Angel Poppy - was My Poppy has cancer

[phesina]

Last week I learned that my sweet girl Poppy has cancer...

Lymphoma or perhaps carcinomatosis (lining of lymph nodes or intestine or somewhere and/or mesentery, something like this).

Nothing to do, it seems, but give her steroids to keep her comfortable.

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

[Queen of Poop]

I'm so sorry. Give her lots of lovies. Hugs for you both.

[Randi]

Oh Pat, I'm terribly sorry to hear this. :( I know you will keep her comfortable as long as she is with you. Wish there was something to do about it, though.

Sending lots of love and comfort to you both - and to Sparkler, too. :love: :love: :love:

[phesina]

Thank you so much, Gayle and Randi, from Poppy and Pat (and Sparkler, too). :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Karen]

Aww, you and she will be in our prayers.

[Catty1]

Pat, how sad. I know that feeling in the gut when you find out your baby has cancer.:love:

I hope she is kept comfortable for a long time.

{{{hugs}}}

[phesina]

Thank you, Karen and Candace. Poppy acts just the same as always. This is kind of so hard to believe.

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

[phesina]

Pat, how sad. I know that feeling in the gut when you find out your baby has cancer.:love:

I hope she is kept comfortable for a long time.

{{{hugs}}}

Thank you, Candace. I know you know that feeling all too well. {{{HUGS}}}} back to you!

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

[Felicia's Mom]

Pat, I am so sorry! Sending lots of prayers and positive thoughts!:love:

[cassiesmom]

I am so sorry to learn this news. I am sending tons of hugs and prayers to you, Poppy, and Sparkler.

[phesina]

Thank you, Nancy and Elyse, from Poppy and me (and Sparkler too)!

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

[cats4ever]

Pat, I am so very sorry about Poppy!:love::love::love:
I hope that you can keep her comfortable for as long as possible. She is in the best hands she could possibly be.
Best wishes and lots of hugs to you, Poppy and Sparkler.

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi. :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Poppy and Sparkler and Pat

[mbsmum]

I am very sorry to hear about Poppy Pat. Lots of hugs to both of you.

[phesina]

Thank you, Prathima.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Poppy and Sparkler and Pat.

[cats4ever]

Just a thought: Is chemo therapy an option?

[phesina]

She wasn't acting as if she was feeling poorly until Tuesday last week, when she didn't eat all her dinner, even after I'd arranged it the way she liked several times. (There's a whole story there.) Then last Wednesday evening she left about half of it. Thursday I called the regular vet, just to have her checked out. I had no idea something serious might be going on.

They didn't have any open appointments until this Tuesday (yesterday) but advised me not to wait, to take her to the emergency vets and have this checked out now. So off we went to the emergency vets, and.. after a couple of x-rays and blood work.. and then an ultrasound.. that's when the news came out.

We came home with a steroid suspension for me to give her some every day.. and an appetite stimulant pill.. and a can of A/D which supposedly is meant for cats to like. Well, she didn't like that, didn't like anything I offered her that evening. She's been eating better since then, so I think (hope) she was just unwinding from all the stuff that day, the blood work and x-rays and ultrasound AND an enema and then some sub-Q fluids, and then that evening a squirt of the steroid.

The next day (last Friday), I went shopping at Petco and Kroger, buying all kinds of kitty junk food, Fancy Feast and Friskies and Meow Mix and store brands and such, that I hoped she might find yummy-licious. No need for the organic, grain-free, gluten-free, yada-yada, stuff at this point... She gobbled up her Friskies Chicken & Tuna Pate Dinner that evening, and she's been eating fine since. Tonight she got some tasty Trader Joe's Ocean Fish, Salmon & Rice Dinner, which she ate right up.

I gave her an appetite stimulant pill the first night but haven't needed to since then. She's getting her steroid suspension squirts each evening.

