Update on Puddy; she's gone*9/29* see post #421

HI, Mary - that's awful! Is it a "pure" Omega 3 - 6 or is it mixed in a fair amount of oil?

Gosh...you might just want to try salmon 3 - 6 oil - make sure from the store it is "stinky" - and just put it on her food. Or give her a bit of canned salmon with the oil every so often, or even get a small salmon fillet, steam it, break into small pieces, and freeze it.

I wonder if there is such a thing as yummy omega treats?

To be honest - when I first started my boys on it, I had to mix cheaper stinky wet food with their regular wet and Omega oil to get them to eat it. After a while, I was able to leave it out.

I hope the Segreline helps!

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Originally Posted by Catty1

HI, Mary - that's awful! Is it a "pure" Omega 3 - 6 or is it mixed in a fair amount of oil?

Gosh...you might just want to try salmon 3 - 6 oil - make sure from the store it is "stinky" - and just put it on her food. Or give her a bit of canned salmon with the oil every so often, or even get a small salmon fillet, steam it, break into small pieces, and freeze it.

I wonder if there is such a thing as yummy omega treats?

To be honest - when I first started my boys on it, I had to mix cheaper stinky wet food with their regular wet and Omega oil to get them to eat it. After a while, I was able to leave it out.

I hope the Segreline helps!

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She wouldn't eat her wet food this morning at all. Part of the problem is that she's now nocturnal, so she eats at night and then doesn't want the wet food when I feed the rest of the Fur Posse. So I'll try her wet food tonight and see if she'll eat it then. She refuses to eat anything but Fancy Feast, the little diva that she is, and then in only small portions. The amount of oil that she needs, it's a 3-V w/fish oil and vitamin E, would overpower the wet food and I'm sure she won't eat it. I've thought about having the pharmacist put flavoring in it; he said that he has chicken and fish flavoring. Puddy doesn't like fish at all unless it's broiled tilapia or halibut, again diva tastes. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Medusa

She wouldn't eat her wet food this morning at all. Part of the problem is that she's now nocturnal, so she eats at night and then doesn't want the wet food when I feed the rest of the Fur Posse. So I'll try her wet food tonight and see if she'll eat it then. She refuses to eat anything but Fancy Feast, the little diva that she is, and then in only small portions. The amount of oil that she needs, it's a 3-6 combo, would overpower the wet food and I'm sure she won't eat it. I've thought about having the pharmacist put flavoring in it; he said that he has chicken and fish flavoring. Puddy doesn't like fish at all unless it's broiled tilapia or halibut, again diva tastes. :cool:

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The pharmacist putting in fish flavouring sounds like a good idea. And maybe cut her dose down for now...at least she will be getting some of it.

BROILED! lol - yes, a little Diva! :D How are her spirits?

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Originally Posted by Catty1

The pharmacist putting in fish flavouring sounds like a good idea. And maybe cut her dose down for now...at least she will be getting some of it.

BROILED! lol - yes, a little Diva! :D How are her spirits?

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She hates anything fishy unless, as I said, it's broiled halibut or tilapia. Her spirits are so-so. I could hear her tapping around all night and a couple of times she really beat feet to get to the litterbox or the faucet but she didn't come up in bed w/me. Ever since she peed in the bed, I've been nervous about that anyhow but, hopefully, that was a freak incident and won't happen again. She did play w/the Cat Dancer for a few minutes, so that's encouraging. She's still upstairs gagging right now. :(

Poor Puddy. I know how they act when something tastes foul. :(

Is it possible to just pop the gel cap in her like any other medication? (just a thought)

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Originally Posted by jenluckenbach

Is it possible to just pop the gel cap in her like any other medication? (just a thought)

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I thought about doing that, too, but the gel caps are big. She has a difficult time even swallowing half a small tablet of something. Both Dr. Lee and I thought that the liquid pump would work better for her. Wrong. I think I'm going to forego the oil for the time being and see how she does on the med. As it is, I have to squirt other stuff down her throat twice a day. She's finally calmed down now so I'm going to just let her sleep. What a journey this has been.

I'm sorry to hear about Puddy's reaction to the Omega oil. With regard to giving it to her in other forms, my cats do not go for the fish flavoured suspension either. What about a transdermal gel for her ear? I have no idea if the Omega can be turned into a transdermal gel or not though.
I hope that she will be able to get some rest in the meantime and feel well enough for supper tonight.

