Barney is an Angel Now.

Now is when I wish Dr. Lee could see Barney. He did such an incredible job w/Yodie and her ear polyp. No one in my area even knew how to do the surgery and I really had to do some digging to find him. He did laser surgery on it and he said that his instincts told him to give the polyp a little tug to get at the root. Several months later, he attended a class and they addressed ear polyp surgery and said to give the polyp a little tug. He felt vindicated and I felt awestruck of this guy. Hopefully, you'll be able to find someone just as capable to do the surgery when Barney is strong enough. If they don't get it at the root, it just grows back again and again. Sweet little Barn-Barn, as Candace calls him.

Candace wrote:

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Lara - GREAT idea on the TNR group! I am sure they would he happy to set up another one. Local humane societies etc know where all the feral colonies are.

Barney as a poster boy! LOL That is great.

Hope the polysporin works...it's got a teeny bit of anitbiotic in it, and just might help.

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His spine does seem to be slightly less boney but just a bit. I stopped into the clinic today and left a note for the vet with some questions. I asked if I could give Barney a paste that I have on hand called Nutrical that I got from the clinic for Tiger. It is a high caloric paste to help cats gain weight. My only concern was how it might interact with the diabetes.

The Merrick low glycemic canned food that I'm giving him says 'for cats and kittens' on the label so it is for both.

I also asked if I could put polysporin on his nose and asked them to put together a quote for me for what it would cost to sedate him and clean out those ears. I just can't put the drops in anymore, he actually screams when I do and I just can't do it. He doesn't trust me for days after I do it and tries to bite and scratch me even if I lift my hand in a way that looks like I'm up to something. And on the days that I do put the drops in, he shakes them wildly all day long and falls off balance and is just plain miserable. When I stop for a few days, his ears are much more tolerable for him and we get along great.

My hope is that the vet can get the ears completely clean and that I can give him some meds in pill form to attack the bacterial infection in his ear. The receptionist is going to fax me a quote at work tomorrow or the next day for that and for the polyp surgery.

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Have you heard from Angela since she left?

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She emailed me a few days ago and I sent her a video of him. I don't think we'll be in touch that much but I will send her a video every now and then so she can see his progress. I only met her last month for the first time and she lives back east so I don't think I'll see her again except when she comes to visit my coworker on occasion.

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Lara - GREAT idea on the TNR group! I am sure they would he happy to set up another one. Local humane societies etc know where all the feral colonies are.

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I called the SPCA to ask if there were any groups in Campbell River that help the feral cats and she said there weren't any!! She said there are many colonies of cats but nobody helps them. I'm so shocked by this as the town has a population of over 30,000 people! The area I used to live in also had a population of this size and there were multiple rescue groups helping the ferals.
They told me that there is one woman who feeds the feral colony by the ferry dock and she has managed to get them all spayed and neutered out of her own pocket. They gave me her cell number so I can talk with her about her experience. Other than that though, there isn't anything the SPCA can do. I asked them if they would be willing to subsidize feeding if a rescue group was started on our island and told her that someone had told me they would. She told me that 'they' were misinformed and that all they could maybe offer was some extra food that they might not need for the shelter cats.
I asked her if they would be willing to take kittens if we could get them under 7 weeks of age. She said 6 weeks was better and yes they would. They will try and foster them and socialize them but if they are too feral they will be put down. I asked if I could get the kittens back if socializing didn't go well and she said "no".
I'm going to speak with the rescue group from the town 40 minutes away and see what else I can find out.

Anyway, back to Barney!! LOL


Mary, your cheque came today!!! Thank you so much. Your donation will be going towards Barney's vet visit (which is not booked as of yet) and will be added to the one already there. We have a total of 158.00 now for the upcoming exam and I also have Barney's bag of gold which will go towards that as well. :)

Momtomany, thank you for the diabetic dry food. I picked that up today and the receptionist 'Lorraine' said "it is so nice of someone to do such a thing" and I smiled and said "it sure is". I could tell that she wanted to know who all these fabulous mystery people are and why they would be calling about a little scrawny cat like Barney. It was neat. Thank you. :)

Medusa wrote

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Now is when I wish Dr. Lee could see Barney. He did such an incredible job w/Yodie and her ear polyp. No one in my area even knew how to do the surgery and I really had to do some digging to find him. He did laser surgery on it and he said that his instincts told him to give the polyp a little tug to get at the root. Several months later, he attended a class and they addressed ear polyp surgery and said to give the polyp a little tug. He felt vindicated and I felt awestruck of this guy. Hopefully, you'll be able to find someone just as capable to do the surgery when Barney is strong enough. If they don't get it at the root, it just grows back again and again. Sweet little Barn-Barn, as Candace calls him.

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I'm thinking about having my old vet do the surgery. It would mean having to either drive Barney there (5+ hours) or flying him by floatplane (2 hour drive and 20 minute flight). They only charge 20.00 to fly a cat so it's not too bad.
He is an amazing vet and his clinic is very high tech. He has all the bells and whistles (digital xray, ultrasound, ecg machine, endoscopic equipment that is smaller than any other vet that I have been able to find).
I receive a discounted rate because I created and maintain their website so it would be a much lesser bill. I don't really utilise it though because he is so far away. And I'm about to make some other major changes to another site I made for him for his orthopedic veterinary equipment that he sells and normally I would bill him for this but I'm thinking about sending him an email proposing that we exchange a polyp surgery for the work on the site. It's worth a try.

