Jimmy is feeling Good: Ridiculous but wonderful update #46

[Emeraldgreen]

I had to rush Jimmy to the vet this morning because he was in terrible shape. I got ready for work as usual and then went to the 'boy's room' around 8:30 to bring Jimmy and Paddy into our room for the day but he was tucked inside the cat cave bed and wouldn't come out. Jimmy never does this, he is always first to the door and so excited to come hang out in our room and on the deck.
So I carried the cave with him in it into our room and pulled him out. I dished out their breakfast and he walked very slowly, right past the food directly to the litterbox. He never passes up a meal. As soon as he was done I lifted up the lid of the litterbox before so I could see what his poop looked like before he covered it and I was shocked. He has always had very loose stool because of his IBD but I have never seen anything like this in my entire life!! I'm sorry for this graphic description but it basically looked like intenstines that had been thrown in a blender. It was very bloody and did not look like stool at all. I realized immediately that this was deadly serious and I took some of this stuff for a sample for the vet to see and called my boss and said I couldn't come in and then put Jimmy right into a carrier and drove for the ferry.
During the ride his third eyelids were appearing and then he wasn't holding his head up, it was just slumped. I was so scared. I know we are not supposed to say this but he is one of my favourites. I love all my animals with all my heart but I'm so close with Jimmy and we have a special relationship and after losing Charlie and then Tiger, I was beside myself that I could lose Jim too.
The vet said that the sample was all mucous and was coming from his large intestine. She did bloodwork and his white blood cell count was through the roof. She said that he is fighting a massive infection somewhere in his body.
She did xrays and showed them to me. She was very surprised, as was I to find out that Jimmy only had one kidney!!!! ( Mary, I'm going to read all your posts about Puddy and her one kidney so I can learn more about this now). The kidney is huge because it is overcompensating for the missing one. There appears to be a spot inside his kidney that she thinks is either a calcification or a kidney stone.
I should say that Jimmy was found wandering the streets when he was about 7 or 8ish years old. He was on death's doorstep and someone brought him to the SPCA. The vet hospital kept him in isolation for 30 days and put him on metronidazole and he finally stabilized. They felt that he had IBD and put him on prednisilone. He became the clinic cat for that hospital for about a year and then I adopted him. He has been with me for about 5.5 years. He also has asthma. He has always been very sensitive, physically and emotionally.
Anyway, an xray of his lungs had been done last year but never one of his body so this kidney thing was never discovered until today. I can't believe it.

The bloodwork showed that his kidney is doing well and those numbers are all in line. Thank God. She said the infection is likely in his gut and she put him on IV antibiotics and IV Metronidazole. They are bringing in a specialist tomorrow to do an ultrasound on his abdomen to make sure there are no masses in his intestines and to get a better idea of his other 'missing' kidney to see if it's there but tiny or completely gone.
I'm so upset. I just can't lose him. :(
The vet asked me what had changed in Jimmy's world in the recent past and I told her that I had tried a high protein diet (Taste of the Wild) that didn't agree with him and then had switched him back to the Wellness kibble just a few days ago. I told her that he had been a bit depressed since Tiger had passed away so that was stressful for him. And, I also told her that we had adopted two new cats last week that we picked out especially for Jim to try and fill the void in his life. He does seem to like the new guys but the stress of everything together may have proved to be too much for my sensitive guy.
I was just about to post a thread about our newest family members now that they are settled in and I suppose I still should. They are wonderful.
Any prayers for Jimmy would be so appreciated. He is so special and has been through so much. Thank you guys.

E.T.A. Here is the thread about our new guys. (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?p=2057976#post2057976)

[Moesha]

OH DEAR! What a lot of news to take in, I first typed "digest" and decided that wasn't a very good term to use here. I sure hope Jimmy feels better and recovers from his serious troubles. Please keep us updated. Now I'm off to read about the newcomers!

