so I came downstairs and decided to check email. Guess who came looking for me? She meowed and wandered around a bit and then went back upstairs. I'm still in shock!
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so I came downstairs and decided to check email. Guess who came looking for me? She meowed and wandered around a bit and then went back upstairs. I'm still in shock!
Wonderful! :)
That update made me smile!
Go, Puddy!
Love, Columbine
I think your visit with Dr. Lee went very well. Keeping an eye on her levels and observing the behavioral changes after altering the Epogen sounds like a great plan. It sounds like she is already showing signs of improvement. This is good news!
It seems that Ms. Pudwah was feeling good for only a moment. I just got home and could hear her vomiting upstairs. Poor little girl was in her litterbox retching. She usually lets out a cry before she vomits; it sounds like she's yodeling but I didn't hear it. Maybe she was doing it as I was pulling into the garage but as soon as I walked in, I could hear her vomiting. She hasn't done it since and I don't panic at vomiting, especially since Dr. Lee told me if she does it once, not to worry, twice though, and I should call him. She'll get another Epogen injection tomorrow and now I'm concerned about how she'll do. Tell me again that I'm doing right by her......
Mary, this must be so hard on you. You have my prayers for Puddy!
My girls and I are sending prayers your way from Indiana.
Mary, you are doing the right thing for Puddy. And it sounds like your vet is wonderful and insightful. I truly believe that Puddy will tell you when, and you will know, as Puddy is so close to your heart. Just sit back, give Puddy lots of luvvins, and relax. (I know, easy for me to say.)
Know that we are all praying for you and your entire furposse.
(((hugs))) :love: :love: :love:
Of course you are. You can't know how she'll react to that next shot until after she gets it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
Each person needs to decide the happy medium between trying too hard and not trying hard enough (to save a beloved animal). And in the end you WILL do the right things, because of the love between you.
{{{{{{{Mary}}}}}}}
Mary you will know in your heart when you need to do something different, but for now I believe you are. Our prayers will continue for you both.
I bought a new fountain online today called a Drinkwell. It was mentioned in a thread, (forgive me, I can't recall where) and it has a flow like a faucet rather than the fountain she now has. I'm hoping that she'll like it enough to give up the corner of the countertop so that she can be near the sink. She did sleep in her carrier again last night but she's been lying on the countertop again all day. I guess when she gets uncomfortable, she'll get down, right? I'm not usually a fuss budget (boy, does that term date me) but I so want her to be comfortable.
What is your cat thinking? That's the thread. I just read it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
I hope you figure out something that will help Puddy behave more like her old self. I hope the vomitting doesn't happen again either.
Would it be worth getting a reading from Brody's Mum or Nancy?
Just a thought.
HUGS and prayers to you and Puddy. :love:
Just want to offer some (((HUGS))).
Dr. Lee sounds like a fantastic vet. I hope that it does turn out to be an autoimmune response to the Epogen and not something more serious. As you said, if she returns to the countertop after tomorrow's shot, it's likely you'll have your answer.
I'm glad she is still eating and hanging in there as best she can.
Do you think that Dr. Lee would approve you cutting back on the brushing of her teeth and rinsing of her gums just for now until she gets through this part? I'm just imagining that feeling so lousy can only be harder with having objects and liquids in her mouth. But her dental condition may be serious enough to maintain this routine so only you and Dr. Lee will know what's best. Hopefully she will be back to her old self soon! Prayers going out for you both. :love:Quote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
I did get a reading from Nancy. Very nice lady but she didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catty1
I guess what I should've said is that I'm supposed to brush her teeth daily. I cut back to a couple of times a week for the very reason you mentioned, Lara. I do squirt the Chlorhexadine in her mouth daily, though, because she does have gingivitis and she needs it. I use it myself and it does help, although I'm waking up w/blood in my mouth again, too. The last round of antibiotics cleared it up but after a couple of weeks, it started again, so I'm dealing w/that, too. I haven't been able to get in to see my dr. because of missing so much work and running back and forth w/Puddy but I finished my Rx yesterday, so I'm sure he's going to insist that I see him. Yay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/...ng&cid=6644002
Love slick :love::love:
Thank you, Slick, I love this. And thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to think of my Puddy. I used to light candles on this site all the time. Thanx for the reminder. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by slick
After her Epogen injection yesterday, Puddy went underneath my bed, not hers, and stayed there. Finally last night she came out for some fudgesicle but she went right back when she was finished. During the night, I heard what sounded like Puddy running in place. (I have hardwood floors so I hear everything.) She flew and I mean flew out from under the bed as though she was shot out of a cannon, ran into the hallway and peed on the runner. Her litterbox is literally steps away from the runner. I don't know if she couldn't make it or if it was a revenge pee. I had asked Dr. Lee if she could possibly feel sick after the shot, such as humans sometimes do after a flu shot or whatever, and he said that it's doubtful because runners wouldn't be able to take it and then run their races. I'm thinking that she just couldn't make it to her litterbox but then why wouldn't she just have peed under the bed? She peed right in the sink in front of me last week, if you'll recall. Another strange episode in the Puddy saga.