Barney was absolutely full of beans this morning. When I opened the door he started meowing away and was pacing back and forth like a tiger in a cage. I gave him some food which he ate a little of but then he came back to the front of the enclosure and was pawing at it and tried to climb it a bit. His balance is so terrible that he fell backwards onto the dog bed and just laid there for a sec a bit disoriented. But he got back up and was pacing back and forth so that is a good sign.

I think I might find a harness for him (I'm sure I have one in a drawer here) and take him for a walk. Or I might just put him in the outdoor enclosure for a bit so he gets some exercise.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...h_MVI_4700.jpg

Oh sweet boy, I just want to hug you so badly! Your little face is just so sweet!

Good idea about proposing to trade some website work for the polyp surgery, Lara. It never hurts to ask. When the time comes, I'll be sure to donate if your proposal is rejected. What an awesome Xmas present it would be to have Barney on the mend and healing nicely. Until then and always, many prayers are being said. :love:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

Oh sweet boy, I just want to hug you so badly! Your little face is just so sweet!

Good idea about proposing to trade some website work for the polyp surgery, Lara. It never hurts to ask. When the time comes, I'll be sure to donate if your proposal is rejected. What an awesome Xmas present it would be to have Barney on the mend and healing nicely. Until then and always, many prayers are being said. :love:

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Thank you Mary. :)
I will update in the thread after I ask him.

Okay, this is going to sound silly but Barney just did the most amazing thing! I was in the shop just now to give him one more meal and tuck him in for the night. I had the top of the enclosure off and I was scraping the old food off his plate into the garbage just as my husband walked in. He said "hey! look at Barney!" and I turned around and saw Barney standing on the green crate I have inside the enclosure so I have something to step down onto when I climb in. He was standing on the tips of his tippy toes and had his front paws on the top of the enclosure gripping like crazy and his little froggy grumpy face was looking at me with these heart grabbing eyes that looked like they were going to pop out of his head because he was trying so hard. It was like he was saying "I can do it foster meowmie, watch!" and he pulled him self out!! I couldn't believe it. I scooped him up before he could fall and just hugged him. He seemed to realize his great accomplishment because he started purring away and doing paddies in the air with his feet. He's still scrawny and sickly but he is improving, I just know it! I wanted to cry but I was thinking my husband would think I was nuts. LOL He thought it was amazing too considering the shape he's been in since we've known him.

I took this picture earlier today.
This is the top of the enclosure where he climbed out:
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...k/IMG_4714.jpg


And I brought in an extra light so the movies wouldn't be sooooo dark. It's a bit better now.


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...h_8288d830.jpg

Oh my! He is so cute! I must have missed this thread because I never visit this section.

Thank you for taking him in and showing him love. He surely would not be here if it was not for your kindness... So many dont find loving people soon enough.

I dont have time tonight to read all of the posts, but can you tell me what exactly is wrong wth him? Besides that he is a old man, I can tell that from his face;)

OH my! How sparkly and bright his eyes look! He IS more active! And to see him play...OMG...mighty killer of dragged toys! :D

And he pulled himself OUT of the pen! Wow! And sounds like he was rightly proud of himself!

October 14:
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...k/IMG_4463.jpg

October 16
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...h_e2d83ea0.jpg

WOW!

I hope he can get his ears cleaned soon.

Hugs and cuddles to Barney!:love::love::love:

He sure is looking a lot better and seems to have much more energy too.:) I hope he continues to improve.:)

You sure know just the right words to say, huh, Lara? Reading your description of how he strained to pull himself up was heartwrenching but it made me so happy at the same time. To see him play was icing on the cake. I had to chuckle at his reaction to the scratching post, as though he was saying "I may be sick but I'm still a cat. I'll use it if I feel like it." LOL Mighty prayers headed your way, Barney and Lara and Scott. :love:

:eek: WoW Barney you have improved so so much.. I just want to snatch you up & give you bunches of whisker kissess & huggss.. I sure hope you get to stay there & it be your furrever home.. If not we have to sneak you in a carrier & bring you to Tx.. So glad to see you doing so good & well..

Aww, it's good to see Barney is a bit better. :) His eyes are fairly bright and the fact that he is playing a bit and interested in climping out is great! And he certainly enjoys his food - it's just fantastic!

Do you sit with him in the crate sometimes? It looks like he can't get enough attention. LOL! :)

I so hope he can get his ear sorted out soon and will keep getting better. Please give him lots of kisses from me - and thanks for all the loving and care you give him. :)

Will you let me know whether you got my last envelope - I thought it would have arrived by now. I sent it tuesday last week.

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Originally Posted by Randi

Aww, it's good to see Barney is a bit better. :) His eyes are fairly bright and the fact that he is playing a bit and interested in climping out is great! And he certainly enjoys his food - it's just fantastic!

