Calloway's eating!! update 12/2

[jennielynn1970]

He sounded so good yesterday, no coughing attacks at all.

Now today, 3 coughing attacks so far this morning. He's had one pill for the asthma already, and I don't want to give another till later on today. He was coughing and coughing, and then just laid on his side and is resting.

I have a humidifier I can put on, and put him in my bedroom with it. It's not a warm mist one though, I don't think. I got it last year, and it works nicely, at least it did for me.

Any thoughts??


Oh, the feedings are going ok. I just have a few that are not thrilled that they have to eat when I say so. Honey is rebelling and peed on the floor already. ARGH. Not happy with him. He does do the spite peeing. I bought a bag of Royal Canin Special for the others, it's supposed to be good for sensitive digestions, and no one has thrown up from it, thankfully. The last stuff I got was barf city. I don't think Honey is thrilled with this food, but until I get a bag of Indoor from my vet, he's stuck eating it. He's a barfer anyway. So many sensitive stomachs.

[Medusa]

Have you tried Science Diet I/D for the barfers? So far it's worked really well for the Fur Posse and they seem to like it, too.

[jennielynn1970]

He seems to like the Purina DM. Like I said, he doesn't seem fussy about food at all, lol.


The other kitties are eating Royal Canin Special. So far, that seems to be accepted by them, except for Honey. He's not fond of it. He just wants to be fed ALL canned food. He's fussy. He only gets canned 2-3xs a week, and only a small portion, otherwise his poop is all runny. Not fun to clean up when he misses the box.

[Emeraldgreen]

Now today, 3 coughing attacks so far this morning. He's had one pill for the asthma already, and I don't want to give another till later on today. He was coughing and coughing, and then just laid on his side and is resting.
I have a humidifier I can put on, and put him in my bedroom with it. It's not a warm mist one though, I don't think. I got it last year, and it works nicely, at least it did for me.
Any thoughts??

You might want to try an air filter to see if it helps Calloway. I bought one for Jimmy and it does help. It is a Honeywell and is about 2 feet tall and 6 inches wide so it doesn't take up too much space. It has three settings on it and clears a room in a few minutes and the air is so fresh. I was really amazed at the difference in a room before and after turning it on. It might help if he is reacting to the furnace. It cost about 80.00 at the hardware store.

Do cats get collapsed tracheas? Out of nowhere our dog Muddy started coughing and it went on all day. They did xrays and diagnosed him with that. He was put on the cough suppressent Torbutrol for weeks and we're slowly weaning him off it. The vet said that each time he coughed, he was irritating his trachea so it wouldn't heal and the irritated trachea is what made him cough. The Torbutrol kept him from coughing for long enough so his trachea could heal. I'm just wondering if cats get this? I'm not sure.

I hope that your big beautiful guy will be feeling better soon!! Please squeeze him for me.

[jennielynn1970]

Holy cow... I have a brand new (well, a few months old) Honeywell sitting right in the middle of the living room. Turned off. Duh.

Guess I should stop walking around it and turn it on, lol.

There's a filter on the furnace, but that definitely needs to be changed. Another one of those things that I keep forgetting to do. Ugh.

He's been good today. No hacking, no coughing, scampering around on his stubby little legs, lol. He's been a good boy and has been eating all of his DM food!!

Of course Honey is refusing to eat at any prescribed time and is staring at me, beseechingly, as if I'm purposely starving him.

[Catlady711]

I'm glad Calloway's meds seem to be helping the coughing. Sorry to hear his blood glucose was so high. That is common in overweight pets, but cats are fortunate that sometimes with a strict diet and a gradual weight loss they can avoid insulin or decrease the amount of time they have to be on it. Dogs in contrast tend to have to stay on insulin for life.

One vet said I had three cats. I didn't get it at first. But he said the average weight for a cat is 7lbs. I couldn't imagine a 7lbs cat.

Back in the old days the avg. weight for cats was 7-8 lbs, however it's not uncommon now for some cats to be 15+ lbs and not be a bit overweight and for some to be as small as 5 lbs and not be underweight. I guess cat genetics are getting a wider range. Bear weights 16-17 lbs and he's not really fat. I had him down to 15 at one point but I didn't think he looked good although his vet isn't concerned about his weight as long as he stays between 15-17 lbs.

The vet said she can't put him on any steriod with the diabetes, so the asthma med is something other than pred. I think it has been helping because I haven't heard him do the coughing/gagging noise since the meds, and when he wheezed, it was time for the next dose. I'll have to find the name of it. It's something with a T, lol.

