Need your Prayers for Emily

[mrspunkysmom]

I hope this is just a phase and that she makes it through the day.

She's not dragging, seems spunky at times, but her breathing has been labored lately

She is hyperthyroid, but never really adjusted to the tapazole. It would rob her of her appetite, meaning she didn't gain the weight she needed to gain. She will hide to avoid taking the medication, whether in liquid or crushed tablet. There are studies suggesting that hyperthyroidism might be masking other illnesses in cats. Studies are ongoing.

She seemed to be doing well on the natural food approach, cooked, of course. I usually fed her some sort of can fish or baked chicken.

Lately, she's been peeing a lot and drinking a lot. You can feel her ribs, but she has a good long coat so the bones are not visible. After trying the whole-natural food approach, I've gone back to the tablets. Hopefully this is just the setback she had when she started the meds the first time. She also darted outside one day last week and started chomping on the grasses. This is a first. So I brought her in and brought her grass to nibble on. She ate it all. She tried to dart out yesterday too, but I was faster.

Right now she is resting in the fireplace (nice and cool), messy. I tried to hold her for a while, and she liked that, but she relly wanted to sleep in the fireplace. She refused to eat at first and finally ate one small bite of ham. At least now I know where all that dirt came from yesterday on my shirt.

She had some really strange behaviors yesterday, couldn't decide where she wanted to be. I held her a lot and then she would jump out of my arms.

I have to go for my own Coumadin PT-INR, and then I'll be back to check on her.

I'm debating taking her to the vet for one last time to ease her suffering, but I really want to see if she can make it past this hurdle or is she just ready to move on. It's a tough decision because I want her to live, but I don't like seeing the quality of life diminish.

I'll keep you updated.

[phesina]

You and Emily have our prayers.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Catty1]

Prayers for Emily! I hope she can make it past this bump. Maybe the thyroid med could be in the form of an ear cream?

Hoping for the best.:love:

[catmandu]

We at the Found Cat Hotel are sending prayers for Emily, and a delegation of our Awesome Angels is bringing snacks from Paris to chher her up. Emily is such a Great Cat , and we all wish her the best:love::love::love:

[Randi]

I'm sending lots of good thoughts to Emily and I hope she will pull though this. I've heard that ear cream works very well for cats who don't like pills, so perhaps you could try that.

Gentle kisses to your sweet girl, I hope all goes well! :love:

[Cataholic]

I am sorry to read this. I am dealing with the issue within my own herd, and can relate very well. May this just be a slight hurdle, and Emily have many days left with you.

[Karen]

You and she are in our prayers.

[WILDCATS]

:love: All our prayers and Purrs from Tilly and Scooby. :love::love:

[mrspunkysmom]

Prayers for Emily! I hope she can make it past this bump. Maybe the thyroid med could be in the form of an ear cream?

Hoping for the best.:love:

that's been mentioned, and the others do not groom her, so it might be safe. I'll look into it.

[mrspunkysmom]

Thank you for your kind wishes. I just stopped in to check on her, and she was up and wanting food. That's normal for her. But she wouldn't take just canned cat food. It had to be the salmon. Spoiled.

Let's hope she can survive re-entry into the meds so that her kidneys stop working overtime. Right now the house smells of piss, mainly because she goes so much. And I want her to feel good, too.

[ChrisH]

Prayers on the way. {hugs}

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this.:( Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.:love:

[cassiesmom]

prayers and good thoughts for Emily!

[Felicia's Mom]

Sending prayers and positive thoughts to you and Emily.

[mbsmum]

Prayers and purrs from Kaveri and Shiela on the way to Emily.

[mrspunkysmom]

Thanks. She ate again this evening, but is still sleeping in the fireplace. Yech!

[katladyd]

I have a kitty dealing with hyperthyroid and he handles the pills just fine. He isn't gaining much weight (been on the pills almost a year) but he is acting like a normal cat otherwise. Plays, jumps up on things, bosses my other cat around, etc... My vet told me to watch his urine output because one of the signs that tapazole (or methimazole, which Mac takes) isn't working or helping the problem is that they will pee A LOT and spend more time sleeping. Get Emily to the vet. There are other ways of dealing with this condition that don't involve medicine which isn't effective.

