Ana & Frosty (GA)
Member Since 2018
Mike Shinoda came out with a video for his song Make It Up As I Go this week, and I feel like it's a good theme song for how I feel after these last 2 weeks. Obviously, the song was about his life after the loss of Chester, but since Frosty's brush with death last week, I really understand the feelings of being not in control and just taking it one step at a time, riding the wave, seeing what happens. So we are just making it up as well go right now, too. (Shoutout to my fellow Linkin Park Fan @H.M. Victor)
Frosty is still eating pretty well, although not as ravenously as he was before this whole thing started ,and he is not able to finish all the food at once - he maybe eats 1/2 cans at a time then goes back for it. He is definitely aware of the Potassium powder and the meds in the food, and is definitely eating around it. This morning, I could't quite tell if he ate the meds or not, since I think the Lasix dissolved in it, and I can't seem to find the Vetmedin. His belly looks maybe slightly? smaller, so I am going to go with the idea that he took them.
His activity is still pretty low, but he does meow at me a few times in the morning, gets up to sit and stare deep into my eyes (LOL), and also jumped on the windowsill by himself this morning. he hasn't been going downstairs on his own, so I brought him down and figured I'll let him lay on the kitchen floor until dinner time, since that' this favorite spot. I also opened the sun room for him, but he hasn't been wanting to come in yet. It's cool in here today - low 70s, and no sun, so maybe that has to do with it.
Tonight, I will try to skip the potassium powder and put his Lasix and Vetmedin into a tablespoon of food at the start of the feeding to see if he eats it. Then I will give him the rest of the can. And very generously, @Shawna & Davidson donated her unused potassium pills to us to try - maybe he will like these better. We already tried 2 different types with no luck. Fingers crossed.
I am also thinking of getting him a 2 compartment automatic feeder by Petsmate (I think?). The 5 compartment ones he was able to turn and break into right away, and eat all the food. I think if I remember correctly, the 2 compartment one also has room for an ice pack, which is nice. I am going to try to to feed him at AMPS/PMPS and then +6, to break it up into 4 small feedings. This past week we had a pet sitter coming to encourage/hand feed him during the day, but I can't really afford to do that every week, so I am going to look into the simpler auto feeders that may be more difficult to break into. I just don't want the food sitting there out all day - its starting to attract flies. But if he does manage, then good for him... I will take that as a huge improvement in his behavior and activity level. If that happens, he deserves to get the food.
I finally managed to get his sugars a little under the renal threshold so he's not downing as much water today as he has been over the last 2 weeks. Thank goodness. Thank goodness for all of this. This is so much better than where we were last weekend.
I updated his IM doctor this morning that he started to improve against all my expectations. She agreed with my plan to slowly incorporate cardiac meds in - starting with the ones that don't affect appetite.
If he continues to improve, maybe I will try the benazepril next.
We are also gonna be running out of Cerenia next week, so I wonder I should decrease his dose from 1/2 to 1/4, or stop it all together now that his appetite is picking up a bit to see if maybe whatever nausea he has had (presumably due to his pancreatitis flare) has resolved. I am a little nervous to stop it since last time I skipped one dose he significantly deteriorated. But that may have been a coincidence, no way to really know. I guess we will see how he does.
The vet wasn't as concerned about the potassium now that he's eating. She said if all goes well and he's taking all his meds, we can add Vetoryl in like 2 weeks. I do agree that it should all be a step-wise approach, which will also help us determine if any of the meds are negatively affecting his appetite.
I plan to continue to entyce appetite stimulant indefinitely for now.
I rescheduled his cardiology appt for October 22nd, since he hasn't been taking his heart medicines anyway so it's not like we can expect any improvement of his heart function right now, so why drag him to the doctor. I would really like to ask him about aspirin or plavix to help prevent an arterial clot, and it freaks me out that he's at a risk for it... but then I remind myself that he has had this heart condition this entire time, and we didn't know about it. This HAS to be the last step to the puzzle, because the last thing we wanna do is add extra meds when he is still not eating or feeling that great.
