Amy's Reading with Nancy

[Laura's Babies]

Nancy surprised me by calling tonight and doing Amy's reading.. My main #1 question was if she is in any pain. It is so heartbreaking, she is. She aches all over, everything but her head and chest, stiff, not limber, feels unstretched, hard to get up, cold and damp, ache, ache, ache. Nancy thought she was a 17 year old cat and was stunned to find out she is only 4. She has nothing to compare this to since she has never read a CH kitty, had never even heard of it and looked it up while I was on the phone with her to see what exactly it was. She said she thinks acupuncture would help but I haven't heard of any here where we live but will ask my vet. She asked if CH kitties have a nromal life span and she was upset to hear they do, she said she hates to think she will suffer like that for another 12 years..

I also asked if she was in pain, what meds would help. She reccomended I try Glucosamine since it feels like arthritis to her. She couldn't understand if it is neroulogical, why the bones hurt and were so stiff, she said Amy described it to her and it sounded like what the arthritic cats she has read had described. She said Amy don't need strong drugs but something more natural.

She likes the fake lambs wool type stuff I covered her pad with and put in the cage, it feels soft and warm. Nancy said she feels like the pee'd on blankets and stuff I put down for her are all accidents, either loosing controll or just can't get up. The pads I put down for her that I get at Sam's club, Amy feels it is un-natural to use to bathroom on, they feel soft and warm like her beds and she feels like she is soiling her bed.

We got back to Boo and she didn't remember that reading until I said she was Mama's cat and it all came back to her... LOL! She asked what was the rocking chair... I told her I have Mama's glider rocker that Boo likes to lay in a lot and it ALL came to her then. She said Boo feels a lot better now, all she wanted was to be heard and have someone understand what she had been through and now that I have, she is fine and will come around and change towards me.. I told her she already has and it is WONDERFUL!!

I asked her what was Amy's take on Boo because Boo seemed to accept her first and allowed Amy to sleep on our bed before anyone else... BUT, she will hiss and slap at Boo if she walks to close to her. (She said Amy is afraid of anyone/anything getting near her because of how she aches and don't want anynody hurting her accidently.) She said Amy is so innocent, not like retared or slow but sheltered innocence. Boo doesn't concern her except for accidently stepping on her or falling on her. Boo don't scare her any except for that.

She will call again in a few day for the follow up. I am suppose to talk to the vet and see if they make the Glucosamine for cats and get some for her.

Anyone know if they have that Glucosamine for cats and how much you give them?

[RedHedd]

PetMeds.com has Glucosamine for kitties - as does Petco, Drs. Foster & Smith, etc. Poor Amy! Sounds painful. I just love Nancy!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks for sharing her reading with us. Hopefully the glucosamine will help Amy. I agree that acupunture or even a chiropracter would be able to help her feel better too. Starr's been receiving acupunture treatments and they've helped him a lot. Here's a website where you can find holistic vets in your area: Holistic Vet Search. Good luck.

[jennielynn1970]

I wonder if massage would help her as well? The one cat that I fostered had arthritis in his shoulders and back area from a car injury, and the woman who adopted him was a massage therapist and physical therapist for people, and she started doing massage therapy on Charlie. The last update I had is that he is doing really well and was not so stiff.

Sweet Amy... I hope that the glucosamine and some other things will make you feel better! You are such a sweet little thing, and I know everyone hatest to think that you are in any pain. Gentle hugs and pets to you, sweetie.

[Lizzie]

I'm really sorry to hear that Amy is in pain, I know you have always worried about her when the weather changes. I worry that my Miss Zoomalot hurts because of the number of times she will slam into a wall as she races around and something startles her.

You can get Cosequin very easily which is made for horses, dogs and cats. I have some from the shelter for my elderly fosters.

You might want to try TTouch which is a type of animal massage, mainly for stress management and the like but also used for arthritis. I heard about it through Best Friends. This site gives you information about t-touch books so you can learn to do it yourself:
http://www.ttouch.com/productsBooks.shtml

[Medusa]

My Creamsicle is a vestibular hypoplasia baby, which means that her coordination, etc. are quite similar to CH, except that she lost her hearing as a result. She isn't as spastic as she used to be, that's for sure, and her coordination is much improved. I can certainly understand why she would ache, especially from falling down. And when she falls, she falls hard because of her lack of coordination and she rarely falls on her feet, usually on her side or back.

