9/18 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty UPDATE

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Onyx & Klepto

Onyx & Klepto

Member Since 2013
Hi Everyone!

It's certainly been nice these past few weeks since Onyx went OTJ. I've actually been able to catch up on work and everything else that's been neglected. But sadly, it seems she has something else going on now.

The past few days she has been vomitting a LOT...unable to keep anything down...and she has the shakes. I'm hoping it's a hairball that's causing the problem, but I wanted to see if anyone else might have some thoughts. She's never had hairball issues, but she really has since going on the Young Again food. I'm not sure why. Seems like the more I brush her, the more she bathes and gets them. She's also never been a kitty to throw up very much, and it has been soooooooooooooo frequent this past month. But now that she can't keep water or food down, I'm really worried.

We're going to the vet in the morning, but in the meantime, I was hoping someone might have seen something familiar before?

Sending healing vines to all the other kitties in need today.
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

I'm sorry to say this but I would be worried too, if she can't keep anything down and has the shakes. Can you try lifting her fur at the nape of her neck and letting it go? I would want to make sure she's not deydrated. Does the skin and fur go right back into place or does it take awhile? Can you press you finger on her gums and see how long it takes for the color to come back. If she is really feeling poorly tonight, then you probably should take her to the ER vet. A cat can not go long without nourishment and if she is not keeping anything down, then the vet may be able to give her some medicine for that.
I wish you the best of luck tonight and am sending good vet visit vines that the vet can help Onyx to keep her food down.
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

Dyana, I tried to check the skin like you mentioned, but with all her hair, it's sooooooo hard to tell. She did eat/drink a little bit about 30 minutes ago, and so far, she's keeping it down. Fingers are crossed her body lets her keep it in there. Those chills/shakes really scared me.

Thanks, Ladies. I appreciate it. :smile:
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

We're piling on our prayers, too. Please keep us posted as you can, and feel better, sweet Onyx!!
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

i don't know if this is helpful - but we had a dog that over-groomed herself and chewed on her skin to the point where she had bald patches. it went on for years and was really awful. the vet suggested she was allergic to flea bites, but ultimately it turned out to be an allergy to something in her food. we switched her to a hypoallergenic dog food and that was the end of it.

the reason i'm relating this is because you're saying she's been washing herself a lot, causing her to swallow the hair, and you mentioned that it's been worse since you switched to that food. i would still take her to the vet in the morning, but you might ask if this could be a sign of food allergy.

i hope you get some good news in the morning. she sounds like she's having a bad time. :YMHUG:
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

Piling on some more vines for a good vetty visit tomorrow.

Sometimes when cats go to a better quality food, their bodies can go through a period of detoxification which includes losing their old coat for a new and better one. When Neko switched to raw she shed a bit more for a while. You could ask the Young Again folks if this is something they've seen.
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

julie & punkin (ga) said:
i don't know if this is helpful - but we had a dog that over-groomed herself and chewed on her skin to the point where she had bald patches. it went on for years and was really awful. the vet suggested she was allergic to flea bites, but ultimately it turned out to be an allergy to something in her food. we switched her to a hypoallergenic dog food and that was the end of it.

the reason i'm relating this is because you're saying she's been washing herself a lot, causing her to swallow the hair, and you mentioned that it's been worse since you switched to that food. i would still take her to the vet in the morning, but you might ask if this could be a sign of food allergy.
Hi Julie.
Oddly enough, Onyx has had a very similar issue for the last 2 years. She was nearly bald on half her tail, spine and abdomen. The vet thought it was also a flea allergy, but with her being an indoor cat, that wasn't the case. We think it might be stress related why she overgrooms. But still not 100% sure.

