Topic: Swampy: it is his time now RIP little choc-o-late monster my love (Read 368056 times)

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2933 on:** October 21, 2009, 15:24:07 PM »

He's off to the vet yet again as she doesn't do phone calls. I will get her to show me how to decongest using the pediatric drops.
I am becoming convinced that the antibiotics are what is causing the vomiting. I know she's keen on the drug she prescribed (prilosec) but he had it on sunday, which was one of his worst days.
My usual vet uses sulcrafate so maybe she will think about that. A lot of it is his cold (he makes glug noises when he swallows) so I guess he needs to stay on antibiotics unfortunately.

I have joined another yahoo group so hope to get more help on assist feeding as that is what causes vomiting. He doesn't vomit otherwise. Maybe I am doing it wrong, wrong angle, dunno. He never vomits food that he eats by himself.

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2932 on:** October 21, 2009, 15:18:51 PM »

Sending my love to you all! Give Swampy a head rub from me please!

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2931 on:** October 20, 2009, 11:42:22 AM »

Thinking of you all, I know that whatever you decide with ref to his meds will be in Swampy's best interest! Best of luck!

bunglycat · « **Reply #2930 on:** October 19, 2009, 22:17:35 PM »

Can you ring them and tell them you were promised a call and no-one has rung you and tell them you need to be able to ask their advice after all you are a paying customer .
My vets is only him and one other -but when i have rung them i have either most of the time been able to speak to them or had a call back within 10 mins at the most .
I once rang Mr Owen 3 times one night as Smartie had it coming out of both ends at once and i was panicking a bit (lot!)
I rang at 1030pm , 12am , 1.30 am and spoke to him every time -on the last call he told me if he hadn''t stopped being sick ( after telling me to keep him hydrated , syringe 5mls water etc ) after another hour to ring him back and he would meet me at the surgery - or if it calmed down to come in first thing in the morning- luckily he stopped shortly after and i went in first thing in the morning ( after sitting up all night with him)- he was fine within 48 hours !
I am sorry your vet isn''t so compassionate or understanding .

bonnielass · « **Reply #2929 on:** October 19, 2009, 22:14:53 PM »

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2928 on:** October 19, 2009, 19:39:41 PM »

one of the nurses emailed me to say the vet would call at the end of consults. She didn't. I just get so upset. I would never join a one vet practice again as you get landed with locums.
Poor Swampy is so weak. He is only getting a few mls of food every 40 mins or so. I think he's so tired from yesterday's vomiting. I just hope and pray he won't vomit again today with the teeny meals. He did eat a little tiny bit of pate on his own, but nothing like a real meal. I didn't give the injected cerenia yet so hope the stuff doesn't go off - have stored it in a kitchen drawer. That was one of my questions for the vet.
Also could I skip the frusemide, hardly a trivial question.

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #2927 on:** October 19, 2009, 18:37:54 PM »

Quote

so why should she bother I think.

Because you care about your cat, you seek to check information provided (sensible if you're not sure) and you're paying the bill at the end of the day too!

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2926 on:** October 19, 2009, 15:50:31 PM »

I had a mad moment. The first baytril injection ended up in a wet fur situation on his back so I must have just shot it straight through like an idiot. She had given me tomorrow's so I had to use that instead (I did check). Still haven't given the off label cerenia injection as am nervous about it. The vet nurse told me to give him about 2mls food every 1/2 hour to see if he tolerated that. So far so good. But he will get so little food in him like that. I will try 5mls later and if that stays down, maybe 10mls.

I asked that the vet ring me up to discuss his meds, which to give and which not as he is vomiting and how he is, but don't think it's going to happen. So I emailed my questions to her. It seems that I'm supposed to channel all my questions (and get answers) through the nurses and she is displeased by our disagreement on saturday and just thinks that I've ignored her advice on steroids, so why should she bother I think. It is such a difficult time and I really do need a good vet's support. My vet isn't back until next monday which is a long way off right now.

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #2925 on:** October 19, 2009, 13:46:26 PM »

Quote from: swampmaxmum on October 19, 2009, 10:57:40 AM

How can I make him sneeze?

Think this might be a stupid idea but its all i can think of........pepper ?

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2924 on:** October 19, 2009, 13:41:00 PM »

Positive vibes that the injections will work on him fast and make him feel much better~~~~Thinking of you both!

