Conference misery::feline

    Kitty prayers comming your way.  How is Misha's bowels???
    
    Sandy

	Yes, kitty prayers and crossed paws from here.  They worked for
	C.C. and me!

	Do cats tend to have thyroid problems?

	Sandy

    Steffi, my thoughts and prayers are with you (sniff).  I hate reading
    notes like this.... hate it, hate it, HATE IT!!
    
    But I want you to know I am here if you need to talk.
    
    Hugs -- big ones!!
    
    -Roberta
    

Has the vet checked his heart (rate, etc)?  Check for Cardiomyopathy with an 
ultrasound.  Josh lost weight in the last 10 months of his life.  HCM claimed 
him as a victim.  All other signs were normal except for a slightly elevated
heart rate (at the vets, which could be considered normal due to stress).  
I'm kicking myself now for not thinking of the weight loss as a possible 
symptom. I [preferred to think that Hannah might have been getting him in 
shape........

    Misha has been tested for hyperthyroid and the tests were negative. 
    The ultrasound wouldn't hurt if Steffi's vet has access to one.  The
    bloodwork was normal except for a slightly elevated BUN and Creatinine
    (kidney function tests).
    
    Jo

    This sounds like what the vet told me to look for w/ Nippa, and then
    we'd have to go to plan B - the serious treatment.
    
    They think Nippa is either very sensitive to food or has some sort
    of imflamation/irratation in either her tummy or bowels.  I voted for
    the sensitivity and the told me to look for symptoms like what your
    experiencing.  Does Misha vomit a lot?
    
    warm wishes....
    
    Michele & Nippa

    One of Tiki's problems was that he went down from 20 lbs. to 14 lbs. in
    no time.  We thought it was wonderful!  We'd been trying to get his
    weight down for YEARS (he was, at one time, 25 lbs).
    
    At the time, he was active, playful, eating...his usual ol' ornery
    self...until the last day.
    
    His story...liver failure.
    
    I don't know if this will help, but it might give you something to look
    for.
    
    I'm here.
    
    *hugs*
    K.C.

    I wrote Steffi off line, cause my thoughts were directly in line with
    .4's.  Murdock had lost 3 pounds in 3 months and his coat was looking
    scrappy.  These were very early signs, before the cardio was actually
    diagnosed.  He had the elevated heart-rate too, which the vet said could
    be due to stress.  I waited 2 weeks before doing the xray; by that
    time, he couldn't have been saved.  (We did extensive bloodwork
    first to rule out abnormalities.)
    
    If ultrasound is not available, an xray is less expensive and the
    results diagnosed by a cardiologist.  My vet had to consult one because
    xrays usually aren't as valid as ultrasounds when it comes to detecting
    cardio.
    

    Misha has had his heart listened to, and a chest x-ray and the results
    of both were deemed "normal" by Steffi's vet.  They are probably going
    to be seeing an internist tomorrow though.
    
    Unfortunately, weight loss and coat changes occur in almost all
    illnesses.  Other than those symptoms, there has been nothing else to
    go on, no vomiting, no litterbox behavior changes, no excessive water
    consumption, no loss of appetite, etc.  No other symptoms that Steffi 
    can think of.
    
    Keep those great ideas coming, this one has had us stumped.
    
    Jo
    

>    Have any of you experienced anything like this?  Any ideas?  We are so
>    worried.  He is our special boy born right on our bed and such a
>    sweetheart.
    
Steffi,

when we lost Tabby's sister, she has symptoms like this...and it was due
to a cancerous tumor in her colon.  We didn't catch it in time, and we lost
her while in surgery.  I would not wait on seeing an internist...it probably
can be taken care of if caught in time, whatever it is.  The symptoms do
sound serious.  You know I have my fingers and toes crossed on this one...

				D

    I have no idea what symptoms heartworms cause, but I've heard that
    they occasionally show up in cats.  Maybe?
    
    If Misha had a tumor in his colon or elsewhere in his "middle",
    perhaps it wouldn't have shown up on the chest xray, and they need
    to do an xray further down?
    
