Jean, could we get a Ketchie update?

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Dana & Thomas

Member Since 2009
I know that you had said that you would not be giving us daily updates, but I have been wondering how things are going with your sweet girl, and I bet so have many other of your board friends.
Dana
 
Hi Dana,

Thanks for asking about my Ketchie! She is still here, and is eating a little better. It has been 2 weeks and 2 days since her dental and that abscessed tooth was removed. She seems to be enjoying eating a little more now, without the pain she must have been in. I still keep her on Buprenex as needed, as she also has interstitial cystitis, and thus, I have been trying to learn to give her fluids, which is a little difficult for me, as I cannot see so well in the evenings, so I think I will try the fluids tomorrow for her. She is drinking a fair amount, and using the litterbox very well.

If I can I will post a picture of her. She has lost weight, though, and the lump on her back that is cancer seems to be getting a little bigger. So, it is just a matter of time, and how she feels. The eating part, is the big part of whether she is happy or not, and if she totally stops eating, then it will be time to say goodbye.

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Ketchie Dec.23, 2012

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Ketchie on Dec. 23, 2012

Thanks again for asking about her. She is still feisty with me when I give her meds to her.

Jean and Charcoal (GA) cat_pet_icon
 
So glad to see andd hear that Ketchie is doing OK. Prayers that she's with you for a while yet.
 
Glad to see this update, Jean, and know that Ketchie is still with you and eating a little better.

Hope you have a happy Christmas (it's just turned Boxing Day here - if you call it that in the US!?)

(I emailed you but it didn't arrive at your end, so I've tried your other address)
 
Thanks, Allie! Yes, I did receive your email finally! :)

I sent one back, so I hope you get that.

Take care! Happy Boxing Day!

Hugs,
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
Today, Dec. 27, 2012, another trip to the vet's. Had Ketchie weighed, and looked at, and the tech gave her some fluids, after three attempts at getting the needle in. Ketchie is only 7.7 pounds, although last week she was 7.6 pounds. But, she is so very bony now.

I gave her about 50 mls of fluids last night, but she does not like it. I am by myself, and she gets pretty feisty.

The vet today felt like Ketchie looked pretty good, and not quite ready to 'depart from this world'. She said if she is still doing her usual things, moving around, using the litter box, eating little bits, drinking water, then it would be up to me to make that decision. This is so hard on me, and now the cost is becoming overwhelming when on a low fixed income.

The vet said I could bring her in every other day for fluids, for only ten dollars each time, but I can't even afford that anymore. Terrible when everything just boils down to lack of money, plus am I keeping Ketchie going just for myself?

Last night, she got on my chest on her "Ketchie" blanket I crocheted for her 17 years ago, and she purred and said meow, and I stroked her little thin face, and she just loved it. That is when I get teary eyed, and I told her last night, that had the vet not gotten her abscessed tooth pulled three weeks ago, she probably would have been gone by now.

Here she is, 17 years, four months, and 27 days old. That is really pretty old for a cat. She is the oldest cat I have ever had. Sometimes, it seems that makes it harder to lose them. But, any age is hard to lose our furbabies, I know.

Well, time to give her some meds and feed the boys. Just wanted to give a more current update.

Jean and Charcoal (GA) cat_pet_icon
 
It sounds like she is still pretty happy and doing ok.


I think if you can just do the fluids yourself will save money and give her a treat after to make up for her not liking it. When I had to do bailey I would kind of sit on him while I did it, only took five minutes but he would sulk for half an hour afterward. But then he was fine for the other 23 hours so I knew it was worth half an hour of him being a suck. Much better than a trip to the vet too! I tried to make it as enjoyable as possible for him but he still hated it but I told him to suck it up.. We wish we had it as easy as our fur babies do! ;)

Have you tried coconut oil to put weight on her?
 
I am happy to hear that she is doing better. Tuffy figured out that the fluids made her feel better and she would lay down and wait for her fluids if she felt she needed it....if she didn't think she needed it I wrapped my arm around her and rubbed the side of her head with one hand while holding the syringe in one hand pressing it with my shoulder. Hopefully Ketchie will co operate with you and let you give her her fluids.
 