Thanks, Julie. :smile:
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Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

Wendy&Neko said:
Sometimes when cats go to a better quality food, their bodies can go through a period of detoxification which includes losing their old coat for a new and better one. When Neko switched to raw she shed a bit more for a while. You could ask the Young Again folks if this is something they've seen.
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Hi Wendy.
I didn't realize that. And it totally makes sense. It literally seems like the more I brush her, the more she grooms. I've never seen her shed so much. And her fur is definitely looking so much better. I'll reach out to the YA folks and see what they have to say.

Thank you.

:-D
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

Did the vet have any thoughts as to why she was shaking?
 
Re: 9/17 Onyx - Sick OTJ Kitty

You beat me to the punch, Dyana...lol.

Here's the vet update:

The vet did a thorough exam and said everything seemed okay, he couldn't feel a blockage anywhere. He said it's most likely a hairball that's making her throw up, because the food/won't go down. He didn't say anything about the shakes, but I'd say it's food related. When she was finally able to keep some food and water down lastnight, it stopped. So it's just like we get when we're sick.

He did a full blood panel though, just to be safe. I'll have the results tomorrow.

He also gave her a shot of Famotidine and Cerenia for the vomiting and upset stomach. So far today, she hasn't thrown up. So I'm hoping that holds. But she's also lost almost lost 2 lbs in the last month, which I'm sure is partly from all the vomiting AND the high protein food. He didn't seem concerned about the weight loss given the food change.

But here's the kicker. This is the 1st time I've seen this vet since she was diagnosed. He YELLED AT ME!!! He was so pissed that I didn't follow his instructions and I home tested..and changed his dosing intructions. He had me in tears!!!! Needless to say, I won't be going to him again. His ego was wounded because I found you guys. I was SHOCKED at his unprofessional behavior.

UGH!!!
 
One may find a**h*** in any profession.

{{hugs}}

SHould you decide to go vet shopping, there are Vet interview Topics in my signature link.
 
Good to hear Onyx is feeling better today Brandi! I know you had to be worried!

I can't believe how you were treated at the vet though!! (Well, yes I can...Vet #1 for China had that same attitude...that only HE knew what was best) There's just no reason for that and I'm glad you'll be looking for another vet. I found vet #3 by just calling and asking a few questions about how the vet would treat a diabetic cat. If they said "I have some great food here that I'll sell you", I knew to keep looking. You can learn a lot over the phone about how willing a vet is to work WITH you instead of dictate TO you.

Good luck on the vet search, and hope now that Onyx has some meds, his stomach will settle down.

edited to add...I have to wonder how HE would explain the fact that Onyx is OTJ without his Godlike guidance...LOL

Another win for the crazy cat ladies (and gents) :-D :-D
 
Oh I'm so sorry, the vets I see here are kinda the same way they want me to bring Lucky back in when he went OTJ they said a cat just doesn't stop this early or never as long as they had been seeing, they hated that I used a human meter and changed his food lol I told them I follow the advise of the group that to this everyday with experience people. All they could say was there not vets. Well we made it through just fine, do what you feel is best for Onyx. I hope everything gets better for you guys..
 
BJM said:
One may find a**h*** in any profession.

{{hugs}}

SHould you decide to go vet shopping, there are Vet interview Topics in my signature link.
Click to expand...


Thanks, BJM. I'll definitely check out your like.

:-D
 
Chris & China said:
I can't believe how you were treated at the vet though!! (Well, yes I can...Vet #1 for China had that same attitude...that only HE knew what was best) There's just no reason for that and I'm glad you'll be looking for another vet. I found vet #3 by just calling and asking a few questions about how the vet would treat a diabetic cat. If they said "I have some great food here that I'll sell you", I knew to keep looking. You can learn a lot over the phone about how willing a vet is to work WITH you instead of dictate TO you.

edited to add...I have to wonder how HE would explain the fact that Onyx is OTJ without his Godlike guidance...LOL
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He definitely had a godlike attitude. I can't believe he was so upset over home testing and dosing. He said, "when you found that group, I was done with you." WTF????
 
