Archive through January 03, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archives: Cats (ARCHIVE):
Archive through January 03, 2003
Halfunit | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:50 pm     Kar - I have a 20#'er who takes insulin:
She gets shots twice a day, 12 hours apart. If this is what you have to do, it is very very easy. Mine lets me know when it's time and walks me to the refrigerator so she can have her "shotty". I have a wonderful vet who helped me regulate her sugar levels. This entailed starting with 1 unit, twice a day for a while and then getting her blood checked. The level was still high, so we increased to 2 units, twice a day. Check. Increase. Check. Increase. We are at 10 units twice a day and have been there for a year. She has never gone into hypoglycemic shock, although we keep a bottle of Karo syrup on top of the stove at all times, just in case. (DH and I actually double dosed her by accident one day and she was fine.) A box of 100 needles cost $25. According to my vet, you can reuse the needles on animals 2 or 3 times before disposal. (We use a new one each time.) A bottle of insulin that contains 1000 units cost $25. This works out to $50 every 50 days. A buck a day is well worth it to me!! Get your buddy checked for this, and if it's positive I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I hope it's something this "simple" rather than having surgery. PS - Needles and insulin are available at any pharmacy without a prescription. CVS, where I go, has Kitty in their computer though. |
Karuuna | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:50 pm     Webkitty - I thought my kitty had worms too, and we did test. The vet told me that kitties that start out that way usually end up developing diabetes later in life. At 2 years old, he weighs 15-1/2 pounds. He is neutered since he's a Humane Society rescue; and he's strictly an indoor cat. He has no fear of other animals, and we have lots of wild coyotes around, so I'm very strict about keeping him in. Calamity- I'll be sure to ask the vet. Stryder used to be pretty good about taking meds, but after two weeks of medicine three times a day, he has a lot less patience now. A shot would sure be easier than droppers and pills. Thank you both for your help! Amazing how worried I am over my little ball of fur! |
Moondance | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:58 pm     Cute Kitty Half! Hi Kar... OK I was hoping the meds worked as they do for so many but I happen to have one of the kitties that it didn't help. Sabastian had the operation MsKitty talked about above. They basically make a new canal for their urination (reconstruct the penis area ... sorry guys) the canal would be bigger so the crystallization will not cause the blood in the urine.(scraping the walls and causing infection) I didn't mention this because I was hoping for the meds and didn't want to alarm you for no reason. I do wish though you could take him in sooner so you can get prepared for the operation. Sabastian is GREAT now and is a healthy 14 1/2 year old. He still eats the special diet though Feel free to e-mail me if you need more help |
Karuuna | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 02:59 pm     Half, thanks for all the info! I really hope it's more simple than all this, but I'll do what I need to do. I'm sure we'll both get used to it. I'll be sure to let you all know what happens at the vet tomorrow, and I so appreciate all your posts! |
Karuuna | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 03:04 pm     Oh heck, Moon, poor kitties! The vet didn't want to see him until the morning, since last time he had been urinating so frequently his bladder was empty. This way, I can leave him at the vets for part of the day if I need to, so they can test better. I'll be okay with the operation, sounds like a fairly common procedure, albeit a painful one! How long and/or difficult was the recovery? I want to schedule it so my son is at his dad's, so he won't worry so much. Last time he just bawled when we had to take Stryder to the vet, so I can't imagine how he'd deal with knowing he was at the vets being operated on. |
Kady | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 03:07 pm     {{{{Karuuna & Stryder}}}} This is one of my favorite threads. My kitty is 2 years old and healthy. It is nice to know if I have any problems I'll be able to come here for advice. Some of ya'll are very kitty smart!!  |
