12/30 Bama Kitty AMPS 110 +2.5 185; PMPS 303 +4 292 +8 328

Bama Kitty Mom (GA)

Bama Kitty Mom (GA)

Member Since 2018
Yesterday: 12/29 Bama Kitty AMPS 232 +4 204;PMPS 215 +4 143 +6 125 +9 123

Bama ate well overnight, got up for his tests and snacks. He had to be enticed to eat his AMPS meal with a generous helping of Squeeze-up and spoon feeding. He was moving so slowly that I believe his arthritis is bothering him today. We've had rain and thunderstorms since yesterday. Weather is still warm but maybe the dampness is a problem for his joints. In any case, I dosed him with Gabapentin to see if that will help him. I don't think nausea is the problem so no Ondansetron unless I see other signs. His BG has slowly dropped from yellow yesterday to blues overnight. Will check in couple hours to see if he dips to green.
 
I hear ya Bama, weather kicks my butt some days with aches and joint pains! And also, don’t forget to stretch before you surf!

I have Gus on Dasuquin for arthritis prevention (and possible current arthritis from his hip surgery) but might help Bama lubricate his joints and maybe reduce any inflammation - I’m hoping that’s what it’s doing for Gus too
 
Gus the Furminator said:
I hear ya Bama, weather kicks my butt some days with aches and joint pains! And also, don’t forget to stretch before you surf!

I have Gus on Dasuquin for arthritis prevention (and possible current arthritis from his hip surgery) but might help Bama lubricate his joints and maybe reduce any inflammation - I’m hoping that’s what it’s doing for Gus too
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I had spoken to my vet about Adequan shots a couple of months ago before we knew how far along his CKD had advanced. Earlier this month bloodwork showed his CKD had advanced to Stage 4 so we decided to focus on treating that and put off starting Adequan. It is so hard to tell what bothers him. Is it the arthritis? Does he just feel sick from the CKD? He was napping when I tested @ +2.5 and he's up quite a bit from AMPS.
 
Did not test @ +4 but fed a snack and he ate nearly half a 3 oz. can of FF that I had just opened. He was wobbly from the Gabapentin which worries me as I am afraid he'll fall getting down from his window box. After he ate, I think he was headed to his bed inside his box which is dark and cozy.
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
I believe his arthritis is bothering him today.
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Sorry that Bama's arthritis seems to be bothering him. I know you've got your hands full with his CKD and FD but I want to throw out two suggestions our vet made for Callie's arthritis that were fairly easy to get started in case they're helpful: Omega 3 fish oil and CBD oil. I believe that both are okay for cats with kidney disease (and may actually help with some of the symptoms) but Callie doesn't have CKD so of course double-check with your vet.

We started Callie on them before we were ready to start Adequan shots and have continued with both. I really think they've helped with her arthritis and some of her other health issues since they have anti-inflammatory effects.

Bama Kitty Mom said:
It is so hard to tell what bothers him.
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THIS! I can't tell you how much time I spend trying to analyze Callie's every move and sound. If only they could just tell us what's wrong!
 
Jessica A said:
Sorry that Bama's arthritis seems to be bothering him. I know you've got your hands full with his CKD and FD but I want to throw out two suggestions our vet made for Callie's arthritis that were fairly easy to get started in case they're helpful: Omega 3 fish oil and CBD oil. I believe that both are okay for cats with kidney disease (and may actually help with some of the symptoms) but Callie doesn't have CKD so of course double-check with your vet.

We started Callie on them before we were ready to start Adequan shots and have continued with both. I really think they've helped with her arthritis and some of her other health issues since they have anti-inflammatory effects.


THIS! I can't tell you how much time I spend trying to analyze Callie's every move and sound. If only they could just tell us what's wrong!
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What brands of fish oil and CBD? My mom and I just got started ourselves on a teaspoon of cod liver oil daily. I don't mind the taste. My mom has lost her sense of smell and, since that affects her sense of taste, can't taste it anyway. Otherwise I don't think she'd take it. BTW, her sense of smell left her years before Covid happened. I hesitate to start Bama on anything for fear he'll go off his food and I won't know what supplement, if any, is the cause. I tend to back off the psyllium husk powder and B12 when he is hesitant to eat.
 