    Might it be worth trying one of those "rice-and-X' diets just on the
    off chance its a new sensitivity?  But I don't want to suggest putting
    him thru something that willl not do any good and make him unhappy.
    

    An x-ray on a cat is a "whole body" x-ray.  Cats are so small that the
    x-ray covers them from neck to tail.  No abnormalities have been noted
    from his x-rays so far.  Steffi's vet will be going over them with a
    radiologist though, just to be sure.
    
    This is really puzzling.
    
    Jo
    
    

    If it was heartworm, the cat would have basofillas (my spelling based
    on how the vet pronounced it) in it's blood - I have no idea if it is a 
    common thing to test for....but you could ask if they check for them.
    
    Karen's note also jogged something in my mind....they told me that
    if nippa had some sort of internal thing, she'd probably stop throwing
    up all together, and then the coat would go, weight loss.....becasue
    she wouldn't be getting adequate nutrition.  Is Misha eating well?
    
    Michele
    

    Jo,
    
    That is interesting about the xray.  I never knew that!!  Thanks for
    sharing it.  This file sure is a wealth of information, and that tidbit
    is a nice cost saving factor too, since one xray covers everything!
    
    Prayers and hugs for Misha still flowing strong.
    

    My prayers are with you too and hugs from all my babies....
    
    I do have a thought thou....  My DejaVu goes from a 10-lb kitty to an 
    8-lb kitty every year around this time.  You would swear I was starving
    her.  Believe me, I'm not...  She just likes to *slim-down* for the 
    summer.  Besides her bikini fits better that way.  
    
    Please keep your hopes up.  Maybe your kitty is just getting ready for
    the summer months..
    
    Good luck,
    
    Sandi and the Storm-Troopers
    

    Steffi,
    
    I've got everything crossed for you!
    
    Take care,
    
    Lisa.  
    
    

    Thank you all, for your support and good ideas.  Here's the update. 
    Our vet spoke to the internist yesterday. The internist said she was
    not familiar with a case of cardio where weight loss accompanied the onset.
    She also said that from what my vet told her it sounds like an inflamatory
    bowel.  She wanted the blood work redone and also a fecal sample.  So
    we put Misha in a room alone with food water and potty.  He ate the
    food, probably drank water but didn't touch the potty box.  We took him
    to the vet's this morning for the blood work.  They could barely get a
    fecal sample from him.  We took him home and got the room ready for his
    exile again.  Went to find him and I saw him coming out of the bathroom
    where the litterboxes are.  I found a fresh one which I was 90% sure
    came from him, and we took it back to the vet.  Bob just got the
    results...no signs of anything.  I hope that was really his.  We still
    have him isolated and I hope he'll leave a desposit in the box today. 
    We have an appointment with the internist tomorrow afternoon.  I hope
    she can find what's wrong and that it's easily fixed.
    
    The vet's senior tech is very impressed with our feline network.  (Bob
    told her about it).  I'm very grateful for it and all of you.
    
    Steffi

    What's an inflamatory bowel?  Does it stop nutrients from
    being absorbed?  Maybe Misha should be getting some extra nutrition
    (vitamins? some suppliment?) to help him along until this gets
    figured out?
    

    I know this is probably a longshot but when the first symptoms of my
    Tala's feline leukemia showed up weight loss was one of them.  Her gums
    were also pure white (normally pink).  I'm sure your cat has already
    been tested for this but on the off chance that the vets are all
    concentrating on the wrong end?
    
    Tala also suffered from gastroenteritis when she was very young (she
    was 9 when she died).  She had projectile vomiting and all kinds of
    problems.  I had to feed her special food from the vet.  After a while
    (a LONG while it seemed!) she just grew out of it.
    
    Good luck!