[jennielynn1970]

Oh gosh... I hope Jimmy will pull through just fine! I have a few cats that have really finicky digestive systems. Sophie would get horrible attacks of Colitis before I switched her to California Natural, and then Nutro. She's been doing well since I switched them to EVO as well. Before that, when she had attacks, it sounds just like what you described in Jimmy's litter box.

Thoughts and prayers will be going out for Jimmy. I hope nothing else will show up at the vet's, and that he'll just need to de-stress at home a little more longer.

Hugs to Jimmy!!!

[Emeraldgreen]

when she had attacks, it sounds just like what you described in Jimmy's litter box.

I am so relieved to read that!!! I know we are not out of the woods yet and the ultrasound and time will tell but I've never seen that before and he was so lethargic and sick. But just hearing that you saw something similar in Sophie's box gives me alot of hope. Thank you for telling me that. :)

Thank you too Moesha. :)

[Catty1]

Prayers and snuggles to Jimmy. I remember your story, Lara, of how HAPPY Jimmy was when Tiger came home from his first surgery - I think he was bounding off the walls or something?

It is sweet that he likes his new buddy, and I pray he is well soon and can bond with his pal, and THAT will help his stress for sure.

Have you tried any of the foods that Jenn has mentioned?

MORE PRAYERS for sweet Jimmy. :love:

[jenluckenbach]

Prayers for Jimmy. I hope the meds help him to feel better SOON!!!!

[Barbara]

All my best wishes for Jimmy- I hope he'll pull through. And I think it's amazing that his kidney levels are ok - that's really good news.

[Medusa]

Oh my, Lara, poor Jimmy! What a load you're carrying at the moment, too. Digestive problems are just about the only thing I haven't had to deal with where the Fur Posse is concerned. And for Jimmy to have normal levels w/only one kidney is fantastic! We're saying lots of prayers here in Ohio that all will go well w/him, that he'll heal quickly and easily and that he'll be home w/all of you very soon, ready to pick up right where he left off. :)

[Moesha]

Do you know, it hit me in my sleep last night about the high protein food and one kidney. I forget that protein isn't good for the kidneys. That's the opposite of what I deal with with Morgan and the diabetes. It was just funny that I was sleeping and thought of that and remembered it this morning. Hoping all goes well today.

[Medusa]

Do you know, it hit me in my sleep last night about the high protein food and one kidney. I forget that protein isn't good for the kidneys. That's the opposite of what I deal with with Morgan and the diabetes. It was just funny that I was sleeping and thought of that and remembered it this morning. Hoping all goes well today.

Yes, you're right, Moesha, and I should've caught that. Your vet will probably recommend that you put Jimmy on KD, Lara.

[Randi]

Oh Lara, what a shock to find Jimmy in that state, and then to find out he only has one kidney. :( I so hope he'll pull through this!! I'm sending lots and lots of positive thoughts to Jimmy, and to you.

(((hugs)))

[Donnaj4962]

Oh my, I am so sorry to hear that Jimmy is so sick. Many prayers coming from me and the girls in Indiana that he is well soon. I know he will want to get better ASAP so that he can get home to play with his new fursibs!

(((hugs))) to you!

[lvpets2002]

:( Oh my how I am saddened to read this about your wittle one Jimmy.. I sure hope he gets better soon.. Sending Lots of Prayers & Whisker Kissess..

[MoonandBean]

Just seeing this now and my heart aches for you. You have been through so much this year! I will pray for Jimmy until you tell us all he is ok! Hopefully, it is just colitis and he will recover completely.

[momtomany]

Prayers for Jimmy to get well soon and prayers for you for all that you have been through.

[jennielynn1970]

I know Sophie had a bunch of meds to help with the Colitis. I think that had to get it under control.

I hope the vet can help Jimmy, and then give you an idea if you need to change his food or not. If high protein is bad for cats with kidney problems, then I wouldn't go to EVO.

