Warren - 5/29/2000 - 7/1/2016 rest in peace my furry friend

Status
Not open for further replies.
Happy New Year Rob & Warren and your whole family :)
I hope you get his litter box and loose poo issues better under control with some medicine or something to help him.
I know plain pumpkin is good for both too soft and too hard poos. I would give a look at the link Mogs gave you.
Blessings to all of you in the new year :bighug: Thanks for the update.
 
Alas, I think we've hit bottom again. For the past month, warren has been having very frequent issues with not using the litter box. In all sorts of new places and it just seems to be getting worse. His glucose has been good for him (generally low to mid 200s, I just haven't been updating the spreadsheet. Haven't seen anything over low 300s in a very long time). I took my 10yo son to the shelter the other day, he likes to visit and play with the cats there and they had a kitten that was mini Warren. Looked and acted just like him. The staff said he was the friendliest kitten they'd had in a very long time. He had been adopted within 6 hours of arriving, I probably would have taken him home had I been there a couple hours earlier. Probably best I didn't for my mental health anyway, but I keep thinking about that kitten. This just sucks. I mean I knew we'd be back here at some point, and it's been almost 10 months since his diabetes relapse, so I guess that's a decent run, but I just wish I could turn back his clock. He still sits in my lap for hours, purring away, sleeping like the dead or cleaning himself. If he seemed sick or miserable, this would be so much easier.
 
Hi Rob,

Sorry to hear Warren's having toileting issues again. I understand how upsetting it is for you and your family - from all angles. [Group :bighug:]

Did you get any blood work done recently? Do you know what his kidney markers, potassium and B12 levels were like.


Mogs
.
 
Praying for Warren and you. I agree with Mogs, that another vet visit is in order.
Wishing for a wise vet to help Warren with his potty issues. I wonder if an animal communicator would help.
 
I have never contacted one, myself, although I have wanted to. I'll see if I can find someone with a recommendation.
 
Hi Rob

Dyana contacted me about an AC. I've had one I've used for about 15 years and she is outstanding. You can read about her and get her contact info from her website Journey to Healing.

Just as an example of how good she is, a few months ago, after Gracie's endoscopy, I called her to just check in with Gracie to see how she was feeling. I did not even mention the endoscopy and the first thing she said to me was "she's showing me she has been shaved in several spots". They shaved her in three spots to put the IV and also the monitoring electrodes. Then she said "did you have her scoped because she's showing me this and says she felt violated". And that was with me not saying word one about the procedure or her intestinal issues. And this was over the phone. She also told me that Gracie was showing issues around her heart and I told her I thought it was from the inflammation in her stomach/upper small intestine but, as it turns out, it was her heart.

I hope you can reach her and get an appt before you do anything. Be patient but she does usually call back within a week. Please tell her I referred you (you can tell her "Marje and Gracie").

Good luck.
 
Sorry to bud in..What is an AC? I tried to find Rob's DVM and blood glucose and the diagnosis and prognosis.. Do some of you determine the type of Insulin and dosage without the DVM's order? Just curious and hope and pray Warren will be okay. You are all the experts..is urine the only issue? I know that it is listed as a s/s but aren't there other reasons for a cat to do this..considering everything else is fine. (I have dogs who have accidents? too often)
 
If I were to get one final blood test done, what would you guys recommend I ask for specifically? Many of you have looked at his previous blood test results and asked some candid questions as to why certain things weren't done. I just want to make sure I am thorough as this could very well be the last opportunity to find something via labs.

Fran, with the experts here, it's common to recommend something to the vet and have them sign off on it. That's the case here. The vet started Warren on one type of insulin but based on results, the board recommended something else. I talked with the vet and she agreed with the change. The vet told me 6 months ago there is nothing else she can do for Warren, but Warren himself decided on the very day his euthanasia was scheduled that he wasn't ready to go and changed his behavior on the spot. Quite amazing really. I brought him to the vet to be put to sleep and at the last minute decided to have them run another blood test instead just to be sure. He's now relapsing. If you look at the spreadsheet (link in my sig), his litterbox behavior is well documented.
 
Hi Rob,

Very glad to hear that things have been improving with Warren.

Is there anything that changed in the last 12 days in or around the home environment or with the neighbourhood cats - even something we humans might think is small/trivial? If yes, then that could give you some insight into what might be a trigger for Warren's accidents.


Mogs
.
 
Nothing ever changes around here. Only change I made was when I once again thought it was the end for him, I stopped giving him cosequin, but he'd been on it for months so I doubt that was related at all.
 
Did the improper toileting stop after the cosequin was stopped?

Brainstorming here. Is he sensitive/allergic to beef? According to the link below dogs who are allergic to beef may react adversely to cosequin:

https://www.vetinfo.com/cosequin-side-effects-dogs.html

A lot of cats are sensitive to beef.