Years ago, I taught exercise and aerobic classes and a woman would bring her daughter who had cerebral palsy who would sit on the sidelines and just watch. One day, w/her mother's permission and hers, of course, I asked her to join the class. She was happy to be a part of it but she was so spastic that she kept falling over onto the women on either side of her. So I asked her to join me in teaching the class. She stood beside me and fell over on me more times than I could count. BUT, after a while, she became less spastic and eventually could do the exercises w/out falling over at all. After some time, her mother came to me and said "This class was the best thing in the world for her. She can move so much more easily now and she isn't in as much pain."

The reason I mention this is that I've made a point of seeing to it that Creamsicle gets plenty of exercise, not just the usual running around that cats do, but chasing the Cat Dancer, etc. I feel that, as a result, she's so much less spastic, doesn't fall as much and thus, isn't as sore. Is it possible for you to increase the amount of exercise that Amy gets? Start out slowly and build from there maybe. I'm just askin'......

[emily_the_spoiled]

They make a glucosamine cat treat (Hip Action). It has a chicken flavour to it and I use it with one of my foster's that is 15 yo with arthritis and it really does help. You can get this online at Amazon.com or at some of the pet stores.

[Freedom]

I continue to be amazed at what we can learn from Nancy and from each other about our pets. Sweet Amy, so many folks thinking of you!

I know you travel and this may not be practical, but what about a heating pad or hot water bottle in her bed? Not sure if she should have dry heat or moist.

In September I went to an open house at a pet rehab center locally. They offer water therapy on a treadmill, physical therapy and such. They had a pet massage person on had to give free massages, I think it was 5 minutes? I had Sugar and Lacey with me. Well, Sugar just enjoyed it SO much, it relaxed her (she doesn't really like crowds and the open house was popular) and lasted several hours after we returned home. So maybe you can give her some gentle rubs yourself. (Lacey just considered it her due to have all the wonderful petting, lol.)

[Kater]

She will call again in a few day for the follow up. I am suppose to talk to the vet and see if they make the Glucosamine for cats and get some for her.

Anyone know if they have that Glucosamine for cats and how much you give them?

I highly recommend this product: http://www.hyaflex.com/productinfo.htm . The dose for cats is about 1/4 of a dropperful daily (check with your vet). So although this product may be a little pricey, it should last you 4 months at that dose. Our clients often give it in tuna water or wet food. It has no taste. You may also want to try MSM (powdered form).

My thoughts are with little Amy.

[Laura's Babies]

I went down and talked to Dr. Gott. He has a friend that has a CH kitty and is always asking about Amy, trying to gather information from me that can help his friend I guess. That other cat is a lot worse than Amy. We talked for a long time and he gave me a bottle of Cosequin for her. Reading the lable, it sounds exactly what Nancy reccomended, not a whole lot of other ingredients in it. I told him someone suggested I put her on it a long time ago and I never did... He told me maybe I better listen to my friends from now on. I will start her on it when treats are passed out at night... Hummmm, since Nancy said Boo has arthrisis in her hips that bother her, maybe I will put her on it too! I got 90 of them so why not?!

Russian Blue, I visit the CH kitty club frequently but seldom post. I haven't read any posts where they were giving their CH kitties anything for something like this.

[phesina]

Dear Laura, I am so saddened to learn about Amy's suffering. I hope the Cosequin will give her some relief, and I hope that we all can come up with some other ideas, too.

We use the SnuggleSafe warmers at our shelter, putting them in the bedding of cats that can use a little warmth and coziness to ease their aches and pains. The cats love them.

Elmer sends extra-special love to his beloved mentor Amy, and all of us send purrs and gentle pets and loving, warming, healing energies.

Pat, Elmer, Poppy, Sydney, Peony, and Priscilla Angel

[koxka]

I, always, read your threads and Amy has stolen my heart. I didn't know she was in pain. .
As you leave home to work any other month, maybe a self thermal bed could be a solution. No wires, no need to heat. It may be not so warm as the electric heated beds are but is safer.

Self thermal bed for arthritic pets

[koxka]

Here is another link from amazonSelf thermal bed_2

[Donnaj4962]

Laura, I am so sorry to hear that Amy is in pain. I hope the glucosamine helps. I take it for my joints and it works well! Gentle hugs to Amy!