Jaxa OTJ (officially as of 7/12/18)

Discussion in 'Honeymooners / OTJ' started by Glassgoblin, Jul 13, 2018.

  1. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    We just had our first fourteen (and a half) days in a row with no shot, so today was the first time she has not been tested in the AM in months. A little scary for my control freak heart, not knowing what she is at, but I left the food down so I couldn't test this morning.

    So now we are coming up with a testing schedule to spot check, have plans to stay on top of diet, weight loss, and dental.

    I just worry that I'll test next week and she will be over 200 again.
     
  2. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Apr 3, 2018
    I know that feeling, but hold onto the thought that the remission is going to hold. I still get a few butterflies when we test Idjit, a held breath until I see the reading. Congratulations!
     
  3. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I try to hope for the best, but I always have to prepare for the worst, just in case. She got a day off and then today I'm starting us on a test every three days schedule for the first two or three weeks, see how she holds steady.
     
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  4. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    That sounds good. Hey, I know I'm getting older, and sometimes a little forgetful, but did we have an OTJ party for Jaxa? I don't remember getting Idjit all spruced up for a night out on the 12th. He does like to dazzle the ladies.
     
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  5. FurBabiesMama

    FurBabiesMama Well-Known Member

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    Congratulations!
     
  6. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Super Congratulations, this is great news. Every OTJ is a victory, and this board is responsible for so many.
     
  7. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Jaxa has been doing fairly well; though she had some diarrhea yesterday. I might have to take her in to see if she is worm-free as side has been outside a lot lately and we had some water outside in a small pool that probably wasn't so great for her to drink (birds fly over, insects may have eggs, etc.) She is eating well and acting like herself. Tempting to take her in just to get a general checkup and maybe a blood panel done too- I worry she will have a flare of pancreatitis again.
     
  8. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Is there an OTJ Protocol? Like how often is recommended to test, how many times in that day, etc? I stated every thrree days testing as I did before- AM and PM, but I see that others only test once randomly on the day they pick. Now I want to go to every four days, but should I still test AM and PM or can I just give her a one test during that day and say it is good. I kinda like the two test since it gives a bigger picture, but if I don't have to poke as often she would be happy.
     
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  9. Emmy

    Emmy Member

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    Dec 3, 2016
    Jaxa beautiful. Writing to share experience w Mabels one yr remission. Food carbs and quality so important. Have you ever had trouble with YA food? If interested you could see my long posts in this section. I don't know how often you should test because I read the protocol for Levemir. I tested regularly at first decreased gradually than infrequently. When she relapsed after illness then higher carb food it was evident! So I think if you keep an eye out you'll see it. I wish you well.
     
  10. AshleyDiamond

    AshleyDiamond Member

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    Jun 25, 2018
    My boy just recently hit remission and I have been told by multiple people to start off testing every few days for a month, then to once a week for a month, and then just monthly a test here or there. I was told it didn't have to be AMPS or PMPS and that it could be randomly. Also I was told if I did do AMPS or PMPS I no longer needed to withhold the food 2 hours prior to testing like we do when they are getting insulin shots.
     
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  11. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    We had a little trouble with YA at the very beginning, and I think she has been eating too much of the dry lately. We went to the Vet, all her blood work was normal and they even marked her as being in remission on her records. We got a topical dewormer, but that apparently wasn't the problem. She doesn't show any other signs of IBD (thankfully but I am watching in case). So right now I have a new plan; the YA website says a 15lb cat can have a rounded 1/3 c of food daily. She is 17.5 as of two weeks ago according to the Vet's scale. So I will give her that rounded 1/3c dry every day, and when I go to bed whatever is in the dish (food or empty) the dish will be put up and I will give half a can of wet food. I have several cans since she doesn't usually want to eat any (I gave her half a can of Blue Buffalo tonight and she sniffed it, gagged, and walked away). If in a week or so I see improvement I will at least have the idea it may be that she was eating too much of the YA. Alternatively, I may switch to the LID YA ZM and see if that helps. The Vet, of course, wants me to buy the prescription diet food that his practice sells and it is not even close to lower carb.

    Fortunately she seems to feel pretty good in every other way and is playful, affectionate and active. (And beating up the dog more often).
     