    
    I can appreciate everyone's desire to assist Steffi in figuring this
    mystery out, but I think that we should take into account the results
    of the tests as they come in and work with concrete data.  In a
    situation like this I think that people have a tendency to "think the
    worst" and need as much support as possible.  Throwing out ideas for
    life threatening diseases without info to substantiate it can be
    a pretty scary thing if you are on the receiving end.  I'd be hanging
    from the ceiling at this point...
    
    

    Steffie-
    
    That's exactly what my vet called it - inflamatory bowel - and the
    symptoms are exactly how he described an advanced case of it.
    
    It's not really serious, but the cat can not absorb the nutrients
    from the food for whatever the reason.
    
    What my vet wanted to do was an endoscopy - but I didn't want to put
    her through the trama of that when she looks good (overweight, shiney
    coat).  The vet will trank. the cat and stick this endo scope from the
    mouth down to look at the tummy and from the bum up to see the
    intestines.  There is medication for this and a mild diet accompanies
    it as well.
    
    	Good luck.....Michele

    Steffie....good thoughts and prayers still coming your way!
    
    Another thought would be Megacolon....when VG first started having
    intestinal problems...the vets used the process of elimination to 
    finally determine it was Megacolon.  In the beginning he was eating
    fine, drinking fine, and was still passing stool once in awhile...
    but every third day he would have a hard time going.
    
    Megacolon can be medically treated or surgery can take care of
    the problem.  VG is doing fine now after his surgery.
    
    Please keep us posted....we all care!
    
    Sandy
    
        

Steffi,

okay, it sounds like you have a very treatable problem...I am so relieved.
Keep us posted...we can all learn from these situations.

				D

    Here's the latest.  We took Misha to the internist Friday.  She
    listened very closely to his heart and did detect something that did
    not sound right.  Bob will be taking Misha in on Wednesday for an
    ultrasound.  There was a pound discrepancy between the scales at both
    vets.  At the internist, Misha weighed 8.2, three days earlier at the
    vet's he weighed 7 lbs. We now have all the cats on Science Diet Feline
    Growth, to try to get some weight back on Misha.  Unfortunately, there
    is one cat, Misty who doesn't need to gain an ounce.  I'll try to
    get her to exercise more. 8-}.
    
    Please keep those fingers (and paws) crossed for Misha.
    
    Thanks,
    Steffi 

    All my fingers are crossed, and so are five sets of paws at home.
    
    Steffi, hang in there, and if you need to talk, please do not hesitate
    to contact me by mail or by phone.
    
    -Roberta
    

    Misha had an ultrasound this morning.  Bob told me, Mish was not
    exactly thrilled.  I am very happy to report that his heart is
    perfectly normal-- valve, walls, etc.  It does sound funny to the
    internist, but she says it's just Misha.  His kidneys are a little
    small, but not abnormally so.  The vet said he concentrates his urine so
    the smaller size is not a problem.  His bowel looks clear.  BUT he lost
    a few more ounces. :-(  The vet said we have to find a kitten food he
    really likes and get as much down him as possible, also people food if
    he wants.  He didn't seem to fond of Science Diet feline growth, so Bob
    is going to get some samples of IAMS kitten.  In 7-10 days we'll take
    him back for a weigh-in and see.
    
    They all thought he is just beautiful and so well-behaved.  Bob said
    Mish just sat on the counter while Bob paid the bill.  (It's great
    having a hubby with flexible work hours, since it's hard for me to take
    time off.)
    
    If you have any ideas for some favorite cat fattening foods, please let
    me know.
    
    Thanks for your support and help.
    
    Steffi
    
     
    
    

    I buy cans of tuna in water (that are marked no-kill dolphins)
    and my cats inhale it.  (A diet that's totally tuna is missing some
    important nutrient.)  2 of my 3 inhale the Swanson chunk chicken in
    water;  I stay away from the similarly canned turkey because turkey
    is supposedly hard to digest.
    

    Steffi, give some chicken, turkey or lamb babyfood a try too.  Did
    the vet mention anything about adding a supplement to his diet?
    When Bailey had the unknown kitty bug way back when the vet recommended
    adding calories with Nutrical.  Nutrical is a malt flavored vitamin
    supplement/nutritional booster type of stuff.
    
