Happy Cat Family

Happy New year Furriends!
First, let me apologize for meowmy; she has been SO busy, things have been kind of crazy here, so she took over the compooter and hasn't let us post on the bloggie... Furriends, please forgive her - we already punished her with a good time out, she is learning her lesson, we promise!
Second, I wanted to purrsonally thank you all for the love, purrs and prayers... Oh, and for the New Year's wishes too! You are very special to us, and your love and support make all the difference in the World to us!
Now let's go on to the updates:
I am eating normally, and doing really well when it comes to my diet, meowmy is very pleased with me! I don't even need to be spoon-fed anymore! I eat all my stinky goodness and my dry food too like a good boy!
The prednisolone by itself didn't work, so the V-E-T added back the yucky metronidazole. So, get this furriends, I am taking: Prednisolone every other day, my Stomatitis medicine once a day, Metronidazole twice a day, and the probiotics... whew! It's a LOT!
The good news is, meowmy looked at the box and she said wow.... Bugsy, I think I see sooooome form here! She said my poop is not all formed, but about 1/3 of it was formed! Well, that is a start! For someone who was pooping liquid, that is definitely an improvement! Ok furriends, sorry for the TMI, got a bit too excited about my poop there for a bit!
I still have some ways to go, and then of course making sure that I will be ok once I am out of the meds - but that will be later... Let's not borrow trouble now, like you hoomans like to say, right?
Now moving on to Gracie - Do you all Know Gracie? Here is how she came to live here, if you haven't met her yet...

Gracie went through some hard times of her own yesterday... :(
Meowmy was feeding her pill treat a few days ago when she heard a crack. She thought Gracie had bitten the pills, but noticed that Gracie was opening her mouth very wide as she ate, and that was concerning... She started watching her closely... All of the sudden she started having a hard time swallowing, and she stopped eating as with every bite she would just open her mouth as though she was in pain.
Time to rush her to the dentist.
Luckily, they took her in on the same day... She had to have surgery to extract her canine, shave the bone, put a small bone implant. The tooth was so diseased that it created a hole, an oral-nasal fistula, and she will need to have a second reconstructive surgery in about a month or so, to close that hole. It was also infected, so the cavity was left open to drain. The tooth was a mess! If anyone has the curiosity to see it, the picture is here. I am not posting because it is too ugly!
She is in a lot of pain, but today she started eating again, thank goodness!
This didn't come in a good time... Meowmy is broke... She was already in bad shape with all my vet bills, now with this surgery she is beyond broke! The vet did give meowmy a discount, but even so, the bill was still $400, and then there is the other surgery coming up, and I have a feeling that bill ain't gonna be pretty.
But anyways, these are the news around here... now I would like to ask for purrs for the two of us, if you would be so kind to spare some purrs for Gracie too...
Many hugs,
Bugsy

Hi furriends, Meowmy Here!
I promise the next post will be by Sir Highness Mr. Bugsy himself - right now I just wanted to give an update of what is going on...
It seems that the appetite stimulant, the Reglan, and of course all the prayers and purrs from you all worked! Bugsy started eating on his own in the middle of the night last night, and is no longer requiring force-feeding!
By the time we went to bed last night, I was able to syringe-feed him about 3/4 can of Z/D, plus the fluids he received at the vet's office. And then, three am I heard the sweetest sound of all..... crunch crunch crunch! It was him eating his dry food!
Today he ate dry all on his own, and wet I just needed to help by spoon-feeding, but that is pretty basic.
He does have diarrhea, and his stools are even more runny now, that he is no longer on Metronidazole, but hopefully the prednizolone will kick in soon and will take care of that.
I don't know if I posted this, so forgive me if it is a repeat - he is taking a break from his stomatitis meds for the five days he will be on pred straight, to give some time for his tummy to heal; this is under his dentist approval, of course. Pred helps with the inflammation on his gums, so he should be ok.
Another piece of good news: His urinalysis came back from the lab, and it was purrfect! No crystals, no blood, no bacteria, and more importantly, his bilirubin levels are normal - the vet was concerned about that since his ALT levels were high and his urine was really dark. Turns out the color must been due to his stomatitis medication.
So, for now he is eating, and doing better.... He is however, under the effects of an appetite stimulant an Reglan... I just pray that he holds his own when he is no longer under those medications so we don't go through this scare again...
We will of course continue the "battle of the poop" and hope to win the war sooner than later!
Thank you so much for your support furriends, we really really appreciate it!