Hope there will be help and Jimmy will return to his happy, sweet self.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thank you all for your prayers. They worked!! Jimmy is home and is greatly improved from yesterday. The vet didn't want to give him food until they did the ultrasound this afternoon around 3:30. She told me that afterwards, if he ate, she would discharge him and he could come home. Thankfully he ate so we picked him up around 5:30 this evening.
The vet said he passed that weird looking stool all night. He was on the IV all night as well and he was brighter this morning. The specialist that came in today to do the ultrasound will send the official results back next week but they found that he does have a second kidney but it's very small. His pancreas looked good and so did his liver. His larger kidney appears to have a few stones in it but the vet said they don't seem to be causing him any problems.
The lining of his bowel was thickened and she believes this is where the infection is. She sent him home with Metronidazole and a liquid antibiotic that is cherry flavoured. Not Jimmy's favourite flavour! :rolleyes: I think it's a human med that is used for pets as well and would explain the cherry flavour.
They also sent him home with a small bag of Medi-Cal Gastro dry food. I'm supposed to give him this for awhile and then re-introduce the Wellness Holistic kibble again.

Moesha wrote:
Do you know, it hit me in my sleep last night about the high protein food and one kidney. I forget that protein isn't good for the kidneys. That's the opposite of what I deal with with Morgan and the diabetes. It was just funny that I was sleeping and thought of that and remembered it this morning. Hoping all goes well today.
Today 04:25 AM

Thank you for posting this thought. I shared it with the vet and she even said 'hmmm, that is a good thought and makes sense!' So no more Taste of the Wild'. It is working very well for some of my other cats (especially George) so I'm so glad to have found it (thanks krazyaboutkatz :)) but Jimmy reacted to it the same way he did to Innova Evo and it was my fault for not realizing what was going on. It was just too hard on his system and it may be the kidney issue with one being very small and the other doing most of the work.

But on top of all this, I think there was something else going on. While we were driving home Jimmy let out a howl and I looked into the cage and saw him straining to go. He was really in pain and having difficulty. When we got home I checked it out and he had pooped out these threads! There were 3 or 4 of them and they were about 3 inches long. They weren't worms, I could see the actual freyed fabric! :rolleyes: I went into their room and found 3 things that could be the culprit. The carpet cat condo that has got rope wrapped around parts of it that is quite freyed and another scratching post thing with balls on ropes that is freyed and an antique chair I recently put in their room that has upholstry that is falling apart. I took them all out because Jimmy has been eating one of them and I think these threads were somehow stuck in his intestines. He was really howling when he 'got rid of them' on the way home. I put them in a plastic baggy to take to the vet to see what she thinks. Maybe because he is so ultrasensitive, it caused some kind of infection??

Anyway, here are a couple of pics of Jimmy with his now completely bald stomach. He's got stripes on his belly skin just like a trout! I think he is a shadow tabby. When you look closely at his fur in the sunlight you can see stripes. :)

It's 1,000.00 later in 24 hours but I couldn't be happier to have my guy back. Thank you all for your amazing prayers. They really, really worked! http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/smileyguyblue.gif

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/IMG_4222.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/IMG_4224.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/IMG_4223.jpg http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/IMG_4225.jpg

[gini]

Prayers are being offered for you and Jimmy. What a beautiful guy he is - and I know how heartsick this has made you.

I will just pray that he gets better each day.

[Catty1]

OH MY! Dear Jimmy, how WONDERFUL to see you at home and looking so relaxed...but of course, you are with your meowmy!

Lara, wow - I bet those threads COULD have thrown the whole digestive system into an uproar...I wonder if a tougher cardboard scratching post would be okay for him? But he is back in His Home and can make buddies with the new kids!

When you said $1,000...lol, I remembered many years ago when my sister had to rush one of her boys to the emergency vet in Vancouver. "Meatball" was breathing very strangely and with difficulty. Her roommate took Meatball down to the vet - I think my sister had lost the ability to drive by then - and the next morning, he was transferred to the regular vet.

