Lucyyyyy I need your help...........

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 26, 2005 10:03 pm

Lucy, I'm starting to freak out here. When Curtis got sick did he stop eating? And if he did how the heck did u get him to eat?

Wilbur has this canned food that will get rid of his crystals IF he eats it.

Well he has eaten 1 tablespoon IF THAT since we brought him home today.

The vet also said for him to drink water,,,,but like you; I don't know how to get him to drink water. He use to drink water a couple times a day, but now that he is sick he isn't drinking very often.

He is walking around the house and I'm so worried as he is using up more calories than he is eating.

Should I put salt in his water to get him to drink more? Maybe I'll try and make him some oxo cube ice cubes and see if he'll eat those until he is feeling better?

Can cats eat sardines? They are salty aren't they? I asked the vet's wife if cats were ok to eat sardines, but she didn't know. I only feed Wilbur cat food so I don't know if they can eat other things.

Debbie

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Jul 26, 2005 10:48 pm

You can get more liquid into them by adding water to their canned food. Of course, they have to actually EAT it for it to work. When my diabetic kitty would get sick and not eat, we would give her a vanilla high protein drink and that was sometimes the only thing she would take. That might not be right for Wilbur though. Our Smokey (who has bladder issues similar to Wilbur) is on Hill's Science Diet CD catfood - dry or canned. Since he's been on that, he's never had another flareup. And they LOVE that food.

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 26, 2005 11:34 pm

Thanks snow. I did add a bit of water to the food after I read your post and he ate a bit. It is still only about 1 teaspoon he ate though.

We have never had problems with getting him to eat before, that is why he weighed 15 to 20lbs and had to be put on a diet a year or so ago. So this not eating thing is really worrying me too. The vet's wife thought he was a fussy eater and I told her no, he is sick!

The canned food is made by Waltham and they make can and dry food for dogs and cats with urinary tract disease. I haven't seen the kind u use, but of course I have not been looking for it either. I will look for it next time I got to Walmart.

Thanks again for your suggestions,,,,,I need all the help I can get!

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 27, 2005 12:31 am

Here I am Debbie......Worked this evening, and then was in the daylily form....

No, Curtis didn't stop eating.....He peed right in front of me, and that same morning AFTER I cleaned the litter boxes, and hadn't noticed anything different, he had these little bitty pee's on top of the litter.....like he peed a tad, a bunch of times.....never digging, or covering the pee, either.....But he ate.....

*Wilbur has this canned food that will get rid of his crystals IF he eats it.*

Did the vet say that??? The food doesn't *get rid* of the crystals, it is supposed to help them NOT form again.....That's the way I understand it anyway.....Only surgery or him passing them if they are small gets rid of them....

I would not put any salt in his food Debbie.....

Regular ice cubes in the water might make him play/drink......I don't know...to this day I never see Curtis drink...but DH says he does from time to tiime......adding a bit of the distilled water to his food is okay, too....

I would not give him the sardines, either....just his special food......

Curtis is on the Hill's Prescription Diet, canned and dry, X/D food.....All the cats I have had always just got dry food that we kept the bowl full, so now that I am down to just Curtis, he still has to have his dry food bowl full....but now it's the prescription food......I give him his special canned food now in the morning.....half the can...and sometimes again the evening the other half....

Wow Debbie I don't know what else to say.....I hope I have helped, but if they say he has stones, how do they know? I still don't get that they say he passed 2 stones.....did they say they were big? I mean, I would want the x-ray to look at the bladder, huh? And how can the food get rid of them.....

How is his litter? does it seem normal?

Man, you got me worried.....Is this your regular vet?

Good luck and I will be thinking of the two of you......(((Huggs)))

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 27, 2005 12:35 am

Man, I took so long to do my post, that you posted ahead of me....

The food I get for Curtis, you can't just buy out anywhere, only the vet, and it's $1.25 a little can.....

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 27, 2005 1:51 am

Lucy, yes she said the food dissolves them. I'm sure I read in the pamphlet she gave me from the company; that because the food makes the urine acidic this acidity dissolves the stones.