She moves around just fine when she feels like moving around, and she jumps up on my bed with no trouble. And she loves it, as she has been, when I lean down and rest my head along her side and pet her and breathe some warm air into her fur... she purrrs away!

So we're hanging in there!..

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

[phesina]

Just a thought: Is chemo therapy an option?

Thanks, Heidi. Both vets (emergency and regular) and I talked about that. It's not an option for her, I guess with this kind of cancer. She'd need to come to the hospital every week and stay for several hours while she's hooked up and stuff is shot into her. It might give her a little more time but not much, and a lot of the time she would be miserable. So we're going with the steroids and keeping her as comfortable and happy as can be.

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

[Randi]

I'm glad she gobbled up her Friskies Chicken & Tuna Pate Dinner and the Trader Joe's Ocean Fish, Salmon & Rice Dinner, too. Also good that she moves around and wants to jump on your bed. :)

I hope she will have some more quality with you and Sparkler. Please give her lots of kisses for me. :love:

Sending big ((((hugs)))) to you. :love:

[phesina]

Thank you, Randi. Kisses delivered! :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[cats4ever]

I'm glad that Poppy is eating her "junk food";), and that she seems to be feeling ok.:love:
According to Willa's vet, her lifelong IBD had probably turned into intestinal lymphoma. Under this presumption ( she never had a biopsy done to prove that), her vet put her on the chemo drug Chlorambucil. It's not delivered by IV, but is an oral chemo drug, and it was compounded into a seafood flavored treat, which Willa gobbled right up.
Like you, I would have never done weekly IV drugs, she would not have tolerated that.
It resolved her diarrhea, and it gave her an additional 7 month of good quality life.

[phesina]

Thanks, Heidi, that's good to know. I'm glad it worked so well with Willa. I think I'll ask Poppy's vet about Chlorambucil, if he knows about it and if it might be suitable for Poppy or not.

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

[cassiesmom]

Please give her lots of kisses for me.:love:

Sending big ((((hugs)))) to you. :love:


For me too, please! And I am sending more hugs!

[phesina]

Thank you, Elyse, for the hugs and kisses, from Poppy and me (Sparkler, too)!

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

[phesina]

I'm glad that Poppy is eating her "junk food";), and that she seems to be feeling ok.:love:
According to Willa's vet, her lifelong IBD had probably turned into intestinal lymphoma. Under this presumption ( she never had a biopsy done to prove that), her vet put her on the chemo drug Chlorambucil. It's not delivered by IV, but is an oral chemo drug, and it was compounded into a seafood flavored treat, which Willa gobbled right up.
Like you, I would have never done weekly IV drugs, she would not have tolerated that.
It resolved her diarrhea, and it gave her an additional 7 month of good quality life.

Thank you, Heidi. Last evening I spoke with the emergency vet about Chlorambucil. She said she did not think it was appropriate for Poppy's disease. If it looked like intestinal lymphoma, she would have prescribed it, which she has done for many animals, but this looks like something else, and she doesn't think the Chlorambucil would help. She told me the ultrasound vet said the intestines look clean. Also, Poppy doesn't have diarrhea. The ER vet said she'd prescribe it if I really want her to, but if Poppy were her cat, she wouldn't use it. I will talk with the regular vets next week and see what they think. (A bit tricky right now: the one who'd been seeing Poppy left the practice recently to move to Colorado; she wanted to live near the mountains. And the one who looked over her records after the ER visit just went on vacation.)

I did talk with one of the assistants there today, told her what the ER vet said. She wondered, are there side effects, and if so, what kinds. I didn't find that out last night. Do you know, Heidi, about side effects of Chlorambucil?

Poppy is doing all right now, and I am treasuring the time we have together.

Thanks, everyone..

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Poppy and me (and Sparkler too, of course).

[Karen]

Sounds like the vet was just being honest, but I do not blame you for wanting a second opinion. Hugs to you all!