Mary, I'm sorry to hear that Puddy is becoming senile.:( I sure hope that the new medicine will help her. My cats didn't like the Omega liquid fish oil either so I also stopped using it. The food that they're eating already has some in it any way. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

I used to give one of my foster's the omega-3 oil that was unflavoured. You should be able to buy this at your local specialty pet store or online. Unfortunately it is usually not something that PetSmart or PetCo carries.

BTW I have seen the Seligine do incredible things for humans with Alzhiemer's so here is hoping the same thing will happy with Puddy

I hate to say this, but Puddy sounds absolutely miserable. I know you want to do what's best and not give up, but her quality of life sounds as though it is diminishing due to all of the meds she is getting trying to help her.

Oh, poor Puddy. How is she today? How are you?

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Originally Posted by jazzcat

Oh, poor Puddy. How is she today? How are you?

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I'm doing ok and Puddy seems to be doing ok, too. She fights me tooth and claw when I give her the half pill of Selegilene. I'll finish out the supply and ask Dr. Lee if it comes in liquid form. I've never had a problem pilling her before so I'm thinking that the pill must be bitter because she salivates and foams after I give it to her. She came up into bed w/me for just a few seconds last night as if to say "I know you freak out if I don't come and say 'hi' so here I am. Bye." LOL

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Originally Posted by greendoor678

I hate to say this, but Puddy sounds absolutely miserable. I know you want to do what's best and not give up, but her quality of life sounds as though it is diminishing due to all of the meds she is getting trying to help her.

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I have to give these new meds a chance. Dr. Lee said I probably wouldn't notice any change for at least 10 days, so I've got to be patient. I'm not going to give her the Omega oil any more. It just isn't worth making her sick. The shots and subQ's are easy enough so we'll see. She slept most of the night last night, so that's encouraging, too, especially for me since I've been running on empty for a couple of weeks now.

I would say that her bad experience with the bitter pill has made it even harder. I don't blame her. Hopefully you can get it in a liquid.

Back when Ripley was 10 and Jazz was a kitten he got violently ill right after I gave him a pill with peanut butter on it, his favorite. It wasn't the pill that made him sick it was a blood infection that was triggered from the URI he caught from Jazz. The uri was what I was pilling him for. Poor guy almost died and was at the vet for a week. Anyway he never forgot about getting sick after eating that peanut butter pill and will run away when he smells peanut butter, even six years later. I believe cats have a better memory than elephants.

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Originally Posted by jazzcat

I believe cats have a better memory than elephants.

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Amen, sista!

I've been having trouble w/my jaw again and just couldn't eat dinner this evening, so after I went to bed tonight I laid there for quite a while, tossing and turning, then I realized that I was hungry, so I made half a sandwich. I like Buddig chicken and Puddy adores it but lately her appetite has been so-so. I brought the sandwich upstairs into the bedroom to see if she would smell it and come out from under my bed and voila! You should've heard those little paws scuffling! Then she came up onto the bed and just stared at me, so I gave her a little piece of chicken and she scarfed it down. I gave her another piece. Scarfed it again. So I kept tearing off little pieces and she essentially ate my half sandwich. LOL I had some low fat chocolate milk and after I drank it, she put her face right down into the glass and licked the sides. (Remember, she's a choc-o-holic like her Mom. Mmm, fudgesicles....)

I don't know why I felt compelled to tell you this. I just took it as a good sign, I guess, and wanted to share it w/you. I post when I'm stressed and sad over her, so I thought I'd post something positive for a change. Living alone, I don't have anyone to share these things with unless I call someone and if I bother them with "Puddy ate some chicken", they're gonna think I'm nuts. LOL Anyhow, thanx for listening to my ongoing saga about my Puddy girl. I appreciate all the comments and encouragement from so many of you.

Awwww.....you and your Puddy can share eating in bed. :)

Great news!

LES:(:(:( but happy tears. I'm visualizing this whole scenerio and have a big smile on my face. Nice jammies, by the way. ;)

I live alone too and yes it's hard sometimes. With the small troubles I've had with Max lately, I've only shared it with one friend who is an extreme animal lover and understands just as much as PTers.

Sweet, sweet Puddy! I sure wish I could meet you. :love: This is a good sign and I hope this means you are on the upswing.

{{{hugs}}} Mary. You are stronger than I'll ever be.:love:

Good for Puddy!!! I check every day for any posts about her, and when I don't see any, I start to get concerned. (You'd think she was mine!) Fingers, toes, and poochie paws still crossed in hopes that she continues on a positive path. I think of both of you often!!!! :love:

Mary, you're right -- we absolutely DO care that Puddy ate chicken!

