I am running a cat hospital at home now

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Ann & Scatcats

Ann & Scatcats

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Simba, 15 years old, is on his normal insulin along with Flagyl antibiotics 1/4 tablet twice a day, after 5 years of being diabetic he is fine though, a lot of scar tissue in his pancrea from his repeated severe pancreatitis, but the vet at the animal hospital said the pancrea is not likely to go crashing from that, when I asked Tuesday.

But now in addition to Simba's 5 year long problems, civvie Gustav, 16 years old, is also now the one being the most medicated. First he is medicated for thickening in the left heart chamber and his high blood pressure 230-250, with Norvasc amlodipin 1/4 tablet once a day and Fortekor benazerpil 1/2 tablet once a day, and he takes these on the evening before bedtime.

As if that wasn't enough he has also been prescribed Alkeran melphalan, a cancer cyto tablet, 1/4 tablet a day and Predinsolon cortisone 1 tablet a day, for blood cell cancer Mulitple Myelom. He takes them in the morning when we wake up.

I don't mind doing it, I love them and want to keep them with me for as long as possible, but it feels like I am running a cat hospital at home now with a lot of medicine to keep track of, and that the right cat has been given the right meds :shock:

Never have had this experience before.
 
It's so hard when they need so much extra care as the age. I know you can manage. It's just difficult to handle it with schedules. Also mentally. It takes a toll.

Do they look alike? That makes the possibility of a med mix up more likely. If you're worried about that, maybe have different containers for their meds. Include their pictures and names in each container. Sort of like a hospital double checking the patient before giving anything.

Or put colored dots on each med. Maybe yellow for one, blue for the other.
 
I've seen my vets office has a chart for boarders indicated who's getting what, with rows to check off when it was done. That may be helpful to do, especially if they are on different timing for their Rx regimes.

I've been using my phone to set times for the eye drops I have to take post-cataract removal and it helps me keep on a schedule. If you have a cell phone that can do it, you might make an entry with the drug name followed by the times for each drug.
 
I fully understand how you feel.Mitten was getting one med 2X and another 3X a day. Bailey was similar. Now I only have Lightning, one 2X, and two 1X.This is in addition to his insulin and the insulin for my other four diabetics. I found using one of those weekly pill containers helped. Some has separate compartments for different times of the day. That way I do not have to remember if I gave a dose. I just check the container.
 
Ann & Scatcats,
I agree with Larry & Kitties, I used a 7 day pill box for Gumpy as she was on lots of med and 2 times a day. It was scarey at first to take all those meds, and put them in those compartments, but after about 1 week, was better. I also did a chart of am and pm meds, and everytime we were in the kitchen and doing our meds, I would jot down when I gave them to Ms. Gumpy. I hope this idea will make it easier for each fur family member! Perhaps you could color code who goes to who?? And you should take a mental break for yourself! I would get soo scared that I forgot to do meds, did I do them all? Oh heck, what time was that? I thought I could remember--- the chart helped 100%!
Good luck!
 
I sometimes forget to check things off the chart if I have too many on medications or having issues that must be dealt with. Plus the more I have on my mind, the more my memory goes. I have 2 med shelves - when I dose, the container is moved to the other shelf. Right before bed, I move them all to the bottom shelf to begin a new day. We have KT, our newly diagnosed sugarcat, Snowshoe, our asthma baby that has inhaler and other meds, and from there, whoever of the 17 others are under the weather. I write names on containers with Sharpie so its easier to spot....

Hugs to all
 
This was boring this with my cat hospital at home now, I am even more trapped now, I was trapped before with Simba's diabetes but even trapped more now with Gustav also needing his medications.

Gustav is however good with his medications, taking them without complaints, and no visual side effects so far, as well as Simba is good with taking his insulin without complaint. But Simba is not good about taking his antiobitics, he doesn't want to open his mouth and just spits them out :-D
 
Dearest Ann -- sorry Simba and Gustav, mom talk,

When Giz needed occasional pilling, I used to wrap the pills in cheddar cheese. That worked until the day I saw her working the cheese and spitting out the pill -- for the third time. It was Jerri and Opie who suggest coating pills with butter. Butter makes for a very quick, smooth pill delivery. Just make sure water is available after doing the deed. Jerri will always be the Butter Goddess to me...

I'm sorry you're going through all this with your furry boys. Hopefully you'll find some time for yourself as the new routines settle in. Remember that you must take good care of you, too.

Keeping you all close in my heart, thoughts, and prayers.

Much love and as many hugs as you could imagine,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, forever dancing in my heart...
 
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