[mrspunkysmom]

I have a kitty dealing with hyperthyroid and he handles the pills just fine. He isn't gaining much weight (been on the pills almost a year) but he is acting like a normal cat otherwise. Plays, jumps up on things, bosses my other cat around, etc... My vet told me to watch his urine output because one of the signs that tapazole (or methimazole, which Mac takes) isn't working or helping the problem is that they will pee A LOT and spend more time sleeping. Get Emily to the vet. There are other ways of dealing with this condition that don't involve medicine which isn't effective.

Serious lack of money, but I can try animal care services, too. My vet is much more expensive, but he is likely to let me make payments. I'll have to check on this. Emily took a break from Tapazole because I was trying the low iodine diet. When I realized that wasn't working, I put her back on the Tapazole. It may take a month for it to work. It's only been a week, maybe 10 days.

Emily gains a little weight and her numbers are good on the Tapazole, but she vomits so much while on it. She tries to avoid it, even from a syringe.

I think she is also mad at me for going back to work. So go my trials with Emily. She still has plenty of energy, and until tonight, the excess peeing had stopped. I came in late and instead of feeding them right away, I went to the bathroom. I found fresh pee on the counter. Sigh.

So how do I get Tapazole in a cream for the ears? The compounding pharmacy locally is outrageous.

Thanks for the advice and for listening.

[Catty1]

Maybe with a scrip from your vet you can order the cream online?

[mrspunkysmom]

Maybe with a scrip from your vet you can order the cream online?

I'll have to try that. First I ahve to talk to the vet about payments over time and cutting back on some of the fees.

[pomtzu]

So how do I get Tapazole in a cream for the ears? The compounding pharmacy locally is outrageous.



Sending positive vibes out to dear Emily. I hope that she is doing better.

I don't know that you can get a compounded med on line, but you could check it out. And anything compounded is pricey. Myndi was on Tramadol for the pain of her arthritis, but getting anything in her mouth was an effort in futility. She had jaws of steel and would clamp them so tight that none of us could pry them open. Pulverizing the pill into a powder and adding liquid didn't work since she would let it dribble out. Couldn't put it in her food because then she wouldn't eat the food - those pills were extremely bitter. Hiding it in cheese or peanut butter - nope - that didn't work either. She just wasn't getting the med she needed so I asked her vet about compounding it. She checked with a pharmacy up state that does this, and they could do the Tramadol. I paid $9 per month for the pills at Walgreens, and $40 per month to get it in an ear cream from the compounding pharmacy. It was worth the extra tho - at least I knew she was getting the med she needed.

[mrspunkysmom]

Sending positive vibes out to dear Emily. I hope that she is doing better.

I don't know that you can get a compounded med on line, but you could check it out. And anything compounded is pricey. Myndi was on Tramadol for the pain of her arthritis, but getting anything in her mouth was an effort in futility. She had jaws of steel and would clamp them so tight that none of us could pry them open. Pulverizing the pill into a powder and adding liquid didn't work since she would let it dribble out. Couldn't put it in her food because then she wouldn't eat the food - those pills were extremely bitter. Hiding it in cheese or peanut butter - nope - that didn't work either. She just wasn't getting the med she needed so I asked her vet about compounding it. She checked with a pharmacy up state that does this, and they could do the Tramadol. I paid $9 per month for the pills at Walgreens, and $40 per month to get it in an ear cream from the compounding pharmacy. It was worth the extra tho - at least I knew she was getting the med she needed.

She is doing better. She will only eat people food now. SIGH.

I've been putting it in her food so now she doesn't want to eat the cat food. This is one stubborn cat. I have to fight her for control over my food plate. I realized tonight I might have to get it compounded. At least the pharmacy is nearby. If I don't have to sub on Friday, I'll check with the vet, see if he will just do tests on Emily and Spunky. He's 12 and needs bloodwork done.

Thanks for understanding

[smokey the elder]

I've been able to get Tapazole as a topical ear cream from my vet. It's $36 for 3 mL, which lasts 15 days for my cat's needs.

[mrspunkysmom]

I've been able to get Tapazole as a topical ear cream from my vet. It's $36 for 3 mL, which lasts 15 days for my cat's needs.

That is so out of my budget. I will have to endeavor with the much cheaper pills. Once I get going with some tutoring and other odd jobs, Maybe I can switch over.
My outgoing is more than my incoming. I've had to borrow from friends and family.

In other news, my vet of 7 years, on and off, mostly on, will not let me make payments over time. I tried for Care Credit again and was denied. SIGH. So now to find a new vet. Or beg for money. There is a local group that helps out.

Emily is a survivor, but I'm really worried about Sam. I think he has had a reaction to flea bites. He's hiding right now but eating, in the cupboard of all places. I'm wondering if that is where he got the fleas. It's not used. He knows how to open cupboard doors.