Do you sit with him in the crate sometimes? It looks like he can't get enough attention. LOL! :)

I so hope he can get his ear sorted out soon and will keep getting better. Please give him lots of kisses from me - and thanks for all the loving and care you give him. :)

Will you let me know whether you got my last envelope - I thought it would have arrived by now. I sent it tuesday last week.

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Hi Randi, I haven't received it as of yet but yesterday was a holiday. Our mail comes to the post office around 1:30 each day so I will check after work this evening and will let you know asap. :)

I do climb into the enclosure a couple of times a day and sit in there with him. Sometimes I just hold him and other times I use small scissors and trim the mats while he is occupied with eating or drinking. But I can tell that he is needing more exercise and stimulation by the way he tried to climb out of there! So I will begin taking him out more and maybe walking him on a lead or putting him our smaller outdoor enclosure. I have a big one for my other cats but until I know he is FIP negative, I don't want to put him in their enclosure.

kt_luvs_kitties wrote:

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I dont have time tonight to read all of the posts, but can you tell me what exactly is wrong wth him? Besides that he is a old man, I can tell that from his face

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The vet is unsure of his age because his 'old man' appearance might have been caused by starvation.
He has hyperthyroidism which he is now on 1/2 a tab of Tapazole for and diabetes which we are trying to reverse with diet right now. He is FELV/FIV negative. He has/had a raging infection somewhere in his body that the vet thinks is most likely his ears that he is on Clavamox for (another 5-6 days to go) and he has a polyp (or tumour) in his left ear that requires surgery at some point. Other than that, he's in good shape. lol Seriously though, he's really coming along. I think he is gaining weight, his energy level is up and his ears do seem somewhat improved. My hope is that the upcoming bloodwork shows definite improvement as well.

Catty1 wrote:

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hope he can get his ears cleaned soon.

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Me too! I'm going to work in an hour and my boss called me to tell me that the quote arrived by fax from the vet regarding sedation and ear cleaning.

Medusa wrote:

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You sure know just the right words to say, huh, Lara? Reading your description of how he strained to pull himself up was heartwrenching but it made me so happy at the same time. To see him play was icing on the cake. I had to chuckle at his reaction to the scratching post, as though he was saying "I may be sick but I'm still a cat. I'll use it if I feel like it." LOL Mighty prayers headed your way, Barney and Lara and Scott.

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LOL! That's funny. I reread it after I posted it and thought, these words do not do justice to how sweet his determination to get out really was. But it sounds like you got a good idea. :) I might try and get it on film tonight because he was sort of trying again this morning.

Thanks krazyaboutkatz and lvpets2002 for your words of encouragement too! :)

Agghhh....I can't see the new pics from here at work. I will definitely get on my computer at home tonight to get my daily dose of Barney :love: :love: The description of him pulling himself out of the enclosure sounds awesome!!!!!!!

I love reading Barney's updates. I'm so glad that there are signs of improvement with him. Keep us posted and I'm going to try to make another donation soon.

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Originally Posted by MoonandBean

Agghhh....I can't see the new pics from here at work. I will definitely get on my computer at home tonight to get my daily dose of Barney :love: :love: The description of him pulling himself out of the enclosure sounds awesome!!!!!!!

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I got some footage of Barney trying to repeat his escape (which is below) but after two tries I stopped filming because I felt kind of mean watching him struggle. He couldn't quite get up the way he did last night. Not sure if he needs to be super hungry for that kind of manuever or what! lol

Moesha wrote:

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I love reading Barney's updates. I'm so glad that there are signs of improvement with him. Keep us posted and I'm going to try to make another donation soon.

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I'm so glad the updates are not boring everybody to tears! lol


I got to work today and received the fax from the vet. They didn't put a quote together for me for the polyp removal because they said that Robin (vet) is too concerned about his diabetes and the anesthesia. I am still going to ask for the quote when I go in next though because I need to know what they would charge if Barney has it done there. I did email my old vet, the one I'm doing the website work for and asked him about Barney. I offered to contribute 150.00 if he would do the rest for trade for the site work. I haven't heard back from him but I attached this picture to the email so I think it will help!

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...eek/Barney.jpg

Anyway, the rest of the fax went on to say that I can put polysporin on Barney's nose but I can't give him the Nutrical paste (high caloric paste) that I have because of his diabetes. And I can give him 2 drops of Metacam mixed in his food once a day for the pain in his ears. I have some Metacam left over from Tiger. :)

They suggested that I have skull rads done on Barney to get a better idea of how deep the polyp/tumour is growing and have his glucose tested again. That estimate was I think about 230.00. It's upstairs in my purse and I'm too tired to go and get it! LOL I'm heading to bed in a few minutes but I will post the exact amount tomorrow.
My thought is that if my old vet decides to do the surgery for website work, then I should let him do the xrays so I save Barney's money for exams and bloodwork now. But I have to find out if my old vet will do it or not first.

Randi, I went to the post office after work and your card was there! Thank you for your donation and for the wonderful christmas card featuring Fister! It's our first card of the season.

Thank you 3catcondo for calling in a donation to the vet clinic!! I really appreciate all this amazing help!!! :)

This is where the donation total is now at: 206.00 plus Barney's bag of change from the cans which I have to recount and roll. I think there is about 90.00 in there for a grand total of: 296.00. :D

Here is tonight's Barney movie!