Darcia (my sister) and Mom were talking on the phone. Mom is nuts about cats too, and would do anything for her furbabies, but when she heard that Meatball's overnight was $1,000 she was startled and exclaimed, "One thousand dollars! Are you going to PAY that?"

"NO, mom," replied Darcia in that sardonic way, "I'm gonna crush his skull with a ROCK. What do YOU think?!"

Of course - we will do it all for our furkids.

Give Jimmy a snuggle for me. :love:

[Moesha]

I'm so glad to hear Jimmy is home and hopefully on the way to recovery! Those kitties eating things they aren't supposed to are causing troubles. At least they have loving moms and dads to take care of them.

[Medusa]

What a sweet face Jimmy has! I'm so glad that he's on the mend. You may be $1000 lighter in the bank balance but oh so much richer in your life now w/Jimmy back home and getting healthier. (At least this is what I tell myself when it's my checkbook. LOL) I'm so happy for you both. :)

[jazzcat]

I'm glad he is back home. I bet you did discover the culprit. I would imagine that could have really wreaked havoc internally.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks again everybody for your posts and prayers. :) Jimmy is continuing to improve each day. He's being so good about letting me squirt meds down his throat. And he LOVES the new Medi-Cal Gastro diet. He never liked the Hypo-Gastro diet made by Medi-Cal have but this new diet that is just Gastro they've produced is very popular with everybody. I'm going to ask the vet if she thinks it would be okay to feed it on a regular basis to Jimmy, Paddy, Wallace, Mink and Stinky. I will continue to give Georgie, Oliver, Teenie, Tiny and Sneakers the Taste of the Wild because they're all doing very well on it, especially George.

Here is a video I took this morning of Jimmy and Paddy after breakfast. They're both washing up after a good meal. :) And below is another picture of Jimmy's shaved tummy. He's so bald, it is going to take forever to grow back all that hair!

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/IMG_4237.jpg

Video:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/th_MVI_4235.jpg (http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/?action=view&current=MVI_4235.flv)

[Moesha]

I wanna squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze those kitties!!!

[Emeraldgreen]

I wanna squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze those kitties!!!

LOL! Paddy is particularily squeezy. :)

[Randi]

Aww Jimmy, it's so good to see you're back home!! :) A good wash and a rest is just what you need - and then lots of cuddles.

I'm glad to hear Jmmy likes his new diet too. I loved the video, both Jimmy and Paddy are gorgeous!! Please give them some kisses from me! :)

Keep getting better, Jimmy!

[MoonandBean]

I typed "Jimmy" in the search area so I could catch up with how he's doing. I was so relieved to hear he is home and doing better! I'm sure fibers could cause colitis...he's lucky he has such a smart and caring family!

[Catty1]

Awwww...Jimmy with his speckled trout tummy! :D What an adorable face washing session. It's really clear that Jimmy is feeling happy and relaxed.:)

[jennielynn1970]

I am so coming to Canada and stealing me some kitties, lol! :p :D They are just too darn cute!!

[Emeraldgreen]

I am so coming to Canada and stealing me some kitties, lol! :p :D They are just too darn cute!!

