Prayers for Amy please....

[Laura's Babies]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/HPIM1839.jpg

I have not mentioned to much about her since I have been home this time.. I have tried and tried to post about her but just cry to hard when I start. I have spent 2 of the last 3 nights holding her and crying just about all night.

I know all of you have heard me say that she is worse a number of times. All those numbers are catching up with her. Since her 3rd birthday, she had made a drastic spiral downward. Remember me saying in November that the vet used the word "paralysis" with her.. "Yes, that paralysis seems to be spreading".. It has gotten worse since then... She is no longer able to get into any litter box and squat to do her business, her legs just won't hold her up long enough so all her business is being done laying down.

She has been extreemely jerky and trembley, her back legs unable to carry her hardly anywhere before she falls over, her front legs are weaker too. I am so scared at how fast this is happening to her, I thought we'd have so many more years together. She no longer trys to get on the furniture, I have moved her famous red, cat faced bed to the floor for her. Anytime she get off the floor, it is beacuse I picked her up and put her in the chair, on the sofa or in my bed and once there she stays.

I went by the vets today to see what we can do and see if there is ANYONE close by who could keep her when I go to work because I think she needs around the clock monitoring now. She said maybe we can try steroid pills but that would be a trade off on her health later down the road so here we are talking quality verses quanity. Since her declines have been marked by her birthdays, I think the next birthday will render her completely helpless if they continue like they have in the past. She is going to talk to the vet and call me tomorrow. She did say she would give me a discount if I would like to board her with them while I am working and they could monitor her close while I am gone. I may have to look into that further. I WOULD like for them to monitor her, even if it is just for a few days and see if they could offer me any ideas or suggestions. I am open if any of you have any to offer.

I got the puppy pads for her to do her business on but what about cleaning her up afterwards? Alicia said just to use a warm wet washrag, is that enough? Chester keeps smelling her, off and on all day, he goes and sniffs her and he too, has cried all night, every night since I brought the girls home. Soft, sweet cry's that I have never heard from him before. He is acting so strange that I can't figure it out, other than he knows too, and is having a hard time dealing with it.

Can I ask for some of those powerful PT prayers for my sweet little Amy baby?

[Donnaj4962]

MANY prayers and warm wishes coming to you and Amy. I am so sorry to hear of her problems. It is so hard to see our little loved ones not able to be "themselves". Please stay strong, and give her kisses from me and my girls.

[catlover4ever]

Laura, I'm so sorry to hear about Amy. I'm sending you a ton of prayers. I wish I could offer you some advice but I have no experience with this. I would PM Jan (Queen) as I think she has experience with this.

(((hugs))) to you and Amy. --- Meg

[catnapper]

Oh Laura, hw sad for you (((hugs))) I am crying here for you. I so wish I lived close by - you know I'd be jumping at the opportunity to care for her while you work.

Many prayers for her legs to regain strength.

[jazzcat]

Laura I'm so sorry. I had no idea Amy's condition has worsened so much. Amy and you are in my thoughts and prayers.

(((HUGS)))

[Barbara]

I am so sorry for Amy and you. I am sending my best thoughts.

About the cleaning: yes warm water and a wash rag should be ok. I am sure that any cleansing substance will not be as good.

I hope that the sweet girl has some good time to come with you.

And there is one thing: you know my Filou has this kidney problem- and this means that he is approaching the end of his life, even if he's feeling fine now and may well stay 1,2,3 years with me. And sometimes I think at least I had all the time to say goodbye and telling how much I love him.

[luvofallhorses]

aww the poor sweetie. :( Prayers going out to Amy and hugs to you!