I hope we make it to October 22nd. I hope he continues to improve, but no guarantees of course. One day at a time.
Thanks again, everyone, for your support!
Frosty is still eating pretty well, although not as ravenously as he was before this whole thing started ,and he is not able to finish all the food at once - he maybe eats 1/2 cans at a time then goes back for it. He is definitely aware of the Potassium powder and the meds in the food, and is definitely eating around it. This morning, I could't quite tell if he ate the meds or not, since I think the Lasix dissolved in it, and I can't seem to find the Vetmedin. His belly looks maybe slightly? smaller, so I am going to go with the idea that he took them.
His activity is still pretty low, but he does meow at me a few times in the morning, gets up to sit and stare deep into my eyes (LOL), and also jumped on the windowsill by himself this morning. he hasn't been going downstairs on his own, so I brought him down and figured I'll let him lay on the kitchen floor until dinner time, since that' this favorite spot. I also opened the sun room for him, but he hasn't been wanting to come in yet. It's cool in here today - low 70s, and no sun, so maybe that has to do with it.
Tonight, I will try to skip the potassium powder and put his Lasix and Vetmedin into a tablespoon of food at the start of the feeding to see if he eats it. Then I will give him the rest of the can. And very generously, @Shawna & Davidson donated her unused potassium pills to us to try - maybe he will like these better. We already tried 2 different types with no luck. Fingers crossed.
I am also thinking of getting him a 2 compartment automatic feeder by Petsmate (I think?). The 5 compartment ones he was able to turn and break into right away, and eat all the food. I think if I remember correctly, the 2 compartment one also has room for an ice pack, which is nice. I am going to try to to feed him at AMPS/PMPS and then +6, to break it up into 4 small feedings. This past week we had a pet sitter coming to encourage/hand feed him during the day, but I can't really afford to do that every week, so I am going to look into the simpler auto feeders that may be more difficult to break into. I just don't want the food sitting there out all day - its starting to attract flies. But if he does manage, then good for him... I will take that as a huge improvement in his behavior and activity level. If that happens, he deserves to get the food.
I finally managed to get his sugars a little under the renal threshold so he's not downing as much water today as he has been over the last 2 weeks. Thank goodness. Thank goodness for all of this. This is so much better than where we were last weekend.
I updated his IM doctor this morning that he started to improve against all my expectations. She agreed with my plan to slowly incorporate cardiac meds in - starting with the ones that don't affect appetite.
If he continues to improve, maybe I will try the benazepril next.
We are also gonna be running out of Cerenia next week, so I wonder I should decrease his dose from 1/2 to 1/4, or stop it all together now that his appetite is picking up a bit to see if maybe whatever nausea he has had (presumably due to his pancreatitis flare) has resolved. I am a little nervous to stop it since last time I skipped one dose he significantly deteriorated. But that may have been a coincidence, no way to really know. I guess we will see how he does.
The vet wasn't as concerned about the potassium now that he's eating. She said if all goes well and he's taking all his meds, we can add Vetoryl in like 2 weeks. I do agree that it should all be a step-wise approach, which will also help us determine if any of the meds are negatively affecting his appetite.
I plan to continue to entyce appetite stimulant indefinitely for now.
I rescheduled his cardiology appt for October 22nd, since he hasn't been taking his heart medicines anyway so it's not like we can expect any improvement of his heart function right now, so why drag him to the doctor. I would really like to ask him about aspirin or plavix to help prevent an arterial clot, and it freaks me out that he's at a risk for it... but then I remind myself that he has had this heart condition this entire time, and we didn't know about it. This HAS to be the last step to the puzzle, because the last thing we wanna do is add extra meds when he is still not eating or feeling that great.
I hope we make it to October 22nd. I hope he continues to improve, but no guarantees of course. One day at a time.
Thanks again, everyone, for your support!
I was devastated and grieved for like a year. I am still sad, but I guess you could say I'm a bit distracted now with Frosty. 
