SUCCESS -- OF SORTS
Once off the dry food, Winnie improved greatly. She missed her kibbles at first - at meal time, she'd go about looking for her dish and then settle for the canned food. She still got her hard, crunchy treats and I'm sure she only ate so she could get her treat at the end of her meal. She'd eat just a tiny bite of her food, then come looking for a treat. Well, I was concerned enough about the hard treats to begin with and soon took to giving them to her only when she had eaten enough of her main meal. She still wouldn't drink water or any liquids and since wet food is mostly liquid, I was comfortable feeding her this way.
Within a month or so, Win started gaining ground -- and weight; almost up to her 10 pound fighting weight. After two months, Dr. Judy came over to give her a check-up. Eleven pounds! Her coat, which had been greasy-looking in spite of our best efforts, was now soft and fluffy and no longer plastered against her body. What a change! She was thriving. Although it was time for her vaccinations, we decided against them. We didn't want to put her back around the corner she had just turned. Took the x-rays back to the vet who had pronounced her death sentence months earlier (didn't take Win); when I informed him of her progress, he didn't even have the good grace to look embarassed!
I soon realized, however, that Winnie wasn't cured of her digestive issues. Every few weeks, she would vomit once or twice, become constipated, stop eating and become all scrunched up again. Then it was back to syringing cat milk into her, coating her paws with laxative, massaging her belly (when she'd allow it) for a day or so, then she was good to go for another few weeks. I think she got very tired of this routine because the flare-ups became farther and fewer between; she'd be fine for a couple months. At the time of this writing, she hasn't seen the vet for a year and a half, haven't had to force-feed her, only recently had to give her a laxative. We're able to get by with a bit of home maintenance and a whole lot of fervent prayer!
It helps (although the situation saddens me), that my sister in B.C. has had these digestive issues for over twenty years and she is a wonderful source of information, support and advice. She feels a special bond with Winnie because she understands what this little cat must go through. She, quite recently, got the diagnosis of gastroparesis, where the stomach muscles are partially paralyzed and don't allow the stomach to empty its contents easily (in a simplistic nut-shell). Researching feline gastroparesis thoroughly, leads us to believe this is Winnie's problem. Researching the drugs available for cats with this condition makes me firm in my resolve NOT to go that route. Unless I can find peace that it is absolutely necessary to ensure a good quality of life for my Winnie, it won't be happening. I have another sister who suffers terribly from the effects of medication-induced dystonia - a condition that causes horrible seizures and convulsions. The main drug of choice for feline gastroparesis can also cause dystonia. These seizures last (forever?) long after the patient has been weaned from the medication. Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming on -- in fact, just had to delete two paragraphs of venting. We'll get off the medication track for now...
Winnie did have a serious flare-up recently that almost had me picking up the phone in desperation and calling Dr. Judy. She started vomiting at least once a week - occasionally twice in a day; scrunched up, constipated. I noticed that she'd throw up her first morning meal -- before the food had a chance to go down, she vomited it all up. Phoned my B.C. sister (gee I wish she lived closer!) and she verified that she couldn't eat as soon as she got up - had to wait 'til mid-morning for a small meal. Since I only work from 8 a.m. to noon, Winnie could forego her early morning meal. I left a tablespoon in her dish just before I left for work, then fed her small meals throughout the afternoon and evening; I left another tablespoon out for her at night. I also threw away her kibble treats. Those treats swell up in a cat's stomach same as the kibble meals do. I worried about Win going without treats; knowing she'd get a treat at the end of her meal, had always been her inducement to eat. I was afraid to mess up a good thing. So -- online to research homemade cat treats. I discarded most of them because they used tuna, salmon, other seafood which had always seemed to make Winnie worse. Tried a recipe that only used oatmeal, flour, vegetable oil and beef broth - rolled up, cut up and baked. It seemed promising until it cooled and I put a piece in front of Winnie. She sniffed it and walked away. Tried again later after she ate - same results. Well, it's no good if she doesn't eat it. "Oh Lord, what do I do next?" Back online where I found an invaluable recipe that's still going strong after two weeks of using it. The concept is so simple (and so sneaky!). Open a can of kitty's favourite canned food - flatten into a square on a cookie sheet - cut into treat-size pieces (I use the small top from a plastic honey dispenser as a "cookie cutter"); bake for 1/2 hr - let cool - PRESTO! INSTANT CAT TREAT! I held my breath as I put the delicate morsel in front of her for the first time. She sniffed, then grabbed it and gobbled it up --- came back for another one. That was her enticement to eat for the remainder of that day. Second day, she ate her lunch, sniffed the treat I put down and walked over to the cupboard where I had been keeping her kibble treats. I stayed strong and she went another two meals without touching her treat. When she realized that these were her new treats, she caved. Now, she gives her little meow when I go to the fridge to get the container of home-baked treats. She loves them and doesn't even go to the cupboard for a treat anymore. Some lucky kitty next week will be the beneficiary of a stockpile of Temptation treats that Winnie no longer eats. I bake her canned-food treats every two or three days, but it is so worth it. When God gives inspiration, it sticks!
At the beginning of Winnie's latest bout, thoroughly discouraged and a bit depressed, I complained to my sister "I believe that God brings these special companions into my life for a reason. I just don't understand why He gives me animals that are sick. I am the very last person in the world that can deal with a sick pet. I hate illness, I hate medical stuff. Why me?" She replied "No, you're wrong. God knows that you are the very best person to be able to deal with this. You did it with Neea-Kha, you'll do it with Winnie. You'll do it no matter what, and against all odds." Wow! With that kind of endorsement of her sister's persistence and love for her companions, with that kind of faith in God's all-knowing wisdom and sovereign knowledge, how can I fail?