[phesina]

Thank you, Karen. :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[cats4ever]

There are quite a few side effects, I found a site that lists them.
Willa's biggest problem was that the drug suppresses the immune system, so she got several urinary tract infections, until we had lowered the dose enough (2mg every 4 days) where it wouldn't affect her anymore. After that, she didn't have any problems.
If her kidneys wouldn't have given out, the drug would have extended her life even a bit longer.
:love:I'm glad that Poppy is doing so well. Please give her lots of hugs and kisses!:love:

https://www.vetinfo.com/chlorambucil-for-cats.html

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi. Looks like it is a very careful balancing act working with that. I don't know that that would be good with Poppy.

I will talk with one of the other vets this week, hopefully Monday.

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

[cats4ever]

Thank you, Heidi. Looks like it is a very careful balancing act working with that. I don't know that that would be good with Poppy.

I will talk with one of the other vets this week, hopefully Monday.

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

That is a fact. And each cat will tolerate it differently. I'm sure you will get good advice from your vets.

[phesina]

Poppy's appetite has been a little less enthusiastic this weekend.. She is eating not quite but pretty much the usual amount, especially if I stay with her and pet her.

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

[phesina]

Thanks, Heidi. I'll keep you all posted.

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

[cats4ever]

Poppy's appetite has been a little less enthusiastic this weekend.. She is eating not quite but pretty much the usual amount, especially if I stay with her and pet her.

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

Once her appetite starts really slowing down, ask your vet about mirtazapine, an appetite stimulant.

[phesina]

Thanks, Heidi. She's got some mirtazapine appetite stimulant, from the ER vet, and I gave her another pill yesterday. Shortly afterward she gobbled up some kibble. She wasn't that enthusiastic about the wet food, the Trader Joe's fish that she loved the other day, but she ate most of it, in stages when I would come and fix it up the way she likes it and has for a long time, wetted and molded all up into a little heap in the middle of the bow.

When I came home mid-afternoon today, she wanted more kibble, some Taste of the Wild, and I gave her some. Soon it will be wet food dinnertime.

I talked with one of the regular vets yesterday, and I asked her about the Chlorambucil. She didn't think it would help, because there is metastasis, which I think now is what that strange word "carcinomatosis" meant.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Poppy and me and Sparkler too

[cats4ever]

I'm glad that Poppy is eating.:love:
I saw the Wikipedia explanation for "carcinomatosis", and this is cancer secondary to another cancer that has metastasized. So it makes sense that chlorambucil is not an option, which is unfortunate.:(
Luckily, Poppy has the most caring mom she could ever hope for!
Hugs and headbumpies to you, Pat, and Poppy and Sparkler :love::love::love:

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi, from all of us.

She's not eating much at all now. Last night she ate a (very) little of a serving of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken Hearts & Liver Feast in Grilled Chicken Flavor Gravy.

This morning she acted like she wanted some kibble breakfast, and I gave her some Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline Formula with Roasted Venison & Smoked Salmon, which she seems to like better than the Meow Mix I gave her a few days ago. She ate some but not much. I left it out for her to eat at her leisure and went out for a while. Much of it was still there when I got back.

I picked up some baby food today, and mid-day she ate some (not much) Gerber Ham and Gravy baby food, after a little bit of the juice from some Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken Purrcata.

(All these extravagant names for cat food and baby food varieties.. Marketing! But they sound like things she just might find juicy and appetizing, so worth trying...)

I feel so helpless. This is all happening so quickly.

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

[cats4ever]

Thank you, Heidi, from all of us.

She's not eating much at all now. Last night she ate a (very) little of a serving of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Chicken Hearts & Liver Feast in Grilled Chicken Flavor Gravy.

This morning she acted like she wanted some kibble breakfast, and I gave her some Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline Formula with Roasted Venison & Smoked Salmon, which she seems to like better than the Meow Mix I gave her a few days ago. She ate some but not much. I left it out for her to eat at her leisure and went out for a while. Much of it was still there when I got back.

