5.10.15 Zoey amps(277)...+8(76)+11(165)PMPS169(SHOT reduced dose 4.0)

Happy Mother's Day!!

It's been crazy here. Our home is Grand Central Station on holiday/family events. DH's family just left and my family is on the way for the evening. I'm so sorry I didn't post earlier. Thank you so much for all of the kindness and healing vines. I know when I read about your babies I'm always waiting for a post because I worry about 'em, too -- so for those like me, I really didn't mean to leave you worrying. There have just not been enough hours in the day to get it all cleaned and ready and food prepped with all of the chores/nursing and distractions that have been going on.

Real quick:

Zoey is holding her own. She's been eating her food, but not with any kind of drive or ambition. It's been stretched out through the day and we've had to feed her by hand some. Now, if her kitty crack treats from days gone by are thrown in there, she will inhale what's nearby so we mixed a few into her food. Whatever it takes. When she went to the vet last night I did not give her the Cushex since I believe it is bringing her BGs down low. I think that evidence is supported in the SS. Last night she stayed yellow and today she's been in the green even with us feeding her MC food and a splash of high with kitty crack treats. Makes me worry about this evening's dose. I'm wondering if I shouldn't reduce it some since I really want to give her the Cushex (being the only thing I have on hand right now that might actually support and stabilize for those symptoms) but we're both exhausted and I'm very afraid we'll sleep through an alarm. Tomorrow is a work day -- away from home work. Worried about that, too. May have to pull a few strings on getting her somewhere closer to where I'll be so I can look in on her. (Thinking out loud here.)

Anyway ... here's another piece of the puzzle I'm wondering about: I gave Zoey fluids yesterday because her pinched skin was staying puckered -- endlessly. Dehydration. I gave her some on her right side but the cats got in a fight (sisters) and it freaked her out so we stopped what we had started. After a bit we tried again and gave her fluids in the left side. The right side was about 20 ml and the left side about 75 ml (we lost some of the 100 ml total due to her being scared and trying to get away from the two who were being ugly to each other). Vet said she was not dehydrated at all. Could the swelling in her feet be the fluids settling? There's swelling in both rear legs, and the hind hocks feel ... squishy. Swelling is not as much today, but still there. Could that be fluids not being absorbed?

I've posted the latest labs (just a mini) if anyone has a chance to look at them and see if the comparisons from the last labs show anything that is significant. I've got to see about supper and then visit with family. The driveway alarms are buzzing now so they're here. I will peek in when I can to see if anyone's had a chance to give an opinion about the evening shot and maybe reducing the dose. (Might be a bad idea since she's doing so well and her neuropathy is so bad) I've never dealt with a cat that might not eat (don't know how you guys do it) so I'm kind of twitchin'.

Thanks for being out there at the other end of these messages.

Again, thank you all so much for being so supportive and sending those healing vines our way. As bad as it is, it could have been worse so your vines are getting the job done. Please keep them coming. (((hugs for each of you)))

Yesterday

 

Nice day by the numbers for Zoey. I hope the Cushex is helping her. Reducing the dose a bit if you are exhausted and can't monitor, plus not sure what the meds will do is fine. You gotta take care of you to take care of Zoey. You can always take it back up if you need to later.

Sending Zoey some more appy and feel better vines. Have you seen this post on Getting Kitty to Eat?

Sorry I can't help about the fluids questions, I've limited experience with it. Maybe put a ? on the post and add "Fluids ?" to the subject line to get more eyes.

 

Hi Rose.

I'm glad to hear Zoey is eating, even if it's not as readily as usual. It is possible for over-hydration from sub-q fluids to cause fluid retention and what appears to be a squishy swelling in a cat's legs as the fluid that's still trapped moves downwards. That can also make a kitty lose their appetite a little as it's possible for the fluid to put pressure on her stomach making her feel full. As far as I know, it's more common for it to occur in the front legs but that would of course depend on where you give the fluids (and how she's been lying down too I'd have thought). I do think it's a possibility for Zoey as the swelling is going down today - the excess fluid will be absorbed gradually.

I don't see anything obviously alarming in her labs. Her BUN is a little elevated, but that happens with a high protein, low carb diet. Other than that her numbers look good - quite a few of them are better than at the last set of labs she had done. And look at how much that glucose number has improved!!

 

Sending more vines for Zoey, eat up little one