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

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Jul 28, 2005 5:20 pm

Sounds like the right thing, Lucy. Let us know what you find out.

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 28, 2005 11:05 pm

Thanks for all your input everyone!

Lucy, I'm sorry to hear about poor Curtis not being well again. Poor kitty! Does he have pneumonia? What did the vet say today when he saw her? Is he getting better? *HUGS*

And Ginger is having a what up her nose? What is wrong with her nose? Poor pup!

Janet, we are going to ask about Nutri Cal tomorrow. And u are NOT butting in, I don't have a clue what to do here. And I don't think my vet knows that much about cats either even though they have 2 in the office who live there.

Is it just canned tuna that is not suppose to be good for cats or canned salmon too? I'm so confused. So if fish isn't good for them does that mean baby meat food wouldn't be good for them either?

Janet, I'm not feeding Wilbur the actual tuna, just the water, but it still sounds bad. *sigh* I think dogs were so much easier for me to know what to do with.

Lucy I'm exhausted! I almost passed out at the grocery store, so didn't end up getting Wilbur any tuna. I had very low blood sugar and could hardly stand, thank goodness we knew a lady at a clinis and Gary was able to get me there and she got some juice into me. That was a bit scary, I have never done that before! I need to take better care of myself and make sure I eat so Mom tells me.

Wilbur is still not eating much. He is crunching on the hard food a bit, but not very much. I gave him a bit of the canned stuff, only 1/4 of a cup and he still hasn't eaten it all. It is like he wants to eat, he is meowing when he sees me with the food but then only takes a couple of pieces and jumps down off the tree onto the chair and I have to bring his food dish down to the chair and hold it up under his face for him to eat it.

He is nervous of the cat tree, which he has always eaten off, I think he knows he is not steady on his feet, but he jumps up on it, then he gets down onto the tv to try and eat some there. He is very nervous and jumpy since he has come home, he was never a cat to be jumpy and high strung, now he is . Which just breaks my heart.

He has always like for me to pet or brush him when he eats but now he won't eat unless I am there petting him. Brushing I think hurts him even though I am being very very gentle so he will only let me do it for a few minutes, even though he WANTS me to do it. He is very confused, bless his heart and he doesn't understand what is wrong.

When I went to bed this morning at 5 a.m. I woke up an hour later with Wilbur sleeping between Gary and me on the bed, which he doesn't do much. Now he is always laying beside me in bed or on the couch. It's like he doesn't want to be alone. I don't care for him laying on the bed, because he sometimes likes to bite toes, but I am allowing it cause he is sick.

This morning I put down dry cat kibble food on the couch and he left it, but came back a few hours and ate it so I put some more in my hand and he ate it too. So now I'm hand feeding him.

Thanks again everyone for your encouragement and suggestions, I really do appreciate it.

Lucy give Curtis and Ginger a hug from me.

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 28, 2005 11:27 pm

Debbie, I don't know what to say about Wilbur.....Poor thing, I just know here, if it was Curtis, I would be back at the vet....I don't understand it.....I really trust my vet. I am very lucky, I guess....Is there another vet around for you to change to? I don't know what could be wrong with him....stones, I don't think would make him not eat.....How does his litter look? Is his peeing and pooping the same as always, or has THAT changed any? Sheesh....I feel for you....Please don't get upset with me, but you need a good vet....And YOU MISSY, better watch YOURSELF better!! Please be careful!! (Huggs)

I had to laugh......Ginger is fine.....It's a shot up the nose that you have to have, when you board dogs, so they don't get kennel cough.....

Curtis is doing fine, I think......He had a cough, and puked 2 times, and it wasn't hairballs.....and you know how you just think something is wrong? Well, his lungs didn't look good on the ex-ray's 2 weeks ago.....so I have to see what the next one is like to take it from there.....It could be a couple of things. I'll let ya know more tomorrow...Thanks!! He's eating, peeing and pooping fine...

((((Debbie))))

Patrushka · Post by **Patrushka** » Jul 30, 2005 12:59 am

(((((Debbie))))) I hope Wilbur will be eating better and feeling better very soon.

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 30, 2005 6:09 am

I thought I would post here before I go to bed, yes I know I haven't been to sleep yet.

Anyways, the vet came over here Friday night after supper and brought some Nutri Cal for Wilbur. He was here for over 30 minutes and we had a nice talk. He wanted to see how Wilbur looked at home and he is very happy that he is looking so well and greated him at the door with meows and rubs, like he always does to people. He was also glad to see him walking around as he was worried he was just laying around.