mtncat58 said:
Oh I'm so sorry, the vets I see here are kinda the same way they want me to bring Lucky back in when he went OTJ they said a cat just doesn't stop this early or never as long as they had been seeing, they hated that I used a human meter and changed his food lol I told them I follow the advise of the group that to this everyday with experience people. All they could say was there not vets. Well we made it through just fine, do what you feel is best for Onyx. I hope everything gets better for you guys..
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Thanks Mtcat! Sounds like we have the same vet....lol. When I mentioned the protocol created by other vets, he turned his nose up to that as well. I was like, who do you think you are???? He said a cat on Glargine should stay on a dose for a week, NO MATTER WHAT!!!! If we followed that, we'd probably all have hypo kitties.
 
He said, "when you found that group, I was done with you.
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Can't say I'm surprised by this either...Just think about all the money your vet lost because you found this group of crazy people!

I can hear him saying "How could you use YOUR brain and decide for yourself what's best for YOUR cat??? ....and by following the crazy group's advice, take all of that money out of my pocket???"

BOO HOO HOO :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm sure there are quite a few vets that aren't particularly happy with the message board. It hurts their bottom line for patients to be treated at home.
 
Hillary & Maui said:
I hope you yelled - ok quietly stated - no reason to yell. That no thanks to his advice your cat is now OTJ!
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Hi Hillary.
Yes, I definitely stood my ground. After he yelled at me, I yelled back and said they sent me off with so little information, so what else was I supposed to do. He apologized aftewards and told me he'd understand if I wanted to fire him.

He also told me that testing blood ketones is POINTLESS!!!! He said you can only test the urine. And he told me I was INSANE because I'm still testing her once a day for now. I told him I was only doing that temporarily until I was confident she was going to stay in remission. He said, "that's insane! If your cat turns diabetic again, you''ll know it. You should only test once a month, if that."

I also told him that I wouldn't change a thing...and I would do it again. My commitment to getting her into a fast remission, GOT HER IN A FAST REMISSION. God knows how long it would have taken with his methods, or if it would have happened. The day he diagnosed her, we talked about her picky diet. He said, "if she won't eat wet, don't worry about it." Don't worry about it!!!! Yeah, okay. The food change is what saved her.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
What a d*ck! I would have had to punch him in the face I think. My vets have the same attitude as most vets, but they let me do my thing and are supportive when I go in. That's the way they SHOULD be given what I have paid them in the last 5 months. Anyway, I'm glad nothing serious is wrong.

Remember how Jen at YA said that would shed a lot and the changes come from the inside out? She's probably at the point where her coat is starting to be effected - maybe she's massively shedding and eating all that hair which caused a giant hairball. I don't know - just taking a guess!

I'm glad she's ok! Not sure if you want to try, but the coconut oil helps Bob with his hairballs. You have to give it to them with a syringe though because if you try to put it on their paw, it melts. I found that out with Penelope - she didn't even realize I put it on her paw and was roaming all over the house with it melted. Not sure if she ever realized it was there! :lol:
 
Hey Dara!

I was actually putting the coconut oil in their food, and she seemed to like it. I stopped 2 weeks ago after she passed the ginormous hairball. I'll start it again.

I'm gonna reach out to Jen today with some questions. They've been so wonderful. Last week she asked me if they could write an article about Onyx with all her data. I'll let you know what she says.

And I'm still in shock the vet acted like that. The 2 techs apologized to me for the way he acted--they felt terrible! It was the wierdest thing. He just seemed to take it so personally, and we'd always had such a great rapport up to that point. O well.
 
What a jerk. Instead of celebrating OTJ he's gotta make a scene out of it. I'm glad Onyx is starting to keep food down. Sending happy tummy vines your way!
 
Brandi --

I'm really srory you were treated so badly by your hopefully former vet. I'm amazed that the vet would be so inappropriate especially since your kitty is in remission. Personally, I would put a review about how you were treated on Yelp. Not only do you deserve a vet who does his homework and stays current with diabetes management, but you deserve someone who will work with you and not yell at you. He also deserved to not get future clients due to his behavior.
 