    Jan

My picky Siamese was starving herself before I got
Max Cat for her.  She loves it. Try it.

...................beth

    Yeah, Max Cat goes over big with my crew too!  They inhale the stuff.
    
    Glad to hear Misha's ultrasound was letter perfect!
    
    -Roe
    

    My Misha *loves* his Max Cat, maybe yours will too! :-)
    
    Mary-Michael
    

    	Kai and Teddy USED to eat Max Cat, but we had to switch to Max Cat
    Lite because they were putting on to much weight. Their stools have
    remained the same and they like it. I too vote for the regular Max Cat
    if your cat is loosing weight. You can buy it in a small bag at most
    pet stores.
    
    Mike

    Thank you for your suggestions.  The Nutrical is a great idea.  I used
    it for Lizette when she need to gain weight.  But I forgot all about it. 
    Our 4 cats love Max Cat.  But the vet says it's not fat enough for
    Misha, which is why we are trying various kitten foods.  They don't
    seem to like the kitten stuff as much.  Bob got an expensive kitty
    snack that's high in fat for Mish and he'll eat a bunch of them.  Bob
    was so relieved that Mish didn't hold going to the vet's against him. 
    And we are both so relieved that his heart is normal.  Now we have to
    get weight on him, sigh :-}
    
    Bob thinks you all are wonderful and thanks you, too.
    
    Steffi
     

    I know my cats love my recipe for chicken breast with rice mixed
    in the blender with chicken broth...but I'm not too sure if it would 
    put much weight on Misha!!   And canned tuna in water (dolphin safe
    of course) is another big treat at my house!!
    
    Glad to heart the untrasound was normal...now if only Misha would
    start eating like a little piggy and put some pounds on!!!
    
    Sandy

    Steffi, Max Kitten food is one of the most fattening kitten foods made!
    That is why I use it on my babies, it keeps good weight on them and
    gives them wonderful coats.
    
    Try to steer clear of giving him too many non-cat food type foods. 
    They are lacking in many important amino acids, and taurine, a
    deficiency of which could cause him to develop Dilated Cardio.  Try
    mixing a few spoonfuls of baby food meat with his portion of dry food. 
    He will probably gobble it right up.
    
    Jo

    Re: snack
    
    Be careful if this is Pounce.  It seems to bring on FUS quite
    quickly in some cats.
    

>    If you have any ideas for some favorite cat fattening foods, please let
>    me know.
    
    Steffi,

	Dilly and The Flash send their highest recommendations for Fancy
	Feast - in particular, they LOVE the fishy ones - flaked fish
	menu options being the current faves.  They are very fond of
	Salmon, flaked tuna combos, "fresh fish" items....anything that
	will give very bad fish-breath for midnight "Hi, Mom!" greetings...

	They also both really love Max kitten kibble...especially if warmed
	in the microwave for approx. 8 seconds to make the smell come up
	a bit - just until warmed a little.
    
this is beginning to sound more and more like a thyroid/diabetes condition -
weight loss being a prime indicator.  This is very good news as both are
totally treatable.

			Keep us posted,

			     D-and-the-wilde-house-gang

    Today was Misha's weigh-in, and the results were not good.  He lost
    another 2/10's of a pound.  He now weighs 7.6 lbs.  Monday he will be
    having the endoscopy done.  Needless to say both Bob and I are really
    depressed over this.  We were hoping that he would at least maintain
    his weight and hopefully gain.  The vet wasn't happy about this either. 
    The endoscopy is expensive but if it shows what is wrong with him, it
    will be worth it.  Misha is still active and playing with Marnie, but
    he doesn't eat with the old gusto he had.  It's going to be a long time
    til Monday. :-{ sigh.
    
    Steffi

    Steffi:
    
    My thoughts are with you and Bob.  I know just how hard that waiting
    can be.  Hang in there - I'll be praying for good results.
    