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  12. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    Poor dog! I'm glad Jaxa is doing well. It's such a relief to be OTJ, altho ugh the the thought of falling out of remission is my monster under the bed. I watch Idjit like a hawk still, but he's eating and excreting, going outside to collect small sticks, weeds, dry leaves and seeds to deposit on the floor in the house, and being his before Dx usual weird self. I finally reorganized my diabetes supply shelf, we used the supplies for such a short time, but I am unsure whether to let go just yet. In my life experience, as soon as I pass something on, I need it. My husband is pre-diabetic and has to test 1 X a day now, so the meter, strips and lancets are in use. The syringes can wait a little bit. I wish that the vet had suggested the pens, or that we had had time to do some research before we bought the vial of Lantus. Oh well, live and learn. Hugs to Jaxa, tell her to let up on the drooler.
     
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  13. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Don't feel too sorry for the dog; she is a 1 yr old merle chihuahua that is as big as the cat, but heavier, and she is always jumping on the cat's back as Jaxa walks, running at her and nipping when they are outside, and then acting afraid to pass Jaxa in the hallway inside. She is like the little sibling the cat never wanted. They are getting to be friends though- licking and sniffing muzzles, playing a bit.

    I have all of my supplies in drawers; Jaxa has her own nightstand for all of her toys, beds, etc that are put away so I keep her testing supplies there and syringes in the bathroom. I have an unopened bottle of prozinc, which I wouldn't mind selling sometimes soon; I can use the $ to pay toward what I spent on it for my CareCredit card. I will probably hold onto other stuff longer. It is hard to let it go when I keep thinking that one day I might need it and then would have to 1) buy it again and 2) wait for it to ship to me.
     
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  14. Idjit's mom

    Idjit's mom Well-Known Member

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    I will not feel so sorry for the dog, and that sounds hilarious (until it gets annoying). Even fur kids can tire of siblings. I can sympathize with the thoughts of selling the Prozinc, I would be torn between yea or nay also.
     
  15. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Jaxa is still doing well, we've been getting good numbers on our tests and she has been back to her very clingy/cuddly self. If I sit down she has to be in my lap, and I almost forgot how nice it was to be able to pet her without worry that it would be the last time (not that we are ever safe from that happening anyway). Now I just have to convince her that the space between me and the keyboard is not a good bed.
     
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  16. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    Test with what you feel comfortable! At first you’ll test every 3 days and then 5, then 1 per week, then every couple weeks then perhaps once per month ( I’m at this point). CONGRATULATIONS OTJ! JAXA!

    Just imho I feel that for us once per month is a good grounding test after slowly winding down to that.

    Big congratulations to JAXA!!! And you too!!!!!
     
  17. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    We've actually been a bit low on all our latest tests; her litterbox issues seem better and then we have a day where she seems a bit off (she ate a bunch of grass and vomited her treats this evening- wanted to eat her food again an hour later when she came inside though). I have printed the liver shake and bone broth recipes and plan to stop my the local butcher shop- I asked when I was there and they have both liver and sell bones for stock.

    We just have ups and downs I guess. Last night she licked the bowl clean from her wet food, tonight I am trying a bit of a new flavor/brand (Blue Buffalo duck) and she hasn't wanted to taste it yet. Will wait a bit more to see if she avoids it completely- in which case I might put it away and give her something else so the B12/SEB can be eaten. The dog will always eat what Jaxa will not.
     
  18. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    WOW JAXA really is low on SS!

    It seems these kitty’s have a kind of metabolic or something disorder... Wj
    is JAXA doing a bit better?
     
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  19. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    It is hard for me to tell sometimes. When she eats less I'm not sure if it is because she isn't hungry, doesn't like that kind of food, feels sick, etc. Right now I am wondering if she is learning about her food schedule and adjusting- for the last week or two I've been giving her an exact amount of the YA and at first I gave her the whole amount but she would eat it all immediately, so I started giving her half and then half an hour later, and then slowly started doling it out every 10-15 minutes over an hour and a half, leaving the dish and whatever was left when I went to work. Yesterday and the day before she left just a little in the dish instead of eating it all, and then ate the rest in the evening. Today she ate about half and is now eating the rest after ignoring the dish all day; she has been eating wet food at night, but it goes between eating half (about 1/4 of a can) of what I give (1/2 can) to eating all and wanting more by 3am. She isn't acting sick or nauseous, is eating and drinking, playing and even running (which is why I think she did get sick yesterday- the dog was jumping on her outside and then she ran across the yard after being startled by a car). No bm problems lately though, the fortiflora seems to be helping. She refused the duck though, so I switched to FF Beef and Chicken so she got her b12 still.