Hello Furriends. Meowmy Here!
I wish I Had better news,I wish I was here to say Bugsy finally got all better, and all was well... But unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case...
Metronidazole didn't work, so his vet decided to put him on a low dose of steroids (Prednizolone 5mg, Bugsy is 17lbs, so this is almost 1/2 dose although he could be on a maximum of 15mg a day) for 5 consecutive days, then every other day for 2-3 weeks then we will taper him off of it.
Unfortunatelly also, Bugsy stopped eating yesterday, which scared me very very much. He would get close to his plate, stare at his food, lick one kibble or two, and walk away... He also looked quite sad last night, had sunken eyes...
This morning he didn't eat his breakfast either, so I hurried to the vet.
They ran a blood count and an urinalysis, which was sent to an outside lab as his urine was quite dark... He takes daily medication and his medication stains quite a bit, so that could be it, but we are not taking a chance.
His ALT levels are elevated, Normal range is 12-132, his are at 165. All the other liver enzymes were normal. His Globulin is also a bit high, but the vet explained that is due to the inflammation on his intestinal tract.
He was running a fever, of 103.1, but his white blood cells were normal.
He was given fluids, an appetite stimulant and Reglan to coat his stomach and intestinal tract.
Since he is not eating, I am not taking a chance, and I am being proactive force-feeding him with a syringe until he starts eating on his own, especially since his ALT numbers came back elevated...
I just want my boy to have a break... That's all I am asking... It really doesn't seem to be much to ask... It is one thing after another... I want him to be healthy, happy... to be my Bugsy he has always been...
Please pray for my baby boy...

Hi Furriends, Bugsy here!
As you can see on the video below, I have trained meowmy well!
See, I am hairy.... REALLY hairy... And I get annoyed/distracted all the time cleaning my mane, almost to an obsessive degree... What happens is that I get tired of eating after a while, so much cleaning I have to do.
So, meowmy lets me eat from my plate as much as I will have on my own, then she will spoon feed me the rest....
Guys, I promise, she is not crazy... Or is she? It is just that I get some of my meds in my wet food, so meowmy needs to make sure I eat every bit of it... Plus after my UTI, the more stinky goodness the better!
Thanks for being here with me all the step of the way furriends!

Hello Furriends,
Meowmy here!
Ok, so the results are finally back back from the lab, and they are great!
Soooo....
IBS is either non existing or too mild and he doesn't require steroids...
B-12 levels normal;
No pancreatitis;
Folates are high, indicating the culprit: Clavamox killed the microflora in his gut, which caused an overgrowth of bad bacteria resulting on inflammation from which he is having a hard time recouping.
Treatment: Metronidazole to reduce inflammation, fiber to build bulk and slow down his intestinal tract, and probiotics to rebuild his intestinal flora. Basically, just continue with what we are already doing!

                              **NOTHING SERIOUS, THANK GOD!!!**

On the fecal exam, no giardia, no T.Foetus, no parasites...
Darn clavamox!!  I am sooooooo relieved!!!!!!
Now it is just a matter of time and patience, but my boy is going to be just fine YEY!!!!!!!
I was literally shaking for about half an hour after I hung up the phone with the vet... My heart was pounding, I just couldn't contain myself... I have been so worried for so long... Receiving these news was simply the best thing that could ever happen...
I know it can take a while for his body to come back to normal, but now at least I know he is going to be OK... I know he is going to be OK! HE IS GOING TO BE OK!

