GA 12/06 Chewie AMPS 196/ +3 205/ +5.5 178 -12/7 Chewie got her wings <3

Virginie & Chewie (GA)

Virginie & Chewie (GA)

Member Since 2022
Yesterday

Good morning everyone, and thanks again to all of you for your wonderful support :bighug:

After a BCS yesterday morning and a skip last night, Chewie was at 196 this morning, which isn't all that bad honestly.
She came downstairs by herself for breakfast, let me test her and then ate about 3/4 of portion of raw food. Gave her reduced dose of 9.5u, and around +1 she came to the kitchen with an expectant face! Gave her both ondansetron and cerenia in a pill pocket just in case, and then she ate a half jar of turkey baby food.

She is honking at me when I talk to her and pet her, and is moving around, which is a HUGE improvement on yesterday. I haven't heard her belly gurgle so far. All fingers, paws and eyes crossed that she keeps improving.
 
Virginie said:
Yesterday

Good morning everyone, and thanks again to all of you for your wonderful support :bighug:

After a BCS yesterday morning and a skip last night, Chewie was at 196 this morning, which isn't all that bad honestly.
She came downstairs by herself for breakfast, let me test her and then ate about 3/4 of portion of raw food. Gave her reduced dose of 9.5u, and around +1 she came to the kitchen with an expectant face! Gave her both ondansetron and cerenia in a pill pocket just in case, and then she ate a half jar of turkey baby food.

She is honking at me when I talk to her and pet her, and is moving around, which is a HUGE improvement on yesterday. I haven't heard her belly gurgle so far. All fingers, paws and eyes crossed that she keeps improving.
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This makes me SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!! :bighug:
 
178 at +5.5
Wouldn't touch any of the canned food I tried. Might try raw food later.
In the meantime, she ate a heaping tablespoon of baby food, mostly off my fingers.
Dr Elsey's kibble arrives in the mail today, and I guess I'll be buying more baby food after work.
I'm hesitant to try feeding her the Wellness pouches, as I suspect they may have contributed to her GI issues.

Also worrying that they might be linked to cabergoline - I decided to switch to every 72h as suggested by another caregiver in the acro forum, which would make her next dose due tonight.
She is anything but stable at the moment, but she shouldn't stop suddenly either... @Wendy&Neko @FrostD what do you think? Should I give the dose anyway tonight?
 
Virginie said:
Her breathing is still faster than I like,
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Did you count the respiratory rate?

Quite a bit of cat food has gums in it, which also causes GI upset in some kitties. Go figure! I know the Wellness did at some point.

Lets see how she does with the other food options today, but I think I'd try tonight on the cabergoline. Going to less frequent is a good compromise.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Did you count the respiratory rate?
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I did, several times since you suggested it. When completely at rest and not purring, she is typically around 30. Whenever she is purring it speeds up, and I measured her anywhere between 30 and 42 :(
I actually remembered (it had slipped my mind somehow) that I also did this last year at home, and she was also faster than the norm. So either her breathing has been messed up for a while (but vets didn't mention it), or she naturally is a bit higher than normal?

Wendy&Neko said:
Quite a bit of cat food has gums in it, which also causes GI upset in some kitties. Go figure! I know the Wellness did at some point.

Lets see how she does with the other food options today, but I think I'd try tonight on the cabergoline. Going to less frequent is a good compromise.
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It's possible. She stopped eating the regular pates, so I had resorted to their "tiny tasters" pouches recently. I just checked, and both cans and pouches have lots of different gums. The pouches also have tapioca starch. Who knows... it's always a mystery with cats!
I'll try feeding her more raw in an hour or two. I just worry that without being balanced with a bit of canned food, she has going to have a hard time pooping.
 
30 is normal for some cats. A little higher is OK if some activity. I tried to do the RR when Neko was sleeping. She was normally a "low rider", she also had bradycardia (low heart rate).
 