    I am weird about her weight and eating; partly because of the pancreatitis and the fear of that flaring up, and partly because of how I lost my last kitty and how skinny he got at the end (liver disease we think). In some ways I suppose her low bg in the AM makes sense since she eats the higher carb dry food (not that it is high carb) after I test her and has low carb wet all night to graze on and still doesn't eat much. Most of her treats are afternoon/evening so well out of her system. It is just easier to test in the AM most days, and when I test PM it is right after I get home and she doesn't eat when I'm gone (her quirk since she has access to the food all day).
     
  20. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Wow I can’t believe how low her numbers are....

    She is doing well that way :)

    Yea the low carb through the night seems to help the morning numbers!!!!
     
  21. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I hate starting a new threat, so will continue to post an occasional update here.

    Jaxa has been doing really well; she has been hungry like she was a year ago lately; but her weight is good. I'm not going to edit that in my signature until I get an official weight- we are thinking about buying a baby scale that would work for both cat and dog but expenses have prohibited extras like that lately. She is eating a measured amount of dry, and then eating up to a whole can of fancy feast over night. The only litter box issues are the ones that are making me wonder about a UTI (but at the same time she doesn't have the symptoms listed on all the articles about those). I am planning on ordering some of the special litter from Dr. Elsey since my Vet has never been interested in doing urine tests and her blood work has been fine- the levels on the spreadsheet show Jaxa out of normal ranges on some things, but my Vet has different ranges on his test result pages. I'll have to dig those out of her folder to go over again for sodium, etc.

    I tried making a batch of liver soup to have on hand yesterday- probably a little chunkier than it should have been, but I put it in little freezer bags and gave Jaxa a little to try- she liked it, the dog licked the rest of the bowl clean and liked it too. Next weekend is bone broth and I have beef bones and chicken feet from the butcher waiting in the freezer. I'd like to try making a few other things too but need a cookbook- so many for dogs, but not for cats.

    She has been playful and affectionate all weekend- normal now- I think she was happy that I was sick in bed with a migraine because it meant she got to cuddle a lot on Saturday
     
  22. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    What are her UTI symptoms?
     
  23. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She is still drinking and peeing a lot it seems, and sometimes seems to hesitate as though she has to go but doesn't want to, or she lays down in the litter box after peeing. She has always drank a lot and I add water to her wet food though.
     
  24. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    Hi Maji had major problems with what I thought was UTI actually what she has is alkaline urine!!! Which I was having to keep her on cerenia constantly to prevent the pain and blood and irritation- I am unsure WHY when she was on insulin we didn’t have to do this as her bg is perfect.

    Therefore 1st buy urine test strips and test ph and see where JAXA falls - Maji was high ph like nearly 8 !

    Next I tried a whole bunch of other stuff ( which didn’t work) and landed on Biotic PH for maintaining acidic urine AND she loves to eat this in her food BIG PLUS

    And I only use distilled water as I tested our regular water (which I was adding to her food !!! - and guess what? Tap water was... you guessed it ph 8.2 on an API master water test kit as I have got into freshwater fish aquariums). So I figured out I was contributing to the problem! All that I do above with products below... with the exception of distilled water - just go to grocery store and get a gallon last’s forever - this FIXED idiopathic cystitis in Maji links below ( none of this applies if Jaxa has acid urine - which is a low ph number like 5 or 6). One more thing I found - any high mineral food seemed to contribute to the problem... like bone broth. But that is not scientific- I just noted it in my feeding of Maji

    https://www.amazon.com/Solid-Gold-Supplements-Antioxidant-rich-cranberries/dp/B0048ZE5SG

    This link above looks like it goes to a supplement - it does not, you want the test ph strips for urine :)
    OR. Try this one instead
    https://www.chewy.com/solid-gold-su...MIq6Ce5aD33QIVivhkCh2nQAUAEAQYAyABEgLAaPD_BwE

    Biotic PH here below
    https://www.chewy.com/wysong-biotic-ph-dog-cat-food/dp/44732?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Wysong&utm_term=&gclid=
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2018
  25. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I'll start with the test strips- after testing for ketones I should be able to do that at least.

