Conference misery::feline

    Trevor,
    
    I hope others will respond to you, but my first reaction from
    what you have written is to go to another vet for a second 
    opinion.  Perhaps you didn't explain everything, but you did
    a good job!
    
    I would question all those days on the liquid parafin and how
    it affects the absorption of nutrients.  You never said why Mischa
    was blocked in the first place.  You may be able to resolve it just
    by changing her type of food. She is 15, but that doesn't mean
    she could have a lot of years left.  I would be very careful
    to act quickly with her though.  I can recommend a cat
    specialist if you would like.
    
    In the meantime, Lactol is a good supplement for feeding babies.
    I would caution it's use for an older sick cat becuase as a mile
    product, it could screw up the bowels more.  Nutrical is good
    and probably best to use is AD a produc you can pick up at a vets.
    It is made by Hills and can be sucked up into an oral syringe and
    fed that way.  It has the cosistency of a thick pudding. High in 
    calories, protein and fat.
    
    I think you should really get Mischa to another vet asap if she
    is still feeling poorly.  It is not the end!  I nursed back
    my Stinky this year who lost the entire lining of his bowel.
    When human babies get it (I forget what my nurse friend called it)
    they usually die.  You may need to give sub-q fluids for a few days 
    too.  It's not hard to do and many here can help you.
    best to you both,
    Karen

    Treavor - I agree with Karen..  Maybe a second opinion would be best...
    It can't hurt... 
    
    What about trying some baby food.... When my kitties wouldn't eat I
    would give them some baby food.  They seem to like the chicken
    flavor...
    
    I keep my fingers cross.. Please let us know how you are doing....
    
    
    *joyce
    
    

    Treavor.....I have been through "hell" with one of my cats who
    had bowel problems for over three months.   (read Note 62 in this
    file!!)   After trying multiple laxatives, different diet, ennemas
    etc...we were also told that we might want to consider putting him
    to sleep because they estimated his age between 10-12 and he kept
    getting blocked!  We ended up taking him to Tufts Animal Hospital 
    where he was diagnosed with Megacolon.   Tufts also tried to solve 
    the problem with very strong laxatives...but in the end my kitty 
    (Van Gogh) ended up having 80% of his small intestines removed.
    
    The operation was a GREAT success and Van Gogh recuperated very
    quickly and has had no problem since. (that was three years ago!!)
    I'm not saying the operation is the answer...but as Karen says
    try other vets because there might be better alternatives!!!
    
    Good luck...and please keep us posted.
    
    Sandy
    

   Wonder why they call it megacolon.... seems to be the oppisite to me...:-)

    Trevor,
    
    I more than wholeheartedly agree with the previous notes.  Just like
    humans, get another opinion.  Fifteen is NOT that old for a cat,
    although, not young either.  Depending on where you live, I know there
    are many noters here who can offer you excellent referrals.  If you
    live in the Nashua/Merrimack area, Merrimack Animal Hospital is the
    place to go ( I say this with NO hesitation as I brought Floyd there
    only last night).
    
    Kitties who don't feel well will eat baby food and baby food is easily
    digested.  I don't think I would be AS concerned with her 'eating', but
    more importantly, ensure she drinks.  Any living creature can go on
    with little or no food (for awhile), but can't/should NEVER go without
    fluids.
    
    Good luck and take heed from these other noters who are very
    experienced in cat care, they sure helped me!
    
    Keep us abreast as to your baby's condition.  My prayers are with you
    all.
    
    Sandra

    In addition to the baby food, there is a veteranary supplement called
    Nutragel here in the US. It comes in a tube, and if you squeeze out an
    inch or so, that is about 100 calories; about 3 1 inch servings is
    contains a days calories, vitimins and neutrients. You just wipe it on the
    cats tounge. HOwever, I think that base noter was in the UK. While I'm
    sure that there must be a similar product available, I don't know the
    name.
    
    Hope this helps,
    Deb

    I agree with the other replies, I would get your kitty to a more
    expert vet asap.  Perhaps there is a veterinary school near
    you and you could see someone on the faculty.  Please let us know
    what's happening.
    

    
    Thanks to everyone for your support, it's so nice to know that so many
    people care.
    
    Sadly Mischa died yesterday evening (Friday 7th) at 7.45pm. She had been 
    very weak on Thursday and when I got home Friday morning my mum told me 
    that when she woke up around 7am she was hardly breathing but after she 
    gave her 5ml of the Lactol mix her breathing seemed to improve. I said
    that we should give her 10ml of water right away - I thought she was in
    shock because her toes were cold so we wrapped her in a warm blanket
    (not too heavy). I didn't go to bed because I didn't think she would live 
    much longer. Anyway, by 1pm her breathing was o.k. and her toes had
    warmed up and she seemed to be really peaceful. My mum said I should
    get some sleep so I went to bed until 4pm. When I got up Mischa was
    still alive, no worse than she had been in the morning but only semi
    conscious, she couldn't hold her head up because she was so weak ! 
    Around 7.40pm she sighed a couple of times and then sort of coughed or
    hiccup-ed a couple of times so I lifted her onto the floor so she could
    lay flat incase she was about to throw up. Well, the next I noticed was
    liquid running out of her nose and mouth and she stopped breathing. 
    