Leanne · « **Reply #2923 on:** October 19, 2009, 12:59:23 PM »

I agree with the other purrs peeps, no one knows Swampy like you do

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2922 on:** October 19, 2009, 10:57:40 AM »

He's vomiting most of his meals, especially the assist meals, about 1/2 hour to 1 hour after eating. The only ones he maybe keeps down are small assist meals that I give within a short time of his vomiting (when he must have vomited out the muck). He keeps down the tiny amount he eats himself (teaspoons) or any water he drinks. He makes metallic sort of glugging noises when he swallows food, which I am sure is his cold muck going down. On saturday he sneezed out a lot of yellow muck and as a result he kept all his food down. How can I make him sneeze?

I am going to fetch injections of baytril and cerenia from the vets shortly to try. I am praying so hard that the baytril works again as it stopped working towards the end of his course (Friday). I know it's soon to do it again, but we don't have much choice. I need to get rid of the snot - inhalations don't seem to work well. I need to irritate his nose so he sneezes it all out.
He is quite cheerful which doesn't make this any easier to bear.

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2921 on:** October 19, 2009, 04:37:13 AM »

I defo think you know Swampy best Kate....I would go with what you think best at this stage....

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #2920 on:** October 18, 2009, 19:20:47 PM »

I have just been catching up with Swampy.

I am really sad at the 2nd photo of him as it shows how much weight he has lost

Look hun, If you think he is better with the steroids then carry on with them. We got another 6wks because of the steroids.
Mark said something to Me that was spot on (something like) "Vets may have had the years of training but sometimes we know our cats better and what is right for them". I proved I knew what was best for Issey and both my vets have said that she ony lasted the time she did because of Me.

Kate, before Issey I didnt understand what you were really going through.....now I understand, I totally understand the desperation to keep Swampy going, coupled with the constant worry of doing the right thing.
Sending you and Swampy much love

bunglycat · « **Reply #2919 on:** October 18, 2009, 18:53:22 PM »

I know Bungly is different -but my vet told me she doesn''t really need the frusemide now and to give it if i think she needs it - i haven''t given her any now for almost a week and she is eating better again now- maybe its worth a try !?

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2918 on:** October 18, 2009, 18:17:32 PM »

just looked at my notes. Swampy started frusemide on 25th sept when he weighed 4.5kgs. He then lost exactly 300g to 4.2kgs quite quickly and then a week later another 200g suddenly (one day to the next) to 4kgs. Now between his birthday on friday and saturday morning he lost 300g. I would like the locum to X ray him to see just how much fluid he does have as I'm beginning to suspect that the diuretic is making him lose these sudden 2 - 300gs in weight and that it's not the more gradual CRF weight loss (I may be totally wrong). I just hope she will agree. She was muttering something about Xrays being difficult on saturday. My vet doesn't have them printed, but they are on a software system so linked straight from the Xray machine into his PC.

If he has no or minimal fluid, it may be worth the risk to stop the frusemide except on his sub cut days. I think the sudden weight loss of 800g in 3 weeks is finishing him off. That and his snot making him bring up his food. THAT is worse in the morning, perhaps as he's been less upright all night. He tends to sleep more curled up.

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2917 on:** October 18, 2009, 16:00:32 PM »

Just popping in to send more healing vibes~~~~Look after yourselves!

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2916 on:** October 18, 2009, 11:04:33 AM »

thanks xx

Swampy's most pressing problem is he can't keep food down, especially in the mornings. Locum thinks it's all stomach acid so I have given him 1/4 prilosec this morning to try (he vomited after eating after zantac). However he makes metallic glug noises from his muck swallowing from his nose, when he eats. He's always vomited up food when his nose is snotty and with his CRF it's got worse. Just refed him again now with a small assist meal (all he's kept down today is a tiny meal on his own from 6am). The last one came up after 1 hour, just as we started to think it was going to stay down.

Yesterday I managed to get snot out of his nose (ok he sneezed out a lot) so kept down far more food. I give him bisolvon but mix it in with an assist meal (anything too liquid makes him sick when he's so snotty). That assumes he can keep the assist meal down.

OH met the locum yesterday and he says he doesn't feel right about her. We are both anxious as our vet is away until monday week. I think I must try to decongest Swampy and hope that in the afternoons he will keep some food down, at least 1/2 can. On his own, he only eats enough for a mouse now and he won't eat k/d or a/d by himself and they have the calories.
He lay in the bed with me most of the night. That's lovely but I wonder if under the duvet makes him snottier?