    We have well water that needs a softener- so salt is added. Of course as soon as I told my mom I was going to test for pH in the water she was like, "What, now you're going to buy water for the cat?" *sigh* I think we actually had our water tested a few years ago before the new softener was installed so I might look for those results too. It should give an idea of the mineral content and pH.
     
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  26. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    Let me know your findings!!! I’m really interested in testing and working with water particularly since getting into fish keeping :)

    Well water is usually better! Amdvperhaps your ph is better than mine, in the aquarium trade my water is called “ liquid rock”. LOL.

    It will be interesting to see if you can get a test strip and the ph of jaxa’s urine. Hopefully hers is not like Majis which is also “liquid rock”.

    Perfect is 6-7. - if jaxas is good then I would not worry about all the other stuff - also I think those test strips are fine to test your water too :)

    Distilled water is really cheap and basically I only use it to add to Majis food as she rarely drinks water if ever. However JAXA is drinking water - not sure if she’ll like distilled tho - perhaps just added in food??

    Also does JAXA have any kidney issues?
     
  27. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    She has always been a drinker- she plays with water too, but loves her filtered water fountains. Blood work has all been good so the Vet hasn't suggested any urinalysis. She doesn't have the symptoms mentioned for things like CKD or Renal failure. No signs of blood, no crying when she pees either. I scoop often and am still checking ketones so I watch closely. If not distilled I wonder if purified water would work for her little water dish in my room. I do add water to her wet each time she gets a spoonful, sometimes to dissolve the B12 and mix in the SEB.
     
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  28. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Purified water sounds good! Also does she have small pee balls or big giant ones?
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
  29. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Smallish? Like golf ball sized flattened out; she pees about two or three times each 24 hrs. This has been pretty standard for her since I adopted her in 2012. It is so hard to know what is "normal" for each cat. The test strips are ordered so now I just wait. She had to get a new toy in that order too- for Christmas since her tent may be late. Not spoiled though, lol.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
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  30. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    But of course! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
     
  31. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Got the pH strips today; the water is high alkaline (between 7.5 and 8.0), but I just tested Jaxa and it read between 6.5 and 7.0, maybe a little closer to 7.0 but was not quite as dark as that square. Will test a few more times to see if it is consistent or if there are differences during the day, and then will add to my spreadsheet. I think I will get some of the supplement since 7.0 is a little high for the normal range. I have no problem in trying out a few bottles of water for the cat dish in my room to see if it makes a difference- if testing shows it doesn't we can go back to the regular tap which is filtered by the dish itself.

    She was caught eating a tiny bit of dog food a few days ago so that has to go up over night again- she prefers dry to wet still but has been eating the Fancy Feast pretty consistently at night. I think the dog food is what is making her a bit gassy at the moment- we had a good couple weeks of normal and then I was told of her snacking- my mom caught her in the act.
     
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  32. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    Maji loves the supplement- who knew? Truly she eats better with it. That being said JAXA has way better test results for urine than than Maji!!!

    ALSO - start out very light on the supplement and over time eventually increase it we took a long time very light and gradually increased slowly NOW she loves it - she’ll actually drink all the juice out of her food with this in it - way before she eats the food
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2018
  33. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    I think Jaxa is going to like the supplement too- it came in the mail today so I just added a little to her wet food. She sniffed the bottle and seemed to really like how it smells. I just caught her in my trash can trying to lick the seal I pulled off the bottle. I'd rather she eat the food it was on though, lol. I have to try to figure out how to balance the supplements- the fortiflora goes on her dry food, but her wet gets the SEB, b12 and now this new one. We will start slow so I can add it alone after she eats her first wet food of the night; she gets some wet with teh b12 and SEB and by 12-3 am she gets another 1/4-1/3 can of FF, so I can add it in there from 1/8th tsp to start. See how she does on that, how she is eating, etc. She has purified water in her bedroom dish now too. I want to see if her tests change after a week of bottled water and a little supplement.

