liver shunt cat Archives - Hope for Liver Shunt Cats

Legs and Lactulose

Pathetic attempt at a catchy title, isn’t it? (What can I say, living with a liver shunt cat certainly makes you appreciate when life is “boring”.)

Just a quick update on everyone’s favourite Spotted Schnookums.

We’d been having another round of urinary issues with him – back and forth to the ER, during late spring and early summer, if I recall. Once again, the P.U. surgery was being brought up. (Do. Not. Want!)

He’s now been on a Chinese herb, and his Cosequin four times per day, and mostly his pee output has been acceptable for the last few weeks. (I don’t want to jinx it!) He has a follow up exam soon; more urine tests, and possibly another blood test.

We’re still trying to get his gut back to normal after last year’s Clavamox for those rounds of urinary problems, and then the ABX earlier. He’s been on a new probiotic for a couple of months now. We’re still not back up to his previous high levels of Lactulose, but things are hopefully moving back to his normal.

Kinda.

Now we’ve been having more frequent Hepatic Encephalopathy episodes with him. Some are micro-episodes, with barely discernible drool for a couple of hours, yet normal behavior. Others are more moderate drool for 12 or so hours, but again, more or less normal appetite and behavior.

But, he has had two episodes this summer that really worried us. Both times his hind end was significantly impaired – to the point we were concerned he had fallen and injured his leg. However, it was not injury, but more significant neurological impairment than he typically has experienced with his prior, worse episodes. I’m pretty sure it was the same (right hind) leg both times.

While he does often get what I call “wobbly” during his more moderate episodes, these were the first we can recall where he really acted as if he couldn’t bear weight on especially his hind leg for a short period of time. Shortly after I had palpated the entire area and found no tenderness, he began drooling, and we realized it was not an injury; it was a New! Previously Unseen! Oh Scheisse! sign of an oncoming episode.

I know with every major milestone Newt has had, we have had to make adjustments. Initial full stabilization, teenage kittenhood, early adulthood, etc. And with him now being NINE YEARS OLD, we will probably have to make adjustments as we learn more about his “senior” status and how that might come into play with his liver shunt.

I’m really hoping this current probiotic is finally doing the trick, and we can ease him back up to his previous Lact level. (For years, he was on the highest dose of any of the liver shunt cats in his support group – and still not quite at the preferred output consistency.) So, hopefully all these summertime blips are simply blips as we get him back to his old normal. Or, we keep making notes, and identify what his newest new normal is going to be.

Newt’s Another Year Older

Newt is Now 9 Years Old!

How does that old song go? Another day older and deeper in debt? Only in this case, it’s another YEAR older!

Another Year Older

Yes, that’s right. Everybody’s favorite Spotted Schnookums had yet ANOTHER birthday, and there was much rejoicing – and ice cream and key lime pie – in Newtopia. Our “he’s probably going to die any day” kitten is now nine years old and officially a senior cat. Can you believe it?!

In looking back over Newt’s blog, I am dumbfounded to see how long it’s been since the last update. How is this possible? (I coulda sworn it had only been a couple of weeks – months, at most!) We’ve had some ups and downs during the last year. Sadly we lost a couple more family members, and Newt has had some more issues with urinary obstructions. Needless to say, he’s being monitored even more closely than before – and I thought that would be impossible!

His liver shunt cat support group is still going strong, and that is where the bulk of my online time usually goes. My current goal is to try and maybe back fill some posts with some of the brighter spots over the last year. (Am still holding a grudge about being forced to switch over to this new platform, but I will try and do better about giving more frequent updates. Y’all know how I have always been a reluctant blogger LOL)

Newt is Now Eight Years Old!

Am thrilled to report it’s that time again – yup; Newt’s birthday is today. He is now eight years old! Hard to believe that the runty, dirty, little kitty baby who was “going to die any day” is now approaching middle age. 🙂

Liver shunts in cats are rare; successful medical management is even rarer – or so we’ve been told. We are personally aware of hundreds of parents around the world (many of whom are in Newt’s support group) who are successfully managing their kitty ’s liver shunts. Many thanks to each of you who are sharing our journey with our Little Lion, and sharing Hope for other liver shunt cats.

Together, we ARE making a difference.

Big hugs, and many thanks.

PS – Newt says “send more ice cream !