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...h_0d18e864.jpg

Lara, is there any way that you can get some local news coverage about Barney? Surely if an ombudsman saw the video of him, it would touch everyone's hearts and w/the holidays here, it would be just the right time. He's such a sweet boy; his face just breaks my heart but I can see the improvement w/every video and pic and it's all due to you, girlie. :love:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

Lara, is there any way that you can get some local news coverage about Barney? Surely if an ombudsman saw the video of him, it would touch everyone's hearts and w/the holidays here, it would be just the right time. He's such a sweet boy; his face just breaks my heart but I can see the improvement w/every video and pic and it's all due to you, girlie. :love:

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Thanks Mary. Well, it sure isn't all due to me! It's been an amazing collective effort and I appreciate it so much. I feel like I'm not sure I could have taken this on without you guys. The financial support has been so helpful but the posts have also been invaluable. It feels like I'm not doing this all by myself.
Which brings me to a question. Since everyone has 'invested' in Barney, I'm wondering what everybody thinks is the best route to take with him.

I have the estimate now and it is lower than I thought. It is 23.45 for the blood glucose test and 152.59 for 2 xray views of his head for a total of 184.94.
I'm thinking that these xrays should maybe wait and he should have his blood tested for thyroid again because the last time it was below normal and before that it was high. I would like to be sure that it has leveled out with the 1/2 tab of Tapazole a day. The blood test last time showed that his white blood cell count was still through the roof 2 weeks after the first test so we learned that the Convenia antibiotic injection hadn't done anything. I think his blood should be tested for this again because how will we know if the Clavamox has done it's job or not? And of course his glucose that was included in the estimate.
I consider you guys kind of like the board of directors for Barney! lol So, what do you think? I still haven't heard back from my old vet yet but I sent an email directly to the clinic and asked them to ask him if he got my email so hopefully that will result in something.

Mary, I could look into some other media outlets in a nearby town. I've already posted his picture and story in our local news flyer and posted him on our local website and never received any contact from either of those. There is another local publication that comes out every two weeks and I'm going to be posting a submission about the feral cats and will somehow work Barney into the equation. I really want to get as many people as I can to show up for the feral meeting and the publication that I haven't used yet has told me that they will let me put together a piece about feral cats and the meeting. I'm concerned about pushing too hard with another article but I will find a way to include Barney into what I write.
The nearest town over that is much larger has larger papers and stuff so that could be an option but I'm learning it's not really a town that makes animals a priority.
A few weeks ago I noticed that there were some birds flying around in a large grocery store. I spoke with someone at the store and they said that the birds had gotten when a skylight was being repaired. I asked her how long they had been there and she said for over 2 months! I called the SPCA and they said they couldn't do anything and also didn't know of anyone who would do anything. I found a number in the phonebook for a town 40 minutes away, a bird sanctuary/wildlife place and she said they couldn't do anything either. There are no feral rescue programs in this town and as far as I know, only one shelter. (I have to do my research on this though before I can be certain). Of all the vet clinics that are here, only one offers the SPCA a reduced rate. And I think there is only one conservation officer for the whole area. We don't even have one here on the island, he/she comes over from Vancouver Island. It's disappointing that animals are not so much of a focus here. I will have to look into it though and try to put Barney's story out there.

I contacted the vet today and asked if there was another kind of med by pill that Barney could take in place of the Surolan in his ears. I had left her a note with a list of questions the other day but this one never got answered. The vet called back and left a message saying that there wasn't anything she could give other than the Surolan. She said she could not prescribe steroids because of his diabetes. She also said that if I'm having trouble giving the drops, it's better to stop than give them sporadically. I've decided to just deal with it and wrap him up in a towel and get it done twice a day. I know it's painful for him but he got his first dose of Metacam this morning so hopefully that will help each day.

Robin said that Barney should have his glucose checked in about week and she wanted to see if he gained any weight. I'm certain that he has put on some weight, maybe just a bit but he feels less scrawny. :)

My thought is to get the xrays done along with the blood panels. That way you know where everything stands...and if by chance the blood levels show that he COULD have surgery on his ears, you don't need to rebook xrays.

I hope the Metacam helps with the ear drops...poor Barn-Barn! How soon does it kick in, so you might know the best time to do the ear drops?

HUGS to that precious boy, and to you!

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Originally Posted by Catty1

My thought is to get the xrays done along with the blood panels. That way you know where everything stands...and if by chance the blood levels show that he COULD have surgery on his ears, you don't need to rebook xrays.

I hope the Metacam helps with the ear drops...poor Barn-Barn! How soon does it kick in, so you might know the best time to do the ear drops?

HUGS to that precious boy, and to you!

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THat is a good thought. And, the xrays could be sent to my old vet should he need them.

I'm not sure how long it takes for the Metacam to kick in. He gets it once every 24 hours so maybe a few hours into it? I will try and give him his first ear drops an hour or two after the Metcam in the morning. :)

I completely forgot to mention this in my last post but a woman I know here stopped into where I work and donated 12.00 towards Barney! She is so nice and we exchange pet sitting for each other so she will meet him at some point if I haven't found his forever home by the time we take our next road trip.
So that brings the total to: 306.00!! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Catty1

My thought is to get the xrays done along with the blood panels. That way you know where everything stands...and if by chance the blood levels show that he COULD have surgery on his ears, you don't need to rebook xrays.