    Giudi

    I'm thinking of you and Misha also....
    

    Steffi,
    
    You, Bob, and Misha have been in my thoughts these last few weeks.  I
    will continue to think good thoughts and hope the endoscopy provides
    some conclusive information.
    
    The fact that he's still active is good to hear!
    
    Hang in there and keep smiling!!  We'll all take care of the prayers!
    
    -Roberta
    

    Fingers, toes, eyes, paws, tails and hair crossed for you all!
    
    K.C.

    Thoughts and prayers are with you all the way.   I know exactly
    how hard it is to wait...it really does a job on your nerves...
    and you feel so helpless.
    
    Fingers/paws crossed...
    
    Sandy

    Please let us know how Monday goes?  Will you have results quickly.
    I think this is something that I'm going to have to put Nippa thru 
    eventually.
    
    fingers and paws crossed!
    
    Michele & Nippa
    

    Thank you for all all kind thoughts and prayers.  I will let you know
    the results Monday as soon I as do.  Bob and Misha will take me to work
    Monday morning and then Bob will take Mish to the vet's.  Bob said it
    will be quite a long procedure so he won't wait around there.  We will
    both be nervous wrecks until we hear from the vet.  I just hope that
    Mish comes out of the surgery OK.  I am so concerned about him being
    anestestized (spelling's not my strong suit).
    
    Steffi

    Misha came through the procedure well.  He was groggy all evening but
    was able to jump up on the sofa and later the bed to snuggle with us. 
    He ate really well this morning, yah!  The vet gave us Flagl to give
    him even though the test results won't be back til Wednesday or
    probably Thursday.  She said it wouldn't hurt him and if he has an
    imflamatory bowel as she thinks, we might as well start him on
    medication.  He gets a quarter of a pill twice a day.  This morning he
    wasn't expecting it, so it was very easy to pill him. ;-)  We'll see
    how it goes after a few times.  The tech at the vet's said he was so
    bad about accepting an IV they had to tranquilize him before they could
    anestestize him.  
    
    His weight was the same as his weigh-in last Thursday. :-)  He is so
    thin and feels so bony.  It just breaks my heart to feel his delicate
    little body.  He used to be so solid.
    
    Steffi

    Steffi -- I'm sitting here smiling because it sounds as though they are
    very close to pinpointing this!  Glad to hear he came thru the surgery
    well and had one heck of an appetite afterwards.  He sounds like a real
    trooper and a fighter!
    
    Great news, and here's hoping the results will be definitive.
    
    :^)
    
    Roberta

    One thing to make pilling easier - ask your vet if the pill
    can be ground up and mixed in food.  My Misha is currently on
    Ovaban - only he doesn't know it.  What he does know is he gets
    "Misha-nums" (one ground pill, one spoonful of babyfood), and
    he just *loves* those :-) ;-)
    
    Mary-Michael
    

    The vet just called.  Misha has Eofinophilic Enteritis, a type of
    inflamatory bowel disease.  She already put him on Flagl and wants to
    add prenozone for 3 weeks.  Then have him come in for a weigh-in and
    see how he's doing.  He ate very well yesterday and this morning.  I
    hope the medication will help keep the nutrition in his little body. 
    He loves to be held like a baby, which makes it easy to pill him.  But
    he is good at spitting the pill back up. :-}
    
    I'm am so relieved that he has something treatable and hopefully
    curable as well.
    
    Thank you all, for your prayers and good thoughts.  They helped so
    much.
    
    Steffi

    Great News!!  Something treatable!!  I am so relieved, and I am sure
    you are too.  Let's hope the road to recovery is a smooth one and that
    everything gets back to normal soon.
    
    The prednisone will probably have the added benefit of increasing
    Misha's appetite too, so he should start putting on weight soon. 
    Yippee!!
    
    Jo

    Sounds good.
    