He got flea med tonight topical. I'm trying for capstar later and some tapeworm meds.

I need your prayers.

[slick]

So how do I get Tapazole in a cream for the ears? The compounding pharmacy locally is outrageous.

Just replying to this because I've been fighting this with Yodee. When I first brought her home she was on the pills. Her T4 went down so her med was cut in half. Then she started to lose her appetite so I asked and received the cream for the ear. I was giving her that for about 4 or 5 days and during that time she went back to the vets for a lion cut because she was covered with mats and I'd lose a hand or both if I tried to groom her. I also noticed that her appetite increased dramatically. :eek:
Test results came back yesterday and her T4 is up again so tonight I've started her on the pills again. I crush them and put them in some very fishy stinky wet food that she likes. She didn't eat much of that but I'm hopeful that by the time I go to bed most of it is eaten. I can pill her but she hates it and gags sometimes.

It's a never ending process. **sigh** Prayers for Emily coming your way. I feel your pain.

[mrspunkysmom]

Just replying to this because I've been fighting this with Yodee. When I first brought her home she was on the pills. Her T4 went down so her med was cut in half. Then she started to lose her appetite so I asked and received the cream for the ear. I was giving her that for about 4 or 5 days and during that time she went back to the vets for a lion cut because she was covered with mats and I'd lose a hand or both if I tried to groom her. I also noticed that her appetite increased dramatically. :eek:
Test results came back yesterday and her T4 is up again so tonight I've started her on the pills again. I crush them and put them in some very fishy stinky wet food that she likes. She didn't eat much of that but I'm hopeful that by the time I go to bed most of it is eaten. I can pill her but she hates it and gags sometimes.

It's a never ending process. **sigh** Prayers for Emily coming your way. I feel your pain.

Yes, and thank you. Emily watches me and won't eat it if I put something in her food. She runs from the syringe. I want her to flourish but..... perhaps it is enough to keep her stable and not peeing everywhere.

Tapeworm meds are next

[katladyd]

1800PetMeds will compound most meds and they are at a very reasonable price. I do NOT have any spare money at all, but I could afford Mac's meds in compounded form if I had to. I get Mac's Methamizole from PetMeds at about 1/5 the price my vet charges me for them.

[mrspunkysmom]

1800PetMeds will compound most meds and they are at a very reasonable price. I do NOT have any spare money at all, but I could afford Mac's meds in compounded form if I had to. I get Mac's Methamizole from PetMeds at about 1/5 the price my vet charges me for them.

Thank you

At .49 tablet, it is 2.50 per month more expensive than my personal pharmacist. My vet charged 36 a month. I get it as 12.50 per month

And the compound is $7 more than my vet.

If I were to get the larger bottles, it would be cheaper over time. hmmmm

However, "This product cannot be shipped into NC or SC." What? I'd send it to my brother but he lives in NC. Wow!

But thanks for the thought.

[Catty1]

Anne, do you have a PayPal account? There's several of us that don't have a lot of money, but would like to help you out with Emily. You could just take the money to your vet.

What do you think?

[mrspunkysmom]

Anne, do you have a PayPal account? There's several of us that don't have a lot of money, but would like to help you out with Emily. You could just take the money to your vet.

What do you think?


I do and was thinking of using it like a credit card and just for vet care. Let me find it.

and thank you

Anne

[mrspunkysmom]

I do and was thinking of using it like a credit card and just for vet care. Let me find it.

and thank you

Anne

My PayPal is reactivated, and I have no clue what to do.

Okay, I think I figured it out. You need mu email address? It's not the one associated with Pet Talk. I'll send it to Catty.

[mrspunkysmom]

Anne, do you have a PayPal account? There's several of us that don't have a lot of money, but would like to help you out with Emily. You could just take the money to your vet.

What do you think?

I never answered your question. I was like "Wow"

And it's a great idea!

YY'all are the best!

[Catty1]

As long as the email address is associated with your PayPal account, you're fine. I got your PM and will send the address to people that posted here. New people to PT - please do not feel obligated AT ALL. We do this sort of thing on Pet Talk every so often.

[mrspunkysmom]

As long as the email address is associated with your PayPal account, you're fine. I got your PM and will send the address to people that posted here. New people to PT - please do not feel obligated AT ALL. We do this sort of thing on Pet Talk every so often.

Yes, and thanks to anyone that sends. Please don't feel obligated. I appreciate you guys more and more.