    I didn't attempt mouth-to-mouth because she had been so weak before
    this that I thought it was kinder just to let her go. She'd been
    through a lot of discomfort after having her intestines manipulated to
    break up the blockage and she'd had an enlarged kidney. 
    
    She had seen three different vets - one who's in his 50's and has
    plenty of experience and two who are in their 20's and perhaps don't
    have the experience but are fresh from vet college so should know about
    the latest techniques. The two younger ones would have given up and
    told me to have her put down two weeks ago (at the time they saw her
    they just said to give her liquid paraffin and if the blockage didn't
    move we should have her put down). It turns out she was just coming up
    to her 14th birthday but the vet didn't think she could survive an
    operation and that it wouldn't be fair to put her through it at that
    age. They thought that she must have some growth (i.e. tumour) in her 
    intestine (although they couldn't feel it they felt that there must be 
    something there to stop the food from moving through).
                                                         
    I wish I had thought to put my note in this conference two weeks ago.
    Maybe there would have been something the vet could do like having part 
    of her intestine removed. But it's too late to change things now. 
    
    She was a wonderful cat - a Black and White 'moggy' who looked very
    much like Sox (i.e. the Whitehouse cat). She had such a personality 
    (don't they all !) and was my best friend (and my parents') ! 
    After she died I cleaned her up with mild shampoo to remove the liquid
    paraffin which had soaked into the fur down her front from where we'd
    spilled it before we got the hang of giving it to her using the
    syringe and I dried her off with the hairdryer. I'm sure she would have
    been a lot happier to be clean again. I buried her in the garden this
    morning and planted a pink rose bush over her (named "Prima Ballerina" 
    - she was a very feminine cat) ! 
    
    Thanks again to all of you for your replies. Hopefully because of this
    entry someone else, in a similar situation, will know what action to take
    and maybe save their cats life.
    
    Trevor
    
    (Digital CSC, Basingstoke, UK)

    Trevor, so sorry, you did all you could I'm sure.
    
    If you get another cat perhaps you could try making your own food? It
    is very satisfying knowing exactly what your cat is getting and the
    best thing about it is that you can make slight alterations to the food
    when something happens to the cat. The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazer
    gives a good recipe for home made food, not to mention many helpful
    hints on home cat care (saves on vet bills).
    
    chris
    

    I'm so sorry to hear this. 
    
    Deb

    
    Ref .9 and .10
    
    Thanks Chris and Deb for your kind words of sympathy. 
    
    I'm going through a 'guilt' phase at the moment. I mean, last week on 
    Tuesday after she had cleared her system she only had a couple of mouth
    fulls of food and I just thought it might take her appetite a while to 
    return because her tummy hurt (well, her intestines would have been 
    bruised from where the vet manipulated them). The vet didn't even
    suggest giving her Lactol or anything to help keep her strength up and 
    I can't stop thinking that if I'd started giving it to her on Tuesday
    then maybe she'd have recovered. I guess there must have been something
    seriously wrong with her intestines for them to have blocked up so
    badly in the first place. I guess I'm just punishing myself because I
    couldn't save her. From other notes I've read what I'm going through is
    part of the grieving process but it doesn't stop it from hurting ! 
    
    I'm already thinking of getting another kitten, well, two actually !
    A friend of mine has a cat with a litter of black and white kittens.
    They are just 7 weeks so they won't be ready just yet but I'm going to
    see them on Tuesday. I think it will be nice to have two so that they
    can keep each other company.
    
    Thanks again
    
    Trevor.

    
    Hi Trevor,
    
    I've just read your note and have tears in my eyes.  I know how hard it
    is to lose a furry friend.  About six weeks after I had to get my 16 yr
    old moggy put down my other half brought home an eight week old kitten.
    My immediate reaction was that it was too soon, however that only
    lasted about 10 minutes before I fell head over heels again.  
    
    I would definately recommend getting two littermates.  We waited a year
    before getting another one and although it has worked out well I would
    always get two littermates in future.
    
    They will never replace any cats you have had before but will give you
    alot of new joy and make you remember the good times you had.
    
    Kirsty (Ayr)
           

    Treavor - So sorry to hear that Mischa didn't make it.   
    