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #2915 on:** October 18, 2009, 07:51:07 AM »

Quote from: bonnielass on October 17, 2009, 21:37:39 PM

I think what you have to do now Kate is take each day at a time and dont look back, its whats happening today and tomorrow that counts

If Swampys time is limited then worrying about the past wont help you or him as he will pick up on your distress, you need to stay positive for both your sake and Swampy,s

I know you will do whatever it takes wether its what the vet suggests or what you know is best for him ,just stay positive

Wise Counsel, Kate, from Bonnielass. Thinking of you both

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2914 on:** October 18, 2009, 03:04:51 AM »

When is your old vet back Kate? I think you have been at battle with this illness to know the inn's and out's of it by now....

Thinking of you and Swampy and sending positive healing vibes!

bonnielass · « **Reply #2913 on:** October 17, 2009, 21:37:39 PM »

I think what you have to do now Kate is take each day at a time and dont look back, its whats happening today and tomorrow that counts

If Swampys time is limited then worrying about the past wont help you or him as he will pick up on your distress, you need to stay positive for both your sake and Swampy,s

I know you will do whatever it takes wether its what the vet suggests or what you know is best for him ,just stay positive

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2912 on:** October 17, 2009, 21:07:23 PM »

what is so very hard is dealing with the fact that he is so ill now. I am so grateful for his 18th birthday but it makes you greedy for more time and love with him. Yesterday I weighed him as usual and he was 4kgs. Today he is 3.7kgs. This is the third time he's lost 300g boom overnight. A month or so ago when he had the fluid, he weighed 4.5g so it's an 800g loss in that time, only some of which must have been fluids. I don't know what or why it is happening, but it can't be good news can it.

bonnielass · « **Reply #2911 on:** October 17, 2009, 20:33:35 PM »

It must be so hard for you Kate to jiggle all these things round and remember what needs to be taken when and i admire you so much, its thanks to your excellent care and devotion that Swampy is still here, i know many other people would have given up long ago.
You know Swampy better then anyone else and all the research you have put into trying to help him so please dont get upset about the vet you have enough to contend with so please take care of yourself and Swampy and try and get some rest

bunglycat · « **Reply #2910 on:** October 17, 2009, 18:14:46 PM »

Sorry the vet wasn''t very good/helpful .
I am sure you know more about what to do for Swamy as you are with him 24/7 .
Not sure what else to say -but you are doing a wonderful job with him and keeping him going .
I have just increased Bunglys steroids as she was not eating much at all and i have found she is eating more as she usually did again- i did this off my own back and she was on 2 5g per day and i have added another 1/2 tablet and she is better with that than without it .

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2909 on:** October 17, 2009, 17:43:42 PM »

Locum vet went on a rant about how we 'must' get Swampy off steroids and OH believes her (he thinks Swampy takes too many meds, but that is because he is old and ill with a variety of problems) so we had a bit of an argument. I know they are bad for his CRF and I wish he didn't need them, but I think he does.
He gets so floppy and won't eat, purr or be interested in anything if he doesn't have any. He's been on them for 13 months now since his accident. He's now on 1 1/2 every 48 hours.

She (vet) is an eye vet primarily so noticed that his ulcer isn't healing (steroids and CRF the reason) but that he has learnt to live with it. His eye is mostly closed and the 3rd eyelid covers the ulcer area. He has abx ointment which helps to soothe and he doesn't rub it. I know they are bad for his kidneys and if he just had CRF he wouldn't be on them. So is Selgian bad for his CRF but he needs it. She says that his sore tum is made worse by them too. I said that he wouldn't eat or purr without them and that - vitally - he wouldn't walk at all. That would mean that his back legs could just give way, as the 10 days when he was banned from walking after his chest flooded has made his legs so much weaker.

She doesn't think it is important that he would just lie there and not purr as he should eventually adjust. She made me feel as if I am deliberately poisoning him and making his CRF worse faster. She said he could have some time left that I am denying him by keeping on the steroids. It's true that the steroids are the first drug I hope he keeps down, as they cheer him up so much. So what if they mask if you have a terminal illness. The situation's very difficult.