I hope the Metacam helps with the ear drops...poor Barn-Barn! How soon does it kick in, so you might know the best time to do the ear drops?

HUGS to that precious boy, and to you!

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I'm w/Candace on this one, Lara. As for the ear pain, I can't recall ever having used Metacam for any of my cats, even Puddy after her kidney removal. She was on Torbutrol pills and also something squirted into her mouth by syringe but I can't recall what it was. Same w/Yodie and her ear polyp removal. It was just too long ago; my brain doesn't cooperate much lately. :( If you find that it isn't working, let me know and I'll look up the records to see what other pain reliever they were on. I hope the Metacam works, though, because it's important to get those ear drops in but I know that you want Barney to trust that you're not going to cause him pain every time you come near him.

As for news coverage, I was thinking of TV. When people actually see Barney and the reaction of the news person, it makes an impact. I don't know your situation there on the island so it may not be possible. As for the money, I'm glad you're getting so many donations but I would think w/the holidays here that people would be more generous. I guess the economy has everyone scared, though. As soon as I get paid again, another check will be on its way to you. We'll figure something out to get Barney what he needs, don't you worry. And when I said that Barney's improvement was all due to you, Lara, I meant it. Yes, people have donated money and various items and true, Angela was there and made a huge contribution and the vet has given Barney good care. I certainly don't mean to disregard them but you're the one who has kept Barney going and you're the person that he most loves. I can see it in his eyes, that sweet boy. I've never been so touched by a cat as I have Barney. That's why I think that if you can get some TV news coverage, it'll make a huge difference. Seeing his videos makes me want to hop a plane and be there w/you. (If only)

So many prayers are being said for Barn-Barn and you and hubby, Lara. This experience has been a spiritual and magical one, to be sure, for all of us, but especially for you. :love:

I've been reading about Barney for a while now and greatly appreciate what you are doing for him.

I have used Metacam on several of my cats and have found it useful, as have some of my rescue friends. It's used differently by different vets, with some believing it can be used only once. I noticed a huge difference when I used it on Ginger whose joints were getting very creaky since she's now 22-1/2. After the initial two high doses and a few days on the much lower dose, she actually started jumping onto my high bed again instead of struggling to get on the box and then scrambling up the bed cover. It was incredible, and wonderful to see her trotting around again and smacking the other cats. One of my friends used it on a rescue cat that had a really painful wound and she also noticed great results. Hopefully, your vet uses it the same way - two or three daily high doses followed by tiny daily doses (Ginger weighs about 5 pounds and gets .1ml daily). Your vet may not agree with the initial high doses, in which case you are going to have to wait quite a bit longer for it to make a real difference. Laura has just put Amy on it, but her vet didn't use the initial high dose either so I don't think she had seen any difference before she left for her boat.

It's quite a battle when they have several things wrong with them, isn't it, especially when you have to give them treatment that is obviously painful. I have to wrap my Diego twice a day to give him a strong pain medicine. The problem is that it is nerve pain and in his mouth, and the medicine can only be given orally. I have to brace myself twice a day by saying "Five minutes fight and pain and 11 hours and 55 minutes of enjoying life, we will cope."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lizzie

The problem is that it is nerve pain and in his mouth, and the medicine can only be given orally. I have to brace myself twice a day by saying "Five minutes fight and pain and 11 hours and 55 minutes of enjoying life, we will cope."

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If it's not Neurontin/gabapentin, you might want to give it a try. It's excellent for nerve pain in both critters and humans, and it's even used with zaps from spinal cord injury. I had it compounded for Buddy in fishy flavors, and he didn't mind it terribly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

I'm w/ Candace on this one, Lara. As for the ear pain, I can't recall ever having used Metacam for any of my cats, even Puddy after her kidney removal. She was on Torbutrol pills and also something squirted into her mouth by syringe but I can't recall what it was. Same w/Yodie and her ear polyp removal.

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Hmmm, I have some Torbutrol left over that was prescribed for my dog Muddy. Don't worry, I won't give him any until I speak with the vet to see if it's something she recommends and find out how much of 5mg tablet he would get.
Barney has been really good about letting me wrap him up in a towel and give him his ear drops in his right ear so maybe the metacam is helping a bit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

As for news coverage, I was thinking of TV. When people actually see Barney and the reaction of the news person, it makes an impact. I don't know your situation there on the island so it may not be possible.

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We've had a news crew come to the island, but only for big stuff, like ferry strikes and that story about Nick's dog being shot and killed. I don't think they'd come for Barney but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

As for the money, I'm glad you're getting so many donations but I would think w/the holidays here that people would be more generous. I guess the economy has everyone scared, though. As soon as I get paid again, another check will be on its way to you. We'll figure something out to get Barney what he needs, don't you worry.