    One thing that surprises me- the ingredients include garlic and I thought that was toxic to dogs and cats.
     
  34. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    I don’t know but consider how small the usage ( a shake or two) and how far down on the list of ingredients ( which there is a bunch of ingredients) I was scared cuz thinking with all those ingredients carbs - but, it’s really really teeny tiny amounts - minuscule - the important ingredient for Maji is the one after the digest.

    Another thing I thought of is that (even in tropical fish stuff) which sometimes can be with quite a bit of loaded garlic or we add garlic to entice the fish - critters seem to love the garlic smell...

    Cats and dogs have extremely sensitive noses and perhaps that tiny smidge is enough to entice them?

    All I know is this stuff works and other than cerenia which Maji has not taken in a while - this supplement was the only thing that worked we tried everything else. oh and the distilled water which I put a 1/2 tablespoon in each food dish then a shake or two the supplement on top of that swirl then I add her wet food on top of that and kinda swirl it a bit - first thing she does is lick around the food getting all those juices then eats the wet food - the important ingredient for a Maji is the DL- methionine which is 2nd or 3rd after the digest of chicken and fish - that’s the good one - the one that’s fixing things

    Without this and (if not on cerenia) just one day of not taking cerenia - shed cry in pain and blood urine -

    So far so good - the reviews on the product from others was also really good :)

    Let me know how JAXA does and how Jaxa responds to it???


    Update I looked up garlic and apparently the dose has to be right- like a cat eating a whole clove of garlic - I think garlic is mentioned on the 21st ingredient down there appears to be like 100 ingredients LOL

    I understand the concern - for us this the only thing that worked
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2018
  35. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    Started a little sprinkle of the supplement on 10/16 and changed her water last week too; it has been more difficult these last few days to get a test- she is peeing when I am at work or in the middle of the night, but I just got a test and it was clearly better than before- looked like a solid 6.5, down from 7.0. Of course being a cat she peed and then started playing with her toys immediately. She has been a stinker lately; stealing the dog toys and hiding them in my room, dumping her mice into the water and then putting them in my bed in the middle of the night, etc. Full of life and mischief.
     
  36. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    ...sounds like one healthy mischievous cat to me!!!

    6.5 is perfect!!!!
     
  37. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Too good to last too; she was drinking lots yesterday so I tested her this morning 7.5... I need to add more of the supplement I think; had been giving a sprinkle on her food a few times a day but must not be enough so I think I need to measure out the suggested tsp and make sure it is in the food every day.

    *Edited- looking at foods, etc; the Fancy Feast she has been eating more of is pretty high on the phosphorus levels according to the chart; that isn't good. Can't figure out what the Nurtisource is though- they give percentages on their website, not mg/100cal. Not sure about the Wysong Epigen 90 either.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2018
  38. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Jaxa doesn't seem to be feeling well this morning; not sure if she just has decided after two days of eating the Wysong/YA mix that she dislikes it, or if she has an upset stomach but she had barely touched the dry food this morning and usually she wants to eat all of her daily serving before I go to work; I added a little YA separately and she ate a tiny amount only. Wasted the b12 last night too- she ate about 1/3 of the wet food I put it in, I tried a second pill with other food and she didn't touch that at all- the smell made her gag (quail and turkey). Just gave her a spoon of fancy feast and she did eat some, but of course that is high phos which is not good if her kidneys are iffy right now. ph test was down to 7.0 (better but not great) a moment ago, and she had a bm (tmi, lol), so hopefully she will want to eat more soon.

    The 14th will be the one year anniversary of her getting sick with pancreatitis, and we have not had a flare since last February (which turned into the diabetes diagnosis.) BG tests are still great- 58 mg/dl two days ago (woot!). I am just really paranoid about her health these days. Will wait to see if she eats more during day and if she seems punk after work I will break out the anti-nausea and appetite pills as needed. Maybe set up her yearly exam appt for next week if they are open on Monday (holiday- we are closed).

    I worry that I have overloaded her on supplements, though giving close to a real dose of the ph- seemed to work; some websites suggested apple cider vinegar also so I gave her a tiny diluted amount in her water dish and she hated that but drank a little- hopefully it wasn't bad advice. Ugh. So confusing to figure all of this out day to day. We are waiting for a few things in the mail too, but waiting is the hard part.
     