[catmandu]

Not only Prayers,but Pet Angels are coming to be with Amy,to comfort Amy,in her time of need.
They will do thier best for Amy,to help her all that they can.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Oh, I'm so sorry! Lots of prayers flying from me for sweet Amy and you too! :(

[kimlovescats]

Oh LAURA!!! :( :( :( I know how much you love sweet Amy and how this must be hurting you so badly! Gosh, you know if I lived near you, she could stay with me during your work days. I'm sure the warm wash rag will be sufficient, as long as she isn't having diarrhea or anything like that. You may have to soak her back end in a warm tub of water every now and then too, just for an extra cleansing. I think looking into boarding her at the vets would be a great idea too ... that way you KNOW that she is right where she needs to be if any problem arises!!! Surely they wouldn't charge you too terribly much? You might also do some checking around and pricing with petsitters to come in and do the same. Then you can compare prices between the petsitter and your vet. Gosh, I wish I could come up with a better answer for you!!! :confused:

Sweet brother Chester is feeling frustrated too .... poor little guy! I bet he and maybe one of the other girls will tend to start helping her clean herself. Can she still bend well enough to do any of that herself? Poor girl.... this is just so sad.

Laura, please don't keep these things to yourself anymore ... you know that we are all here for you, through good and bad times! Many prayers coming for you and dear Amy!

EDIT: Laura, ask your vet how much it would cost for Amy to board there for your 28 days away. I would be more than happy to help with the cost, and I am betting someone else here would be too!!!

((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))

Kim

[Laura's Babies]

Kim, Alechia already quoted me a price for boarding her but dummy me forgot to ask if that was to cage her or put her in a room. If she had to be caged for 28 days, she would just grieve herself to death within the first week.. Also, she has NEVER been without other furry companionship, that is how Giz came to be ours, to be Amy's companion so I don't know if she could "tag" along for the ride or cost me to stay with Amy... I am going to ask all those questions tomorrow when Alechia calls me. They have always been so sweet to Amy down there that I woud not worry a second if I choose to leave her there. They give her the run of the place most of the time she is there and Alechia holds her a lot.

Amy is able to still clean herself, she spends a lot of time doing that now and she must be doing a good job because I have not picked up any smell when I hold her and I have buried my nose in her fur on her hips. Chester tip toes around behind her and smells everywhere she lays. I will do the warm wash rag on her next time I find her wet and see how she tolerates that. She is still that determined little girl and would rather do things herself.. Haven't found any wet on the puppy pads yet.

[AlleyCat]

Oh Laura, I am so sorry to hear Amy's not doing so hot. You know that we (you and I) don't know each other at all really, but for some reason Amy always sticks in my mind. I think it's because we suspect our Abby has a slight CH issue as well. Her back legs are so uncoordinated. (Our vet doesn't agree.) I surely hope your vet can board Amy (and a playmate) for a reasonable cost so you have some peace of mind while you're off on the boat. In my mind, the important thing, which you already said, is quality versus quantity. I know you will do what is best for Amy. Hugs !!

[momcat]

Oh Laura, I wish I knew what to say right now that would make this go away. Your news about Amy is devastating, she's such a sweet girl. Many prayers are being prayed for you as well as for your beautiful Amy. Sending you lots of hugs. Please keep us updated?

[carole]

Dear Laura, I am so sorry to read about your lovely Amy, sending get well wishes and fingers and all paws crossed here that Amy's condition will not worsen, it must be terribly distressing for you and my heart goes out to you and dear lil Amy,thinking of you and hoping everything will be ok.

[Catty1]

I am so sorry to hear this? What is CH? What ails our poor Amy?

Love her lots, and give her hugs from me!

AWWWWW! There can always be miracles...

Catty1

[jenluckenbach]

Oh how dreadfully sad. :( You can bet you and Amy will be in my prayers every day and night.

[sasha the cat]

In the name of our darlings who live at RB: Sasha the Cat; Tiggy aka The Best Cat in the Universe; Princess the Princess Royale, Paddy-Paws the darling boy and the dogs Bobby the Beagle and Chucky the Fox Terrier, please know that KatMa , Paw-Paw and Norman the Cat include you, darling dear Amy, in our prayers.

May the great Egyptian goddess Bastet the Catbless you and help you heal.

