9/07 Mr. Howell - Back from the vet!

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Emily & Mr. Howell

Emily & Mr. Howell

Member Since 2011
Goodmorning, LL!
Saturday's post
Mr. Howell has been feeling a lot better since he did on Saturday (we woke up to a torrent of vomit and diarrhea... then he slept the rest of the day and was feeling better in the morning) - he at least has been eating, but not as much as I would like (he's down to about 1 3oz can FF/day since Saturday, he was eating 1.5cans/day). We have noticed he is still struggling with going no.2, and today was the earliest the new vet could get him in, so we're going this morning. I'm also going to ask about a B-12 injection because he still has a noticeable limp in his right hind leg, if the vet thinks it might be sustained neuropathy from his high BG#'s through June-July.
I'm bringing the laptop so I can show them Mr. H's SS (don't have time to print it off, but oh well). Somehow I don't think a vet would take my word for 'Oh, he was on prescription food but then I just started giving him FF because people on the Internet told me to and now he's OTJ'.
:-D Even though we know it's the truth, right?! ;-)
Mr. H hates the vet... AMBG was 122 and I'm hoping it doesn't shoot up more because of the stress, but it probably will. Yesterday I fed him .5oz BeefGravy FF just to get some more calories in him, so that's probably what that # is about.

Hope you all have a great day... I will post an update when we get back!
 
Re: 9/07 Mr. Howell goin' to the new vet today for a checkup

Mr. Howell looks like a main coon. Maverick developed a limp also - arthritis/hip displaysia. He bunny hopped down the stairs and was extremely slow going up.

I would be concerned. Make sure his foot isn't cold and its not something more serious like a clot. I didn't realize that Main Coons were genetically predisposed to enlarged hearts. I don't want to scare everyone though.
 
Re: 9/07 Mr. Howell goin' to the new vet today for a checkup

Sending 'good luck' wishes and thoughts. Have a good day (as vet days go) :smile:
 
Re: 9/07 Mr. Howell goin' to the new vet today for a checkup

Good luck at the vet. I'd keep life simple and just say he wouldn't eat the prescription food

Sometime kitten formulas are higher calories w/ out the extra carbs. Will he eat Wellness? that's 40 kcal/oz while FF is only 30 to 32.
 
Re: 9/07 Mr. Howell goin' to the new vet today for a checkup

Good vetty vines are on the way to Mr. Howell. Good luck with the new vet!

Ella & Rusty
 
Re: 9/07 Mr. Howell goin' to the new vet today for a checkup

Mr. H, Weezer here. Hope your new vetty visit is good as mine was yesterday. New vetty was sooo sweet! Of course I still made mom pay the post vet bribe of deli turkey before I would speak to her!
 
Re: 9/07 Mr. Howell goin' to the new vet today for a checkup

Hope it goes well and hope that you like the new vet- Mr. Howell- hang in there, no need to spike!
 
Well Mr. Howell got a mostly clean bill of health and the new vet was soo nice and sweet! Just a real cat lover and a total nerd about feline health. It was very easy to talk with her - she respected the knowledge I'd learned about FD and said I had done a great job in managing his BG through home testing. :-D :-D Also had no problems with him eating FF!
First she checked out his knee and realized he had probably torn a knee ligament a few months ago -- since he's been feeling better he's been playing more and has probably exasperated it because of the extra activity. She said it was a minor tear, no need for surgery, and gave him an anti-inflammatory injection (so as to not upset his tummy anymore). Also recommended we ice his leg if he lets us, and 'front-paw play only' :-D So silly. She said he can go swimming if he tolerates it :-D :-D
As far as the tummy issues, she did a little kitty-bum exam and figured his anal glands were blocked, so she cleaned them out and there was no sign of infection. She said if he continues to have problems we should bring him back, but thought an x-ray was unnecessary at the time since he didn't seem to have any abdominal obstructions or pain.
We got home and he got a 1oz tuna treat -- his favorite! Overall I'm glad I could bring him in to the new vet, I was impressed with her 'bed-side manner' and knowledge about FD, and respecting my decision to inform myself about his condition. It was about $100 that I don't have, but I figured the peace of mind is priceless -- I'm just happy to know Mr. Howell is still doing okay!
Thank you all for your concern!
 
Hi Emily and Mr. H! I don't think i've stopped by your condo yet but i was just reading about Mr. H's new vet and his visit. I know i've been having some "discussions" with our new vet regarding an anti-inflammatory she wants to give Leo but i'm refusing because it has a blackbox warning and could potentially cause kidney failure in cats.....in larger doses, the drug is called Metacam and i'm really hoping this isn't the same anti-inflammatory that your new vet gave to Mr. H. Do you remember what its called?

So do you think you'll try icing Mr. Howell's leg? I know Leo slammed his tail in the door and he let me ice his tail! It's worth a shot anyway..... :lol:
 
It sounds like a very good and thorough check-up, and so glad you like the new Vet. She sounds compassionate and a keeper. Keep feeling better Mr. Howell.
 
Tracy and Leo - I'm having the same dilemma with my vet. He wants to put Henry on Metacam and I won't allow it. Even in a micro dose. I'm looking into alternative anti inflammatory options for him and can keep you posted. Henry is only 2 and its not work acute renal failure - happens to cats even in smaller doses. I'd only do metacam if there were no other options and it was an end of life or quality of life issue and everything else had been tried.
 
Thanks everyone again!
Tracy, the anti-inflammatory was Ketofen. We discussed the risks of kidney damage from anti-inflammatory's, but she assured me this one was relatively safe with few side-affects, and since it was a one-time thing I agreed it would be okay. Glad it wasn't Metacam!!
 
love hearing Mr. Howell is feeling better and how well your new vet visit went today! finding a vet you're comfortable with and who is willing to partner up with you is awesome!

Re: inflammation
you might want to take a look at the article released the other day from The Winn Feline Foundation: Fish Oil Supplementation in Cats.

i've been giving alex Nordic Naturals, Omega-3 Pet, For Dogs & Cats (180 soft gel caps) for some time now for mild arthritis, general inflammation, to help her immune system, and minor dandruff. actually, i give it to all my kitties. i know kitties are supposed to like fish, but all four of mine initially refused fish oil mixed into their food. i started over by adding one drop to their food twice per day and gradually worked the amount up to the suggested dose. i use a stick pin to prick the capsule and just squeeze out a drop at a time.

Nordic Naturals, Omega-3 Pet, For Dogs & Cats also comes in a smaller bottle with 90 soft gel caps.

just sharing...
 
I work in a lab and we use Ketofen for the mice when needed- very gentle for small kritters! Glad to see about the fish oil- I'm thinking of adding some to Smokey's diet as he has started having more hairball incidents since we switched from high fiber dry garbage to FF. Yay for a great new vet!
 
We are so glad to read that Mr Howell is doing good. Zener has had trouble with anal glands too and it dramatically affects his walking when they are blocked as well as general feeling bad and poor appetite and small, hard poops . He has issues walking already with his cerebellar hypoplasia but much worse if anal glands are blocked. Since we have switched to wet food, it hasn't been so much of a problem. It was always amazing to see how much better he walked and felt after the vet would "express" his glands. Hope that does the trick for Mr H!
 
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