Yes, this is our regular vet. *sigh*

The male vet told Gary that when he palpated Wilbur's bladder 2 stones came out. I asked his wife why they didn't do a x ray and she said that they normally only do x rays on dogs that have the calcium stones, or I think that is the reason she gave....I asked her if they were big if that is how he saw them,,,but then we got rushed as the handi trans bus came and he was in a hurry....she was going to show me a crystal but I told her never mind. When I go to pick up some more food for wilbur I will ask him, as she wasn't wilbur's doctor and I don't think she knew "exactly" what her husband saw or did.

Wilbur was playing with one of his mice tonight for a few minutes so I hope that is a good sign. I don't know how he has the energy to do that when he is hardly eating.

Thanks for your help Lucy.

I won't give him salt or sardines.....just his food.

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 27, 2005 7:28 am

Morning!

Debbie, can you give me the name of that food? Company and all. I have never heard of such a thing, and I want to call my vet to see if they have.....Just because you are in Canada, it shouldn't be that much different.....Sounds weird......And they only do x-rays on the dogs?

I hope that isn't what she said....What the heck's the difference?

Well, I hope that with him playing with his toy, that he is feeling better.....

Take Care....Have a good day, today!

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 27, 2005 3:08 pm

Hi Lucy,
I spoke to the vet today and Gary misunderstood what he meant. The vet told me when he palpate wilbur's bladder he was then able to get a urine samble. He put it into a spinner and then looked under the microscrope, and that was how he saw the crystals. That makes much better sense now!

The food is made by Waltham, they do the scientific part of companies like Whiskas and other companies which I can't think of right now. Haven't had much sleep. *S*

Gary went to the vets today and got some dry kind, hoping wilbur will like it more.

It says "URINARY SO" but it might also be 50. Then it says "ROYAL CANIN" veternary diet. i believe it comes from Britian.

Lucy here is there website

http://www.waltham.com/

Debbie

r_leblanc · Post by **r_leblanc** » Jul 27, 2005 5:41 pm

Tundra_Queen wrote:Lucy, I'm starting to freak out here. When Curtis got sick did he stop eating? And if he did how the heck did u get him to eat?

Wilbur has this canned food that will get rid of his crystals IF he eats it.

Well he has eaten 1 tablespoon IF THAT since we brought him home today.

The vet also said for him to drink water,,,,but like you; I don't know how to get him to drink water. He use to drink water a couple times a day, but now that he is sick he isn't drinking very often.

He is walking around the house and I'm so worried as he is using up more calories than he is eating.

Should I put salt in his water to get him to drink more? Maybe I'll try and make him some oxo cube ice cubes and see if he'll eat those until he is feeling better?

Can cats eat sardines? They are salty aren't they? I asked the vet's wife if cats were ok to eat sardines, but she didn't know. I only feed Wilbur cat food so I don't know if they can eat other things.

Debbie

Hi Debbie,I would think that salt would make things worse as far as crystals go.My daughter had the same problem,her cat went into surgery 3 times in past year.I advised her to put a little sweetner (for coffee) in the water & it seemed to work.Her cat drank which is what she needed.As far as eating,I told her to put Cod liver oil on the special food & that also worked so it's worth the chance.You must have hard water where you are,so the best thing is bottled spring water.Good luck & hope this helps..........Ron

janet · Post by **janet** » Jul 27, 2005 8:18 pm

It is impossible for cats to taste anything sweet (study results were released on Monday). They have a faulty gene. They are pure carnivores and have no need for carbs of any kind, so I wouldn't bother with any sweetener. You might try the water from canned tuna or chicken packed in water. I wouldn't give him salt or dairy of any kind. Add water to his food, dry or canned, to increase fluids like Snow said. Ask your vet about something called Nutri-Cal. It's a high caloric supplement that can sometimes 're-prime' a lost appetite (it's a paste, in a tube like toothpaste). And there's always baby food, meat only, no veggies. Maybe mix some with his special stuff to get him interested in it. It also has quite a bit of water in it. Keeping him hydrated is the important thing and he may not be drinking because it hurts to pee. Good luck.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 27, 2005 9:00 pm

Well, *now* that makes sense about the urine sample....

That URINARY SO canned food is the same thing I get also for Curtis.....Just that he liked the Hills better......But now he is licking around the little thingys in it....

I was going back and forth with the two kinds.....It's what the vet perscribed anyway.....so he is alowed those two....and the dry of course...