Just a few minutes ago I could hear her meowing upstairs, as though she was calling me. Then she came downstairs, walked around in the kitchen a bit, then went to the basement and walked around, then came back up and paused at the top of the basement stairs, then went upstairs again to her carrier. It's as though she was looking for something. So I thought maybe she wanted breakfast (it's Sunday so I slept in and hadn't fed them Fancy Feast yet), so I fed everyone but she wouldn't come out of her carrier to eat, so I carried her downstairs and she ate quite a bit, then back up to her carrier she went. At least I can see that she has the energy to walk up and down two flights of stairs. LOL
She's testing you! :(
I think she just didn't make it in time to get to the litterbox and wouldn't pee under the bed since this is one of her sleeping spots. She peed in the sink - but she doesn't actually sleep IN the sink, but go try to figure why she did that! And I'd take it as a good sign if she charged out of there like her back side was on fire, and also that she went down the steps on her own. At least she had the energy to do it!
It's stange, but it does sound like she's looking for something, but what? I still have the feeling that it's her advancing age and perhaps some senility that's behind all of it, but I'm no doctor!
Be that as it may, the crew here is still in her corner and saying prayers that things will improve - for BOTH of you! :love:
This is a very long thread and I quickly browsed through it.
Forgive me if you've already done this but have you had her read by Nancy?
Yes, I have. Very nice lady indeed but she didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know but it was worth a try.Quote:
Originally Posted by slick
My one cat, Taz, used to pee in the sink. I had double bowls, and he would stand on the middle part of it, and pee into either side. I'm not sure why he did this, if he started it up at my mom and dad's when they weren't looking (my mother would have had a heart attack), but this was a good 8 years ago, and my one boyfriend lived with me. We were supposed to take turns cleaning the litter boxes (cause he claimed Boris as his own), and he slacked off. It got me ticked off, and I was being stubborn and not cleaning when he was supposed to, but that didn't really help the kitties much. I think it was Taz's way of saying "Stop arguing and just clean my darn potty!"
Although, have to say, even after that, and it was cleaned on a regular, daily basis, he still did that.
So strange.
Well, she only did it that one time and she did it right in front of me, so I'm not sure what that was about. She has her own litterbox in her own room, the little diva, and I clean it twice a day, so I don't that was an issue, especially since she's exhibited other bizarre behavior. She's one for the books, that's for sure!Quote:
Originally Posted by jenn_librarian
So much for saying that she only peed that one time. Since then she's peed on the hall runner and I walked into my bedroom just now and caught her peeing on the hardwood floor. It was a lot, too. So now she's banned from my bedroom. She's been sleeping under my bed but no more. I honestly don't know what's going on w/her. She can easily make it to her litterbox; I've watched her do it. I don't know if she's senile or sending me a message or what. I think she's just plain miserable. I put a call in to Dr. Lee but he's gone for the day, so he'll call me tomorrow morning. I hate giving her one more med but I'm going to ask him if I can safely put her on Clomicalm. I can tolerate an awful lot but inappropriate peeing really tries my patience. I know she's sick and if she was too weak to make it to the litterbox, no problem. But that isn't the case. I'm at my wits end. Truly.
To be honest, Clomicalm is to reduce stress (correct?). This does not sound like stress. To me it is either she CANNOT make it to a box or she DOESN'T CARE IF she makes it to a box. Unless she has been a problem pee-er in the past, I would doubt if this is caused by attitude.
For the record, if this is your breaking point, it is legitimate. People, no matter how noble, can only handle so much. You have to honestly ask yourself how much can you take?
If she IS miserable, I think you KNOW what you have to do.Quote:
I think she's just plain miserable
I apologize if any of this sounds harsh or heartless, but it is not meant to be. It is life...............
Hugs and prayers are with you now, more than ever.
Thanx, Jen, I appreciate the encouraging words a lot. You've been a good friend through all of this, all of you have. I'll admit to having a weak moment when I posted this. I was so shocked when I saw her pee like that. She's never done that; she's always been the model cat. The only time she's ever peed outside the box is when she's had a URI and she just went off Zenaquin for a URI, so I doubt that's it. If this was all she was doing, it might be different but the constant sitting on the countertop or sleeping under my bed, not socializing, all of it, it's just too much. It's breaking my heart. I don't want this to be about me; it's about Puddy. I just cannot fathom having her PTS for inappropriate peeing. I've got to have confirmation that she is indeed miserable and doesn't want to go on. Yet, I roasted a chicken w/stuffing for dinner and I took some white meat w/a little broth on it to her and she scurried down those little steps so fast, I could hardly believe it. And she ate almost all of the chicken. That tells me that she still has the will to live.