This page has info on GI side effects:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/93118-cosequin-side-effects/

Also, some humans may have allergic reactions (including people allergic to shellfish - another common cat allergen) / kidney issues with supplements containing the same active ingredients as cosequin.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/54059-glucosamine-chondroitin-side-effects/

Is there a clinincal reason for stopping Warren's cosequin? If you do start giving it to him again and his toileting problems re-emerge, then I'd suggest stopping it again and letting your vet know (and maybe check Warren's kidney function and urine again).



Mogs
.
 
Interesting that some dogs get diarrhea from Cosequin.
I've been thinking about you and Warren. Anti-jinx on wishing you two The Best.
 
Total jinx. He peed in the basket of cat toys today. I stopped cosequin only because he was a couple of days away from being put to sleep and I figured there wasn't much point in continuing and his food probably tastes better without and I wouldn't have to lock him in the bathroom with his food to avoid cat food sharing between the other cats
 
I wonder if he views being locked in the bathroom as a punishment, and he's stressing out because he's 'losing face' with the other cats. By losing face, I mean his position within the clowder is shaky, and so he's more stressed out by being locked in the bathroom than being with the other cats at mealtime..and he's spraying all over in an attempt to reassert his dominance. Perhaps if you fed him up high, and discouraged the other cats from jumping up to his bowl? You might have to hover a bit while he eats, to make sure the other kitties don't harrass him, but he would feel more in control of his life.
 
Yes, Dyana, sounds territorial to me, too.

Rob, it's been a long time since I read your original posts so please excuse me if this has already been covered. Does he seem at all territorial in any other aspect? Are there neighborhood cats who he may sometimes glimpse from a window or door? I have a civvie who is extremely territorial; he expresses it primarily by peeing on one of the other cats (Squallie, my sugar cat) and on my bed, where it is near one of his favorite windows and he can look out and see any other cat that might be in the area. The floor in front of the back door is another favorite spot. He has also, on occasion, peed on/sprayed my sofa. I know there are cats in my community who are allowed to roam, and although I never see them, he must. My guy does not seem territorial in any other way and gets along well with his three housemates.
 
robr said:
Warren seems to know when he's in really deep ****. It's been 12 days since his last accident.
Click to expand...
Hey Rob, I have a civvie cat who goes out of the box whenever he doesn't get let outside fast enough or fed fast enough and once when we were renovating our house he was doing it a lot. An AC told me that he "hated the smells in our house, they were making him sick" She asked me if we were painting, yes, painting, refinishing hard wood floors and tile work. PEE U. It was amazing that he told her that. We got a air purifier from Alpine and used feliaway spray in all his favorite spots to lay. It stopped. Now just recently he started again about once a week, always right in front of me, thanks goodness. The AC told me to talk to him "heart to heart" you don't even have to say it out loud, just tell him that it needs to stop and how much upset it is causing your household and if he wants to continue to live there , it need to stop. I just had this "talk" with Forrest and we'll see what happens. Maybe I need to talk to the AC again because it was years ago. Good luck with Warren.
 
Jeanne Skadowski said:
I wonder if he views being locked in the bathroom as a punishment, and he's stressing out because he's 'losing face' with the other cats. By losing face, I mean his position within the clowder is shaky, and so he's more stressed out by being locked in the bathroom than being with the other cats at mealtime..and he's spraying all over in an attempt to reassert his dominance. Perhaps if you fed him up high, and discouraged the other cats from jumping up to his bowl? You might have to hover a bit while he eats, to make sure the other kitties don't harrass him, but he would feel more in control of his life.
Click to expand...
Nice insight, Jeanne.
 
LOL I had at one time, two doberman pinschers, brother and sister. Chopper had such a nice temperament that I wanted another dog from the same match...(both were neutered at the appropriate age. Chopper was already neutered by the time I got Belle. )

I acquired the sister from a litter a year or so later than the male dog. When she arrived, Belle was very bossy, and being a youngster, took it upon herself to claim everything in sight. This annoyed Chopper no end. One day, after Belle had taken a really nice toy for herself, and settled herself with it in a doggie bean-bag chair, I watched as Chopper strolled over, lifted his leg, and peed right on her face! The expression on Belle's face, (and probably my own) was priceless..with rivulets dripping over her eyes and down her muzzle. She dropped the toy, which he immediately picked up, and carried off

I had to squelch an urge to laugh out loud. But, I couldn't have such behavior going on all the time. Not in my house. Mommy had to establish some kind of order. I punished Chopper by dragging him back to the chair, making Belle get out of the chair, and making him lie in his own wet mess. And when Belle went to pick up that toy again, I took it away from her, too. Nobody got to play with that toy for a while.

Chopper never did that to Belle again.
 
robr said:
All is quiet here. Only one accident since my last report. My son's friend left his sneakers on the floor in my son's bedroom. Warren went into my son's bedroom and peed on the shoes. In the past he'd only peed on shoes in the kitchen, this was a first. So, nobody leaves shoes anywhere on the floor any more. He leaves the shoes alone if they are elevated, even if he can jump up and reach them.

I still haven't been checking his BC every time I shoot (yes, yes, I know, I'm bad), but every time I have checked it's pretty much been in the mid 100's.
Still doing the cosequin thing, no other supplements.

