the vet called today
February 28, 2006 l Comments Off
Well, I should say, the receptionist at the vet’s office called today. She asked how Miko was doing, wanting to make sure there was no more straining and we were keeping up with her meds. I told them everything was going really well, and we weren’t having any further issues.
She then asked about the mice. I guess when the exotics vet requested the mice’s records, they cued in to the fact that I got a second opinion. The vet was curious as to their diagnosis. I was honest, and said that while the other vet couldn’t conclusively diagnose anything, the mice were put on antibiotics (baytril and doxycycline) and the noises stopped. So much for being surreptitious.
And then a took a deep breath (figuratively, not literally), and I told the receptionist that I wanted to return the un-opened bag of prescription dry food. I’m a wuss when it comes to anything remotely confrontational, so I was quite proud of myself when I said, “I’ve thought it over and I really do not feel comfortable feeding them the prescription food. We’ll be exploring other methods of diet management.” Of course, I didn’t tell her what those other methods were, but I’m sure it will come up soon enough.
She said she’d make note of it, and told me to call if I had any further issues (which was kind of a joke, because when she first called she said, “It’s been a whole week since we’ve talked, that’s unusual.”)
our raw food venture
February 27, 2006 l 1 Comment
The basics of raw food for cats
After a good deal of research and reading, I’ve decided to follow the basic raw diet that Anne lays out on her website, catnutrition.org. A slightly modified version of the recipe can be found at catinfo.org, a knowledgeable site that is run by Dr. Lisa Pierson, a veterinarian.
The only problem with it, is that I don’t own a meat grinder. The foundation of raw feeding is ground meat with bones, or else the cats will be missing out on calcium and other essential minerals and nutrients. To purchase a meat grinder that could also handle bones would be a significant investment, something that is definitely out of my league at the moment.
I was, however, able to find an excellent source of whole ground chicken! Yes, I just purchased 10 pounds of ground chicken plus 2 pounds of chicken hearts (contains taurine, a critical component of cat diets) from Hare Today, and I am quite excited about it.
Hare Today is a small family run farm. We strive for a healthy environment for all our animals without the use of hormones or antibiotics. I believe that a healthy animal raised with plenty of pasture space (rotational grazing) as well as good management techniques does not require all the “preventative measures” found in most feed lot practices. Fresh air, plenty of sunshine and room to roam is by far the best way to raise livestock. The chicken, turkey, pheasant, duck, salmon are USDA inspected ALL NATURAL.
signs you need to clean:
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when the cat starts batting bunny poop across the floor.
further information about raw food
February 26, 2006 l Comments Off
http://www.serve.com/BatonRouge/nutr.htm – tons good information
Recommended Reading:
Raising Cats Naturally, Michelle Bernard (order online at http://www.raisingcatsnaturally.com/)
The New Natural Cat, Anitra Frazier and Norma Eckroate (amazon.com)
I’ve always been interested in the idea of feeding a raw diet to the cats, but never really summoned the energy to make that kind of change. Now that I’m faced with the fact that three of my cats have a lifelong urinary condition, it’s becoming more than just an ‘idea’.
A raw diet is the closest thing to what felines would eat “in the wild”, and is exactly what cats’ bodies were designed to process. For cats with FLUTD, a diet that is mostly meat, without grains, fillers, or preservatives, can help to maintain a healthy bladder and urinary system without any of the unfortunate side effects that prescription diets have been known to cause.
So I’m researching the various pre-made diets, and trying to figure out which one fits best with our particular needs (like certain food sensitivities) and my budget (gotta love being a college kid). Raw will be slightly more expensive than the canned food I am buying now, but I just think of it as using the money that would otherwise go towards vet bills. And as much as I love our vet, I’d really like it if we didn’t have to see him for anything other than annual exams.
Oh, and I’ll need explain to the vet why I’m returning the un-opened bag of prescription dry food, which should be interesting, because he is adamantly anti-raw diet
*eta*
Forget pre-made. I would be willing to forgive the fact that it is more expensive, but it’s nearly impossible to fine a pre-made raw diet that doesn’t have ridiculous ingredients. Like bok choy, alfalfa sprouts, or garlic (which, by the way, can be toxic to cats)
The plan now is to research the most feasible way to make our own food. Lots and lots of reading…I need more Mountain Dew.
thought for the week
February 24, 2006 l Comments Off
Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
- Antoine de Saint Exupery
Miko did not have an infection. There was inflammation and a lot of red blood cells, but very few white blood cells. The vet put her on a mild antibiotic anyway (amoxicillin), plus a steroid (prednisone) to reduce the inflammation.
