Ellie-Mae not doing that great...UPDATE: 2nd update

[carole]

My sweet girl the one with the chronic gingivitis,is not doing very well at the moment, despite her steroids, which she is on every second day, i can tell her mouth is really sore, and getting her eating is a big mission, even though i mash her soft food daily, pat her and stand with her while she eats, she is funny like that, if you stay with her she eats, not one to go into the kitchen by herself and eat even if the food is sitting there, so i pander to her needs, as it makes her eat.

I find it very distressing really, as the steroids can make her hungry but she has difficulty eating, as it is painful, this is a very painful condition.

I was going to take her for an injection,but as we were going to pick up some food and her pills at the vets, decided on asking him what he recommended, also her weight has gone down, which is another not so good sign.

He said he would start giving her two pills per day, for two weeks, he said that is the same as the injection and should help her, then we are to pill her daily instead of every second day.

Please keep Ellie in your prayers and thoughts, i know that my time with her is limited because of this awful condition and it is breaking my heart, otherwise she is a perfectly happy, healthy wee girl, and she is such a character, only ten years old, and i want her with me for a lot longer, sadly this is all we are able to do for her,I hope it will continue to make her life bearable and she will be with me for a lot longer yet.

Thanks for listening.

[katladyd]

I'm sending prayers out for dear Ellie-Mae. May her mouth stop hurting and may she enjoy many more years with you.

[Pinot's Mom]

I'm sorry to hear about dear Ellie Mae; I wish there was something that could be done to relieve her pain. Prayers for the sweet little one.

[Medusa]

Oh poor girl. Of course, prayers going up right now....

[Catty1]

Prayers going up for Ellie-Mae. I wonder if there is anything that could go in her drinking water to ease her discomfort. Poor wittle girl.

I hope the pills help and she is comfy and with you for a long time to come.

[catmandu]

Juke Joint Joseph , Michael , Moose Angel and Mr Fluffy Angel who all have had Ouchy Mouths and know that Ellie Mae is going through.
Thats so sad when You Cat cannot eat, and you want them to so badly.
We are praying that you can get Dear Ellie Mae to eat , have you trird Hills A/D or Royal Canin Recovery?

[phesina]

Prayers and a candle (http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/...g&cid=10665175) for Ellie-Mae, that you will be able to eat without so much pain and you will be with your Meowmie for a long time to come.

[dehlers43]

Have you tried giving her Clinicare? It's like Ensure for kitties.....My special needs kitty Winston absolutely thrived on it. It's liquid so Ellie-Mae would not hurt while she is eating it. Another idea would be to give her some KMR. At least it would get some fluids into her along with some nutrition.
Sending positive thoughts your way......

[carole]

Thanks guys, Ellie is eating probably enough to get her by, but would like to see her eat more,so she is not starving, i think i needed to explain that more, sorry about that, well she had a double dose of steroids yesterday, poor wee girl she was a way with the fairies, my daughter had all her friends around,and they were going up and down the stairs, and usually she freaks, so i put her in my bedroom, she just sat there not at all worried, and then when i took her with me to bed, she slept a little while i read my book, then woke up, her eyes wide as saucers and looked at the roof, i cannot say i was happy to see my girl like that, but maybe it will take a little time to adjust to the new doseage, she was never like that on the injection though.

I am sorry i have never heard of clinicare and ensure, i don't think we have those down under.

I have discussed this at length with Gabe my vet yesterday, this is all we can do for her apparently, unless we find some magic cure, and that is highly unlikely, i think the extra steriods will help her mouth and her pain levels.

Of course the downside of steroids is they can get fat and get diabetes, but so far that has not happened, but am a bit concerned with her extra doseage this might eventually happen, you just cannot seem to win with this condition,it is indeed a cruel condition and very distressing for both cat and me.

Anyhow just hoping she picks up again, i have no idea how long i will have with my sweet girl, but i will treasure it for as long as i can, even the thought of loosing her just makes me feel sick and heartbroken, she is only ten and had six yrs of a stink life, now this, it is so unfair, but isn't life at times.?

[krazyaboutkatz]

Carole, I'm sorry to hear that Ellie-Mae is in so much pain. Hopefully something will help her. I know only too well about how steroids can affect a cat. They made poor Starr so fat that he couldn't function properly. Storms on them now but he's a much larger cat so they don't seem to be making him gain a lot of weight but he's always hungry. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[carole]

Yes it is a catch 22 situation isn't it? when she was on the them every second day, she gained no weight, but i kept her at a steady weight of 4.1kg, vet was happy with that, she is a small cat in stature, so don't want her getting too heavy, she is now down to 3.9, so just hoping we can keep her at a healthy level, i don't want her getting diabetes for sure, just have to hope for the best won't we, she has eaten very well today, wondering if she will be miss zombie again tonight though, poor wee thing, i hate them being all drugged up to the max like that.

[Anikaca77]

My prays coming for Ellie-Mae.

Melissa

[Catty1]

I hope Ellie-Mae's system will adjust to the meds, and she will perk up in a couple of days.

Hugs and prayers to dear Ellie-Mae!

[carole]

Just a quick update, yes she seems to have adjusted to her new increase in her meds, not so zombish now, and her mouth is a tad better, eating like a horse, steriods tend to do that to ya,but still have some difficulty in eating, but she is improving, so that is good, of course all just a temporary fix really,that is the downside of this condition, but for now happy to see her getting better, thanks for the well wishes and prayers, Ellie and I appreciate them very much.

[carole]

UPDATE.

Well Ellie finished her two weeks of steroids, and then was to go on one per day, however she was not doing well at all,she had a couple of good days, but eating was still painful for her and i had a devil of a time getting her to get enough food in, but we did do that, so i decided enough is enough off to the white coats again.

Just got back from there, Gabe my vet said the reason the steroids are not working as well is due to the condition becoming worse, which is not good news, i asked whether i would need to Put her to sleep, and he said if it continues as is i would, i just cannot imagine my life without my girl, it just does not bear thinking about, and i WON'T right now, anyhow he gave her
some Depomedrol 40mg, Convenia Injection, and we are trying a new pill on top of her steriods, Cycloblastin tablets, one every five days, poor wee girl, she is drugged to the max right now, asleep on the bed, but at least she won't be in pain at the moment.

She had lost weight down from 4.1 to 3.95, not a good sign, but not too dramatic either,but on steroids you usually have to worry about weight increase, little girl has the moon shape look about her face now, which is one of the side effects of long term steroids.

So please keep all your fingers and paws crossed, prayers for my little girl, that this works and Ellie will be with me for a lot longer, it has only been two months since i lost Ash i am not ready to loose another furbaby, not now, not ever really,at least my ole guy had a good long life ,but Ellie is only ten and she had six yrs of a horrible life,and i want her to have many more happy years with me, i love her to bits, she is so unique in her purssonality,she is very special.

thanks for your time.

I have just checked out those pills online, i forgot to ask gabe what they are , and by gosh they are chemotherapy drugs, he did tell me to make sure i am careful and wash my hands after handling, which of course i do anyhow,gee i dunno, poor wee girl, i hate all these drugs in her system, but still if they work, that will be great, but i do wonder about the drawback side effects of them. maybe her doseage is small and that will make a difference, here's hoping.