Hi Furriends,
Bugsy here!
I finally took the laptop from meowmy to write to you furriends - I missed writing on our bloggie!
Thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts - it really helps for sure!
First the most important update of them all: My bottom is much better, thank you very much! Yes, I still have diarrhea... 60 days of diarrhea, to be precise, but meowmy got a powder to put on my bum-bum that is just awesome, so I no longer have bottom problems! Whew, at least that furriends!
Now onto the technical stuff:
I wish I had more news... But the comprehensive blood test that is testing me for B-12 Levels, IBD, folate levels and Pacreatitis is late and did not come back this week as it was supposed to...
Meowmy had another conversation with the V-E-T, and here is where we are: Yesterday was Day 4 of Metronidazole, and I still have diarrhea, which meowmy thought was strange. Per the V-E-T, it is still early to judge, as this time is the first time I am not taking centrine or amforol with it - my bowels are very inflamed, and it can take a little longer, not to be too concerned with this timeframe. You guys don't know, but Tylan did nothing for me, so the V-E-T stopped that and put me back on 14 days of Metronidazole...
My CBC came back normal except for my calcium levels that came 1 point elevated. He said not too worrisome as if it was lymphoma it would be MUCH higher. My numbers are in line with bowels inflammation.
Meowmy is really gross furriends! Can you believe I caught her messing with my poop and a stick, on the top of a plate? Ewww! She said she was collecting a sample to take to the V-E-T (I think that was really all part of an obscure ritual, but we will never know... Humans are just weird)! Ewwww! Anyway, she dropped it off this morning... The lab will test my fecal sample for the regular parasites, Giardia, and try to test for T. Foetus as well. She asked him if he thought we should go ahead and do a PCR test for T. Foetus, and he said to try this first, as in a lot of cases this lab is able to catch both Protozoa and we might be able to save the expense this way. He has had good results with them. He wants to see the blood test first before moving into the PCR for T Foetus as the next step - he really feels the answer will be in the blood.
I am taking a very strong Probiotic now called Proviable-DC.
Aside from that, the instructions is to continue all as is - Hills Z/D, 1 capsule of Psyllium Husk a day added on my wet food, and at least 9 more days of Metronidazole (yuck). Depending of my blood test results, medications will be added accordingly, or more tests will be ordered.
I continue to do well aside from the diarrhea - my appetite is great, no more weight loss, my mood and behavior are completely normal, coat, skin, everything is a-ok.
I hope this test comes back first thing Monday morning, as meowmy is about to go nuts here!
Anyway furriends, sorry for all the technical talking... Meowmy told me to tell you all everything very carefully... and you know... I tried my best to talk human... I like my simpler cat language better!
Thanks for all the prayers again furriends! Please keep praying... I am tired of all the medication, of a sore bum, and of a tummy-ache... Two months of diarrhea is no fun!

Hi, Meowmy here...
So, after 15 days of unsuccessful Tylan, and almost 60 days of chronic daily diarrhea, Bugsy went back to the vet today.
Anyways, here is where we are today:
The vet discontinued Tylan and he is now back on Metronidazole for 2 weeks. Tylan just didn't do anything for him.
Bugsy lost one pound this last month - while it is not a huge weight loss, it can mean something else is wrong... Two different blood tests will be run - one, which I get tomorrow, is a full blood panel, plus electrolytes.
The other one, which I get Thursday or Friday, is a PLI, Cobalamin, and will also test for Folates - aiming to catch early stages of pancreatitis, Confirm IBD, Folate deficiency, etc. A comprehensive fecal will also be done testing for Tritrichonoma and giardia.
The vet said since his appetite is good, he is acting normal, and everything else is normal as well, there is no reason to be very worried at this point... If he was lethargic, losing massive amounts of weight and not eating, then he would be concerned about lymphoma and would order a biopsy immediately (he said this is the only case he will order one, or if the tests indicate anything that is related to lymphoma).
He said that the weight loss might be due to nutrient mal-absorption, and the diarrhea too (folate or B-12).
Also, it might be the beginning of hyperthyroidism, but since he is so young, the chances are slim. A symptom of it is, however, chronic diarrhea.
In any case, we should know more with the blood tests... hopefully
I just pray my baby gets well soon... I am so very worried...
Thank you for your continuous thoughts and prayers...