I've been so stressed-out and overwhelmed by other stuff (long story) that I scarcely have time to lurk around, much less post on PT, but whenever I have a minute, I always pop over here and check on Miss Pudwah. I know it feels as though it's one step forward, three steps back sometimes, but there really have been a number of pretty encouraging moments scattered in there recently, and I'm going to keep praying that those good moments become the rule rather than the exception!

Meanwhile, please don't forget to take care of yourself. I worry about what effect this situation is having on your health -- which I know hasn't been top-notch recently anyway. I know that's easy to say and hard to do, but do try to get some rest and make some time to do something that's relaxing and enjoyable.

Much love,
Diana

Ok, just a few minutes ago she decided that she now wants water out of the tub faucet. Lovely. She was in the tub meowing, so I thought "Uh oh, she thinks the tub is her litterbox now" but she she had her mouth up to the faucet. I cannot let water drip out of the tub; that isn't easy and besides, I don't think I can make it just drip and a steady stream of water out of that faucet would spell trouble. So I lifted her out of the tub and put her on the sink countertop and she drank the water there. (To think that drinking out of the bathroom sink faucet is now normal! LOL) What concerns me, though, is how weak her meow is. She sounds like a little kitten. She's going to get her Epogen injection in a few minutes, so I'm sure she's going to be mad at me again but it has to be done.

I am so glad to see that Miss Puddy are some chicken! That is wonderful! :)

How did the shot go?

I know that having her in bed with you and watching her enjoy that sandwich was so comforting. I can see your smile and hear your loving words to her as I type this!

Um, Mary - you might want to amend your update line...it sounds like Puddy ate ALL of your sandwich! (well, the chicken part, anyway!) :D:love:

I am new to Pet Talk,and have been reading about Puddy. I just want to wish you and Puddy all the luck in the world. You are a great mom and I know she is happy to have you.Our prayers are with you. katslady

PUDDY ATE SOME CHICKEN!!! *does happy dance in the den* :):):)

These are all of Puddy's supporters doing a group hug!
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...creek/Hugs.gif

As I mentioned previously, she acts as though she wants to drink out of the tub faucet but, obviously, I can't arrange that. It can't drip like the faucet can. I had just finished my bath tonight and she jumped into the tub while it was still draining. :eek: I'm sorry but I had to laugh. She was so shocked! She kept running in place, trying to get out and jump onto the toilet, so I picked her up and placed her there. She bellowed for a good 5 minutes afterwards, as though she was insisting that I turn that bath faucet on but no deal. Here are a couple of pix of her sitting on the tub. See what I mean about her tongue hanging out most of the time? I know some of you think it's cute but it unnerves me. Oh, she's back on the tub now, crying. Look at her wet tail in the first and second pix. LOL

Hmmm...didn't this whole Puddy thing start with wondering why her tongue was hanging out? (Maybe not, my memory is not great on this). Was the reason found out?

It could just be the result of all she's gone through: "BLEH!"

You said she was BELLOWING for five minutes? At least that's closer to a hiss than she's been for a while. ;)

Hugs to you and pretty Puddy.:love::)

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Originally Posted by Catty1

Hmmm...didn't this whole Puddy thing start with wondering why her tongue was hanging out? (Maybe not, my memory is not great on this). Was the reason found out?

It could just be the result of all she's gone through: "BLEH!"

You said she was BELLOWING for five minutes? At least that's closer to a hiss than she's been for a while. ;)

Hugs to you and pretty Puddy.:love::)

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Yes, it was her tongue hanging out first that got me worried. Dr. Lee said it could be a number of things, one of which is her gingivitis. It feels better if the tongue is hanging out. Another is senility. She's upstairs carrying on now, jumping down from the toilet and crying, then jumping back up and crying. Poor confused little girl. I wish her senility meds would kick in.

Now she's in the tub, sitting under the faucet, her voice growing hoarse from meowing so much. Boy, am I ever tempted.....LOL

In the first pic, she's saying "Why won't the water drip? It drips from the sink faucet." Second pic: "Where's Mom? She needs to turn this thing on." and third pic: "I'll sit here all night if I have to". Yep, she'll have to.

Maybe something's making her feel hot or thirsty even when she really isn't? :confused:

Love, Columbine

That is so silly :-), she really looks like she is saying she will wait all night for the faucet to start dripping. She really is a beautiful girl. The eating of your chicken sandwich really seemed to me like a good sign. Cats eat when they feel good, so she must have been feeling nice. I looked online for reasons for cats to let their tongue stuck out and the overwhelming response was gingivitis, like your vet suggested. Mary, you and beautiful Puddy are always in my thoughts and prayers. I hope everyday for improvements! :D:love::love::love:

I wonder...if you went to a dollar store or something and got one of those rubber shower heads that fits over a faucet (no hardware - just putting the correct end over the faucet).