I picked up some baby food today, and mid-day she ate some (not much) Gerber Ham and Gravy baby food, after a little bit of the juice from some Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken Purrcata.

(All these extravagant names for cat food and baby food varieties.. Marketing! But they sound like things she just might find juicy and appetizing, so worth trying...)

I feel so helpless. This is all happening so quickly.

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

Pat, there's no way you could have ever been ready for this.:( Even though Poppy knows that something is different, all she wants is for you to be with her.:love:

[cassiesmom]

:( sending ((((((HUGS)))) and love :love: and, I'm sure, headbumpies from angel Cassie.

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi and Elyse and Angel Cassie. :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[phesina]

This morning I got a sample-bag of some kibble called N&D Natural&Delicious adult cat food, cinghiale e mela, or as they kindly translate, boar and apple. Never heard of that combo for cats before, but Poppy has been eating more of it, so far, than other things I've been trying. If she keeps up with it, I'll get her a bag tomorrow.

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

[phesina]

She ate maybe a tiny bit more of it, but she's not really interested in any food, wet or dry, that I've been trying on her. And her abdomen has kind of swollen up, as if she was suddenly quite fat.

She is up and moving around some, so she's not completely comatose. She got up on the bed with me when I was waking up this morning, settling on my left shoulder as I was lying on my right side.

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

[cats4ever]

Make sure that you keep an eye on her breathing. A distended abdomen could mean that there's fluid in it. You might want to consult with the vet about that.

[phesina]

Thanks, Heidi. I'll do that. :love::love::love::love::love:

[mbsmum]

How is Poppy doing ?. Pets and scritches to her.

[phesina]

Not good, I'm afraid; thanks, Prathima. Pets and skritches delivered, and they were received with purrrs.

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

[Queen of Poop]

Keeping you and Poppy in my prayers.

[Randi]

I'm thinking of you and Poppy, and sending lots of positive thoughts.

Pat, you really are doing everything you can, all those different foods. You are such a good mom! :) It's great if you can get samples, so you can find out what she likes best. Fister was crazy about Royal Canin dry, called Sensible, have you tried that?

Love, kisses and big (((hugs))) :love: :love:

[phesina]

Thank you, Gayle and Randi. After I got a couple of ..highly expensive cans of tasty-sounding gourmet food "on sale!" to try ..guess what she actually did eat a fair amount of! Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Treat Classic!

Need to get some more of that tomorrow.

I did take her to see the vet yesterday. I'll write about that when I have a little more time and energy.

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

[phesina]

I'm thinking of you and Poppy, and sending lots of positive thoughts.

Pat, you really are doing everything you can, all those different foods. You are such a good mom! :) It's great if you can get samples, so you can find out what she likes best. Fister was crazy about Royal Canin dry, called Sensible, have you tried that?

Love, kisses and big (((hugs))) :love: :love:

Thanks, Randi.

Royal Canin Sensible.. we haven't tried that. I'll see if I can pick up a small amount, perhaps a sample if there are any.

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

[Randi]

Just want to add that the two cats I look after now both eat Thrive wet food, they love the tuna version. Must say it looks yummy. :)

https://thrivepetfoods.com/cats/wet-food

More kisses to Poppy... and Sparkler, too - and hugs to you. :love: :love: :love:

[phesina]

I found one today called Royal Canin Sensitive in the English-language version of the title, Sensible in the French-language version. I brought a bag home and just gave some to Poppy. She ate a few bites, but she had just eaten some other food not long before. I'll see how she does with it later.

I also got a couple more cans of the Fancy Feast as above plus a "grilled" version in gravy of the same thing.

I'll see if I can find that Thrive canned food around here somewhere.

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

[phesina]

Just want to add that the two cats I look after now both eat Thrive wet food, they love the tuna version. Must say it looks yummy. :)

https://thrivepetfoods.com/cats/wet-food

More kisses to Poppy... and Sparkler, too - and hugs to you. :love: :love: :love:

I looked at the web site for Thrive. Looks like some tasty possibilities there.. Tuna with Shrimp & Squid! Sardine with Mackerel! Tuna & Salmon! I hope I can find some around here.