Hi, Meowmy here -
Hi Friends, thank you so much for all the purrs and prayers, it really means a lot to us...
So, today was his 6th consecutive day on Tylan, so far no throwing up... The vet said he should be much better in one to two weeks - God, I hope so... I see no significant improvement yet - I guess some, but not too much... don't know if it is wishful thinking... (graphic description ahead) His poop went from completely liquid, explosive diarrhea (once a day) to the consistency of soft pudding, also once a day. No where close to be formed yet... I guess I'll wait to day 10 and call the vet again for his thoughts depending on how he is.
His belly feels a little softer, so I guess it is good news...
His appetite was low for a little while and he lost some weight, but then I can also attribute the weight loss to removing the high calorie food from his diet (EVO/Origen, removed since his UTI). I guess I should say he actually lost some considerable weight, which worried me yesterday when I weighed him. On his consult on the 8th he weighed 18lbs, yesterday he weighed 16.7lbs. That is over a pound in a little over 2 weeks; not healthy for an overweight cat. There are several things that come to mind - a different scale can be one - the vet scale versus mine at home; loss of fluids is another consideration... I don't think he is eating so little fo me to be worried... He is eating his two wet meals, and is still eating his dry food - thankfully, these last two days his appetite seems to be perking up - I have been watching him very closely...
I hope this works... It sure is slower than Metronidazole.... But then again, if I can keep him on it long term with no side effects, and it can take care of the problem, it will be a much better medication in the end.
He does seem to be more alert and have more spunk to him, yesterday and today he has been getting into everything around the house, probably a sign that he feels better... He has had diarrhea for so long, that it is hard to see the little changes on behavior - his behavior had sort of become "normal" to me. He was not lethargic or anything, but this last two days he has had extra energy, and It has definitely been noticeable...
I am just taking it day by day... I have a calendar on my fridge that I mark off the days he takes the meds and how he is doing - I do this every month so I can keep track of him for vet visit's purposes... Every check mark that he doesn't throw up is a victory... That is how I am taking it right now... One check mark at a time...

Hi, Meowmy here...

Let me just say it is a fine, complicated balance to keep Bugsy's health in check... Lately, taking care of him has been keeping me on my toes :(
He was taken into the ER 2am Oct 10th for a very bad bladder inflammation - my baby boy was covered in blood, couldn't pee; it was really really scary... He was then put on a 7-day course of Clavamox and painkillers for a couple of days.

Since the day he started Clavamox, he also started having diarrhea....... and it never stopped. . I spoke to his vet and he wanted to put him immediately on metro and Amforol, I decided to hold it off since he had just been on antibiotics, and he said it would be ok to go on without medication, as long as he was ok otherwise (which he was) - all he would have was a sore bottom.
His bum-bum got so bad it was raw... I mean really raw... Poor baby would cry going potty

On Monday November the 8th I took him in to a new vet (unhappy with old vet, and the vet I really like, also his dentist, was temporarily closed until about now). He was given a shot of Centrine, put on a course of 5 days of Metro, and given Centrine pills to be used as needed.