    Oh, Jo: "The prednisone will probably have the added benefit
    of increasing Misha's appetite"  Sweetie, my 16 pounder is on
    prednisone for allergies now.  Just what he needs, an appetite
    stimulant.... actually, I think he's been sleeping more lately -- is
    that a side effect?  He is on a diet.
    

    Well, prednisone has made my husband ravenous and less active, so it
    would probably have the same effect on a cat. :')  Ken is on it for his
    asthma too, so Sweetie isn't alone in this. :')
    
    I just had to have Dream put on Winistrol (another steriod although I
    may have spelled it wrong), to increase her appetite too.  She has been
    battling a severe eye infection and had stopped eating altogether.  The
    Winistrol is not supposed to supress the immune system like Prednisone
    does, but still increases the appetite.  It seems to be working so far.
    She has been eating well since she started the meds yesterday.
    
    Jo

    Great news, Steffi!  TK, my 17 pounder, was also on prednisone for a
    time.  He had an eczema type skin disorder.  So, I too, can vouch for
    the fact that it is an appetite stimulator, not what TK needed at all!
    
    Keep us posted on Misha's progess.  We can all learn from this, if it
    ever happens to one of our cats in the future.
    
    Big smiles for a speedy recovery!!
    
    -Roberta
    

	>Well, prednisone has made my husband ravenous and less active, so it
	>would probably have the same effect on a cat. :')
    
    	Gee, that is strange. Everytime I go on it (for poison ivy), it
    makes me ravenous but also get a good deal of energy and feel real
    good; so good that I usally overdo lifting or whatever, and wind up
    pulling a mussel or dislocating something. It had the same effect on
    my father, too, but he was on it for a very extended perioid of time.
    
    Deb

    This is what the Cornell Book of Cats has to say about Eosinophilic
    Enteritis:
    
    "A similar (here they are refering to the previously discussed illness,
    Alimentary Lymphosarcoma) but apparently non-neoplastic disorder is
    eosinophilic enteritis.  As in alimentary lymphosarcoma, the bowel wall
    is invaded by abnormal numbers of white blood cells, in this instance a
    particular type known as eosiniphils.  Why this happens is unclear,
    although eosinophilic enteritis is often part of a generalized
    overpopulation and invasion of eosinophils known as hypereosinophilic
    syndrome.  Cats with eosinophilic enteritis have long-standing problems
    with vomiting, diarrhea with occasional blood, and weight loss.  Some
    cases respond to corticosteroid (steroid) therapy."
    
    In the previous paragraph they talked about how cells can infiltrate
    the walls of the bowel and interfere with the absorption of nutrients,
    thus resulting in weight loss.  Seems that this was the only symptom
    that Misha showed, other than just general malaise.
    
    Jo

    re: .55
    
    But what does that mean?????  It it curable or is the treatment
    forever?
    
    Steffie, I'm so happy that you know what's going on now w/ your kitty.
    I hope he's doing well.
    
    Michele
    
    p.s.
    
    When I've had prednisone for Poision Ivy, it made me very lethargic,
    very sensitive (cry at the drop of a hat), and somewhat skitziod.  I 
    also had problems with a calcium loss - I guess steriods eat away
    at calcium.  

    Michele,
    
    It sounds like this is very treatable and just an inflammation of
    sorts.  The prednisone should reduce that inflammation.  Also, as Jo
    mentioned, Misha didn't have any of the vomiting or diarrhea, so it
    appears he has a very mild case.  The vet will probably take this one
    step at a time, treat with prednisone, monitor weight, and then go on
    from there.  When TK was on the prednisone for his eczema, the vet
    weaned him off the doseage gradually, and it never recurred.  Perhaps
    this will be the case with Misha.
    
    -Roe
    

    
    
    Steffi, all that I can say is YAHHHHOOOOOOOOO! :')
    

    Hi Roe!
    
    I hope is won't be a long time/life time treatment, because I'm sure
    pilling the cat won't be easy.  Although the baby food trick might
    be a good one to remember.  The medical book description sounds
    unreal.
    