Thanks, Randi! Kisses delivered and hugs received happily.

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

[phesina]

I took her in last Saturday because her abdomen has been swelling. Well... she's not in good shape, and I don't think we have much more time. I told the vet I'd like to keep her comfortable for as long as she's able, and then we'll say good bye.

The vet spent quite a long time with Poppy and me, talking about everything she was finding and what was in the record, and what were the possibilities and such. She also said she didn't want me to feel guilty (which I do, of course).. Yes, if it had been found earlier they could have done different things such as exploratory surgery or chemo, but nothing that would have changed the end result with this kind of cancer, we'd still be where we are now, and Poppy would not have thanked me for doing those things. "We would not have helped her live better and longer."

She advised hospice care: Keep her warm and clean, bring her small amounts of tasty new foods- such as vanilla ice cream, cooked shrimp or chicken liver or salmon, make water easy to get to.. Expect euthanasia soon.

Almost a week later now.. Poppy is still hanging in there. She eats some, not a lot. She is still walking around, not a lot. She likes me to pet her. She has been enjoying various versions of Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish and Tuna. She also likes a "Meow Mix Irresistibles crunchy with salmon & ocean whitefish" treat I had around from before. We're almost out of it, and I've looked in several stores but have not been able to find more of that particular one. I did try some ice cream and canned salmon (people version), but she wasn't interested. I give her her steroid solution every day.

I feel so bad about all this. I love her so much and on some level can't (or don't want to) believe this is happening to her.

Thanks to you all, and :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:,
Poppy and Pat (and Sparkler too, of course)

[cassiesmom]

More kisses to Poppy... and Sparkler, too - and hugs to you. :love: :love: :love:


And more from me, too :love: :love:

[phesina]

And more from me, too :love: :love:

Thanks, Elyse, from Poppy and Sparkler and me. :love::love::love::love::love:

[cats4ever]

Pat, you are doing everything possible to keep Poppy comfortable. She couldn't ask for a better mom.
Did the vet say if they could reduce the fluid with furosemide, a "fluid pill"?
If there's a Walmart close to your house, check there for those treats.
:love:Lots of hugs and kisses to you, Poppy and Sparkler:love:

[phesina]

Thanks, Heidi. I did ask her if they could do something about all that fluid, but she said that what they could do would be more uncomfortable for her than leaving it as it is. She didn't go into that any further.

Furosemide, she didn't say anything about that. Maybe I'll call tomorrow and ask about it..

Walmart is a bit of a trip, one in Ypsilanti and one in Saline. Meijer, a Midwest version of sort of the same kind of place, might have it.. and there's Petsmart across the street from that. I haven't been over to that area yet, but it's closer than either Walmart.

She might be getting to the point that she's past those kinds of things.. I offered her one of the last pellets of this bag of it, and she sniffed like she was interested, and sort of acted like she was going to pick it up into her mouth but then didn't.

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

[Catty1]

I took her in last Saturday because her abdomen has been swelling. Well... she's not in good shape, and I don't think we have much more time. I told the vet I'd like to keep her comfortable for as long as she's able, and then we'll say good bye.

The vet spent quite a long time with Poppy and me, talking about everything she was finding and what was in the record, and what were the possibilities and such. She also said she didn't want me to feel guilty (which I do, of course).. Yes, if it had been found earlier they could have done different things such as exploratory surgery or chemo, but nothing that would have changed the end result with this kind of cancer, we'd still be where we are now, and Poppy would not have thanked me for doing those things. "We would not have helped her live better and longer."

She advised hospice care: Keep her warm and clean, bring her small amounts of tasty new foods- such as vanilla ice cream, cooked shrimp or chicken liver or salmon, make water easy to get to.. Expect euthanasia soon.