She compounded my confusion by declaring that his snotty nose (it's very snotty today) wasn't that significant. It is what is making him vomit up his food! Then tells me to feed him as much as possible today as he has lost yet more weight, he is down now to 3.85 kgs from 4kgs. That's the least he has ever weighed since he was a kitten. He did vomit up 2 meals yesterday.

I am so tired and quite upset. I can't see that Swampy can have very long with his continued weight loss. While I'm sure that steroids are bad for his CRF, I'm unconvinced that he'd live longer and have a quality of life, without them. What I may do is lower the dose by 1/4 pill per 48 hours. I think that going from 1 1/2 (7 1/2 mgs) to 1 (5mgs) is a big sudden drop. He didn't tolerate 5mgs about 6 months ago when we tried it.
I know my own vet says that the best dose is the lowest effective dose as they aren't good for him. I think that what is doing him in is his CRF but that the biggest factor in that's acceleration is the lack of sub cut fluids. They do keep it at bay longer than anything else does. Sorry this is so long, just letting off steam.

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2908 on:** October 17, 2009, 13:51:02 PM »

New vet or old vet Kate, I think you know quite enough about Swampy's illness to know whether there suggestions will do any good!

Best of luck with him at the vets....Thinking of you all!

Janeyk · « **Reply #2907 on:** October 17, 2009, 13:01:41 PM »

Acid will affect his stomach if he isn't eating especially if he is prone to acid, will he not eat by himself?

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2906 on:** October 17, 2009, 10:34:31 AM »

poor Swampy is going to the vet today as he has a sore tum. I know she'll ask me why I haven't yet used prilosec but it's primarily for stomach acid and I think his main problem is gas pain and his cold. I've cleaned up lots of muck from his nose this morning - only good thing is he's not swallowed it. I think that makes him sick too.
He had a good night, then felt lousy from about 6am. I'm wondering if I should give him a little assist meal in the middle of the night, so he doesn't go too long (eg 12 hours) without any food. I'm wondering if that long time without food makes his acid /gas worse. Does anyone have any ideas about this please?

V nervous seeing a new vet.

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2905 on:** October 17, 2009, 03:07:10 AM »

So glad you all had a great day to remember!

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2904 on:** October 16, 2009, 23:35:13 PM »

thank you everyone for the birthday boy's wishes xx

He may go to see the locum vet tomorrow to discuss what sub cuts to give if any and to have him checked over. He is weak. We'll decide in the morning. As I said on the other thread, he and I spent a lovely day together. I couldn't have wished for more.

bonnielass · « **Reply #2903 on:** October 16, 2009, 22:58:49 PM »

Almost missed this Kate

i hope Swampy had a good day and managed to keep his dinner down and im praying for the sun for him tomorrow , :

Happy Birthday Swampy

Jasmine · « **Reply #2902 on:** October 16, 2009, 19:40:46 PM »

on reaching a landmark birthday Swampy!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2901 on:** October 16, 2009, 18:34:55 PM »

My post went missing grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Appy Birfday Swampy and ope the sun came owt for yoo and yoo caught some rays

sasa an da boys an ooman

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #2900 on:** October 16, 2009, 18:32:44 PM »

Happy Birthday Handsome Swampy, from me and the Padster. Congratulations on looking so good for an "old Codger"

Kirst · « **Reply #2899 on:** October 16, 2009, 18:06:22 PM »

Appy Birfday Swampy!!

bunglycat · « **Reply #2898 on:** October 16, 2009, 15:01:23 PM »

What a gorgeous boy he is

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2897 on:** October 16, 2009, 14:28:21 PM »

Gorgeous!

for his food to stay put!

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #2896 on:** October 16, 2009, 14:26:09 PM »

this is a recent photo of him bobbing his head up and down ("doing his thermals") on the roof to catch the breeze

and this one on the futon, enjoying his halogen heater

must go and feed him again now. I hope he keeps it down as he needs to keep his strength up.

bunglycat · « **Reply #2895 on:** October 16, 2009, 14:25:07 PM »

Lots of birthday wishes for Swampys 18th birthday - hope he has a lovely day , keeps his food down, no vet visits and the sun comes out for him and he feels better .

Bazsmum · « **Reply #2894 on:** October 16, 2009, 12:01:38 PM »

Mores sun vibes to the Birthday boy!

Happy 18th Birthday darling Swampy, hope you have a lovely day and manage to keep your future meals down!

Author Topic: Swampy: it is his time now RIP little choc-o-late monster my love (Read 368056 times)