Maybe THAT would allow it to drip?

Have you tried turning the sink tap on when she is in the tub?

Silly girl! Hard to say if this is senility or Tortietude!;)

I keep the sink faucet dripping all the time. I know it's the senility. I just put in a call to Dr. Lee to ask if the Selegilene comes in liquid form and it doesn't but they're going to have it compounded and delivered to me. I don't know how much good the pill is doing because she fights me so much that, by the time I get the pill in her, it's so soft and mushy that I doubt it's making much of an impact. Another sign of senility is night time crying and pacing, which she did most of last night. Sigh. So I turned the tub faucet on full blast, quickly turned it off again and then she went in the tub and drank the water that had pooled near the drain. That seemed to satisfy her. (So now I have to make sure that the tub is absolutely spotless, no bath oil residue, etc.) I had to do that several times but each time she drank and then went back under her bed. Not my bed, her bed. She's switched rooms again, too. I've never had problems pilling her until I squirted that *&%^& 3V liquid down her throat. Now she fights me. It hasn't been 10 days since I started her on the Selegilene, so once I get the liquid, I'm going to start the 10 days over again unless I feel she's in pain. She eats her Purina Cat Chow just fine, so I don't think the gingivitis is bothering her all that much. Dr. Lee is afraid to put her under to clean her teeth and I'm afraid, too.

I had an idea while getting ready for work today. What if you put the new fountain you purchased for Puddy in the tub? I know you already leave the sink faucet running but since she is still insisting that the tub faucet be turned on, maybe this would be a temporary solution. I know she gave the fountain a thumbs down the first time but maybe she will accept it rather than no water at all in the tub. It might be too kookie of an idea though. lol

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Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen

I had an idea while getting ready for work today. What if you put the new fountain you purchased for Puddy in the tub? I know you already leave the sink faucet running but since she is still insisting that the tub faucet be turned on, maybe this would be a temporary solution. I know she gave the fountain a thumbs down the first time but maybe she will accept it rather than no water at all in the tub. It might be too kookie of an idea though. lol

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You and I think alike, Lara. LOL I tried that and she gave it a thumbs down. I blast the water from the tub faucet, then she gets in and sits in the tub, doesn't care if she gets her fur all wet on her bottom. She looked up at me as if to say "Now how am I supposed to drink my water when this thing is in the way?" She slept most of last night, thank goodness, so I was able to catch up on my rest since I was able to sleep in today. She only had me run the tub water twice. Let's just hope she doesn't decide that she wants to drink water from the toilet. That could get ugly.

Thank you for the suggestion, though, Lara. It's so nice to know that my PT friends are actually thinking of Puddy and her welfare. :)

Would she drink water out of a bowl placed in the tub?

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Originally Posted by emily_the_spoiled

Would she drink water out of a bowl placed in the tub?

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I wish. No, she won't have anything to do w/water dishes or fountains now. It's so odd. I thought that perhaps she liked the taste of the water pipes so I put water in an iron skillet but no go. I guess it's just her senility, sweet girl. I can deal w/it but I'm pretty much stuck at home; can't plan a trip or anything. I was going to visit my sister in PA but there are so many instructions that I'd have to give my cat sitter that I don't think she can handle it. Plus she's begged me not to make her give Puddy any injections or subQ's, which I wouldn't ask her to do anyhow, but my cat sitter works so to ask her to be up all night, turning on the tub water and listening to Puddy tap tap tapping on the floor all night wouldn't be fair.

In my last post, I wrote that she wouldn't have anything to do w/her water dishes or her fountain. Well, just a few minutes ago, she drank out of her fountain. Not a lot, just a few little sips, then she went into the bathtub and meowed for me to turn on the water. She had been licking her fudgesicle while I was sitting on the floor holding it for her, flunky that I am, and she was standing by the water fountain, looked over at it as though she had never seen it before, took a few sips and that was it. I guess she read my post and decided to prove me wrong. I swear. :confused:

Yea for Puddy! Hopefully she is warming up to the fountain idea or maybe she is just proving you wrong :-). Sweet Puddy, I am thinking about you everyday. I am so glad she likes your fudgesickle, that gives her some nourishment and bonding time with you. :love::love::love:

LOL! Gotta love kitties. I bet she did read your post! She's smart! Cats probably know way more than they let on to us they know!

Big hugs to you and to Puddy! Hope you get more sleep now!