Almost a week later now.. Poppy is still hanging in there. She eats some, not a lot. She is still walking around, not a lot. She likes me to pet her. She has been enjoying various versions of Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish and Tuna. She also likes a "Meow Mix Irresistibles crunchy with salmon & ocean whitefish" treat I had around from before. We're almost out of it, and I've looked in several stores but have not been able to find more of that particular one. I did try some ice cream and canned salmon (people version), but she wasn't interested. I give her her steroid solution every day.

I feel so bad about all this. I love her so much and on some level can't (or don't want to) believe this is happening to her.

Thanks to you all, and :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:,
Poppy and Pat (and Sparkler too, of course)

I totally get not wanting to believe this is happening to a beloved furbaby, especially when it arises fairly quickly. I was syringe-feeding-and-medicating. There wasn't time for me to try anything and I had no Transfer Factor. The vet would have euthanized Zoe upon diagnosis but I totally wasn't ready - I needed to wrap my head around this happening to my sweet little girl. :(

{{{hugs}}}
Pat, did you get my thank-you email?

[phesina]

Thank you, Candace. The vet did throw out the possibility of euthanizing Poppy when we were there last Saturday, but I also was not ready to do that at all. I don't think Poppy was ready for that either.

I told the vet, "She's walking around, she's eating some, she gets up on the bed. I want to keep her comfortable as long as she's able, and then we'll say good bye."

This morning, Poppy was there on the bed to help wake me up, and she ate some of her Fromm HasenDuckenpfeffer kibble.

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

P.S., yes, I did get your thank-you e-mail, Candace, and thank YOU! I've been in the middle of composing a reply, and I'm so sorry that it's taking me so long. Things have been kind of hectic. {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

[cats4ever]

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.:love:

[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.

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

[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.:love:

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.

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

[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.

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


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.:eek:
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. :love::love::love::love::love:

[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 :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[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 :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

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 :love:

[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.:love:

[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.

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

[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.

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

[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.

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

[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.

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

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:Love and headbumpies from Heidi and the kitties:love:

[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.:love::love::love:

[cassiesmom]

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

I am too :love:

[phesina]

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

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

[phesina]

I wonder if she'd like the Mirtazapine dissolved in chicken broth! (I wonder if chicken broth would interact badly with the Mirtazapine...)

Sparkler comes out to get her Gabapentin-in-chicken-broth squirts!

[phesina]

Tonight Poppy ate a little from a can of something called "Weruva Cats in the Kitchen La Isla Bonita Mackerel and Shrimp Recipe Au Jus" ...after turning up her nose at several other offerings.

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

[phesina]

Poppy didn't eat anything yesterday. She stayed hidden a lot of the day. Came out in the evening. I gave her her steroid squirt in case it might make her more comfortable. Shortly afterwards she threw up some orangey liquid. I thought she was spitting up the med, but it was not the same color. This morning I found she'd spit up some more of that liquid.

We are going to the vet's pretty soon. I think it's time.

I love you, Poppy. Thank you so much for being with me, sharing your beautiful self with me.

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

[Randi]

I'm so very sorry Pat. :( I know you are doing everything you can to keep her comfortable.

As hard as it is, perhaps it's time to say goodbye and not let her suffer - I think she will let you know.

You and Poppy are in my thoughts - I send love, comfort and big ((((hugs)))) :love: :love:

[cats4ever]

I am so sorry, Pat! You will know when the time is right, and so will Poppy!
:love:Love and comforting thoughts to both of you:love:
Heidi and the kitties.

[phesina]

Thank you, Randi and Heidi. Poppy is an Angel now.

The vet said she was badly dehydrated and had been spitting up blood. She was swollen up from that liquid in her abdomen, and her breathing was getting a bit off.

I feel so guilty, I should have brought her home for another day? But I couldn't see her going through another day of probably spitting up more blood and not eating.