Onyx & Klepto said:
Hey Dara!

I was actually putting the coconut oil in their food, and she seemed to like it. I stopped 2 weeks ago after she passed the ginormous hairball. I'll start it again.

I'm gonna reach out to Jen today with some questions. They've been so wonderful. Last week she asked me if they could write an article about Onyx with all her data. I'll let you know what she says.

And I'm still in shock the vet acted like that. The 2 techs apologized to me for the way he acted--they felt terrible! It was the wierdest thing. He just seemed to take it so personally, and we'd always had such a great rapport up to that point. O well.
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I'm glad they are helpful to you. They just dropped me like a bad habit after I told them Bob wouldn't eat the food. I would have kept using the food for Hector and Penelope, but I felt they were a bit rude. I would think they would want to hear all the data from different people. I'm certain there have to be other cats like Bob - or am I just really, really lucky to have the pickiest cat in the world?? Who knows...

Well, you said the vet apologized right? Maybe he realized he sounded like a big butthead. My vets are usually happy to hear something that is working for Bob, although they did question the being up all night long testing him, etc. They felt it wasn't necessary to go the tight regulation route. I guess they have seen critters go into remission without it, but I'm sure it happens a lot more often with the TR.
 
Sienne and Gabby said:
Brandi --

I'm really srory you were treated so badly by your hopefully former vet. I'm amazed that the vet would be so inappropriate especially since your kitty is in remission. Personally, I would put a review about how you were treated on Yelp. Not only do you deserve a vet who does his homework and stays current with diabetes management, but you deserve someone who will work with you and not yell at you. He also deserved to not get future clients due to his behavior.
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Thanks, Sienne. That's actually not a bad idea. And he in NO WAY was happy she was FD free. Which should have been his main focus. I guess there's a reason "Pride" is one of the deadly sins!
 
Tara & Buster said:
What a jerk. Instead of celebrating OTJ he's gotta make a scene out of it. I'm glad Onyx is starting to keep food down. Sending happy tummy vines your way!
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Thanks, Tara. There was definitely no celebration for her remission. Only a scolding for mommy. :sad:
 
Lkldcatlady said:
Onyx & Klepto said:
I'm glad they are helpful to you. They just dropped me like a bad habit after I told them Bob wouldn't eat the food. I would have kept using the food for Hector and Penelope, but I felt they were a bit rude. I would think they would want to hear all the data from different people. I'm certain there have to be other cats like Bob - or am I just really, really lucky to have the pickiest cat in the world?? Who knows...

Well, you said the vet apologized right? Maybe he realized he sounded like a big butthead. My vets are usually happy to hear something that is working for Bob, although they did question the being up all night long testing him, etc. They felt it wasn't necessary to go the tight regulation route. I guess they have seen critters go into remission without it, but I'm sure it happens a lot more often with the TR.
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They were rude to you???? OMG, that doesn't sound like them at all. I'm really surprised. Maybe you just caught someone on an off day?

And I don't think it's just Bob. Not every cat likes the food. Klepto will eat if there's nothing else out, but just a little. He wants his wet food though, hands down.

He apologized after-the-fact, but probably only because he came back in the room when I was crying. No matter what though, I'm done with him. The other vet in the practice (the owner actually), was really supportive when he knew what I was doing. So if I stay with the practice, I'll only see him.

:smile:
 
Picknickchick said:
What an insecure man.

Hey, you really threatened him by having more expertise.
Enjoy your power! :twisted:
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I think you might be right. And the minute he brushed off the experts who created the protocol, I knew he had issues that wouldn't be resolved with ANYTHING I had to say. O well, he's officially lost 2 patients.
 
Like Picknickchick said, I think the vet felt very threatened. He makes a living on his supposed expertise, and along comes a client who demonstrates his ignorance in an important area of feline health. Unfortunately, instead of taking it as a wakeup call to learn something new that could save other cats' lives, he chose to close his mind and get angry. I'm glad you yelled back, and that he ended up apologizing. Who knows, maybe he'll learn something from it after all.