Webkitty | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 03:25 pm     Whew, MsMoon posted! I was afraid to describe the "proceedure"! Didn't want to scare ya. But basically, yes, they remove the penis because it is scarred from the crystals, which causes it to become more and more narrow from each bout with this. The operation will give Stryder a nice big hole for him to pee out of. (sorry for the graphics!) Its been a long time, do I have the details right, Moon? Once its over and he heals, it should be smooth sailing from there. (this is what I was told and this was my experience) And Moon is right, keep on the special ph diet anyway. Half, pretty pudgy kitty! Kar, I just saw your last post. As I remember, my kitty seemed ok for the recovery, I think he was just relieved he didn't have the pain of crystals anymore. Good idea about your son, but be prepared that this might need to be done right away (if he doesn't have diabetes) they can go downhill fast. I'm just saying!!! |
Babyruth | Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 03:50 pm     ((((((((((((Kar and Stryder)))))))))))))) |
Webkitty | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 01:22 pm     Kar, how did the vet visit go today? |
Karuuna | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 01:34 pm     Ms. Kitty you must have ESP, I had to leave him all day, and the vet never called back. So I just called the vet to see what was going on. He does still have crystals and small stones, even tho he's on the special diet. They did an Xray that did not find any stones in his bladder, but they also want to do an ultrasound to rule that out since he is such an "unusual case". They did a blood glucose test for diabetes which came out normal. They are also sending a urine sample to a lab to culture for infection. I'm not a happy camper, because I feel like they're doing a lot of very expensive testing and we're getting nowhere fast. And I'm equally unhappy about leaving my poor sick kitty at the vet's all day with nothing resolved. |
Webkitty | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 01:55 pm     Kar, I hear you! Just a little bit of urgent hysteria always seems to work for me. My furbaby's health and comfort comes first, and if it takes a little pushiness to get results, I'm not above it. You are paying those expensive bills, they should have a little more sense of urgency, not to mention Stryder's discomfort. I don't understand why they think Stryder's condition is so unusual? Is there another vet you could go to? Geesh, you have been on the roller coaster with this! On the bright side, I am SO glad to here Stryder doesn't have diabetes! Whew! I know what you mean about leaving him there all day when he doesn't feel well. {{Stryder}} |
Karuuna | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:02 pm     Webkitty - per my vet, it is very unusual for a cat to still have so MANY crystals and small stones after 3 weeks on the special diet. That's why they are concerned about larger stones in the bladder (hence the ultrasound), and an ongoing/recurring infection (hence the special urinary culture to determine what kind of infection and what antibiotic will work best). If I don't get some answers when I go to pick him up later, I will go to another vet... |
Webkitty | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:14 pm     >>>the special urinary culture to determine what kind of infection and what antibiotic will work best>>> This sounds like a good thing and they know what their doing, but yes, if they can't give you any answers, I would consider another vet. (especially if nothing shows up on the ultrasound) |
Staceyinpa | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:22 pm     I have a couple of questions for anyone willing to answer... I am considering getting my 8 yr old daughter a kitten from the SPCA... 1) How do you litter box train a kitten, and how long does it take?? 2) Declaw or not declaw (will be strictly indoors) 3) Approx monthly cost (vet/rxs.. etc) not food 4) Any specifics I should look for when picking one out? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Stacey |
Moondance | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:33 pm     {{{Kar & Stryder!}}} So sorry. I really hope you know about things soon! Stacey - Great name! 1) Usally they already litter box trained when you get them... only kittens that were raised-rescued from the begining by a human then you would use a warm wash cloth, rub their privates and sit them in the box ... but you are getting he/she from the SPCA so I bet it will already know... kittens/cats are so smart, they learn from the other cats. 2) PLEASE never Declaw a cat... please go to this site and read about it: http://www.pawproject.com Declawing a cat changes their personality and is one of the most painful surgeries for them.Even though they will be indoors it still takes away part of their makeup and their insticts to use them. If you start from a young age and keep the nails trim, get a good sctracthing post, you should have no problems. 3) That all depends. Feed he/she food without preservatives, always have fresh water. You should only have to take them to the vet for shots and check ups... the prices vary so it is hard to say for your area. 4) Let him/her pick you... they usually do. |