LOL. Someone else said that in a post, maybe you guys can carpool! heehee

Unfortunately Jimmy was not doing well this morning and gave us a scare. He has been doing so well for 2 weeks. I was even saying to my husband that I haven't seen Jimmy be so frisky and look so good in years and wondered if maybe he had this infection for a long time?!?
Last night he ate dinner and all seemed normal but this morning he wouldn't get out of bed just like 2 weeks ago. He wouldn't eat and then he used the litterbox and produced some more of that awful looking stool that lookes like intestines. :( It was just a little bit but I immediately called the vet's office. It is of course Sunday and their machine said that a different vet hospital was on call. I called the pager and the vet called me back. She must have been at a party because I could barely hear her over all the people in the background and I don't know how much she could hear me. Anyway, I told her the whole story and how he had been on IV fluids overnight, had xrays, an ultrasound, bloodwork and a urinalysis. She said that he has probably had a flare up and needs to get back on the metronidazole. My vet only gave me one week's worth of it and 2 weeks of the Novomoxan liquid. I asked her if I could get some metronidazole from her and she said that she would have to do all the tests all over again on Jimmy and all at emerg fee rates. During regular hours, it was over a 1,000 so I could only imagine what she was talking. It really seemed that she was trying to talk me out of bringing him in. I was so mad when I got off the phone. This is the holistic vet that I was planning to bring Jimmy to in the near future once we got over this hurdle but not anymore. She was so cold and she sounded like she couldn't care less about his condition, just the bill that it might generate. I've spoken with a ton of vets during emergency hours (just as I'm sure we all have) and for the most part, they are reasonable and somewhat caring.
Anyway, I decided to monitor him knowing that if I had to bring him in, I would. I turned the heat up so he would be nice and warm in our room and spent alot of time with him. I finally got him to eat some of the dry Gastro kibbles soaked in water and then I found a jar of baby food in the cupboard leftover from Tiger's ordeal. He ate about a tablespoon of that. He seems brighter now. I will take him in the morning if he is worse and will pick up some Metronidazole from the clinic when I go to drop off Muddy's urine sample.

[Medusa]

Boy, it's up and down, up and down w/our furkids, huh? I'm so sorry that Jimmy is feeling punk. And you sure don't need another $1000 vet bill after just paying that much not too long ago. It's so frustrating when a vet takes such an I-couldn't-care-less attitude. I'm sure that your regular vet will make you feel much better. Prayers going up for you and sweet Jimmy.....

[Randi]

I'm so sorry to her that Jimmy is feeling crummy again - and what a disappointment with that vet you talked to. :(

I hope Jimmy will perk up soon, the Metronidazole will hopefully help. I'm sure he enjoys the warm room, cuddles and your patience with food. :)

I also hope that Muddy's urine sample will test good!

Lots of positive thoughts and hugs.

[katslady]

I just read this thread about Jimmy,and hope he gets better soon. So sorry about all you are going through.My hopes and prayers are with you guys. katslady

[krazyaboutkatz]

Lara, I'm sorry that I haven't even replied to this thread yet.:o I sure hope that Jimmy will start feeling better again. I know how frustrating it can be. I learned that Starr can't eat the canned food that I was giving him because it's just too rich for his system so I now mix his herbal formula in baby food which is either the Turkey or Chicken flavor and this has helped a lot. I'll continue to keep Jimmy in my thoughts and prayers. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Medusa]

So how is Jimmy doing now? Better, I hope.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks for your posts guys. Jimmy is doing sooooooooooooo much better. I called my vet the Monday morning after the weekend when he took a bad turn and asked if I could pick up some more Metronidazole and they put together a 2 week prescription for him. It's compounded with chicken flavoured suspension but it's apparently extremely bitter and he hates it. A few weeks ago I was giving him a teaspoon of Fancy Feast right after so it would wash away the taste but since he had a relapse and got sick again, he's been on a STRICT diet of Medi-Cal Gastro dry and Medi-Cal Hypo-Gastro wet. Royal Canin also makes a wet food called Sensitive but he is not keen on either of these wet foods. Sometimes I add a bit of water to the dry and nuke it for 10 seconds and give that to him but he's not impressed.
I asked the vet if I could give him baby food because he really likes it and she said that she thinks his IBD is so severe that he probably can't tolerate it. She thinks it might take a few days or a week but eventually it catches up with him and he starts pooping that weird intestiney looking stuff. Yuck.

I also asked her if I could start him on Forti-Flora but the receptionist called me back and left a message saying that the vet said it is contraindicated for cats with immunity problems and he has the herpes virus. I'm going to see if there is some kind of enzyme or good bugs that I can give him since he will have been on a whole month of antibiotics once we're done.