    
    Don't be to hard on yourself..  You did everything that you could and I
    am sure that Mischa knew it..  She knew how much you loved her...
    
    She is no longer suffering and she is with lots of other furry friends.
    
    Try to remember all of the good times that you had with her..  It won't
    make the hurt go away, but it does dull the pain somewhat..
    
    Take care,
    
    *joyce
    
    

    Trevor,
    
    I am sorry to hear of your loss.  It's difficult, to say the least. 
    You did what you could and realized that the best was to let her go. 
    That takes strength.  I'm sure she'll love the roses.  Just try to
    understand that she's in Kitty Heaven and watching over you just like
    you did for her.
    
    I know there are no words to comfort you, but thru this notesfile, all
    we can offer are words and warm hugs from afar.  Please know our thoughts 
    are with you.
    
    Sandra

    Tevor,

   I'm sorry about Mischa but please don't beat yourself too badly, you did
   what you could and I'm sure she knows that !

   I'll add Mischa to the SLM listing so that, whenever we get around to
   making a donation, she'll be remembered as well.

   with sympathy,
   Debbi

    
    Trevor,  my sympathies on Mischa's loss, you did your best and please
           don't make it harder on yourself with the guilt thing. 
       
          I pray that pain goes away for you and all that is left is the 
          wonderfull memories. 
    
    Shaw

    I'm very sorry.  I'm sure you did all you could, and I'm glad your
    kitty was able to be at home with you at the time,
    
    Karen
    

    I am so sorry for your loss.  I put a guilt trip on myself too.  But
    that just ate me up.  I had to get another cat right away to take my
    mind off of Sunny.  It was just too painful for me to deal with.
    
    Check your local library for books on grieving for your pets.  It
    helped me.
    
    
    
    Donna

	Trevor, sorry to hear about your cat. Getting 2 kittens will be a joy. 


Glen

    Trevor,
    I am sorry to read of Mischa's passing.  That was one loved
    and well cared for kitty.  Paw pats to you...
    Karen and all her 'moonstas'
    

    Trevor,
    
    I too am very saddened to hear of your loss.  When my Moon died (at
    17.5 years) we had already adopted two littermates and I went through
    the feelings of guilt at having brought strangers into the house at the
    twilight of Moon's life.  But Moon had risen above it (and didn't blame
    me), and besides, "the boys" gave her something to think about!  Then
    after Moon's passing the boys *always* provided laughter through the
    tears, and furry bodies to cry into....  Now, a year and a half later,
    I'm *so* glad we got the 2 of them.  They're VERY different (from Moon
    and from each other) but they play together and have sorted out who's
    alpha-cat in which situations!  As others have said, they don't replace
    the kitty who passed on, but they bring their own uniquely wonderful
    purrsonalities to love.
    
    I'm sure Mischa knew you were doing everything you could for her.
    
    Leslie

    Trevor,
    
	My sympathies to you on your losing Mischa.  Please don't beat
	yourself up too badly, you did the best you could for her.  I
	have always blamed myself for the death of my cats...if only
	I'd done this differently...but after awhile realized I did
	what I thought was best at the time, and that's all we can do.

	Have you considered getting a pair of adult cats?  Cats looking for
	homes has quite a few tempting offerings right now.

	Good luck, and go easy on yourself.

	Hugs,
	Laura

    Hind sight is always 20/20.  You know, we all do what we can
    and think is best at the time.  The knowledge you gain from 
    terrible things like this can help in the future.  Just because
    you didn't know it "now", don't beat yourself up.  I have made
    mistakes and hope I don't ever make the same one again.  There
    are sooooooooo many things that can go wrong, you can't know
    everything.  Even alot of the vets aren't right every time either.
    Remember, we are human.
    Karen

    
    Thanks to all of you for your kind words of sympathy. You're right,
    Karen (.23) that we all do the best we can at the time and learn
    through experience. I'd never have imagined that Mischa had a blockage
    in her intestine when she first stopped eating. It's only since then
    that I've read about it in a few books. Because of what has happened 
    I will make a point of checking that my cats are having regular
    movements (though it's a bit difficult if they wander into next doors
    garden). 
    
    I've now got two eight week old black and white kittens from the same
    litter. They are both female and they are really good fun to have
    around even though they are a handful. I think this is the easy part,
    once they are a few months old I can imagine them chasing each other
    all over the house and climbing up curtains ! At the moment they love
    climbing up peoples legs ! They climb up mine when I'm sitting on the
    settee and they curl up on my lap and go to sleep (on top of each
    other) ! 
    
    I've have to get them vaccinated next week and then they can go out in
    the garden. I'm not planning on letting them stay out unsupervised. 
    
    Thanks again to everyone.
    
    Trevor