Wendy&Neko said:
30 is normal for some cats. A little higher is OK if some activity. I tried to do the RR when Neko was sleeping. She was normally a "low rider", she also had bradycardia (low heart rate).
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Yeah, I want to catch her sleeping, but haven't been able to yet. She wakes up whenever I sneak into the room, and I can see her breathing accelerate, although she is not moving.
 
Virginie said:
Yeah, I want to catch her sleeping, but haven't been able to yet. She wakes up whenever I sneak into the room, and I can see her breathing accelerate, although she is not moving.
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I worried about Chispa's respiratory rate until I realized that she had an "under the radar" purr -- visible in the rise and fall of her flank, but so quiet as to be inaudible unless my ear was actually on her. Is it possible that Chewie is breaking into a silent greeting when she hears your footsteps?
I hope the new kibble will tempt her. Sweet Chewie, we are all pulling for you. Sending hugs to you and your momma, who loves you so :bighug::cat::bighug:
 
Karen and Chispa said:
I worried about Chispa's respiratory rate until I realized that she had an "under the radar" purr -- visible in the rise and fall of her flank, but so quiet as to be inaudible unless my ear was actually on her. Is it possible that Chewie is breaking into a silent greeting when she hears your footsteps?
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Hmmm, never thought about that. Probably yes, but the other night she was sleeping on the couch with us watching TV and I could see her flanks rising and falling more than it should. And she kept shifting herself, like she couldn't get comfortable. My friend who is a nurse also told me that even pain can speed up their respiratory rate, so pain from whatever is going on might also be contributing?

Karen and Chispa said:
I hope the new kibble will tempt her. Sweet Chewie, we are all pulling for you. Sending hugs to you and your momma, who loves you so :bighug::cat::bighug:
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Thanks Karen :bighug: I keep tearing up reading everyone's lovely messages (and also just at random times during the day, sigh).
 
Didn't test her since she's running high anyway, I'll wait until PMPS. She's not moving this afternoon, and not very hungry either. Raw hamburger is a very rare treat, she only ate about 15g off my fingers (I even warmed it up in a baggie to make it more appealing).
 
Do you think it could be pancreatitis? Might be worth a snapfPl while you're there...
 
Keep us posted, thinking of you and Chewie. :bighug::bighug::bighug:

Going off of food also a sign of heart issues. That's how Neko first got diagnosed. I hope they get her in oxygen tent.
 
They took her vitals and found her temperature a bit low and her respiratory rate high, but said there wasn’t much “effort” so they didn’t feel she needed the oxygen tent while waiting for the doctor. She’s in the waiting room with me. I think the puff of albuterol I gave her in panic when I got home and the adrenaline of the car ride helped suppress the symptoms a bit.

At this point I suspect heart failure or pleural effusion.
 
I’m here in the background pulling for you. Open mouth breathing is never something to take lightly in cats. I’m so glad you’re at the ER.

I’ve seen things that feel dramatic and hopeless turn around with appropriate meds and treatment. I’m really hoping they can get a firm diagnosis and that there’s a path to getting Chewie back on track and feeling better.
 
Virginie said:
We have been waiting for two hours and I feel so bad for putting her through so much stress… but I couldn’t let her gasp for air all night without doing anything. Poor baby.
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I'm really sorry. You have nothing to feel bad about; you should be incredibly proud of yourself. The treatment you have provided for her is well above and beyond. She's very lucky to have you, and she knows that. You holding up okay? Take care of yourself. Sending you prayers.
 
I am thinking about you and Chewy :bighug: Simon and I spent many long hours at the ER and I know how stressful that is! I hope they can come up with a good diagnosis and treatment plan for Chewy :bighug::bighug:
 
After 4 hours we saw an incredibly compassionate vet, who confirmed that Chewie had serious heart issues. She heard a pretty bad gallop rhythm that wasn’t there 3 weeks ago at her last vet exam. She couldn't do anything on the spot because different types of heart diseases call for different meds, and they weren't equipped to do the needed tests there (she was the only doctor on staff). We had a difficult talk about quality of life, life expectancy, treatment cost and invasiveness... and I took Chewie home with me (her breathing was significantly better there, probably the adrenaline), and cried the whole way home. I will spoil my sassy girl all day tomorrow and call for a home euthanasia, to let her go while she's not suffering too much.