I'm also going to ask about the vitamin B12. There are two versions and one is more appropriate for cats with IBD because of absorption. I have to look it up so more and get my facts straight. :)

I just wish there was some human food that I could give him as a treat. He loves treats and he is getting the most boring diet in the world. He doesn't do well on the grain free diets (wet or dry) so I can't try those. I will see if I can find an IBD diet other than Medi-Cal and Royal Canin. I remember years ago EN made a kibble that was moist like Tender Vittles and it was called Gastro and came in these little pouches. He would like those I think.

Anyway, he is in our room and I can hear him racing around with Stinky and Paddy. Well, Paddy probably isn't racing, he's more of an observer. But Jimmy is really full of beans today! He might be bored with his food but his health has really improved and he is better than I've seen him in quite awhile so we're so relieved. Thanks for asking, I've been meaning to post an update for a few days now. :)

[Moesha]

Oh good! I'm so glad to read that Jimmy is feeling better!

[jennielynn1970]

Glad Jimmy is feeling better.

How are the two new boys doing??

[Emeraldgreen]

Glad Jimmy is feeling better.

How are the two new boys doing??

I thought I'd post a super short clip of Jimmy 'frisking out' this morning. I only caught about 7 seconds of it because my batteries died but he has been going mental all morning. Racing around crazy style and attacking his toys and trying to engage the other cats to play. It sure is good to see him like this. He has another week of Metronidazole left. I'm hoping he will not relapse once it's gone. He hasn't had one naughty thing to eat, just boring Gastro but it is so worth it. :)

Here is Jim, followed by my other cat Stinky (black and white) freaking out:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/th_MVI_4408.jpg (http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/?action=view&current=MVI_4408.flv)

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/th_MVI_4411.jpg (http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd102/emeraldcreek/?action=view&current=MVI_4411.flv)

Wallace and Gromit (we went back to using Gromit instead of Mink) are doing okay. Grommies has totally settled in and is a happy boy but Wallace is off and on. He has his good moments when he plays and attacks the cat tree and runs through the tunnel but the rest of the time he sits or lays with his head down and when we go to reach for him, he cowers. I'm really wondering if he was maybe abused before. I know he was attacked by a raccoon before we adopted him and his fur is still growing back in areas where there is scarring but it seems like there is more going on. He's very stiff and uptight. We are working on it though and we are being very gentle with him and giving him lots of lovies and space when he needs it.

[Medusa]

Oh how cute! Boo was on my lap as I viewed the videos (he still is) and he sat upright and watched. :)

[katslady]

I am so happy to hear Jimmy is doing well.If it comes back after the Metronidazole is finished,ask your vet about using the Metro. on and off as A preventive treatment.I have done it with great success. katslady

[Moesha]

I'm so glad that Jimmy is doing so well!! I also have full confidence that you'll get Wallace feeling relaxed full time with your diligence. :D

[cristy]

I know that acidophilus is good to take while humans are on antibiotics...you might ask the vet about a kitty formula...just make sure that it contains LIVE cultures. My sister had a cat named Sophie years ago that died because of some type of thread that she had eaten. I think that it got tangled around in her intestines and actually blocked one. They didn't find it though until it was too late. :( You and Jimmy got lucky that he was able to pass all of that gunk and move on...YAY!...Glad to hear that he is feeling more frisky!!

[kittykatharine]

Those were the sweetest clips ever! What a frisky little guy! He was running around playful as ever! I just love it when cats do that, it makes me feel so happy. Jim looked really really good!:love::love::love:

[gini]

It made me so happy to see your video. What a worry for you - but he sure looks wonderful now.