About the tuna water.....I can't think why, but when I had told the vet I did that once for Curtis, and he LOVED it, she said not to do that very often......she recommend not at all really........but I can't remember or explain why,now....

I take Ginger in for the boardatella (sp) shot up the nose so we can board her while we are at Hallson's.....Plus Curtis goes in too, for a re-check for his lungs.....(another long story....he is on antibiotic's for it) I just haven't posted on his latest thingy....

He is doing, I think, okay....will see what his x-ray shows this time, tomorrow....Boy, what we do for our fur babies....But we love them.

I sure hope Wilber is doing better today Debbie.....Keep us posted.....

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 28, 2005 12:29 am

Wilbur is still not eating much. Maybe 1/4 of a can. Gary called the vet tonight and the vet said to put some tuna water on top of the food. I did and he ate a bit more. I sure wish he'd get his appetite back, I'm very scared. I watch him all the time and right now I have 3 dishes with food in them. One is just canned food with some tuna juice, the other is a bit of dry and canned mixed with some water, and the other is the dry stuff. *sigh* I have a baby gate keeping the dog away from the place the food is. And Wilbur doesn't like to go on his cat tree now to eat, I think it is because he is too unsteady on his feed. *sigh*

I watched him until 5 a.m. this morning and then laid down for a few hours and got up and started all over again. I have to pick his food dish up and hold it under his face for him to eat it, not the easiest thing on my back,,,,but what am I'm going to do?

Tomorrow I'm going shopping and pick up some more tuna just for the juice.

Lucy I wonder why your vet said not to give Curtis that?

Debbie

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Jul 28, 2005 9:20 am

I know that fish isnt supposed to be good for cats - at least the canned variety.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 28, 2005 9:43 am

Wow Debbie, I don't know.....It was on the line of what Snow says.....tuna/fish isn't that good for them.....If I see a vet today. (I am just running in....no appointment for what I am having done.....Tecknition (sp) does it) I will ask again about the tuna/tuna water.......I just remember they said not to do it.....

janet · Post by **janet** » Jul 28, 2005 11:33 am

Regarding canned tuna: in moderation (less than 10% of daily caloric intake), water packed flaked white or dark meat tuna, not whole tuna with ground up bones, (the bones can adversely affect a cat's calcium/phosphorus ratio) is not harmful, according to most vets. A diet of exclusively canned tuna and/or too much uncooked tuna can cause a potentially fatal condition called steatitis, which is literally inflammation of body fat. Some cats, also, will refuse everything else once they are fed too much tuna. It wouldn't seem that in this situation, a bit of tuna water will harm Debbie's cat, especially since her vet already suggested it. Forgive me for butting in.

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Jul 28, 2005 12:39 pm

Janet - you are not only NOT butting in - your advice sounds quite learned, and I'm betting everyone appreciates it. I know I do! I am glad to know a little tuna, in an emergency, is ok! I know I have had to resort to it on occasion.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 28, 2005 2:31 pm

Janet, no...you are not budding in.....I appreciate the knowledge, too....

I never made it to the vet yet.....That boy Curtis was hiding, so I left and now that I am back, he is out laying in a window.....Now is my time to snatch him up....

The way you explained the tuna deal is kinda what I remember, now that you say all that.....A little is okay, but not to make a habit of it.....Thanks so much for explaining it so good....

Now, off to catch the boy...

Thinking of ya Debbie!!

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Jul 28, 2005 3:38 pm

You butting in Janet??? NEVER!! You are the information queen!

And yes, even though I don't have a kitty (right now), I've been following this thread and learning!

Deb, continued prayers for your beloved Wilbur!

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Jul 28, 2005 4:20 pm

We need both Wilbur and Curtis well again so that we can see some new pictures of our yellow boys

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 28, 2005 4:58 pm

Thanks Snow....I didn't go today...I called and said I will take them after work tomorrow.....The vet will be there tomorrow ( she is off today) and I was thinking that it might be better just to wait to go then, cause she will be there when the ex-ray is taken and it might save me a trip if she sees something again, and he isn't better.....He'll be right there so I will wait till tomorrow....

Debbie, what happening today?

Hallson Gardens

Lucyyyyy I need your help...........

Lucyyyyy I need your help...........

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