Thanks, Wendy and Jen.

Gee, I had a jar of coconut oil here a while back, as I thought I could use it to help me lose weight, and it is good for your heart. Well, turned out, I was allergic to it, so I gave it away.

Never heard of using it for cats. I think I will try to continue giving her Nutrical several times a day as that has extra nutrition in it, and might help her.

Well, all I know is that I can't take her over to the vet's more than once a week. My car is not in that great a shape, and with the cold weather, it is hard on her. So, I will continue to hope and pray that I can get these fluids into her myself.

Wendy, I can' t imagine sitting on Ketchie to keep her down. She would fall apart. hehe...
 
Hi Jean,

Am sorry to hear Ketchie doesnt like the fluids, I can send my sister a message and have her contact you (or I can pass on a message) with ideas for getting Ketchie to behave for fluids. It took both of them but she may have some ideas (other than holding her down by sitting on her). I am also glad to see she made it through Christmas. Ketchie is def a fighter who has plenty of Tortitude. I used Nutrical, occasionally I used about 1 tbsp of coconut oil, and meat baby food as the base for my Kitty shake I was feeding bug, I also put a full can of low carb food in it. This shake was what I fed Bug up to 4 times daily in the 2 weeks prior to her being pts. Between that and the small amts she ate Bug managed to gain back the lb she had just lost. Ketchie is certainly an old kitty.
I hope all is well today and the next days :-D
Dani, Bug (GA) and the Fur Gang, KookKoo (Velcro Kitty) Bligh (Sir Slurpsalot) & Charlie
 
Bug didnt mind the fluids, but I put her in a donut bed on the bar and then tented her fur while petting her then inserted the needle and turned on the fluids. I kinda kept my arms at her sides and petted her cheeks (around the whiskers and her nose between her eyes) while making sure the needle stayed in place. At this point tho Bug was sicker than any of us realized so she prob didnt have it in her to fight the fluids and they most likely made her feel somewhat better for a short period. I sent my sister (Karisa and Tasha) a PM and asked her if she has any suggestions as her kitty def didnt like the fluids :lol:
Dani and Sandy aka: Mamabug to the fur gang
 
Thanks so much, Dani and Wendy! I have to run. Have a doc's appointment in one hour for myself. hehe...

I will let you know how things go later today.

Take care!
 
I gave a former cat fluids for a number of months. I could occasionally, but rarely, do it by myself. Usually she was just too feisty for it. Friends were generous enough to come over and assist me.
 
Hi Everyone,

So far, I have been able to get fluids into Ketchie by myself. I usually give her 50 to 75 mls once a day. She is still drinking pretty well on her own. I am using size 20 needles to give fluids. The size 18 they use at the vet's seem to bother her more.

Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
Thats Great Jean!! I did hear back from my sister, but she didnt have any suggestions as she was never able to give then to Tasha by herself.
How is Ketchie doing? How are you doing?
 
Hi Dani and everyone,

Okay, at least we are on the other side of a new year! Ketchie made it! Never thought she would get this far, but she is still doing better than I thought she would be.

Yesterday I got 50 mls of fluids into her and she is eating little bits at a time of mostly FF all during the day.

Happy New Year to everyone, and have a good day! Picture of Ketchie today.

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Ketchie on Jan. 2, 2013

Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
I am so glad to see she made it to the new year!!! She sure is a pretty girl and looks like she can def have a bit of Tortitude in her :lol: Gotta love the torties you never know what they are thinking
 
Thanks, Dana, Dani, and Jen! I hope she hangs on for a while yet. Especially since I am getting better at giving her fluids. :) But, I won't keep her past her expiration date. That would be unfair to do to her.

And the only way I will know when her expiration date is, is the day when I will know in my heart that she is ready to say goodbye. cat_pet_icon
 
That's the only way to tell Jean listen to Ketchie and listen to your heart ((Hugs))
 
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