Clomicalm is for behavior problems, inappropriate urinating being one of them. I just want to be sure that it won't hurt her, given all of her other problems. I'm just sick at heart right now. I cooked that dinner and can't eat any of it. All I do is cry. I've had pets all my life and if I need to have her PTS, this won't be the first time I've done it but it would be the first time that I'll feel that a part of my soul has died, too. I've never loved an animal the way I love Puddy.
I know why she was put on the Epogen, but did she act this way at all before it was started? And it is the only new medication she's on, correct?
Before I would say good bye to her, I would stop the med and see how she is.
Mary would inappropriate peeing just be part and parcel of having kidney failure, that is what Puddy has isn't it?
Mary keep loving her as much as you do, just know that part of loving her is knowing when to let her go, so hard with kidney kitty's as one day they are so bad and the next they perk up like Puddy does.
I feel your'e pain and i too will be faced with the same decisions as you further down the track, it makes an already devastating decision just that much harder to make.
You know your'e kitty best and what is for the best,I was thinking though apart from the necessary medications, if it were me i would not add anymore, they could be adding to her problems, you know how many side effects medication can have, and they may not necessarily be making her feel better, just worse, anyhow that is purely my opinion, and it is entirely your right and decision to do what you think is for the best, i am thinking of you and Puddy, take care, and HUGS.
Thatagirl, sweet Puddy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
I'm thinking back and it does seem that she started this weird behavior after she started the Epogen. But if I take her off it, then her anemia will be so bad that she won't have any energy at all. Her energy level does seem to have improved; you should've seen how fast she came down that little staircase and went to her food dish. I'm hoping Dr. Lee will have some answers for me tomorrow. Every time I think I'm done crying, the tears start up again. I'm exhausted. If my head and my heart would just be congruent, I could make a decision one way or the other. Right now, I'm frozen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace
Mary i can understand how torn you are inside about what to do next, maybe you should ask Dr lee, be straight to the point and see what he say's he may be able to take the decision out of your hands, if you know what i mean, or at least help you make one, in the meantime , try and get some rest and remember you are amongst friends here who really care about you and Puddy, HUGS:love::love:
Oh my goodness Mary, you two have been through so much! It seems that her inappropriate urinating is getting more and more excessive. It might be that she is dealing with a UTI and she may be associating an uncomfortableness that she might be feeling is connected with the use of the actual litter box. I found this quote on the net tonight:
"Inappropriate urination can be as a result of a urinary tract infection (UTI) or constipation, whereby the cat associates the litter box with the pain of the UTI or constipation, so starts urinating and/or defecating elsewhere."
It would be great if you could get a urine sample and bring it in to the vet. Those little pellets that are like litter but allow you to collect a urine sample are called No-Sorb.
Or you could put the plug in your drain in the sink and then check it every now and then and if she uses it, you could use a syringe to draw up a sample. I know it wouldn't be entirely sterile but it might be worth a try.
"UTIs and kidney infections may also damage your cat's kidneys further, so if your cat urinates or defecates in the wrong place more than once, you should go to the vet as soon as possible in order to have tests done and treatment begun if necessary."
I've read that you can't determine if a cat has a kidney infection through collecting a sample using NoSorb though and that a urinalysis and/or blood work is what is needed to show if a cat has a kidney infection or not.
I found the following quote on a site about kidney infections:
"In older cats, if you notice anything different about their behavior, like not using their litterbox, or blood in their urine, it is in your aging cat's best interests to get him/her to a vet as soon as possible. Older cats are more susceptible to kidney infections and disease than younger cats."
But I seem to remember that Puddy has been on or is on meds for a UTI or something similar. I will have to go look through some of your older threads.
I have one other idea about her excessive and inappropriate urination.
It is kind of a weird thought but after I read this quote:
"In animals, erythropoietin has one major use: the treatment of anemia due to chronic renal disease. Since most erythropoietin is produced by the kidney it should make sense that a damaged kidney cannot produce normal amounts of erythropoietin and anemia results."
I started thinking, what if her kidneys have been helped by the Epogen to the point that the sub-q fluids are not as necessary as they once were and now Puddy's body has too much fluid on board?
I started thinking about that the more I read about Erythropoietin and how it is a synthetic form of the naturally occurring hormone normally produced in the kidneys. If a cat has suffered a reduction in this hormone for a length of time and then becomes dependent on sub-q fluids to help the kidneys along, it seems like it could make sense that the kidneys might not need both fluids and the hormone at the same time because maybe it's too much help. I don't know if there is a direct connection between the hormone and urinating but the kidneys themselves are related to urinating so if changes are happening within the kidneys with the addition of meds, it seems possible that the act of urinating might be effected as it is the 'end' result of what is happening in the kidneys.
