get it repaired earlier. Sitting here waiting for the emergency after
hours repairman to show up. Not for OUR comfort, mind you, but for the baaaaaaaaaby!
Newt is rather uncomfortable, and The Dog is miserable!
We’ve had the ceiling fans going all day, and many thanks to Newt’s knitting friend who suggested a floor fan with an ice bucket in front of it. It’s really helping!
Going to direct dose with extra Lactulose for his dinner and midnight snack, and hope like crazy that will help prevent an episode.
Gotta go, I think Newt needs me to fan him with his special imported palm fronds!
Hi Newt! Can you (or one of your parents) tell me what you eat? I’ve been feeding my little girl, Nikita, the Science Diet l/d stuff…I am so against that brand; I’d rather make something for her myself. Nikita’s Dr. is about 95% sure she has a liver shunt. She’s about 9 months old now, copper eyes, wasn’t growing, was having serious drooling occasionally. She had a blood ammonia test and flunked it, so…the doctor had told me he felt it was either FIP or a shunt, so really, the shunt is the better diagnosis, as FIP is almost always fatal. Anyway, Nikita would LOVE to hear what Newt eats. She’s on Flagyl, Clavomox and Lactulose and has been drool-free and really doing well for 5 weeks straight. Thanks and you are a pretty fella!