    Michele
    

    Michele,
    
    I have the Cornell book at home, and sometimes need a dictionary nearby
    to help translate!!  :^)
    
    It's a great book, though, and I look things up frequently.  Great way
    to learn.
    
    A human friend of mine has Crohn's disease, another bowel syndrome, and
    she gets on very nicely with a special diet and medication.  These
    sorts of things can almost always be controlled.
    

Dilly and the gang will celebrate now that they know Misha is going to be
okay.  Me too.

			8^}

    Oh Steffi that is *GREAT* news!!!!!   YAHOOOOOOOOO!
    
    I am sooooooooooooooooooo pleased!
    
    Looking forward to seeing the porky Misha soon!!!!!
    
    
    Lisa.
    

    Steffi:
    
    Great News!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Stitch has something similar a few years back and I'm now afraid that I
    have to put him on a diet!
    
    kisses to the boy from all of us
    
         giudi +3

    Steffi - great news!!!  I'm so happy that Misha's problem is treatable
    and he'll be back to his old self soon.
    
    As for prednisone.  My allergist just put me on it for 5 days and I've 
    been wired since I started it.  So far it appears my weight is on a 
    slight downswing too.  I've also been talking a mile a minute to 
    everyone that comes by and I didn't get much sleep last night.  How 
    strange that this stuff could affect everyone so differently.
    
    Jan

    Jan:
    The stuff is really strange.  I got a cordesone shot right in the
    tendon between my big toe and the one next to it and I was sick to my
    stomach for 3 days as well as my entire body feeling hot from the
    inside.  Hopefully I won't need another.
    
    Giudi

    Bob took Misha in for his weekly weigh-in.  He hasn't gained any weight
    yet, BUT he hasn't lost any weight.  He has maintained his current
    weight for 13 days.  He is still on the medications.  The presnidzone
    hasn't seemed to increase his appetite. (sigh, :-})  I guess I'm
    impatient, but I want him better, NOW. 
    
    Steffi

to tempt his appetite, try a nibble or two of poached chicken...or maybe some
fish?  I know Dilly will always eat fish - the smellier the better - and I'm
almost sure she has topped over 7 pounds now.  The downside to this is that
she really has fish-breath.....

If he hasn't lost weight, you are winning...hang in there.

    Bob took Misha in for his weigh-in today, and I am happy to report that
    Mish gained 2 tenths of a pound since last Friday!!!!  He's now 7.8 lbs.
    
    Jo suggested Fresh Catch sardines and shrimp in jelly.  It looks weird
    but he likes it, even cold from the refrig.  I give him a heaping
    teaspoonful and he eats about 3/4 of it.  Not a big appetite yet.  Last
    week the vet gave Mish another pill to take.  It's an ulcer med for
    humans.  So he's getting 2 quarters of pills each morning.  This
    morning he was easy to pill, yesterday he was awful.  He'll go in next
    week for another weigh-in.  
    
    Steffi  

    
    Steffi, I am glad to hear that Mish is making progess!!! That 2/10 of
    a pound will add up in no time!!!  Sending good wishes and birthday
    hugs,
    
    M, the Bales & Callie (yes, she is)
    
    
    

    I am very happy to annouce that Misha now weighs 8 pounds!!!  He is
    back to his old self, his appetite is back to normal, he's very lively,
    and very loving.  He's still on the meds and will be for awhile.  The
    vet would like him to get back to 8 1/2 or 9 pounds.  He feels heavier
    now and more solid.  We are so happy.
    
    Steffi 

    
    Steffi,  Big hugs to Mish, you and Bob!!!!!  I am so glad to hear that
    he is back to his old self!!!
    
    Hugs,
    M, B, & C +3
    
    

	That's fantastic news, Steffi!  It's so good to feel their
	little round bellies, isn't it? :^}

	Sandy and C.C., who is up to 6.5 pounds herself!

    Hey, that's **GREAT** news!!!!
    
    :-) :-)
    
    Lisa.
    

    So happy to hear about Misha.....that is great!!!!
    
    Sandy