He watched me give Wilbur his meds and said I was doing it correctly and he told me how to give him the Nutri Cal too. He said that he would be open on this holiday Monday and if Wilbur still wasn't eating well to bring him out for a blood test.

I think Lucy, he was just trying not to run our vet bill too high as he knows we're on a fixed income. He palpated Wilbur again to make sure his organs were ok.

Wilbur is peeing but no poop yet. He is eating a bit more since I got the nutri cal, but they don't carry the Hill's brand. He said he could order it for us on Tuesday, Monday being a holiday, but he didn't like the idea of changing the food back and forth, though he said he would if we really wanted to try the Hill's stuff. I said we would wait until Monday to see if his appetite perked up. He also wanted to know if Wilbur would eat his Purnia food, but I said no not really.
He also told us that Purnia low ph food isn't that good and that half of the cats he sees on it get the stones and have to be put on the Walthams.

We have a young lady just out of vet school opened up a clinic here in the winter time but I don't know if she is any good or not. We have always been with these two vets since they moved up here over 22 years ago.(married) We are just a small town of 9,000.

Well time to see if I can get some sleep, Wilbur has eit aten a bit more food so I should be able to get some sleep now.

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 30, 2005 8:29 am

Morning Debbie......I really hope you got some sleep now.....Boy, your vet came over? Wow, that is really, really nice of him.....And ya know what? I DID ask my vet a couple things......they were busy, as it was friday, and she was doing Ginger's test on that tumor, but I asked her about the cat food dissolving the stones, and Lucy here was wrong.......I guess depends on WHAT KIND of stones they are......Yes, the food can dissolve certain kinds.....I am very, very sorry I opened my big mouth.....Curtis has the kind that the food won't work with......Hope you forgive me for scaring you......

Well, it sounds like Wilbur is doing better, anyway and I am happy for that....Cutis eats the two different ones back and forth....I tried to just have him on the Hills, then he starts eating all but the little bumpy stuff in it.....then I give him the Walthams, and he acts like he loves that one for a while, then I switch to the Hills, and he act like he love THAT one....

These pets make us crazy, don't the?

I also am sorry about saying to get another vet.....

For him to come out to the house....Wow....If you have been going to him that long, he knows you good, then and he really cares.....Mines like that....Don't know if they would come to the house, though.....

(((((Huggs for ALL our sicky pets)))))

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Jul 30, 2005 6:58 pm

No need to apologize Lucy, I know u were just concerned. He has come to the house quite often, like if we need meds and can't get out to the clinic he will drop them off here for us. He also lets us run a tab too which is nice. *S* His oldest daughter went to school with our son too. Small town, everyone knows us. *S*

I was wondering what little bumpy things u were talking about.

I was trying to picture these little bumpy food things.

I really am so sorry to hear about Ginger and I will keep praying that the tumor hasn't spread and that Curtis' lungs clear up soon. **HUGS**

Debbie

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Jul 30, 2005 9:40 pm

I was also guilty of thinking that maybe your vet wasnt on top of things. I'm really glad to hear that he/she is/are so attentive. Sometimes the old way really is better

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Aug 01, 2005 4:38 pm

We had to take Wilbur in for blood work today as he is still not eating well, only 3/8th of a cup. He will have to be sedated so he is staying the night and we will pick him up tomorrow. The doc will be calling us after 6 tonight after he does the tests.

We got part of our bill today and I should of been sitting down, it is over 400 bucks now and that is with the discounts they gave us, didn't charge us for meds, some overnights either. The blood work is going to cost 170 plus all the extras that go with it too. geezeee I tell Wilbur he is the most expensive free cat ever!

Just hope they find out why he isn't eating.

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Aug 01, 2005 10:05 pm

I sure hope at least you find out what the heck is going on with him....I know, isn't it something how the vet bills are now a days? Gingers surgery is going to be between $400, to $600 dollars.....depending.......

But hey, they are our kids.....I hate when people have pets and never take care of them.....Hang in there Debbie.....Your in my thoughts!!

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Aug 01, 2005 11:29 pm

Lucy yes I hate when people don't take care of their pets too!

My way of thinking is this.... we choose them so we are responsible for their safety and health. If ya don't want the responsibility then don't choose the pet.

The vet called after 8 pm and said the blood test came back normal, but he is thinking of changing his antitibiotics. He figures that Wilbur is in discomfort so he is not eating. So I guess we will just have to be patient with him and hopefully he will start eating more,,,but at least he's pooping.

Vet bills do seem to be costing more and more all the time. I figured that Ginger's surgery would be a lot too. But we have to take care of our furkids.

