Angel Poppy - was My Poppy has cancer

[phesina]

I did talk to the vet today about the Furosemide. She said it might help and wouldn't hurt her, so I went over there and picked it up. I gave Poppy one as soon as I got home.

I was going to give her one of her Mirtazapine appetite-stimulant pills just now, but she fought against it and it didn't stay in her mouth. I don't want her to worry that each time I approach her I'm going to stick something she won't like in her mouth! I spent a little time afterward just petting her and laying my head against her side to hear the purrrs.

Do you have any suggestions, Heidi, as to how best to give a cat a pill? The pills of both of these meds are quite small.

[phesina]

I think if there's a little time to ponder over euthanasia, it makes it even more difficult.
Willa went down, totally unexpected, within a few hours, and I had no time to think about. The guilt and shock came afterwards.
Pat, I know that you will make the right decision at the right time.

Thank you, Heidi. I was facing a long, slow decline with Bob from his kidney disease, and I didn't know how I was going to be able to make that decision. Then all of a sudden after a short while, he just went completely out of whack, a stroke or something perhaps? but it was clear that that was the time.

[Catty1]

I did talk to the vet today about the Furosemide. She said it might help and wouldn't hurt her, so I went over there and picked it up. I gave Poppy one as soon as I got home.

I was going to give her one of her Mirtazapine appetite-stimulant pills just now, but she fought against it and it didn't stay in her mouth. I don't want her to worry that each time I approach her I'm going to stick something she won't like in her mouth! I spent a little time afterward just petting her and laying my head against her side to hear the purrrs.

Do you have any suggestions, Heidi, as to how best to give a cat a pill? The pills of both of these meds are quite small.

Would a pill pocket work for her?

What I did with Zoe was crush the tablet and mix it with some water. Then I drew that up into a syringe and slowly squirted it into her mouth.

[cats4ever]

Would a pill pocket work for her?

What I did with Zoe was crush the tablet and mix it with some water. Then I drew that up into a syringe and slowly squirted it into her mouth.

That was my suggestion, too. Pill pockets work for my kitties, but there is always the occasional kitty who doesn't like them, or keeps chewing until they discover the pill and then spit it out.
So the crushed pill in water is the next less stressful option.
Once the mirtazapine does its job, Poppy might be hungry enough to accept pill pockets, so give the appetite stimulant first.
The vet probably told you about the side effects of furosemide. Most likely, Poppy will drink and urinate more, but this will help to reduce the fluid.

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi. I just now tried to give her a mirtazapine. I was able to pop the furosemide into her throat pretty smoothly this morning and hope to do as well this time. Unfortunately, I did not. Poppy managed to spit it out onto her fur. I tried to get it down again, and she fought back. After the third time I was able to, but I feel just awful inflicting that on her.

Dissolving it in water and syringe-feeding it seems may be to be the best way to go, with both pills. She isn't crazy about the syringes with the prednisolone, but nothing like this. I just hate to have done something to her like I just did.

Thanks again, Heidi and Candace, and everyone.

[phesina]

This morning I got another Furosemide down her with no trouble, poked it straight back to the back of her mouth where it went right down. Maybe the shape of that pill, sort of a little football with curved edges, helps it go down more smoothly. The Mirtazapine has slightly sharper edges, more like a little hockey puck.

I did some more shopping looking around for that Meow Mix treat.. this time another couple of Krogers, Meijer, PetSmart, Target... did not find that particular one. I did pick up a few more things, of course. Poppy ate some "Meow Mix Tender Favorite with REAL salmon & crab meat in sauce," a little cup full of food with lots of gravy that she licks right from the top of the cup.

The vet didn't really tell me anything about the Furosemide. They were in the middle of a very busy day when she returned my call, and she'd just had a euthanasia. She just agreed to get it ready for me and said it might help and it wouldn't hurt her. What are the side effects, Heidi?

Poppy does seem slightly less huge.. perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part..

Thanks, friends, from Poppy and me and Sparkler

[cassiesmom]

This morning I got another Furosemide down her with no trouble, poked it straight back to the back of her mouth where it went right down. Maybe the shape of that pill, sort of a little football with curved edges, helps it go down more smoothly. The Mirtazapine has slightly sharper edges, more like a little hockey puck.

I did some more shopping looking around for that Meow Mix treat.. this time another couple of Krogers, Meijer, PetSmart, Target... did not find that particular one. I did pick up a few more things, of course. Poppy ate some "Meow Mix Tender Favorite with REAL salmon & crab meat in sauce," a little cup full of food with lots of gravy that she licks right from the top of the cup.