Weinermr | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:38 pm     I second Moon's {{{Kar and Stryder}}} I also second Moon's plea for no declawing. |
Webkitty | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:47 pm     Hi Stacey and welcome MsMoon is the top expert here, but until she shows up, I'll answers your questions. First of all, do you have any other pets? I will go on the assumption you don't. 1. Litter box, easy! First, put it in an out of the way spot, kitties like their privacy. Put the kitten in it, be still and quite and watch. Most of mine just started digging and went, and then they got praised. Some will need a little nudge, take the paw and gently make the scratching motion with it. Keep it clean! My cats whine and will hold it if their box doesn't get changed every day, but they are spoiled rotten beyond all reason 2. NEVER DECLAW!! I will let MsMoon and others elaborate. I'm glad to see you will be keeping your kitty inside. Be careful when opening the door! They can shoot out like a rocket! lol. 3. If you get your kitten from the SPCA, it should already have its first shots, be de-wormed, and either already spayed or neutered, or they will give you a certificate for reduced costs at you vet. Always spay or neuter. Shots run about 100-150 per year, depending on your area. Keep up on them. I would also buy a tube of Advantage as soon as the kitten is old enough to put on its neck. Its keeps any stray fleas that might make their way into the house off of the kitty. A tube lasts for 3 months, and costs about 15.00. The stuff you can buy in the supermarket doesn't work, imo. (but I live in Florida where the fleas are especially nasty, if you live in a colder climate, you may not need to do this) 4. Personality. If you try to lay the kitten on its back, and it will stay like that, it will be a mellow cat. If it struggles right away to right itself, it will be more of a skiddish cat. (my vet taught me this one and I've found it to be true) But, usually the kitten will pick you Pick one out and have lots of kitty love for a long time! Good luck. Edited: I see the calvary already showed up |
Pamy | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 03:30 pm     I agree NO DECLAWING!! I think it is the cruelest things. I agree with all above on how to prevent it. We have had between 4 and 13 cats/kittens at a time and as long as you are consistent with the training they will not scratch things you don't want them to. They do NEED to scratch so you must have things for them to scratch. The shelters out here in CA won't let you adopt unless you spay/neuter, which is a good thing. ALso kitty season is comming up so there will lots of kittens that need homes |
Staceyinpa | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 03:40 pm     Thank you all so much for the good advice.... No, I don't have any other pets. (Used to have 2 goldfish and 2 hermit crabs... but we wont' talk about that) I have an 11 yr old disabled son who has been in the hospital for most of the last 3 years, and I am a single mom frequently on call and working at home in the evenings.. My daugter loves kitties, and I thought that cats are pretty independent, but they could make each other good friends... She's quite a nurturer too... but not many close friends... |
Halfunit | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 03:43 pm     I have one other suggestion. If the kitty you find has a sibling, grab 'em up!!
Kitties like friends, and it's one more sweet fluff ball saved !! |
Webkitty | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 03:53 pm     Stacey, you might want to consider bringing home two kitties that day, especially if they are from the same litter. A single cat CAN get lonely, even though they are able to handle having their family away from them more than dogs can. They will keep each other company when nobody is home and its fun to watch them run and play and snuggle and groom each other. Plus, it would give your daughter double the love. I'm sorry about your son {{Stacey}} |
Moondance | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:23 pm     MsKitty has things under control GREAT advice on the back thing with the kitten, I forgot about that one. 1/2 is out of control with her new camera LOL and her kids love to be photographed! I keep seeing my other name and think you all are talking to me... she even spells like I do |
Halfunit | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:26 pm     Somebody stop me!!!! |
Weinermr | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:30 pm        
Halfunit
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Halfunit | Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:32 pm     Ok, I know what the symbols mean... are you surrounding me in peace, Weiner? I realize I need digcam therepy. Kinda like the OD on Tivo by Fanny... |
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