MY JOURNEY WITH FELINE EPI, Chapter 2

Ok, where were we? Oh, yes, talking about Mr. Twitty and treating his EPI.. Ideally the way to treat EPI is to mix a powdered pig pancreas product called Pancreazyme into the food at each feeding. Unless you are dealing with a cat, of course. It's not that Twitty didn't like the taste, but it was the texture. You are supposed to wait about 15 minutes or so after mixing to let the enzymes start digesting the food which makes it a tad on the slimy side. Later studies say you don't have to wait, but most of the time he still won't eat it.

I searched and searched everything I could find online about Feline EPI. There isn't much. I finally found a couple of blogs that had suggestions from owners on how they got the Pancreazyme into their cats. One seems to be working for me. I take about a teaspoon of food and mix it with a generous 1/4 teaspoon of Pancreazyme and about a half teaspoon of water to make a gruel or slurry. I load that into a couple of 6 ml. syringes and let it set for 5 or 10 minutes. Then I put Twitty's food on a plate. Right now we are alternating between Natural Balance Duck and Green Pea and Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets. After the first couple of bites I squirt one syringe of the slurry into his mouth so it will mix in with the food as he eats. About halfway thru the other syringe gets squirted in. It seems to be working fairly well as his stools have firmed up somewhat though not back to normal by any stretch of the imagination.

After a month or so with this routine, Twitty started gaining weight. Several weeks ago he was .4 oz short of 7 lbs. And then he got a bladder infection. The medicine dulled his appetite and down went the scales. He did complete his round of antibiotics and is now eating pretty well for most meals. There's always one he gets picky on. Sometimes I sprinkle some FortiFlora on top. Sometimes I squirt the contents of a couple of Vitamin E caplets on top. I try not to do that too often as I want him to eat the food straight out of the can. The interesting thing is that lately I've been successful a couple of times mixing the Pancreazyme directly into his Fancy Feast and he's eating it. But not always.

I also give Twitty 1/2 a famotidine tablet twice a day to keep the stomach acid from eating up the Pancreazyme before it can do it's job and it seems to be helping keep his stools firmer. You can get the generic version at any drug store at a very reasonable price. Of course check with your vet first. 

I am becoming very much an advocate of getting medications from the online pet pharmacies like 1-800-PETS and Doctors Foster & Smith. I was paying nearly $50 each for about 2 oz. of Pancreazyme from my vet. I found a 12 oz. bottle at Doctors Foster & Smith for about $139. I also order the FortiFlora on Amazon at a much cheaper price than I get at the vet. For those who aren't familiar with FortiFlora, it's a probiotic powder developed specifically for pets. It's great for treating diarrhea and my IBD cat, Barney, benefits from it greatly. And it seems to have a great taste.

Dealing with Feline EPI requires creative solutions. You have to try everything and then go with what works for as long as it works and then try something new. And keep researching. It's so rare among cats that few vets have even treated it before. 

TWITTY IS HYPERTHYROID!

I intimated in my last post that things had been crazy around here and it's true. A couple of months ago I found out that one of my black and white kitties, Twitty, had hyperthyroidism! He has always been a bit hyper and skinny, but I never noticed a big change. When he had some "digestive" issues I took him to the vet and the blood work they ran showed his T4 was waaaaayyyy above normal. I mean waaaayyy above!!

So we started him on thyroid medicine, methimazole. The medicine has some side effects, but Twitty was also suffering from an upper respiratory infection at the same time. So the combo led to anorexia and eventually nausea and vomiting. I was trying to tempt him with all sorts of foods and poking stuff down him, trying to keep him from just wasting away.

Twitty on his favorite perch

After a couple of different antibiotics and a visit to the emergency clinic for a high fever, the URI finally went away. And, since the pills were making him throw up, we switched to a "transdermal" method of administering the medicine. This is a gel that is applied to the inside of the ear and absorbed into his system that way. This bypasses the stomach and has much less of a gastric side effect. He's been eating like a horse ever since.

Well, no one told me that you need to wipe the gel off of the ear after a few hours. I thought it would just be absorbed like body lotion. His ears got all yucky and we had to put drops in for 10 days. That was fun. But now everything has cleared up and his ears are pink and healthy. In the mean time, I discovered a great wipe to take the gel remainder off - they are called "Boogie Wipes", a saline wipe made to clean "boogies" from little noses. Twitty doesn't particularly like the scent, but they work so very well. (Hint to Boogie Wipes maker - make an unscented version!)

Eventually we will be getting Twitty's thyroid irradiated for a permanent cure, but we must save up the money for it as it's a tad expensive. To that end I've listed several new creations - a couple of quilts and a tote - and will have more shortly. I've also listed several vintage items from my pottery and china collection. So keep checking my Etsy store to see what's new.

RIP MICHA

On Tuesday, May 22 at 8:00 am, my dear boy Micha passed away after a courageous and vigorous battle with Chronic Renal Failure. He seemed to be doing well up to that morning. After trying to "capture" him for a feeding, he struggled to get away and was panting. Unusual for him. I decided that we needed to get to the vet so I went to wash my face and dress. I was about half dressed when I decided to check on him. When I went into his room I found him curled up in the little house at the base of the cat tree. He was already gone. I am comforted to know that he didn't suffer much, if at all, and went very quickly.