Two weeks into recovery from this flare-up, I am cautiously optimistic. My hope is that someday I can say "She hasn't had a sign of that illness for fifteen years and counting". My faith is that no matter if I have Winnie for another year, ten years or twenty years, God will keep giving me inspiration and instruction on the best way to give her the quality of life and the quality of care she so richly deserves.
Within a month or so, Win started gaining ground -- and weight; almost up to her 10 pound fighting weight. After two months, Dr. Judy came over to give her a check-up. Eleven pounds! Her coat, which had been greasy-looking in spite of our best efforts, was now soft and fluffy and no longer plastered against her body. What a change! She was thriving. Although it was time for her vaccinations, we decided against them. We didn't want to put her back around the corner she had just turned. Took the x-rays back to the vet who had pronounced her death sentence months earlier (didn't take Win); when I informed him of her progress, he didn't even have the good grace to look embarassed!
I soon realized, however, that Winnie wasn't cured of her digestive issues. Every few weeks, she would vomit once or twice, become constipated, stop eating and become all scrunched up again. Then it was back to syringing cat milk into her, coating her paws with laxative, massaging her belly (when she'd allow it) for a day or so, then she was good to go for another few weeks. I think she got very tired of this routine because the flare-ups became farther and fewer between; she'd be fine for a couple months. At the time of this writing, she hasn't seen the vet for a year and a half, haven't had to force-feed her, only recently had to give her a laxative. We're able to get by with a bit of home maintenance and a whole lot of fervent prayer!
It helps (although the situation saddens me), that my sister in B.C. has had these digestive issues for over twenty years and she is a wonderful source of information, support and advice. She feels a special bond with Winnie because she understands what this little cat must go through. She, quite recently, got the diagnosis of gastroparesis, where the stomach muscles are partially paralyzed and don't allow the stomach to empty its contents easily (in a simplistic nut-shell). Researching feline gastroparesis thoroughly, leads us to believe this is Winnie's problem. Researching the drugs available for cats with this condition makes me firm in my resolve NOT to go that route. Unless I can find peace that it is absolutely necessary to ensure a good quality of life for my Winnie, it won't be happening. I have another sister who suffers terribly from the effects of medication-induced dystonia - a condition that causes horrible seizures and convulsions. The main drug of choice for feline gastroparesis can also cause dystonia. These seizures last (forever?) long after the patient has been weaned from the medication. Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming on -- in fact, just had to delete two paragraphs of venting. We'll get off the medication track for now...
Winnie did have a serious flare-up recently that almost had me picking up the phone in desperation and calling Dr. Judy. She started vomiting at least once a week - occasionally twice in a day; scrunched up, constipated. I noticed that she'd throw up her first morning meal -- before the food had a chance to go down, she vomited it all up. Phoned my B.C. sister (gee I wish she lived closer!) and she verified that she couldn't eat as soon as she got up - had to wait 'til mid-morning for a small meal. Since I only work from 8 a.m. to noon, Winnie could forego her early morning meal. I left a tablespoon in her dish just before I left for work, then fed her small meals throughout the afternoon and evening; I left another tablespoon out for her at night. I also threw away her kibble treats. Those treats swell up in a cat's stomach same as the kibble meals do. I worried about Win going without treats; knowing she'd get a treat at the end of her meal, had always been her inducement to eat. I was afraid to mess up a good thing. So -- online to research homemade cat treats. I discarded most of them because they used tuna, salmon, other seafood which had always seemed to make Winnie worse. Tried a recipe that only used oatmeal, flour, vegetable oil and beef broth - rolled up, cut up and baked. It seemed promising until it cooled and I put a piece in front of Winnie. She sniffed it and walked away. Tried again later after she ate - same results. Well, it's no good if she doesn't eat it. "Oh Lord, what do I do next?" Back online where I found an invaluable recipe that's still going strong after two weeks of using it. The concept is so simple (and so sneaky!). Open a can of kitty's favourite canned food - flatten into a square on a cookie sheet - cut into treat-size pieces (I use the small top from a plastic honey dispenser as a "cookie cutter"); bake for 1/2 hr - let cool - PRESTO! INSTANT CAT TREAT! I held my breath as I put the delicate morsel in front of her for the first time. She sniffed, then grabbed it and gobbled it up --- came back for another one. That was her enticement to eat for the remainder of that day. Second day, she ate her lunch, sniffed the treat I put down and walked over to the cupboard where I had been keeping her kibble treats. I stayed strong and she went another two meals without touching her treat. When she realized that these were her new treats, she caved. Now, she gives her little meow when I go to the fridge to get the container of home-baked treats. She loves them and doesn't even go to the cupboard for a treat anymore. Some lucky kitty next week will be the beneficiary of a stockpile of Temptation treats that Winnie no longer eats. I bake her canned-food treats every two or three days, but it is so worth it. When God gives inspiration, it sticks!
At the beginning of Winnie's latest bout, thoroughly discouraged and a bit depressed, I complained to my sister "I believe that God brings these special companions into my life for a reason. I just don't understand why He gives me animals that are sick. I am the very last person in the world that can deal with a sick pet. I hate illness, I hate medical stuff. Why me?" She replied "No, you're wrong. God knows that you are the very best person to be able to deal with this. You did it with Neea-Kha, you'll do it with Winnie. You'll do it no matter what, and against all odds." Wow! With that kind of endorsement of her sister's persistence and love for her companions, with that kind of faith in God's all-knowing wisdom and sovereign knowledge, how can I fail?
Two weeks into recovery from this flare-up, I am cautiously optimistic. My hope is that someday I can say "She hasn't had a sign of that illness for fifteen years and counting". My faith is that no matter if I have Winnie for another year, ten years or twenty years, God will keep giving me inspiration and instruction on the best way to give her the quality of life and the quality of care she so richly deserves.