Amy's Thread...

**smokey the elder** · 02-21-2005, 07:46 AM

I wonder if Amy has something different than CH. Poor girl; I'm glad she responds to the 'roids.

**val** · 02-21-2005, 03:23 PM

Altho I like to be informed about EVERYTHING in the long run maybe it's better that you didn't know the vet's staff was so worried. But they probably should have expressed their concerns. From what I'm understanding tho, and QSL can explain it better than I, CH kitties can be sedated as long as only CERTAIN sedations are used. I would assume the same for Amy as these are the safest sedations to use. Definitely no ketamine. Ask QSL for the two common ones that are OK for the future in case you need to know and write them down as I have been told and have forgotten and hopefully Jan will respond here and I will write them down too! Jan, where are ya?

Hopefully, there won't be too much rain. I think they're saying Wednesday will be the rainiest. Today sure is warm and even kinda sunny! Amy must be feeling great (paws crossed)

! Smooches to her!

**Laura's Babies** · 02-21-2005, 05:50 PM

Val, they might have told my daughter there was reason for concern and I was already such a basket case, she might not have told me if they did say anything to her. She knows what a softie I am with Amy... I was so upset over her surgery that I couldn't even take her, I called my daughter and begged her to do it for me. (I had aleady read up on CH in the internet and I knew what could happen and I wanted to back out of her surgery 1000 times)

HOWEVER, I went with Mike to take his baby Yetta to HER vet today and there was the same vet I saw with Amy the other day at MY vets office. (She is a vet that goes from place to place to give the vets days off or fills in when someone is sick..) So she is telling the nurse about Amy, describing how she walks and falls over and she DID use that whole CH word, saying that is what Amy had.

I am sure Amy's vet just isn't saying it to me because they all know down there that I am such a worrier when it comes to her and have her there if she just sneezes, worried to death...

She is perking up and her eyes have lost that weak look. She has spent the day on that top perch again today, enjoying this wonderful day we have had! (Up in the 80's folks)

**val** · 02-21-2005, 06:03 PM

I'm glad to hear Amy had such a happy day

! Today was positively Springlike! We cut back banana plants and pulled those nasty yellow flower weeds. I don't know their name but I call them pee pee flowers. Soon their pollen will coat EVERYTHING!

And it's OK to worry about our kitties. That's what makes us good parents. There's nothing wrong with being cautious and questioning everything. It's tough to remember sometimes that the vets are not Gods and they are working for us. It does sound as tho you've found one that cares very much about Amy and that's great. Some treat you like we're just a stream of idiots.

**iloverat** · 02-21-2005, 06:47 PM

Ok, I'm ignorant. WHat's ch stand for?

**val** · 02-21-2005, 08:25 PM

OOOPPPs, sorry! Cerebellar Hypoplasia. The part of the brain that controls motor skills has not fully developed due to the mama cat having feline distemper during pregnancy. These babies are normally healthy in all other respects, but their coordination is "off". So, it's basically neurological in nature. Ch disability can vary from cat to cat with some only mildly afflicted like my Oliver (if that is what he officially has), or more so like Laura's Amy to some that really can't walk at all. If they are worked with when they are kittens by using physical therapy they can learn to become much more coordinated. They are usually very, very, loving kitties but can be very stubborn (the ch temper). For a long, long time, until rather recently they were automatically put to sleep as they were considered too brain damaged. Thank goodness that has changed. If anyone has a chance to welcome a ch kitty into their life the rewards will be endless-I promise.

**iloverat** · 02-21-2005, 10:25 PM

Thank you for the explanation -

Poor little ones. I'm glad that they are better understood now and are being adopted out more rather than automatically PTS.

**Laura's Babies** · 02-21-2005, 11:03 PM

QSL's Eli is far worse than Amy and he is so pretty. From what I understand, he couldn't even walk when she first got him, she rigged some sort of sling and taught him how to walk.. She said he is a sever case. Here is a picture she posted of him, isn't he pretty? (She also said $$$ is his favorite toy)

**iloverat** · 02-22-2005, 02:30 PM

Yes, Eli is beautiful!!! I think he and I must be kindred spirits as $$$$ is one of my favorite toys, too!!!!

**QueenScoopalot** · 02-22-2005, 06:57 PM

ROFLMAO Laura!!! My sweet special boy Eli really gets fired up with any $money$ that floats his way! Thumbelina, and Sweet Pea go nuts over it too...my kind of kitties.

The two safe gasses to use for brain damaged kitties is Isoflourine, or sevoflourine, and Val's dead on about the Ketamine!

A woman I knew years back had a severely impaired ch kitten (worse than Eli) and the vet used "Telazole" an anesthesia not used much anymore, but the kitten was in a coma for 2 weeks!

From what I heard, it screwed him up so badly, that it set him back for months! And he just went in for a rountine neuter.

Please give that sweet Amy lots of gentle nose rubs from Eli...and all my other very special kitties.

**Laura's Babies** · 02-23-2005, 08:30 AM

QSL to the rescue again! Thanks you for that information and I DID write it down in for case I ever need it. The world of information that you have amazes me!! Thanks so much!!