Micha was one of my early rescues along with his two sisters. He would have been 12 years old in August. I guess he never got adopted because he was very shy. I'm glad he got to stay with us. He was a very sweet, if willful, boy and he will be greatly missed.



NEW KITTY FABRIC RAGGIES

I finally got around to using more of the cat fabric that my friends have given me and made two little raggies. The first is made from 42 6" blocks using 21 different fabrics (22 if you count the fabric on the reverse). It measures 29" X 34", the perfect lap quilt or crib quilt or even a table topper. Some of the fabrics are recent and some are vintage and they all combine to make a cat lover's quilt.

The second raggie is smaller - 19" X 19" - and would be a perfect table topper, security blanket or even a bed for your fur person. It's made from several cat prints by Debbie Mumm.

Both raggies are in my Etsy shop in case you just have to have one or both.

I'm sure you remember how all this started. I was trying to raise money to pay for Mimi and Mikey's medical bills. Well, it was all worth it as they are growing into beautiful kitties. Especialy Mimi. See for yourself in this recent picture.

Beautiful, isn't she? And she's quite the talker, too. She wants to thank all of you who sent good wishes for her and her brother's recovery.



Since everyone likes the kitty pics so much, I thought I would post these. The first is like a "Where's Waldo?" Can you find Mr. G? Hint - he's in the tree somewhere.



Well, here he is, in his alternate look-out spot. Doesn't it look like he's smiling? He does look awfully comfortable.



And here's a pic of something new I'm trying in the pots this spring. This is Uno, a little feral cat I've been feeding. He's a real cutie and will let me pet him in exchange for food. No food, no petting is his rule. He's a sweetie, though.

I can't believe we are half-way thru March already. I know I've been busier than usual with yard work and a friend in the hospital, but wow!!! The weather here has turned very nice and mild. Lots of sun, some nice breeze and nice temps. This is the kind of weather we wish for when it's hot and humid in August or cold and rainy in January. Too bad it can't be like this all year, but maybe we just wouldn't appreciate it quite so much.

CUTE KITTY HOUSE

A friend recently brought to my attention a neat tutorial on making a fabric kitty house. Of course I had to try it. It was really quite easy once I got the pieces cut out. It is made with a stiff fusible interfacing called Peltex 71F. I drew the pieces out on the Peltex, cut them out and used them for a pattern to cut out the fabric pieces. If you are interested in making one for your furry companion(s), here's a link to the tutorial:


http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/sewtakeahike/2010/01/a-cat-house-tutorial.html



As you can see, once I finished the house and put it on the floor, Momma Goldie immediately claimed it for her own. She does let the others use it when she is elsewhere. I'm thinking about ways to put her name above the door. Iron-on letters?

Later I made a pad to go inside to make it a bit more comfortable. I just took a 1" thick foam square, cut it so size and made a cover from the same fabric. Goldie said it is much more comfortable now.

I think this would be a nice house/refuge for smaller dogs as well. I don't know how much bigger you can go and maintain the structural integrity of the house. I think I'll make more one of these days, as soon as I can find more of the Peltex. I had to go to several stores to get enough for this one. This is Peltex 71F. There is also a 72F which is fusible on both sides if you want to have fabric on the inside, too. I'm thinking that you could wash this if necessary. Just pop it in the washer on the gentle cycle and probably air dry. Just my opinion.

CAT GARGOYLE

I may have just a run-of-the-mill house, but I'll bet you don't know anyone else with a genuine cat gargoyle on their garage roof!! This is what I saw as I drove in the driveway the other day after running errands.

It was Mr. G!! He was on the roof, enjoying the recently returned sunshine and keeping an eye on the neighborhood.

It's nice to know that someone is standing guard when I'm away from the house.

TWITTY "LOST AND FOUND"

The other night I was checking to make sure all the kitties were accounted for, but could not find Twitty. I looked everywhere - behind the sofa and in the kitchen cabinets. I looked in the hall and under the table. I looked in the fireplace (!) and on the shelf high above the TV. Where was Twitty? No one would tell me where he was. Of course I called for him, but, of course, he didn't answer. I was 99.99% sure he didn't get outside. (Barring a hole in the wall somewhere that I didn't know about anyway.) I started moving the smallest things, just in case he pulled an "Alice in Wonderland" and got smaller somehow.

I moved the basket. And what did I see? A bit of black and white fur?

Yes, there was Twitty. These are new bookcases and the old ones didn't have space underneath so I'm not used to looking there. He looks at me like "yeah, I've been here all this time; it's really comfy under here."

He's lucky he's a smaller guy 'cause some of the others might have gotten stuck! So Twitty was extracted from under the bookcase and stowed with his brothers. Of course, as I write this we all know exactly where he is, don't we? At least now I know where he is. For the moment. Silly Twitty Cat!!

QUICK PUPPY UPDATE

I checked with my neighbor yesterday about the status of Midi (Midnight), the lab mix puppy he's trying to find a home for. She hasn't found her forever home yet. Neighbor is planning on having her and her kitty companion, Jessie, spayed soon. Here's a picture of Midi and Jessie playing. Aren't they just the cutest things?