  39. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    I think 7.0 is great on her urine ph I would not worry on that. Perhaps back off on the Wysong and see if her appetite comes back? I’m worried too and perhaps it does not agree with her?

    I would remove the last thing added Wysong and see if that fixes things??
     
  40. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Mar 3, 2018
    I think the appetite thing is my fault. I keep forgetting that calories and volume are different for these foods; the YA suggests no more than 1/3 c. per day so that was what I was feeding plus wet to add the other calories she needs. Wysong suggests 3/4 c per day; so I was trying to adjust the mix with less YA and more Wysong and she was eating more dry for volume. Right now I am giving about 1/4 c of each and she is eating most, if not all of the wet food at night (spoon of liver soup added this week), and I'm giving the B12 separately in a spoon of bisque again- which she gobbles up. Her pH yesterday was just a hair darker than 6.5 but lighter than the 7.0, and she has been having solid bm. I want to switch the dry completely, but we have about 3lbs of YA still too so it will be a gradually fade out in order to not waste it completely.

    I still want to take her to the vet again soon though; sometimes I think she feels lumpy on her sides.
     
  41. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

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    Mar 2, 2018
    Ok - concerned... keep us updated???

    Glad JAXA is eating better now!!! :)
     
  42. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

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    Chances are that she is fine and I am just paranoid. When I adopted her she had a lump by her shoulder blades and I had the vet look at it, scan it for microchip even, and he thought it was just from too many shots in the same spot. That has actually gotten smaller over time I think, or at least I don't notice it. I can feel her kidneys though (the right place for them anyway) and can't get a clear idea on whether that is normal or not- some articles tell what they should feel like, so I am thinking that I should be able to feel them at least a bit? If I take her in soon I think we will ask all kinds of questions and get another chem panel done as a baseline for her progress and health. She is not dehydrated though, gums look good, attitude is fine, bg is good (I tested this morning and got 58 again for third time in a row so tested same drop again to see if it was the meter acting screwy and got a slightly different number so we seem to be safe.) I just want her to be healthy, feel good and be happy.
     
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  43. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    I am wondering if the Slippery Elm Bark is pushing her pH higher- she missed a few days and then I was diligent about supplements yesterday and her pH went to 7 again. I read that it does affect magnesium, which is the type of crystals that can form with too high of pH in cats. I think I might skip it a few days and see what happens.
     
  44. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    Let us know how that works....it sounds interesting...
     
  45. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    I'm hoping I am just paranoid; she did get the SEB again last night- one day without the SEB and fortiflora and it was soft bm again. We have an appt with the Vet this afternoon and I will bring in my book to show the trends; she is higher pH in the morning than in the afternoons (which are mostly normal numbers). She eats almost all of her dry in the morning and I read that eating bigger meals can affect pH too; though I spread it out over a few hours it is still maybe too concentrated? I don't know, hopefully the Vet will give us some answers. Of course as I was on the phone with the vet office she was acting perfectly normal, peed like nothing was bothering her.

    I swear, sometimes the more I worry the better she does.
     
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  46. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Vet visit this afternoon; She does have a UTI so they gave her a shot and sent us home with Amoxy, and some litter beads to bring in a sample in two weeks to check again. They said there were some crystals and the protein was getting a little high; so I worry about kidney disease. Will see how she does with the anitbiotics though. Plus, she has gained almost 1.5# since August, yikes. They wanted me to buy some RC Satiety food but they had no canned for cats and only 8# bags- the last time we got RC (Glyco) it was giant chunks that she refused to eat. So I am going to refocus her diet and look at other alternatives; I wish I could get her to eat more canned but the FF she loves in higher phos than is suggested with kidney issues potentially in our future. I did get a bag of Wysong Uretic, but have no idea about calories content or if it is helpful at all.
     
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  47. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    Let me know? You’re beyond my scope at this point and I am learning from you...
     
  48. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    I just wish I had answers- two and a half days of amoxicillin and one shot, and her pH was higher tonight than it was two days ago, but she has been perky since the morning before I took her to the Vet and since we switched to pills from the liquid she doesn't fight as much- the treats help. It is just hard to wait until meds are done to find out if there is something going on with kidneys- and hoping it is just a UTI that will clear up with no other issues.
     