Love

[Catty1]

Done! Wish it could be more. :love: Love to you and Emily.

[mrspunkysmom]

Done! Wish it could be more. :love: Love to you and Emily.

<grin> Every little bit helps.

[mrspunkysmom]

Thank you so much to those that helped. I've emailed a vet that runs a mobile vet in the area. I'll let y'all know how it goes and what it costs, just so you know.

There is another mobile vet a little bit South of here that I might try. I used him when I lived further south of here, but not for anything like Emily's problems.

Thanks again

Anne

[Catty1]

How is Emily today? :love:

[mrspunkysmom]

How is Emily today? :love:

She is still hungry, drinking a lot, peeing a lot, but at least she's peeing in the box. I'm fairly sure is was Spunky that peed on the piano. He's the only one who even gets on the piano.

SIGH. With Spunky it is a statement.

I might try to give her some meds tomorrow. I have to spread it out since she gets wise to my actions.

A 6-lb ball of fluff is outthinking me.

thanks for asking.

[mrspunkysmom]

I'm sure it is Emily with the severe diarrhea today. I started her back on the tapazole, wondering how much I can get into her before she gets wise to my ways.

Keep you posted.

[mrspunkysmom]

So far Emily hasn't suspected that I've giving her the Tapazole. Now I just need to find a way to control the diarrhea. She'll eat just about anything, so I might just try some pumpkin. How much should I give? Emily is 6 lbs.

[mrspunkysmom]

So Emily is still peeing. This time on the Piano. The place smells. It is getting cleaned today. Sigh. I'm thinking of putting up a screen door in the kitchen. It will allow air flow yet keep the kitties contained. I already have trees in there along with their boxes.

The alternative is a screen door at the living room hallway juncture. That will help too.

[mrspunkysmom]

I think I've known this for a while, but Emily is losing her grip on reality. Right now she is sleeping on a dirty floor. She stares off into space. She's going totally mental.

This is a hard decision, because she still has energy.

[phesina]

Is she still eating? Does she still do other routine things?

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[mrspunkysmom]

Is she still eating? Does she still do other routine things?

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

Yes, that's why it's hard. I'm observing and noting her behaviors. I'm not in a hurry to make a decision.

[Catty1]

How old is Emily? I hope this is just a bump in the road for her.:love:

[mrspunkysmom]

How old is Emily? I hope this is just a bump in the road for her.:love:

She is at least 15. I've only had her for two years. She was hyperthyroid before I acquired her and went without meds for a few months since the previous human didn't tell me she was sick. She did tell me she had liver trouble early on but survived it.

Over the last year her illness has been hard on her. Hard to treat or maintain. She's been drinking at least a quart of water each day for a while now. along with peeing a whole lot, she also has diarrhea. Apparently kidney issues accompany the hyperthyroidism, but the experts aren't sure why. The data isn't in yet.

I've tried holistic diets, grain free food, etc. The medicine makes her sick. It makes her nauseous, and she vomits, thus not eating. So she doesn't get what she needs in medicine or vitamins. She's not gaining the weight although she eats like a starving kitty when off her meds.

She know longer sleeps in the living room or hallway, Always in the kitchen but on the floor. When I first acquired her slept in the kitchen but on the cat tree, SIGH.

She's been ill for a while. I just haven't said much. I tried to get help. SIGH.

[katladyd]

If I give Mac too high a dosage of Tapazole, he vomits and gets diarrhea. Why not try halving her current dose and see if that helps. My vet told me that the dosage of they need will fluctuate over time. Sometimes they need more, sometimes less. Right now, Mac is on one-half of a 5 mg. pill once a day. If he starts to get lethargic or lose more weight (he has never put on much weight since his diagnosis), I give him half a pill every other day and half a pill twice the other day. You can regulate this med on your own. I hope this helps.

[mrspunkysmom]

If I give Mac too high a dosage of Tapazole, he vomits and gets diarrhea. Why not try halving her current dose and see if that helps. My vet told me that the dosage of they need will fluctuate over time. Sometimes they need more, sometimes less. Right now, Mac is on one-half of a 5 mg. pill once a day. If he starts to get lethargic or lose more weight (he has never put on much weight since his diagnosis), I give him half a pill every other day and half a pill twice the other day. You can regulate this med on your own. I hope this helps.

Thank you. I did try that. She felt better on half dose daily, but didn't gain the weight back. She ate everything in site, but the disease took on a life of its own. SAD