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I do think times are tough and scary now and to be honest, I'm completely amazed that so many donations have come in. And some twice! lol
But you hang onto that third donation and keep it for Pollywog Tripod!!! :D
I sure hope that works out for you. :love:
Continued prayers would be awesome though!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

And when I said that Barney's improvement was all due to you, Lara, I meant it. Yes, people have donated money and various items and true, Angela was there and made a huge contribution and the vet has given Barney good care. I certainly don't mean to disregard them but you're the one who has kept Barney going and you're the person that he most loves. I can see it in his eyes, that sweet boy. I've never been so touched by a cat as I have Barney. That's why I think that if you can get some TV news coverage, it'll make a huge difference. Seeing his videos makes me want to hop a plane and be there w/you. (If only)
So many prayers are being said for Barn-Barn and you and hubby, Lara. This experience has been a spiritual and magical one, to be sure, for all of us, but especially for you. :love:

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Thank you so much for this Mary.

Lizzie wrote:

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I've been reading about Barney for a while now and greatly appreciate what you are doing for him.

I have used Metacam on several of my cats and have found it useful, as have some of my rescue friends.

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Thanks Lizzie. I've used it on a couple of cats too and it does seem to help them. I know my old vet sends a few doses home with cats after certain surgeries to help with pain and inflammtion. I guess some are wary because it is for dogs (and people in Meloxicam) but hasn't been specifically put out for cats or properly tested. It is a bit worriesome but his organs are in good shape so I think it's okay to use it short term.

I haven't posted in Barney's thread for a few days because it all seemed kind of redundant, especially in light of what was going on with Andy and Taz. Continued prayers going out for both those boys for their recoveries!! :)

Barney has had a couple of things come up in the last couple days that have taken us a few steps backward. His polyp has started bleeding again and it's a mess in there. I'm going to look into getting him a collar like the one I saw in Taz' pics. I'm not sure if we have them here or not but I've got to try something. We got him a plastic cone shaped one but Angela ended up cutting it because she thought it was too long for him to eat but now it's too short to be effective. I might be able to make one of those collars like the one Taz has with some cardboard or something.

I've been putting polysporin on Barney's barnacle. lol And I don't know if it softened it or what but when I turned around for a second and then looked back, he scratched half the scab completely off! It was pretty gruesome. I'm posting a few pics of it below but be warned, they are ugly.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...k/IMG_4752.jpg
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Later that night he scratched the other side off and it turns out that Barney doesn't have a black nose at all, it's pink! But by yesterday morning it was scabbing up again. I'm continuing with the polysporin. Here are some pics of his nose yesterday and one of his polyp ear.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...k/IMG_4759.jpg
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I'm going to google it. Maybe the scabby nose is a symptom of something.

Anyway, he's pretty much the same. Some days it seems like he isn't improving all that much but maybe that's because I see him everyday and don't notice it as much. He does have energy which is good but his ears are still horrible and I guess the vet doesn't want to sedate him to get them clean but maybe I can get some help to wrap him up and clean them when I take him in. I'm going to book an appointment with Robin probably this Thursday morning before work. He had his last dose of Clavamox this morning so now all he will get is the Tapazole in the morning which will reduce his intake of Pill Pockets which is good because I don't think those are good for his diabetes.
I'm going to use a couple of rubbermaid containers to give him a bath. I'm going to fill one with warm sudsy water and the other with just water and wash him that way. I'm not allowed to bring him in the house so I have to do it this way. I will blow dry him after to make sure he gets nice and dry. I haven't bathed him since he's been here and he isn't grooming himself so he's one dirty little guy. He needs a good scrub!

I'm also thinking that if diet alone is not reversing the diabetes, then maybe he could go on insulin and then be weaned off it. I think it was Moesha who had a similar situation? If it would speed things up with regard to lowering his glucose so he could safely go under anesthesia, then I think it would be good.

I haven't heard back from my old vet yet regarding my proposal. Not sure what the delay is. If he wants to say no, he can. It would just be nice to hear something!

That's the scoop on Barn-Barn.

Our little Barn-Barn. I just love that boy. I feel so bad about the ear polyp. I can remember how Yodie's affected her and I was waiting to save up a little more money before I had it removed. I was dating at that time and Yodie sat on the sofa between me and my date as we were holding hands. She couldn't meow so she laid her head down on my date's hand. He said "Hon, you'd better get her that surgery as soon as possible." She's getting weaker and weaker. All because she could hardly swallow because the polyp was growing down into her throat. Barney doesn't look miserable, though. Considering all that he has going on, he looks like he's improving each time you post a pic/video of him. Maybe if you try to get TV coverage they'll come for something like Barney's story because of the holidays. As you said, it's worth a try. Until then, you know the prayers are ongoing here. :love:

Our little Barn-Barn. I just love that boy. I feel so bad about the ear polyp. I can remember how Yodie's affected her and I was waiting to save up a little more money before I had it removed. I was dating at that time and Yodie sat on the sofa between me and my date as we were holding hands. She couldn't meow so she laid her head down on my date's hand. He said "Hon, you'd better get her that surgery as soon as possible. She's getting weaker and weaker." All because she could hardly swallow due to the polyp growing down into her throat. Barney doesn't look miserable, though. Considering all that he has going on, he looks like he's improving each time you post a pic/video of him. Maybe if you try to get TV coverage they'll come for something like Barney's story because of the holidays. As you said, it's worth a try. Until then, you know the prayers are ongoing here. :love:

Oh, that poor boy. :( It's sad to see how he has scratched his ear so it's bleeding again - he does need a collar on. Any chance you can cut his nails?