We are actually thinking of getting pet insurance,,,,sure wish we got it before wilbur got sick though.

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Aug 01, 2005 11:35 pm

Well, Thank God he's pooping!

lazygardner · Post by **lazygardner** » Aug 03, 2005 5:47 am

I'm going thru something similar with my Orange Pekoe. The vet and I are hoping he only has a kidney infection, because the alternative is cancer. He mentioned that he had a friend bring in a 12 or 13 year old kitty that he thought would have to be put to sleep. Instead, they put the cat on antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids and she got better. The kitty had to be on antibiotics for the rest of her life, but that ended up being about five more years!

Anyway, Pekoe is on antibiotics and appetite stimulants. Each day he seems to eat a bit better. I also have the supplies to give him subcutaneous fluids if he doesn't drink enough. You might be able to do the same for Wilbur.
Another thing you might try: pile up a few books (not the hosta dictionary

) and put his food dish on top. He will still probably want you to feed him by hand. Pekoe likes it if I am right near him when he tries to eat, too. I think the dehydration and any fever Wilbur might have would cause his skin to be too tender for brushing, but gentle petting should be okay by him. Pekoe also is afraid to try to jump up on my bed anymore. He doesn't have trouble getting down, so I just pick him up to put him on the bed. I wouldn't expect Wilbur to do much jumping or climbing either.

Anyhow, you, Gary, Tegan and Wilbur have my very best wishes for a strong quick recovery.

btw, my bill is easily over $450.00 too. Luckily, my vet is letting me make monthly payments. He isn't charging me interest, so I am giving him veggies from the garden. Maybe a little bouquet is also in order.

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Aug 03, 2005 10:06 pm

Wilbur is eating better today and by himself.

Last night he climbed up onto the cat tree but he lost his footing and fell off the back of the arm chair, cause he just is too weak yet, poor kitty, but today he is moving a bit better and like I said he's eating by himself.

He is now getting 3 times as much antibiotics as he was before, so he is not enjoying that. But hopefully he will be back to his old self soon. This is a different antibiotic and hopefully it will work better than the first stuff he was on.

LG, I'm sorry to hear that u are having troubles with your Pekoe, I hope he gets better soon. It's always sad when our pets get sick.

Debbie

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Aug 03, 2005 10:12 pm

Tundra_Queen wrote:
LG, I'm sorry to hear that u are having troubles with your Pekoe, I hope he gets better soon. It's always sad when our pets get sick.

Debbie it's not me, it's Joanna....

I am so glad that he is doing a little better......I have been thinking of you, too.....I hope he keeps getting better and better, Debbie!!! Thanks for letting us know!!

Patrushka · Post by **Patrushka** » Aug 03, 2005 10:18 pm

Debbie, I'm glad that Wilbur is doing better.

LucyGoose. LG = lazygardener

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Aug 03, 2005 10:20 pm

Lucy,,,,yeah I meant LG, as in lazygardener....oooops

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Aug 04, 2005 6:05 am

I sometimes type LG for Lucy , so no wonder she thought you meant her in that post.

Glad he's doing better, Debbie.

lazygardner · Post by **lazygardner** » Aug 05, 2005 2:16 am

I'm really glad that Wilbur is improving. My vet has Pekoe on a medication that is supposed to stimulate his appetite. I'll have to find out what it is called to let you know. Although, I'm sure Wilbur's appetite will continue to improve as he starts feeling better. He will also get stronger as he starts eating more. Today Pekoe got up on the bed by himself. I was so happy. He is still eating less than a half of a cup of dry food each day, with a teaspoon or two of canned food. He is supposed to weigh 12lbs (5.443 kg) and eat 2/3 cup each day. So I'm guessing the 3/8th cup that Wilbur is eating is pretty good for a start. (How much is Wilbur supposed to weigh?) I'm sure he will keep getting better.

Lucy Goose= LG
lazygardner= lg ???????????????????????

Tundra_Queen · Post by **Tundra_Queen** » Aug 05, 2005 5:24 am

lg wilbur is doing great! He is shovelling food in almost as faat we give it to him and I don't have to hand feed him anymore.

He is back to acting like his monkey self and both him and us will be glad when the next 10 days are over with, as that is when his antibiotics will be finished.
Wilbur weights about 15lbs, he must have been close to 18lbs. Even with him losing the weight he is still very big across his butt!

The nutrient stuff that we were feeding him was called Nutri Cal and in came in a tube.

Glad Pekoe was able to jump up on the bed himself, hope he keeps getting stronger.

Debbie