I love you so much, Poppy. :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Randi]

Pat, please don't feel quilty that you let her go. I think she hung on only for your sake. She is now at peace and you were there for her until the end. I know how badly you will miss her, but this was best for Poppy. You are the best mom she could have wished for!

Dear sweet Poppy, have a good rest at the Rainbow Bridge, and then go find your new friends... cats and humans. You are a precious angel now, but your mom will keep you in her heart forever. :love:

You're in my thoughts, dear Pat... sending lots of love and (((hugs)))

[phesina]

Thank you, Randi. I held her as we said goodbye to each other. :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[mbsmum]

I am very sorry Pat. Dearest Poppy is at rest now, being a beautiful Angel at Rainbow bridge.

[tatsxxx11]

I had a feeling when you sent me your email yesterday that this was about to be, or had already happened. :(:(:(:(:( Couldn't sleep, thinking of you and Poppy. I'm so, so very sorry, Pat. You did all that you possibly could, and in the end, did the only right thing for your precious Poppy, as hard as that was. She was so lucky to have you as her mom, Pat. Run and play happily at the Rainbow Bridge, precious Poppy. You've earned your angel wings.:love::love::love:

[Queen of Poop]

I am so sorry.

Poppy will be a wonderful Angel kitty.

[phesina]

Thank you, Prathima and Sandra and Gayle.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Sparkler and Pat and Poppy Angel.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

OMG Pat, I only found out now that your beloved Poppy was so sick....:(
It is so very hard to see how your dearest pet is getting worse every day, and nothing can be done ......
Please don't feel guilty for helping Poppy to cross the Bridge....! This life on earth wasn't comfortable for her anymore, and letting her go was the best and in fact only thing you could do for her...
I'm all in tears now, since this is bringing back memories about my Zazou's passing 5 weeks ago........`:(

I 'm sending your lots of dear hugs to you :love: :love::love::love:

RIP diarest Poppy!! Be sure to look for my Zazou, she is pretty new there too. Please tell her we miss her terribly :love:

[cats4ever]

Pat, I'm in tears right now. You definitely made the right decision. Poppy was in bad shape, and you helped her out by not letting her suffer another day.
It was most selfless of you, and it shows how much you loved Poppy.
:love:Precious Poppy, you are healthy now and painfree at the Rainbow Bridge. Watch over your meowmie who loves you so very much, You will always be in her heart. :love:

[Catty1]

:( I am so sorry, Pat. I know you did your very best for her and she did the same. You know that saying about "If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever".

Hugs. There is a hole in your home now, as there was in mine. They heal, and we always have our memories to help us.:love::love:

[phesina]

Poppy Angel is already close friends with recent arrivals Zoe and Zazou and Willa Angels, and there are so many other dear Angels to get to know and love as they all run around and play happily together at the Bridge!

They are looking down on us with so much love and reminding us that they are with us always and we will all be together, One Fine Day...

Thank you, dear friends, from Sparkler and Pat, and Poppy Angel too, of course.

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

[cassiesmom]

I am very sorry to learn this news. ((((Hugs))) to Pat and Sparkler.

[phesina]

Thank you, Elyse, from all of us! :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Felicia's Mom]

Pat, I am so sorry to hear this.

[phesina]

Thank you, Nancy. It all happened so quickly.

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

[mrspunkysmom]

I'm so sorry to hear about Poppy. May she find peace at the Bridge.

[phesina]

Thank you so much, Anne and all your kitties. Poppy is indeed finding peace at the Bridge, and she is becoming good friends with Mr. Spunky and all your family there!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Sparkler and Pat and Poppy Angel

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I am so sorry to hear this news. No matter how long you have them it's never long enough. Poppy will have tons of new friends to play with until the one she loves best, you, meet up with her "one fine day ".:love:

[phesina]

Thank you so much, MoFF. Poppy Angel tells me all about her new friends and how she'll introduce me to them, One Fine Day...

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

[phesina]

I picked up Poppy's ashes this morning. With it, there is a small vial with a little of her fur in it.

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