Could you perhaps get some kind of cream to put on his nose that will help?

A bath will probably feel wonderful for him - and some company. :)

Barney, sweet boy, we're all rooting for you - please get better soon! :love:

Lots of kisses to Barney, and hugs to you, Lara.

LARA - what you do is put together a short video of Barney - say 90 seconds or even 1 minute...and write out a short narration to accompany his journey. (And spaces of silence for his 'frog squawks!') ;)

Then email or FTP it to the TV news stations! A visual will catch attention.

They may even just phone you and run bits of YOUR video...which will be the best!

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CBC

Web

E-mail: Share photos or news tips
Online: Send us your video
TEL: (604) 662-NEWS (6397) or 1-800-665-(NEWS) 6397

E-mail: Regional Web Developer
TEL: (604) 662-6190

GLOBAL BC

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Main number: 604-420-2288
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News: [email protected]
Local programming: [email protected]

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Go for it!

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Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen

I haven't posted in Barney's thread for a few days because it all seemed kind of redundant, especially in light of what was going on with Andy and Taz. Continued prayers going out for both those boys for their recoveries!! :)

Barney has had a couple of things come up in the last couple days that have taken us a few steps backward. His polyp has started bleeding again and it's a mess in there. I'm going to look into getting him a collar like the one I saw in Taz' pics. I'm not sure if we have them here or not but I've got to try something. We got him a plastic cone shaped one but Angela ended up cutting it because she thought it was too long for him to eat but now it's too short to be effective. I might be able to make one of those collars like the one Taz has with some cardboard or something.

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Aww, thank you Lara. I am going to call my vet tomorrow and see if I purchased this collar (I don't see it on my breakdown invoice). If I did I would be happy to send it to you once Taz is finished with it. That might be another week or so. Or I just found one online here. If you could order that one it may get to you sooner. It's reasonably in expensive too (not including shipping of course). I checked out the shipping page and it doesn't list any restrictions. :D I hope you can get it to help Mr Barney!! Or let me know if you want the one I have. It just may take a couple of weeks to get it to you.

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Originally Posted by Taz_Zoee

Aww, thank you Lara. I am going to call my vet tomorrow and see if I purchased this collar (I don't see it on my breakdown invoice). If I did I would be happy to send it to you once Taz is finished with it. That might be another week or so. Or I just found one online here. If you could order that one it may get to you sooner. It's reasonably in expensive too (not including shipping of course). I checked out the shipping page and it doesn't list any restrictions. :D I hope you can get it to help Mr Barney!! Or let me know if you want the one I have. It just may take a couple of weeks to get it to you.

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Thank you for the offer and for the link! I didn't realize that it was bendable like that. It's even better! Please don't worry about sending Taz's because I think I will try and find one locally at a different clinic if mine doesn't have them. I'm assuming they don't because they gave Angela the clear hard plastic one. I need to find something to stop the scratching asap. Thank you again though. :)


Randi wrote:

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Oh, that poor boy. It's sad to see how he has scratched his ear so it's bleeding again - he does need a collar on. Any chance you can cut his nails?

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I know, it's such a setback. We did cut his nails when he was at the other house at the end of October. I cut them pretty short so I think they will be good for awhile. I guess I could put a sock on his foot but that would get pretty messy in the litter box.

Medusa wrote:

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Our little Barn-Barn. I just love that boy. I feel so bad about the ear polyp.

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I'm starting to wonder if this might be a tumor. :( I did some research online today and found a photo of a cat with a similar scabby nose and this cat has Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Here is the story and photo.
I hope this is not the case but if it is S.C.C. then it is possible that the growth in his ear could be too. The vet said it is either a polyp or a tumor. It would also explain the high white blood cell count. I'm praying that this is not the case. I know this is icky but I saved the bit that fell off his nose and put it in a plastic bag in case the vet can look at it under the microscope or send it off.
In the meantime I will keep putting polysporin on his nose and tomorrow I will try and find one of those soft collars for him. And hopefully his bloodwork will show that his white blood count is down. I'll pray for the best, just a scabby nose that isn't healing quickly, an ear polyp that is benign and that he is improving on all the other fronts as well (diabetes, thyroid etc..).
But if he has cancer, I will do what I can for him with the leftover Transfer Factor I have and keep him comfortable. He can stay with us if his time is short. There would be no point in shuffling him around.

Catty1 wrote:

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what you do is put together a short video of Barney - say 90 seconds or even 1 minute...and write out a short narration to accompany his journey. (And spaces of silence for his 'frog squawks!')

Then email or FTP it to the TV news stations! A visual will catch attention.

They may even just phone you and run bits of YOUR video...which will be the best!