I had to laugh because my Emma must have thought "well, I can do that too" - and she raced through the room as I was watching your video.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks for your posts guys.
Well, this may sound ridiculous but I have the best news!! Jimmy took his first normal (well, almost normal, 90% normal) poo since we've had him. In the almost 6 years that he's been with us, he has had chronic diarrhea and we had been giving him prednisilone for his asthma and his IBD. His poop was always kind of like little pancakes though and sometimes much, much worse.
But ever since he started on this Gastro diet of dry and wet food and the treatment of antibiotics and then the continued treatment of Metronidazole, he has been improving steadily. One of the best parts is that his poop doesn't smell. Before all this, when Jimmy was heading to the box, and it was often, we all had to evacuate the room. But now, it has zero smell to it! It's AWESOME. As well, his asthma is mysteriously clearing up. It's not gone, but is so much better. I think he has been suffering with a severe food allergy all this time.

So, I've been checking the box whenever I happen to be in the room when he's using it and about ten minutes ago I watched him go in the box and as soon as he was done I interrupted him so he couldn't cover it and I checked and absolutely could not believe my eyes. It was almost regular poop!!! Again, I know how absurd this sounds but I'm so friggin' thrilled! LOL Jimmy is too. You should have seen him fly out that box and climb the cat tree and attack it like a crazy man. He's feeling like a new man. :D
p.s. I even called my husband into the room to show him. LOL We high fived each other for Jim's success! LOL

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is wonderful news.:D I'm also this way about Starr's poop so this doesn't sound silly to me at all.;)

[Medusa]

As I've said before, it's amazing what gets us cat lovers excited, isn't it? I can just see you and your husband high fiving each other. What, no raising a glass in a toast? LOL Seriously, I'm so glad that Jimmy is feeling better and has decided that odorless tootsie rolls are much better than odiferous pancakes. ;)

[jenluckenbach]

This is wonderful news. :)

[Moesha]

Great news for you and for Jim!!!! I have a human friend who just had terrible problems with her intestines. She went to numerous specialists who wanted to diagnose her with Crohn's disease. The problem was that with all the tests they did, they couldn't find evidence of Crohn's. They finally said it was IBS. Basically they were saying her bowels were irritated, and they didn't know why. She tried another treatment from a more holistic kind of arena and is feeling back to normal now. My point is that I am so glad you found something that will help Jimmy. I am sure he is feeling much better now that his insides aren't bothering him so much! YIPPPPPEEE!

[jazzcat]

That is great news! :)

[Catty1]

Jiimmy - you go, baby! (Pun not intended? :p:D ) Great news!

[Catlady711]

That's great news to hear!!!!

What is the 'gastro' diet he's on now? The specialist said it's possible that Jack may have IBD also and he has horrible smelling poop. Not sure if your Jimmy's diet would work for Jack as he is also a Megacolon cat, but curious what you're feeding.

[Emeraldgreen]

I'm so glad that Jimmy is feeling better and has decided that odorless tootsie rolls are much better than odiferous pancakes. ;)

LOL! :)

Thanks for all the support guys! I didn't expect anyone to post because it was so silly but I was so happy to open the thread and read that everyone gets why I'm so excited! :)


What is the 'gastro' diet he's on now? The specialist said it's possible that Jack may have IBD also and he has horrible smelling poop. Not sure if your Jimmy's diet would work for Jack as he is also a Megacolon cat, but curious what you're feeding.

The vet started Jimmy on Medi-Cal Gastro dry food when he became really ill a month or so ago. But it's a new food produced by Medi-Cal and only comes in a 4lb bag and it was getting kind of expensive to keep buying these small bags. So I asked the vet if I could slowly switch him over to Medi-Cal HypoGastro which comes in bags as big as 17.5 pound bags. The bag is bright orange in colour. It also comes in cans. He doesn't love the canned version but he'll eat it sometimes. It's actually this food that I think has really helped him because it's made for cats with gastro issues and allergy issues. I think it's got things in it like potato and pheasant and he really likes it. Thankfully they all do so I'm feeding it to a few of my cats. Is Medi-Cal sold in the states? It's only available at vet clinics here. It might be worth a try to see if it helps Jack. :)