I know most of you would choose a different route and go all out trying everything. I respect that. We all love our cats to pieces, and we would do anything for them. For me, the biggest thing I can do for her is to place her quality of life first. This cat's pleasures in life have always been bossing everyone around, meowing her opinions all day long, begging for treats and curling up on our laps. She hasn't done any of those things in months. She is a shell of the cat she used to be last year. She has trouble walking because of her back injury and arthritis, she is no longer all that interested in food, she can't boss anyone around and she doesn't meow endlessly anymore. Her poor body is covered in sebaceous cysts, and she has grown at least a dozen more since we started insulin. She was so good at first for tests and now she hates them and hides... it's not a life. She has no choice in the matter, but I'm her mom, and I can do this for her. I can tear my heart in two and give her a peaceful goodbye at home, in our arms, before she is in extremis. No more needles, no more pokes, no more pain.

I'm crying my eyes out writing this. I'm going miss my little sassbucket so much. I truly thought she would live to 20. I'm angry and devastated to have had only 15 years, but it's been a beautiful and fun ride.
Thank you so much to all of you, from the bottom of my heart. Your support has truly meant the world to me as I tried to navigate this brutal illness.
 
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:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:

None of us is there where you are. Only you can see Chewie and know what is best for her. I know you are doing the right thing for her. Spoil on her, give her a kiss on the top of the head from me.
 
I am so, so, so sorry, Virginie. I am crying too as I write this, both for you and Chewie and for my own soul-cat Chulo, for whom I had to make the same terrible decision, exactly one year ago today (he had oral squamous cell carcinoma, aggressive and untreatable and very painful). So many times over the past year I have wondered, Did I let him go too soon? Was there anything else we should or could have done? And the answer is always a very clear No. Like you, I made the decision to tear my own heart in two to spare him another day of pain. It's been a small but important comfort on the long path toward healing.

I'll be thinking of you as you navigate this very sad and difficult time.
 
Virginie, I am so so sorry, my heart is just breaking for you and your precious girl. I would also think of her quality of life and would not want her to suffer. Just love her to pieces and know you are giving her the best gift not wanting her to suffer any longer. I lost Tyler's brother Perry to kidney disease ,it was 2 years this past Oct.
I still miss him like crazy, we never have enough time with them. Sending you strength and hugs please give her kisses for me. She knows that she is truly loved :bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:♥
 
Wendy&Neko said:
For Neko it was six years today. :(

Wise words Karen. Better a day too soon than too late.
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I'm so sorry, Wendy. I'll bet you still miss her every day.
When I used to travel for work, I would gather them up and count on my fingers to show how many days I'd be gone, and then I would tell them, "Remember, we are always together in our hearts." And why shouldn't that be true even now. I have to believe it is.
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
I lost Tyler's brother Perry to kidney disease ,it was 2 years this past Oct. I still miss him like crazy, we never have enough time with them.
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I'm so sorry for your loss too, Diane. You're right, we never have enough time with them -- because the more time we spend with them, the more precious they become. Sometimes I wonder if we are all crazy to set ourselves up for this. I wish there were some way to avoid it (besides swearing off cats forever), but if there is, I sure haven't found it.:(
 
Karen and Chispa said:
I'm so sorry for your loss too, Diane. You're right, we never have enough time with them -- because the more time we spend with them, the more precious they become. Sometimes I wonder if we are all crazy to set ourselves up for this. I wish there were some way to avoid it (besides swearing off cats forever), but if there is, I sure haven't found it.:(
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You are so right we are crazy !
 
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