I've also read that obsessive licking and pulling out fur can be caused by a food allergy.

Also, thanks for telling us about Young Again! I have no FDs now, but have been looking for a more healthy, high protein dry food. I ordered a bag of the Young Again 50/22 food (under 5% carbs according to the info on the bag) and my cats like it a lot. Too soon to tell about health effects but so far my one kitty with intermittent pudding poo seems to have improved.
 
Wow. How absolutely unprofessional. . .

Even the owner at my practice now defers to what I want, and asks me what I think and we discuss. And he didn't believe in testing, or diet change.
But never any rude treatment....



I do have a friend that had a cat that had a neurotic behavior of continuously licking one spot. He had a behavior issue.
And she had to learn ways to get him to stop.
I hope it's something like a food allergy. I think the YA has a mixture of proteins. You should look and see if you can figure it out that way.

I hope those shakes were just hunger/withdrawal symptoms.
Sending more feel better vines just in case.
 
Hi Rhiannon and Camille.

As far as a food allergy, we never really thought it was that, because she's been doing this for over 2 years, and on 5 different foods. The differentiator is the new cat, Klepto, and he REALLY stresses her out. She hasn't been pulling the hair out like she was a month ago, since I got the "calming collars", but she still cleans obsessively. The more I brush her, the more she bathes. It's wierd.

She hasn't vomited since 3:00 this morning, which means the food/water is staying down. Which also means the shakes/chills have stopped, thank goodness. The shots he gave her for the tummy definitely helped.

And I'm glad your kitties are enjoying the YA, Camille. The runny poo is pretty bad in the beginning, but it doesn't last long, thank goodness.

:smile:
 
What a crazy vet visit...good for you, standing up to his insanity! He's not the first vet I've heard of that forbade a client to hometest. That is just CRAZY - why would they not appreciate a client that is proactive and involved in their pet's health and safety??? I don't get it.

I'm glad Onyx is feeling better today...prayers that she stays on the healing path!
 
it is always so interesting to read about everyone's experiences with their vets.....

but yours is definitely one of the worst!

so ridiculous for anyone to say ONE negative word to an OTJ kitty's momma! I mean, really?!!!!

any person in their right professional mind would have only this to say: WOW, CONGRATS! that must have taken some time and commitment ....good job......HOW DID YOU DO IT PLEASE...so I can pass it along......



****good to read that Onyx is feeling better today!!!! Those shakes would have been scary!!

~kelly
 
You are so right, Amy and Kelly. He should have never spoken to me like that. It was so uncalled for. I could understand him being upset if I used the internet to diagnose my kitty, then something bad happened. But the bottom line is, HE made the diagnosis--then he sent me home with too high of a starting does--and little instrutction besides, "come back in a week for a test". I'd lost faith in him just for his lack of concern when diagnosed. But this, well...this has just made me lose all respect for him, not just as a vet, but as a so-called compassionate human being.

I think what upsets me the most is that I cried when he left the room--and then he came back in the middle of it. I'm usually an "in your face" kind of person, who doesn't let anyone treat me badly. But he took me so off guard. I stood up for myself and gave it back, but the normal Brandi would have made HIM want to cry...lol. O well, I guess any amount of guilt he might feel over this encounter, is much better than him complaining to the staff that I was a B%&*H...lol.
 
Funny you should mention that. When I was checking out, the tech asked me if I wanted to talk to him. I told her I would after I was calmed down. I'm debating whether I'll call him--or a write a letter. But I'll definitely do something. Mr. Meany will be calling me with the blood work results tomorrow, so I'm anxious to see if he has an attack of conscience...lol. The girls were so upset with him, I wouldn't be surprised if they told the owner what he did. I'm pretty sure other customers heard him as well.
 
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