  49. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    I find when Maji is on a prescription her ph is higher.. this may drop after...
     
  50. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    The thing that I am really trying to figure out is food- I want her on low carb still for her remission, the vet wants her on RC Satiety for diet, and I am concerned about phos levels in foods if it does turn out to be a kidney thing. Why can't there just be a good food for all three, lol (and that she will eat).
     
  51. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    ...yes it’s really hard to find food for more than one condition and that last part is the clincher

    Also RAD CAT has gone out of business and Maji just loved the raw turkey... I can’t get that anymore
     
  52. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Okay, quick update; after about 11 days on amoxicillin she went back to the Vet for a follow-up yesterday. I brought in a clean urine sample using the supplies they gave me, and they tested that. Said the UTI was improved but still some slight sign of crystals and a little protein, which the vet characterized as average and nothing to worry about. He thought the pH of 7.5 was okay too. He have her thorough exam manually and they did their new expensive blood chemistry (twice the cost of the old one but gave some readings we haven't seen before). Tests are up on the spreadsheet. He thought the glucose was fine, she was just nervous, and the high (omg high) triglycerides were from being obese. She went up 0.2# in two weeks even though I measure and regulate her food daily. He thought that her numbers were all good though, no signs of disease or physical issues expect she needs a dental cleaning and to lose about 7#. They gave us another week of amoxicillin to stomp out the last of the infection, but no plan to bring her back when finished unless she is having trouble again.

    I was worried about her kidneys, but the vet thought that the numbers showed she is good at the moment. I might keep her on the Wysong Uretic food for a while to make sure the crystals do not become an issue, and will add some supplements to help maintain acidity.
     
  53. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    Sounds great! Let me know what supplements as I might want to try Maji on those too :)

    Glad to hear it’s not a kidney issue and just UTI!!!!

    Thank you for the update!!!
     
  54. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Just a quick update; numbers are still good and we started testing about once every five days. I am still giving her a ph- supplement most days but she seems okay, and B12 nightly. She is dieting and we are mixing the Wysong with Orijen Fit and Trim (16% carb). My main concern is that she wants to stay in my room all the time lately. It is away from the dog, and where she has food and litter, and toys and hiding spots (including her new tent). I think the main reason is that the dog is driving my mother crazy with the repeated demands to go outside in the snow (to the point there is yelling), and Jaxa is either scared or stressed by it. Winter cabin fever and mobility issues with our stairs probably cause my mother's bad mood. I spend more time with Jaxa in my room when home anyway though, and she wants to cuddle with me at night though has full run of the house all night. Still playing, still trying to eat the dog food when we forget to put it up, still wants to watch birds- after refilling the feeders she might come out to watch them on the deck (I hope).

    Overall she seems to be doing well, and I am thinking about a dental appt this spring when I don't have to worry about icy roads. I hate having her in the car when there is bad weather conditions.
     
  55. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    Great to hear! Yea cats are very intuitive - for some reason Maji can sense the vet appt - I in no way get the carrying cage out I try and act normal - I have figured out I might be slightly less talkative and she senses perhaps that... she just knows...

    Sounds like JAXA is doing great!!!

    We went to vet last week and Maji has a couple teeth that need pulling in the back - after that she’ll have no back teeth and all front teeth which are in good shape - vet bills should go down after that!

    Maji is doing good - gained a little weight back and I guess raw meat isn’t diet food so I gotta slightly cut back on feedings

    All is good on the Cystitis front here - no problems - vet really liked what I did with the Wysong and distilled water... they have a cat that comes in weekly - same bloody urine problems and is on cerenia daily- they’re gonna have her try what Maji did and see if it solves the problem with their kitty too.

    Here’s hoping!!!


    Good to hear from you and JAXA !!!
     
  56. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Still having good blood tests, and we are continuing with some supplements. I'm not sure if the biotic ph- stuff is working though; I put it in her FF every evening and the last several times I've tested her she is still at 7.0 every time. The vet said that was normal when we were treating her UTI a few months ago, but everything else seems to suggest she shouldn't be over 6.5ph. We are getting the point where I will need to order it again if we are going to continue though. Still using filtered water, but maybe I need to go to distilled? We started Optagest Digestive Aid on the recommendation of the local pet store people when I was looking for a new probiotic (the SEB and Fortiflora never quite fixed her soft stool issue) and this stuff actually works really well- normal bm every day on a very small dose.