If you're not hearing from me, then Warren is doing well :)
Click to expand...
Him deciding to pee on a friends shoes says his problems had to do with anxiety and stress.the presence of the "new" shoes with strange smell made him nervous so he marked them with his scent.im glad warren is getting better though.seems he is getting less anxious and stressed.just a cat being sick can cause them to become stressed and do strange behavior.
 
Thanks very much for checking in Kate, I was waiting for April to post an update. I feel like I'm jinxed whenever I post here, so unless there's something new to report, I'm keeping it to every couple of months.
He is doing very well, only one accident in Feb and one in March (while we were away on vacation). Big change from the almost daily accidents we had going on for so long.
 
robr said:
Thanks very much for checking in Kate, I was waiting for April to post an update. I feel like I'm jinxed whenever I post here, so unless there's something new to report, I'm keeping it to every couple of months.
He is doing very well, only one accident in Feb and one in March (while we were away on vacation). Big change from the almost daily accidents we had going on for so long.
Click to expand...


So glad to ear Warren is doing well, and I TOTALLY understand the jinx thing, I'm the same way. :nailbiting: I have a small favor to ask, would you be a doll, and change the name of this thread or perhaps start a new one with your next update? Whenever I see the the title of this thread, I always think, "OH NO"! So many of us have lost our kitties in the last few weeks, I guess I'm getting jumpy. :confused:
 
this seems like what my cat is doing minus the poop issue,what ended up actually stopping him from peeing?
 
robr said:
Thanks very much for checking in Kate, I was waiting for April to post an update. I feel like I'm jinxed whenever I post here, so unless there's something new to report, I'm keeping it to every couple of months.
He is doing very well, only one accident in Feb and one in March (while we were away on vacation). Big change from the almost daily accidents we had going on for so long.
Click to expand...
What FANTASTIC news!!!! I'm so happy for you both!!! Have a GREAT weekend!! Happy Easter!!! XO :-D
 
Much better subject line Rob!!

It's just amazing how well Warren is doing....especially considering where you were at the beginning of this saga.

If you did start a new thread, I doubt if you'd lose many of us....I know I watch for Warren updates and I'm sure a lot of us that have been following along do too, but at least with the new subject line, my heart won't skip a beat each time you update....wondering if something finally went terribly wrong.

Go Warren buddy!! If you only knew how many of us were pulling for you!!....but alas, you're a cat and don't concern yourself with such things ;):cat:
 
I totally understand, my heart also jumps when I see the (previous) subject. Makes me think back to the time I posted this so long ago. I didn't realize you could change the subject or I would have long ago. Again I'm so thankful for all of you who have come along for this ride over the past year. We're less than two months away from Warren's 16th birthday, last year I wasn't sure he was going to make his 15th. Thank you all.
 
robr said:
I'll see if the forum will allow me to change the name ...
Click to expand...
Sorry if you know this already, Rob, but if you go to the top of the thread and click on Thread Tools it should allow you to change the subject line.

Sending scritches for Warren and :bighug:s for you.


Mogs
.

PS: Not sure if you changed the title before I posted this - I clicked through to the thread from my alerts and it had the previous subject line in the list. :oops: :oops: :oops:
 
April was completely issue free. My wife commented the other day how healthy Warren has been the past couple of months. Huge strides there for her to recognize that. I just finished up the 4th pen of the 5 Lantus pen pack, so I'm getting about 3 months per pen. Vet gave me a prescription for another 5. So it cost me less than $150 for his insulin for the past year. Can't complain about that. The needles and test strips cost far more.
 
I am so happy to hear how well Warren is doing!!! No NDW.png You have done such a wonderful job caring for him, Rob! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
My friend's cat has diabetes and is not treated. He has been unregulated for about 5 years. He always pees outside the litter box, about 10cm away. They just put down puppy pads around the box. He is very old, pushing 17 or so.
 
robr said:
April was completely issue free. My wife commented the other day how healthy Warren has been the past couple of months. Huge strides there for her to recognize that. I just finished up the 4th pen of the 5 Lantus pen pack, so I'm getting about 3 months per pen. Vet gave me a prescription for another 5. So it cost me less than $150 for his insulin for the past year. Can't complain about that. The needles and test strips cost far more.
Click to expand...
So glad warren is doing 100% better!!way to go warren and you guys for sticking it thru with him.give warren kisses for me!:kiss::bighug:
 
Cross fingers for Warren. He has had a bad couple of weeks where he basically stopped using the litterbox altogether. He's living back in the bathroom for now, no accidents for the 5 days he's been in there. He hangs out in the window but I let him out to sit on my lap in the evenings. I feel bad about that, he is such a social guy. His BG levels look fine (I havent really updated the spreadsheet but I've been checking) but he is drinking a lot more than usual again. This has happened a couple of times over the past year as some of you recall, then after a few weeks, he just stopped having problems for no apparent reason. Hopefully that will be the case again.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top