Except for that Wednesday, when he had one episode of soft poop, he was good the whole week........ until the following Saturday.... when he had bad diarrhea again

I called the vet and we spoke in length about the possibilities...
He thinks this is really an IBD flare and we can try 3 different things. 1- Metro long term, 2x a day, eventually slowly taking him off of it... 2-Another similar antibiotic, with anti-inflammatory properties, given once a day (called Tylan), also long term, also tapering him off slowly after a while... or 3-prednisolone.
Given the fact that he already takes daily medication for stomatitis, on his opinion options 1 and 2 would have the least amount of risks and side effects if used long term. I chose option #2, as it has the lowest side effects, and it has to be given only once a day.

He said he expected him to be much better in a week or two, and if not we will have to go in for blood work. If something shows, x-rays and ultrasound.

Besides the diarrhea, Bugsy does not have a fever, is eating well, drinking, playing, and being completely his normal self. His bottom is back to normal too, thanks to Neo-predef and to mom' daily cleaning with cotton and warm water

Prior to this his IBD was always under control with diet and his LPS medication, which has an immune-mediator, probiotics and anti-inflammatory in it.

I am at a complete loss of what is going on... This never happened for this long...

On a good note my other vet is reopening, and now there are two excellent hands to take care of him...

It is now the 24th, which means he has had diarrhea for the last 43 days or so :(. I had to suspend giving Tylan for a few days last week as he started throwing up on it. Three days he took it, 2 he threw up. The vet thinks it is not because of Tylan, but Bugsy never ever throws up with anything, even taking meds daily, so I am pretty sure it is the medicine - he is my "lovely lemon kitty", and if there is a 1% chance of a side effect, well... you can bet he will have it.
So, effectively, he has been on it for only the last three days... I pray that he doesn't start throwing up again... I am doing my best to make sure he eats a meal before giving him the meds, but it is not always possible...
I really, really hope this works, because if it doesn't it seems we will be entering a wild ride here with blood tests, ultrasounds, and perhaps a biopsy.

If you could please spare some vibes and prayers for my boy... I would really appreciate... I love him more than words can explain... I just want him to be alright... I love him with all my heart and then some...

Hi Furriends!
Lucky here to report TROUBLE! I am the one posting today, since I am the only one who can seem to be able to say anything nice about this situation.
This little "lady" below (meowmy calls sweetie), is Gracie... She has moved into our bathroom last Monday, and has been there ever since.
See, her old meowmy can no longer take care of her due to Alzheimers and Gracie was doing very poorly outside... Gracie has lived in our building for the last 12 years (she is 12) as an inside/outside kitty, but she has been outside lately without her much needed thyroid medication.... Apparently our meowmy got softy and couldn't see Gracie doing badly any longer... So.... Long story short, here she is, in our bathroom since Monday.
Meowmy says that aside from the thyroid, she is doing fine... She is just very very thin... She lost 1.8lbs since April, last time she took her meds.
She also came in covered with fleas (ok, THAT is not cool), so Meowmy took her today to the groomers!
Let me tell you one thing furriends, I don't know how the groomers survived... This girl is MEAN! She hisses like no kitty - she sounds like a LIONESS! HHHHIIIIISSSSS! Even meowmy is afraid of her - you can believe it furriends, it is true!
She hisses hisses hisses.... Very scary.... I hope we all survive this thing called introduction...
Anyways, here is the lean mean eating Gracie machine! :)
<edit by Meowmy> Gracie is a sweetheart with me, lets me pet her, and everything... She is sure appreciating love, plenty of food, a warm bed, her meds, and the safety of a home... She doesn't seem depressed at all - I was very afraid of that, since she seemed to love outside so much. She is hissing less and less, but still hisses when I touch her in the wrong places, or try to put her in the carrier - or when I am with her and she sees the kitties. Like Lucky described, her hiss is scary, super scary actually :) something I have never seen before, specially considering she is tiny - but she doesn't show claws or anything like that. She gets her point across though, LOL. I am taking the introduction very slowly and will let her out of the bathroom only when she is comfortable with the kitties, as I don't want her to be stressed out and I want this to work - I want her to be happy here... I want her to have a pampered, sheltered and happy life forever and ever... She is a special little lady!