The vet didn't really tell me anything about the Furosemide. They were in the middle of a very busy day when she returned my call, and she'd just had a euthanasia. She just agreed to get it ready for me and said it might help and it wouldn't hurt her. What are the side effects, Heidi?

Poppy does seem slightly less huge.. perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part..

Thanks, friends, from Poppy and me and Sparkler

What kind of Meow Mix treats? I will look for it around here, and put it in the mail if I find it. Good girl, Poppy for enjoying the gravy! I hope the furosemide helps. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo to you, Sparkler and meowmie

[cats4ever]

The most common side effect is dehydration. As long as Poppy eats and drinks sufficiently, she should be ok.
The drug can also cause electrolyte imbalances and kidney problems. Usually though, the benefits outweigh the risks.
Since Poppy is receiving hospice care and furosemide is used to keep her more comfortable, you shouldn't worry about the side effects too much. It's very likely that her abdomen looks less swollen, since the drug reduces the fluid.
Hugs and kisses from Heidi and the kitties.

[phesina]

Thanks, Heidi. It's "Meow Mix Irresistibles crunchy with salmon & ocean whitefish." ..."MADE WITH REAL SALMON." There's a heart-shaped window in front where you can see the treats. Each is heart-shaped, tan around the outside with a red one in the middle. This may be an older version that they don't make any longer. I've seen both crunchy and soft versions now, some with salmon and some with chicken. I got a couple, but she didn't go for them.

She might be past the point where any or it would make a difference to her.. I just offered her the last of the old ones, and she wasn't interested.

She does seem to be a bit less swollen since I've been giving her these (third day today!). I think (hope) she's drinking water. I have quite a bit around, within easy reach for her. And she gets liquid from those gravy foods.

[phesina]

Would a pill pocket work for her?

What I did with Zoe was crush the tablet and mix it with some water. Then I drew that up into a syringe and slowly squirted it into her mouth.

Thanks for the suggestion, Candace, and Heidi!

This evening I crushed a Mirtazapine appetite stimulant tablet and dissolved it in about 1ml of water, gave her a squirt of that this evening. She isn't crazy about the squirts (the Prednisolone suspension is also 1ml of squirts).. but she sure finds that less awful than my trying to stuff a pill down her throat! I usually divide the Pred into 2 .5ml squirts, which I may also do with the Mirtazapine.

I've been doing this for a long time with Sparkler's Gabapentin that she gets 1/2 capsule of 3 times each day. I dissolve the capsule contents in about 2ml of Chicken Broth! (vet's suggestion, which she seems to like enough that she comes out to get her squirts!), then make 2 servings of 1ml each. sometime the whole 1ml in one of those 3ml syringes, otherwise 2 .5ml squirts each in a 1ml syringe.

[phesina]

It doesn't seem to be going real well, dissolving the mirtazapine pill in water and syringe-squirting it down her throat.. she does not like that! I pet her and gently rubbed her throat and talked to her afterwards, and I thought she'd swallowed it all. Then I found a few spots on the rug where she'd managed to spit some out.

I don't know how well all this is going. She doesn't have much of an appetite now, even with the Mirtazapine. She doesn't give any indication of being in pain. She is still breathing steadily, and when I lie my head against her side and pet her in a couple of places, she purrrs away.

[cats4ever]

It doesn't seem to be going real well, dissolving the mirtazapine pill in water and syringe-squirting it down her throat.. she does not like that! I pet her and gently rubbed her throat and talked to her afterwards, and I thought she'd swallowed it all. Then I found a few spots on the rug where she'd managed to spit some out.

I don't know how well all this is going. She doesn't have much of an appetite now, even with the Mirtazapine. She doesn't give any indication of being in pain. She is still breathing steadily, and when I lie my head against her side and pet her in a couple of places, she purrrs away.

Pat, I'm sorry that giving the medications is somewhat difficult. Kitties are famous for being troublemakers in that regard.
Since her appetite hasn't improved, make sure you watch her weight.
I'm glad that her breathing is ok. You are doing an excellent job taking care of Poppy.
Love and headbumpies from Heidi and the kitties

[tatsxxx11]

You know I'm thinking of you and Poppy every day, Pat. I know it's so hard on you, emotionally, and we all can relate to how difficult it can be to medicate them. But how lucky your beautiful girl is, having you as her devoted mom. You truly are her hero.

[cassiesmom]

You know I'm thinking of you and Poppy every day, Pat.

I am too

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi and Sandra and Elyse, from Poppy and me (and Sparkler too, of course).