    I still need to get a scale though; we are dieting so she is hungry all the time it seems but I can't tell visually if she has lost any weight (of course). On my list of things to get next. She is playing (new interactive toy keeps her busy when I am gone and she actually plays with it when I'm home too) and cuddly and starting to get a little too curious about the snow outside.
     
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  57. Magic Johnson

    Magic Johnson Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2018
    Hi GlassGoblin! I misplaced my password but reset it and can write in again! Glad to hear JAXA with all her toys :) is doing well. I really think ph 7.0 is neutral and good! I may also try the Optagest Digestive Aid also?

    I have been giving Maji a bit of Vital Raw turkey and I correlated that she was getting constipated due to possibly lack of fiber in just some raw meat. So I’m curious about the optagest for opposite reasons.

    Maji can’t take miralax she’s allergic to it and it seems all the constipation natural fixes have too many carbs I have to be careful!

    Maji needs to have some dental work done next month too but other than that good.

    The vet was impressed by what I did to solve Msji’s idiopathic Cystitis and asked is she could pass on what I did to one of her patients (another cat) that had the same problem (unable to get off cerenia due to urinary probs) I’ll have to ask the vet next time we see her to see if it worked for someone else!

    Glad to hear from you and that JAXA is doing so well and still OTJ!!! For both kitties
     
  58. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    We are still struggling with the pH a bit. We are almost at the end of the biotic pH- supplemental, and even while on it she is almost always at 7.0, but for the last week she had refused to eat the fancy feast it was mixed in so she wasn't getting it- and tested at 8.0 yesterday, so I gave her a dose yesterday afternoon/evening which was almost all eaten. Someone mentioned something about b12 being problematic for cats with kidney issues on FB diabetes page and now I am wondering if her daily b12 might be the culprit or if it is totally unrelated. I ordered a different kind of supplement and a UA kit from Chewy, but the vet tests we had the last time didn't solve anything or show any unusual levels so I am waiting for take her to the Vet again. I am hoping she doesn't have another UTI, but I don't know why her pH is always elevated when the biotic was supposed to help her be more acidic and she is on a carnivore/low carb diet with special water.

    I might skip the b12 but when i restart the pH supplement it won't really tell me which is the thing that works if her pH does go down.
     
  59. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    Reviving an old threat for a question... So Jaxa is nearing two years of being in remission and if you look at my spread sheet you will see that I have still been testing (gradually working back to every other week), but we still have the Relion meter that was discontinued by Wal-Mart and I have just one test strip left.

    How long have you continued testing after remission? Her numbers are consistently great even being on a higher carb food (Orijen Fit and Trim) but we are going to switch to a different weight loss food which is higher carb because the F&T is NOT effective for her at all. I am trying to decide if I should get a new meter/test strips which will be readily available and continue our testing, or if two years without a problem is good and to just watch for any future signs of problems. She gets regular vet visits, and is due for shots in November, but I take her in for any emergency need right away if something were to change.
     
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  60. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    I think with a food change, investing in a new meter would be worthwhile. The Relion Prime and the Relion Premier (newer than the Prime) are meters often used here by members and the cost of test strips are pretty low for both of those.
     
  61. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    I kinda thought it might be a good idea. I am hoping for the best, because she has had consistent numbers even when we switched from a 4% carb to 15% carb food, but I am a control freak when it comes to regulating her health. I am looking at houses and want to adopt a second cat when I buy one, and I imagine that stress might affect her bg numbers for a while too. Will look to see which has the most consistently available strips at my local WalMart and get that meter.
     
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  62. Glassgoblin

    Glassgoblin Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2018
    I did get another meter, from Relion, and have tested a couple times since we switched (random times); still in the 60's. I'm not liking the meter as much though because it needs a little more blood. We will get the hang of it eventually though. I do think the new food is making a difference in her weight (I need to buy one of those baby scales still). She is playing more and more, coming out of the bedroom more often and going outside when I take the dog out in the evening.
     
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  63. jt and trouble (GA)

    jt and trouble (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Thrift stores are a good place to find baby scales. ;) They are pretty expensive brand new.
     
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