I'm guessing Temeril-P?? Small round gray pill?

Have you tried Science Diet I/D for the barfers?

I had always thought I/D was only for hospitalized animals or ones with severe digestive disorders for short term use only. I just looked it up on Hills website and it doesn't say anything about that it was the A/D I was thinking of. Hmmm. Learn something new every day. LOL

Do cats get collapsed tracheas? I'm just wondering if cats get this? I'm not sure.

I could be wrong on this, but as far as I know, cats can get that, but it's more common in dogs. I'll have to ask the boss on Monday on that one, because now I'm curious.

[jennielynn1970]

The med for the asthma is Theophylline 100mg.

[Catlady711]

The med for the asthma is Theophylline 100mg.

Ah ok I know that one, just can never pronounce it correctly. LOL When you said he was coughing the first thing I thought of was the Temeril-P.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Jenn, I'm sorry to hear about Calloway. Hopefully the new diet will make him lose the weight that he needs so that his diabetes can be controlled by diet.

When I first stopped free feeding, my cats weren't too thrilled either but they soon learned that they had to eat when I fed them. After about 1 week your cats should learn the routine and do better. I know that if I continued free feeding that Sky, Starr, and Ziggy Stardust would be extemely over weight by now. Good luck.

[jennielynn1970]

Back from the vet with some not so happy news for Calloway. His fasting glucose this AM was 412. Higher than it was last time. Dr. Hess is doing more bloodwork, to check everything on him to make sure there isn't anything else going on.

He has been more lethargic and not eating much at all the past few days. I was actually taking his little bowl of crunchies up to my bed for him because he was sleeping there most of the time. This is NOT typical Calloway behavior.

While he lost 2lbs, it's too much, too quickly. I was doing the scheduled feedings gradually with him, because they said they didn't want him to loose too much too fast, but it seems he did any way.

So, tomorrow we go back to the vet. He gets dropped off in the AM, and I pick him up after 7pm. He is going to be started on insulin, and I have to learn how to administer it.

Let's just say that I'm not good with needles. I told my parents before, I would never be a drug addict that injects because I'd pass out before I did anything and another druggie would steal my stash, lol. I'm a wimp when it comes to needles and blood. Ugh.

I will learn to do this for Calloway, because he is just a wonderful boy, and has just stolen my heart in the time he has been here.

Please say some prayers for my special guy, in hopes that we can get his diabetes under control and then maybe he won't have to stay on the insulin. I can always hope, can't I?

[lvpets2002]

Oh No Jenn & Calloway.. Now lets think really positive.. However I am like you Jen = is I cant handle needles && trying to give shots.. Hey if thats what we need to do then I know you can do it for Calloway.. Calloway we are all sending lots of Positive Vibes & Prayers that we get this diabetes under control with insulin.. Also sending lots of Whisker Kissess & Huggss..

[krazyaboutkatz]

Jenn, I'm sorry to hear that Calloway's glucose level was so high and that he hasn't been eating well lately. I hope that the insulin will be able to get his diabetes under control. I'll keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

[Medusa]

Oh darn it anyhow! I was hoping for better news but we'll deal w/what is. You'll learn how to do the injections w/out a hitch, Jen. If you can handle school kids, you can handle a silly needle. (I wouldn't be able to handle the school kids.) I never thought I'd be able to administer subQ treatments to Puddy either but after a while it became second nature to me. If it's any consolation, my mother was on insulin and later was able to go off the injections entirely. I don't know if the same thing can apply to cats but, as you say, we can hope, can't we? Hang in there and know that you and Calloway are never far from my thoughts and are always in my prayers. Keep the faythe.

[Moesha]

When Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes I thought my heart would stop, especially since this came only a couple of months after losing my dear Simone to congestive heart failure. Diabetes is a very treatable condition though. The insulin shots are not bad at all! I promise and I hate needles too. And there is NO BLOOD! The needles are so small that neither cat I've given shots to has acted like they even cared they got the shot. It is just given in the back of the neck. You don't have to find a vein or anything difficult like that. It is really not bad at all. It sounds much worse than it is. I think Morgan's highest reading was 380something when he was started on the insulin and diet change. It took awhile but the numbers slowly came down. I hope all turns out well for Calloway.

[GILL]

Well it's not hard to give the insulin. I am deathly afriad of needles, but giving a shot to someone else NO PROBLEM. The love of my life PATCHES had to have her shot every morning my wife or I did this for almost 16 years. Right now I am trying to control myself with diet, so I don't need the shots.
So I hope it all works out for you & Calloway.