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Thanks for the info Candace. I talked with my husband today about it and he kind of freaked out with the thought of a news crew being here at our house. I have been trying really hard to make the whole Barney thing seem like it's not a big deal by not asking for his help too much and not talking about it alot because he didn't want me to bring Barney here in the first place. But I'm trying to explain to him that this could actually be the stepping stone to getting Barney out of the shop and into a home. He does have a fondness for Barney but it only goes so far. I'm working on it. :)

Saving the scab that fell off Barney's nose was a good idea, Lara. Looking at the pic and reading the story of SCC, it sure looks like what Barney has, doesn't it? Well, I'm going to do the same as you; I'm going to hold the thought that it's just a scabby nose and an ear polyp. No sense in borrowing trouble. Such troubles in the world. Gentle and soft belly rubs to our boy Barney. :love:

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Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen

Thank you for the offer and for the link! I didn't realize that it was bendable like that. It's even better! Please don't worry about sending Taz's because I think I will try and find one locally at a different clinic if mine doesn't have them. I'm assuming they don't because they gave Angela the clear hard plastic one. I need to find something to stop the scratching asap. Thank you again though. :)

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Like I said, I had to specifically ask for it. They would have given me the other kind had I not asked. Because I asked if he would have an e-collar and she said yes and I asked what it looked like. She described the hard plastic ones. Then I asked if they had soft collars. She wasn't sure, but they did. :D I think they automatically give the hard ones because they are probably cheaper.
I hope you get one for Barney soon! :)

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Originally Posted by Taz_Zoee

Like I said, I had to specifically ask for it. They would have given me the other kind had I not asked. Because I asked if he would have an e-collar and she said yes and I asked what it looked like. She described the hard plastic ones. Then I asked if they had soft collars. She wasn't sure, but they did. :D I think they automatically give the hard ones because they are probably cheaper.
I hope you get one for Barney soon! :)

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That is great! My vet might just have it then. I just now read your post in Taz's thread about having to ask the vet for it. I hadn't seen that when I last posted. LOL I was thinking "when did she say that?" and I couldn't find it in this thread when I looked for it. :) I'm so glad that you posted the pic of Taz with the collar, or I would have never known about it. It is such a good idea. Those hard plastic lampshade ones are the worst! :)

Oh gosh.. I hope that he doesn't have cancer, that would be heartbreaking. He's such a spunky little guy, I just want him to pull through so badly.

I'll be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers, as I always do :), and hope that he will keep improving.

Hugs to you, as well, as you're such a trooper for doing this!

Yeah, maybe leave the TV thing alone til you get the other health info.

I would hope they would just use YOUR video, as they don't want to go to the island just for more photos. They can do it via cyber!

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Originally Posted by Catty1

Yeah, maybe leave the TV thing alone til you get the other health info.

I would hope they would just use YOUR video, as they don't want to go to the island just for more photos. They can do it via cyber!

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That's true, they probably would. :) Once we have a better idea of what's happening with his ear and nose, I will begin the Barney shoot! :D

Use some of the older video, Lara - so you can have a collage of "then" and "now".

I REALLY hope the nose thing turns out ok, and the ear thing too.

BIG PT Prayers for Barney (Barn-Barn!) :love::love::love:

You have probably bathed Barney by now, so this may be of little use, but when I needed to bathe a very sick hospice foster with a fiery nature, I used two buckets. I held her back legs in one hand while lowering her back end into the lukewarm water and let her hold onto the edge with her front legs. While there was a period of time when she tried to haul herself out, she gradually relaxed into the water. And the shelter hadn't ever been able to bathe her at all, the poop on her was months old!

Critters - yes, it's Gabapentin, and it works very well on the pain, but it wouldn't matter how it was flavored because just a touch on his mouth causes him to scream and slash his mouth with his paws.

I've booked an appointment for Barney for Wednesday morning. I'm going to have them give him an exam, draw blood for thyroid, glucose and white blood cell count and have them help me wrap him up in a towel and clean out his ears a bit and xray his skull. Basically the works but it makes sense so I just have to get it done so we have a better idea of where we are at with him.
I asked them if they carry the soft e-collar and they don't. They said they could order it but I'm heading to a nearby town today with a bunch of clinics and will check with them so I can get one today for him.

I'm about to give him a bath in a few minutes so thank you for the advice Lizzie. :) This will be the first time without using a sink. He was pretty good about standing in the sinkful of water when he was at the other house but it will be interesting with the rubbermaid containers. I will use your suggestion and lower his back end in and let him grip on to the edge until he feels okay about being entirely in the water. :)

Candace, that is a good idea to use some of the old footage. I could piece it altogether with some newer movies. Thanks.

Oh, that sweet, pitiful Barney!! It hurts to look at him and not be able to hold him. I cringed when I read that his polyp (NOT cancer:() was bleeding again. And that poor scabby nose! I hope you are able to get the soft collar for him. I can't imagine what he would be going through, or even if he would still be alive, if you and Angela hadn't taken him in. And Lara, don't worry about thinking it is redundant. I look forward to any word on him. Can't wait to see photos after he has his real bath. I use the rubbermaid containers, too. My rescue kitties seem to enjoy being wrapped in the big, warm towels and rubbed afterward

Lara, you are an angel. Thank you for taking such good care of this special boy! Give warm hugs to Barney for me.

Mary

:love: Darn Barney wish you would not half to endure those set backs.. Have meowmom ask the Vet for a Elizabethamm Collar like my Zolene had to have after her surgery.. Gentle Whisker Kissess on that wittle pink nose & on your forhead & lots of belly rubbss for you too.. Oh I so wish I could just cuddle you..

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