[Laura's Babies]

Cerebellar hypoplasia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Cerebellar hypoplasia is a disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not completely mature at birth. Usually symptoms can be seen immediately at birth in cats, but sometimes can take two months or so to become apparent in dogs. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease. There are several bacterial infections, such as herpes, that can result in the disorder in both cats and dogs. However, the disease can also be caused by malnutrition, poisoning, injury or general accidents during development in the fetus. The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog can usually learn to somewhat compensate for it. Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if preperations are made by the owner for the animals disability.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellar_hypoplasia

Another place I found where it said this about CH . "As the kitten or puppy grows it will learn to compensate for its condition but there are usually lifelong signs of a decreased ability to coordinate movement. "


I got Amy when she was exactly 2 months old and I did not know anything was wrong with her. Once I held her, she was MINE! Her having a disability made no differance to me and she has rewarded me with lots of love and lessons that every human needs to learn. The most important lesson she taugh me is NEVER get up until you accomplish your goals, no matter who thinks you can't accomplish them. She is one brave determined little girl!

[chocolatepuppy]

I will keep sweet Amy in my prayers.

[boscibo]

I will be thinking of Amy.

[Catty1]

Oh Laura...the article makes it sound like Amy should be able to adjust, and not like it should be getting worse!

All I can think of is a good Omega 3 oil that is supposed to help the brain...does your vet have any ideas?

Darling Amy - You are loved, so stay here with your meowmie! Amy is a beautiful girl!

hugs
Catty1

[Laura's Babies]

Catha1, Yes, that first article reads like she should not have gotten any worse as she grew older and that is what I believed and held onto. After her 3rd birthday, it was obvious to us that know her, that she was getting worse and worse and worse so I got back online and researched some more and found another article that pretty much says the same thing as the first but with
"As the kitten or puppy grows it will learn to compensate for its condition but there are usually lifelong signs of a decreased ability to coordinate movement. " . THAT was so hard to swollow but I HAD to know what was wrong and why she was getting worse.

My prayer is that she gets NO worse. The damage can not be undone to her neroulogical system but I have hopes that it could stop where it is? That is what I pray for. It does not appear to be happening though. Maybe with PT prayers........ they do work miracles sometimes......

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

AW Laura, my Inka has same ilness! She has CH too. We noticed this because she was always losing her balance! She also has NO coordination between her 4 paws, so whenever she wants to run, she falls a lot, or does salto's. Even with that CH, she is a very happy cat. She might get worse when she grows older, but she has learned how to live with it.
I am sorry to hear that Amy canot go potty on her own anymore; it would break my heart too :( :(

((((((((( hugs !!!))))))))))

[orangemm]

Lots of prayers for your sweet baby Amy. It hurts dreadfully to see our loved ones start to fail, esp. when we are helpless to help them.

Give her some gentle scritches from me and ((((hugs)))) to you.

[smokey the elder]

Poor Amy! Diva got worse until about 4 or 5 (I forget) but has stabilized. I sure hope that your Amy will reach some sort of stability so you can better manage her condition.

[Queen of Poop]

Prayers for you and sweet Amy.

[rosethecopycat]

Praying for dear Amy.

May her problems stop in their tracks, and she enjoy herself with you.

[Sonia59]

All my thoughts for Amy and you,
Hugs

[Laura's Babies]

Smokey the elder... Do you have any tips and advice, things you tried that worked with Diva that helped?

I hope you don't mind me asking, just how bad is Diva's CH... Is she able to walk far... are her legs strong enough to hold her up in the litter box.. How much does she fall over.. I guess what I am asking for is a detailed picture of exactly how her condition has effected her.

You say her decline leveled off at 4 to 5 years is giving me HOPE.. Did you notice that her declines happened right around her birthdays like I have with Amy's... Maybe I should hold off on using the streoids? How old is Diva now? If Amy can level off, I don't want to risk her future by messing up something else in her body with the steroids.

[furrykidsmother]

Lots of Good thoughts and prayers to both of you!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Laura, I'm so sorry to hear that Amy's condition is getting worse.:( Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way. Please take care.