I don't know how often you are giving sub-q's at this point but you might want to try backing off on it (if your vet okay's it) and see if the inappropriate peeing decreases.
Does that make sense?I might be grasping at straws here but I want to help you so much to find some answers. I know this has been so hard on you and it would be for any of us if it was happening to one of our pets.
In the meantime, since the runner in the hall seems to be her fav spot for peeing out of the box, could you put a tarp down, folded in the shape of the runner (to fool her of course!) and then put some towels on top or an old blanket that you could toss in the wash each day until this thing is figured out? I can only imagine how frustrating this is becoming for you and something has got to give and soon. I'm praying for resolution and that you and Puddy will both find healing ASAP! Whatever you decide, Puddy has an awesome mom and she surely knows how much you love her. :love:
p.s. I'm sure you've come across this site in your searches of CRF over the years but just in case I'll include it here because it seems to have a ton of info on it, including a bunch about Anemia and Epogen. Here is the link.
Y'know, Lara, you and I are of the same mind. Puddy has been fighting me tooth and claw during her subQ treatments and that's odd because she's always just sat there calmly, even purred during it. Yes, in the beginning she put up a fuss but after a few treatments, she got used to it and no more fussing. Yesterday, she carried on so badly that she pulled the needle out and so I stopped the treatment. The reason I started her back on daily treatments is because she was so dehydrated. After a treatment, she always has a sack of fluid under her right front leg but for a while, this wasn't occurring. Dr. Lee said "Wow, she's absorbing all that fluid because she's so dehydrated" so I kept up the dailies. I decided yesterday after she fussed so much to skip today and see how she does.Quote:
Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen
Last night she paced nearly all night. She has one funky claw that grows weird and I'm not able to clip it down the way it should be so I heard that claw "tap tap tap" on the hard wood floor all night. I'm waiting to hear from Dr. Lee yet this morning; I'm anxious to hear what he has to say about all this.
When my Luna (RB) was at the end stages of his kidney failure, he became incontinent.:(
I just got off the phone w/Dr. Lee and he feels that she more than likely has yet another bladder infection. He said "When it stings to urinate, a cat will go right where s/he is even if the litterbox is right there". So he's starting her on another round of Clindamycin and he said that I could back her off the subQ's to every other day if my instincts are telling me to do so. He's concerned, though, that fewer subQ's may set her back because when he last saw her, she was lying in a ball, so I have to observe her and, if she regresses, to immediately give her a subQ. I told him how she paced all night and he said "The very fact that she has the energy to pace is a good sign. She's been checked for diabetes, thyroid and everything else we can think of and she has none of these, so she's probably become nocturnal. She's a mixed up kitty." So I'll start her on the Clindamycin today and see if it stops the inappropriate peeing.
I feel bad that I lost it yesterday. None of this is Puddy's fault. I'm sleep deprived; I know that's half of it. The other half is seeing my girl act like someone else's cat. I miss my TV partner. No more sleeping on my chest while I give her a noggin noogie.
Hopefully the UTI meds will help. Though, it does seem like patching up one problem leads to another problem. I wonder if she were an outdoor cat how she would react? (Of course, I don't mean putting her outdoors). But growing up in the country, whenever I had a cat with medical problems he/she would wander off into the woods and we would never see them again.
We would always say that they went away to die because they were generally always very close to the house, then they would just go away, like they were walking towards the light.
Devastating to think about PTS your Puddy. I just wonder if patching up each problem is really enhancing her quality of life? I do hope the UTI meds and adding a day between sub-q will help.
Well, seeing that Puddy has only one kidney and that one isn't working too well, it's understandable that she would get continuous UTI's. I don't see it as a patch job so much as continuing to treat her remaining failing kidney but I can see why you would think that because I felt that way, too, in the beginning. When Puddy was curled up in a ball, I thought it was nearing the end. But she's got energy now so I think Dr. Lee is right; it's the bladder infection that's acting up and causing her to pee everywhere. I feel neither better nor worse about this. I'm kinda in limbo now.Quote:
Originally Posted by greendoor678
The Epogen does seem to be helping her! I'll mention the alternative med in case it becomes useful. darbepoetin (Aranesp ®)
Lara, I don't think Epogen makes the kidneys better...but maybe the one remaining kidney doesn't work as hard because the anemia is being healed? That could be.
Hopefully the Clindamycin works - Puddy wouldn't be the first kitty to have a recurrence of a UTI! When something "normal" happens during crisis illness, it easily becomes part of the crisis.
HUGS and prayers to you and Puddy.