Vet Check Up

Newt had his annual check up this past Tuesday. Apparently the whole clinic was cooing and ahhhing over him – not just the vets and techs, but people in the waiting room.

His blood work showed an elevation in his liver enzymes from last year. Not a huge increase, but big enough that we are going to consider milk thistle seed extract for additional hepatic support. Several other liver shunt cat parents have had very good luck with milk thistle for their PSS kitties.

We are SO lucky with our little liver shunt cat. We have progressed from the very early days where it almost seemed as if the vet clinic had a revolving door, to now, where he mostly has a yearly check up, just like a “normal” cat.

Vet was very pleased; said he looks great! Cat Daddy explained Newt wasn’t looking quite as spiffy as usual, as he’s had mild episodes off and on the last few days (change of season, so, not out of the norm for him). So, great news that even on a not-quite normal day, he looked normal.

Bonus in that for the first time ever, really, he ACTED like a “normal” cat at the vet. (Yeah, ok fine, no such thing as “normal cat” LOL but Newt has historically been abnormally calm and unfazed through all and sundry). Apparently this time, he began using the most uncivilized language upon entering the clinic, hid under the chair in the exam room, then hid in Cat Daddy’s lap during the exam, and when they took him back to draw blood, express anal glands, etc., he continually invoked the most strident string of curse-filled feline objections ever.

::sniff:: My little boy is growing up!

Throwback Thursday – Hope

OK guys, ended up with an accidental Throwback Thursday post!

Think I need a group hug. Don’t fret, Newt is FINE. I’m just getting a bit snively and emotional, after looking at his original vet records for the first time in what seems like years.

Was told that he was probably going to die any day, and to just keep him comfortable, so this is nothing new. But reading the discharge papers with the words “poor prognosis” really is taking my breath away.

I remember how stunned we were, and how desperate we were for information and for … Hope. And now, six years later, our tiny Little Lion is a sleek and spoiled older Little Lion?

It seems unbelievable.

So much gratitude to everyone who has joined us on this journey, both from the earliest days to the most recent. Each of you is so important. Each of your sharing your stories of Hope with your own liver shunt kitties is such a beacon of Hope.

Together, we ARE making a difference.

Oops, gotta go, my “poor prognosis” puddy tat needs belly snorgles!

What Is Normal?

Newt has been behaving … oddly. Nothing to be alarmed about – quite the opposite, in fact. Been trying to articulate what, exactly, is different about him.

As near as I can explain, he’s been acting like a normal cat!

To clarify, not so much “Newt normal” but normal normal, if that makes sense. Not the “starving, must eat all the things hyena”, not the “heat-seeking, burrowing, little limpet”, not the “predictable, must have my normal routine” Newt. Just … behaving like a normal cat. (Well, as “normal” as a cat can be LOL)

He’s eating, but not huge quantities – acting a bit finicky, but not a mild hunger strike. He has been playing more than usual, with newly discovered toys, not just his preferred old favorites like Ball and Bouncy Bee. He has also learned a couple of new Scare Mum tricks, chief of which is to jump on top of the two large plastic yarn bins on top of the bookshelf, and perch precariously while regally surveying his domain.

I can almost hear him roar “I am the King of Yarnia!”

Well, at least until he decides to hang halfway off the ledge, rolling and writhing and preening while begging for head butts and belly rubs. Then he’s just simply ahhhhdorable.

It’s an odd feeling, finding a new normal. After four years of being hyper alert to every flick of a whisker, knowing so well all of his oddities, predilections and propensities, to discover that he is currently NOT acting in his normal fashion, but in what seems to be a new normal? Vaguely unsettling, but to be fully enjoyed – once we get over the shock, and adapt to the newest version of Newt normal.

In fact, just the other day, both Cat Daddy and I were marveling that he actually has been looking more like a cat these days, instead of our darling little half-grown adolescent kitten. His fur is sleek and glossy, his white markings are the whitest and brightest they have ever been, while his black spots are a rich, glowing ebony. Eyes have been a very light amber, and we haven’t seen his inner canthi in months. And his face seems to have filled out some more – more adult-like, and less kittenish. Oh, he still has that adorable little half-grown look about him, but he looks truly like a real cat.

Fascinating.

Strange, how living with a liver shunt kitty makes you truly appreciate “normal” in all its wondrous variations – even when the “new” version of normal causes an initial alarm.