I'm a pootie person, and I love the pootie diaries. One thing that's obvious to me when I read through them is that a lot of pootie people are dealing with various chronic illnesses in their pooties. There are a TON of resources out there to help pootie people with their precious furbabies, particularly in the Yahoo! groups.
So this diary is a non-diary - it's more of a resource based on the knowledge I accumulated caring for a chronically ill kitty (with CRF) for 18 months. Please don't recommend this - just bookmark it and pass it along to whoever you think might be in need of some resources.
More over the flip.
Above is sweet, beautiful Grady. He was born on March 1st, 1990. He left this earth on March 23rd, 2009, at just over 19 years of age. There's nothing I wouldn't or didn't do for him. At the age of 17 1/2, he was diagnosed with early stage Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). "FAILURE" shrieked in my brain. He was admitted to a critical care facility for a few days of stabilizing treatment, which gave me time to get a grip and try to understand what, if anything, could be done for him.
It turns out that a LOT could be done for him. CRF is incurable - it is, essentially, a slow wearing out of the kidneys. Think of it this way - any kitty that is fortunate enough to live a long time without any other health complications will eventually develop CRF. Once the diagnosis is received, the human in the picture has to shift into a mode that says, "my kitty has limited kidney function, so I'm going to put as little strain on his kidneys as possible to get as much out of the function that remains for as long as possible." Grady went on a prescription renal diet. I became nearly expert at reading and interpreting his bloodwork (which is key). He started receiving sub-cutaneous (subQ) fluids. All of these things combined gifted me - and Grady - with another 18 months of his excellent life. And those 18 months were filled with love & quality. In the end, he didn't succumb to CRF - he had cancer. When he asked me to, I helped him go. And looking back, I a) don't regret a thing; and b) owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the feline CRF community.
Before I list resources for various feline conditions, let me say - vets mean well. But frankly, their practices are primarily dealing with vaccinations, annual checkups, dentals, spaying, neutering, and the occasional infection. Chronic illnesses are not something every vet is experienced with - so you'll find a great deal of variation out there in terms of your vet's capability in dealing with a chronic illness. That's where the various Yahoo! lists come in. They represent oftentimes thousands of members (the CRF list has over 10K registered members and generates about 100+ messages daily) who each see a vet and who have learned different things in dealing with a particular condition. They are an invaluable, aggregated resource.
So let me get to it.
Feline Chronic Renal Failure (CRF):
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Website: http://www.felinecrf.org
Feline HyperThyroidism:
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Cancer:
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Pancreatitis:
Yahoo Group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Irritable Bowel Disorder (IBD):
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Asthma:
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Diabetes:
Yahoo Group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Heart Conditions:
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Assisted Feeding:
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Herpes:
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Infectious Virus (FIV):
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Feline Leukemia (FeLV):
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/...
Let me tell you something. The generosity of spirit of many people on these lists will help restore some your faith in humanity. These are just people - cat people - who have gone through already what you're potentially dealing with. And they are more than willing to give their time and experience to comfort, hold your hand, advise and just plain old help.
A few other things I'd like to mention.
Metacam: For whatever reason, vets like to prescribe Metacam (meloxicam), which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and pain reliever. Metacam is ONLY authorized in the US for use in cats prior to a surgical procedure and then only when administered via injection. If your vet prescribes Metacam for you to use at home, s/he is doing so OFF LABEL (e.g., unauthorized). NSAIDs are on the ASPCA's list of top 10 human medications that poison our pets. Metacam and other NSAIDs specifically can cause kidney failure (Acute Renal Failure - a life-threatening emergency) in cats. There are VERY limited circumstances where at-home Metacam application is appropriate. But you should fully understand the risks and ensure your VET fully understands the risks and the need to test kidney function on an ongoing basis on cats who receive Metacam outside of its one-off, surgical application. This is a VERY dangerous drug for cats, and one vets seem to prescribe with absolutely no knowledge of the potential serious risks.
[UPDATED] I have to add a comment from AAbshier, who knows of which he speaks - just as information:
Putting on the DVM hat here, RE Metacam:
This is a VERY dangerous drug for cats, and one vets seem to prescribe with absolutely no knowledge of the potential serious risks.
I respectfully disagree. Veterinarians are trained that any drug of the NSAID class represents a potential danger for cats, because of the way that they metabolize drugs. Their livers are incapable of a reaction called glucuronidation, and this causes NSAIDs to have a much slower clearance in cats than in dogs or humans.
That said, Metacam CAN be used safely in cats for short-term pain control on a tapering dose schedule, rapidly tapering down from the initial post-op dosage (0.2mg/KG first day, 0.1mg/KG second day, wait two days, then 0.25mg/KG every three days as needed for pain). I have done this protocol for declaws and have not had problems, but I also don't treat for more than two weeks.
Typically I require workup on all cats recieving major surgery (OHE and/or declaws) which includes evaluation of liver and kidney fuction. If either are compromised, I usually won't take them to surgery, let alone get them on NSAID drugs! If surgery is required due to a life-threatening condition, I would use drugs that would not compromise liver or kidney function whenever possible.
You are correct that it is off-label use, but this is authorized if, in the veterinarian's opinion based on the clinical picture, it is the best drug to treat a condition. The veterinarian then is responsible for advising the client on the risks and potential side effects of the drug in question, and give them the choice whether or not to proceed with it.
I'm not some sort of cowboy when it comes to giving drugs, and most other vets aren't either. Please try to be mindful of that, before you tar the good veterinarians with the bad ones in a single brush stroke.
Andy
Alton IL
Andy's a peach and an expert and a great member of this community. Were my vet Andy, I would take whatever guidance he gave. But not all vets are Andy - so I'll just say. Ask questions, exercise caution with ANY medication and be sure you understand the risks and the benefits - AND - most important - that you feel your vet understands those risks and benefits.
Baytril: This is a broad-spectrum antibiotic (generic name enrofloxacin) often given to cats for various infections. Yet Baytril can cause blindness in cats (see mention in this ASPCA article about Baytril) and should be used with extreme caution. Where appropriate, another antibiotic should be used.
Also worth reading - The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control site. Worth noting: the ASPCA maintains an animal poison control hotline. The cost is $60.00 USD, but it could save your cat or dog's (or other animal's) life. The number is (888) 426-4435.
Go hug those pooties!
In Memory of Grady, 3/1/90-3/23/09. My sweet heart kitty, deeply loved, painfully missed, and forever in my heart.