Got Bama up for his sub-q fluids which he submitted to without too much fuss. He ate a hefty snack of FF afterwards. The order I placed with Chewy.com on Tuesday was delivered today and included lactated ringers. I have been using the Auto Ship function for some time now to get his food so I just added the ringers to that order. Still waiting on the needles and venosets from ThrivingPets.com. I have a few extra needles I had gotten from my vet. They are BD brand. I am eager to try the Terumo needles as sometimes the ones I have don't penetrate smoothly.
 
Nordic Naturals makes a good brand of fish oil. You can even get one just for cats. Other supplements to try for arthritis are hyaluranic acid (I tried Hyaflex brand), MSM which is in a few pet arthritis meds that contain glucosamine/chondroitin, and Duralactin. Check with your vet before starting of course. Duralactin is counter indicated if your cat's calcium numbers are high. The two things that really helped Neko were acupuncture and buprenorphine, which was a game changer. Gabapentin not so much. And one year I splurged and got her a large 4 inch thick memory foam bed. She loved it! So much easier on her joints.
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
I had spoken to my vet about Adequan shots a couple of months ago before we knew how far along his CKD had advanced. Earlier this month bloodwork showed his CKD had advanced to Stage 4 so we decided to focus on treating that and put off starting Adequan. It is so hard to tell what bothers him. Is it the arthritis? Does he just feel sick from the CKD? He was napping when I tested @ +2.5 and he's up quite a bit from AMPS.
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Thats understandable, makes sense to focus on the CKD. I was not aware of this :bighug: You're doing wonderful job momma!
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
What brands of fish oil and CBD
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We use the Nordic Naturals fish oil made for pets that Wendy mentioned. It looks like there is also one specifically for cats: https://www.nordic.com/products/omega-3-cat/?variant=39472183673016 Some cats will happily eat it in food but I don't think Callie is a huge fan of the taste and I am always scared of putting her off her regular food so I have been mixing it into a spoonful of meat and broth baby food as a "treat." (You'll just want to make sure that the baby food is only meat and broth and doesn't have other ingredients like onions, garlic, sugars, starch etc. Beech-Nut stage 1 meats are good: https://www.beechnut.com/product/beech-nut-beef-beef-broth-jar/ )

We use Ellevet CBD oil: https://www.ellevetsciences.com/product/cbd-oil-for-cats/ I really like the brand (they've done long-term safety studies on dogs and cats) but it has a very strong smell and the only way I can get it into Callie is by putting the oil in an empty capsule and pilling her so I am not sure it is the best fit for Bama. I found this thread from 2018 with a list of CBD recs for arthritis and it includes treats and transdermals: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/arthritis.203745/#post-2260418

This thread also has some interesting info: https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/thr...135-3-5-95-4-5-91-11-147.186375/#post-2069897
 
Bama Kitty Mom said:
Got Bama up for his sub-q fluids which he submitted to without too much fuss. He ate a hefty snack of FF afterwards. The order I placed with Chewy.com on Tuesday was delivered today and included lactated ringers. I have been using the Auto Ship function for some time now to get his food so I just added the ringers to that order. Still waiting on the needles and venosets from ThrivingPets.com. I have a few extra needles I had gotten from my vet. They are BD brand. I am eager to try the Terumo needles as sometimes the ones I have don't penetrate smoothly.
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I really do think the Terumos will make a difference for you. They are noticeably sharper. The size also makes a difference (smallest you can get away with and still get the drip/flow rate you need.). The harpoons the vets give out are awful. I’m glad to hear that he was a good boy for his fluids.
 
The Omegas are good for CKD kitties. I used Nordic Naturals (from Chewy) for Darcy. It is fishy. Some cats won’t eat their food with it in there. Some other brands I have also recently seen mentioned on the ckd support group are Icelandic Pure and Bonnie and Clyde. Krill oil is also a very good option and there is a section with in on it on Felinecrf.org.
 
Also, green lipped mussel extract is supposed to be far superior to things like glucosamine and chondrointin. Just this evening, I received a recommendation for a brand, but I am trying to see if it’s available outside of Australia. There mist be a similar one. People take green lipped mussel extract with very good results. Here’s the link:
https://www.blackmores.com.au/produ...e/paw-osteosupport-joint-care-powder-for-cats
 
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