Still no sign of crystals, or stones, or an out-of-whack pH, however, just because the pH is “normal” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s normal for my cats. My precious, sickly little cats.
The vet’s diagnosis: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
About 2/3 of LUTDs are classified as “idiopathic cystitis”, meaning “bladder inflammation of unknown cause.” It is rare for bacteria to be involved–most are “sterile” inflammations. Less common causes of these signs include behavior disorders, kidney stones, anatomical defects in the bladder wall, other systemic diseases, and bladder cancer.Urinary Tract Disorders in Cats
He is now recommending that we change the diet, and sent us home with a bag of Royal Canin SO. To be perfectly honest, I’m not crazy about the idea.
Apparently they added extra salt so the cats would drink more. If fluid intake is so important, why don’t they just feed them canned food? (this brand does come as a wet food, though I think I’d need the vet to special order it). He did we could return the food if we weren’t satisfied with it.
My first thought: well, at least it’s not Science Diet (the vet doesn’t like C/D because he said it tends to make cats gain weight). And there’s no beef or turkey, which means that Steph and Scully could eat it. I’m sure there are worse things that I could feed my cats, but I’m still a little wary of switching them to an all-dry diet.
*grrrrrrr*
So I just don’t know what to do at this point. I’m going to be buying a fountain to hopefully encourage more drinking, which I know is important. But what should I do about the food?
It just doesn’t make sense to me that cats who need to be flushing out their bladders should eat a dry diet. Am I missing something?
le sigh
February 22, 2006 l 2 Comments
Dropped Miko off at the vet this morning. As soon as I said “straining in the litterbox”, the receptionist said, “I don’t even need to ask who this is.”
Here’s the deal: all three cats seem to be prone to urinary tract infections. No signs of crystals, or stones, or any pH issues. We looked at the things they share in common, namely, environment and diet.
Since stress seemed to be a key factor last time, we changed things around. Moved one litterbox to a quieter location, bought a Feliway plug-in, and even started adding flower essences to one of their water dishes. Their diet is near optimal; high-quality, high-moisture, and they drink a fair amount of water.
Environment and diet: check.
But there is one thing that hasn’t been considered: the cats are related, mother and daughters. An inherited susceptibility is starting to look more and more likely. Oy vei.
So this is something I’ll be talking over with the vet. I’m sick of banging my head against a brick wall. I want my babies to be better.
tuna dreams
February 21, 2006 l Comments Off
disaster preparedness training
February 18, 2006 l 2 Comments
I woke up from my post-third shift rest yesterday afternoon around 5 o’clock, to find that the power lines up the street had been knocked out by high winds. To make matters worse, the outage coincided with some of the coldest temperatures all winter, and since the power had been out for several hours already, the house was starting to get cold.
Immediately I looked for ways to keep the animals warm. I gave the rabbits an extra box filled with hay and newspapers, laid extra blankets out for the cats, and for the mice I shredded more toilet paper and tissues to line their nests. I gave the boys some sunflower seeds as they are a ‘hot’ food (they can help to raise body temperature) and covered their cages with a knitted blanket, praying the whole time that they would stay safe and warm until we got our power back.
I did another check of the animals at 10pm, before I had to leave for work. The cats and rabbits didn’t seem to be too bothered by chilly house, and ate dinner with their usual gusto. Still worried about the mice, I spread some Nutri-Cal (high calorie supplement) and peanut butter over a Ritz cracker and gave the boys each one half, which they gobbled down rather quickly. Giving them each one more handful of shredded newspaper, I prayed that they would stay safe and warm all night. I can’t tell you how much I hated having to leave for work last night.
Dad called me around 4:30 in the morning – we had the power back! He made sure all of the heaters were working, including the one in my room. When I got home at 8 o’clock, the house was warm and the animals were hungry (yeah, yeah, nice to see you mom, now where’s the FOOD?)
Better yet, the mice were awake and gladly accepted a few dried bananas, a reward from a mom who was just glad to see they were okay (whispering a ‘Thank You’ to God). All in all, we spent over 16 hours without heat in the middle of the Maine winter, and everyone is doing fine.
