March 13, 2011
This link is to report any food or health issues:
www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/fpsr/WorkflowLoginIO.aspx?
metinstance=D1A8B42FD3662A81249CA452BD44D7DC23C263EF&IncompatibleBrowser=true.
I don’t know why but there’s a box that comes up for everyone stating that your browser doesn’t support it but just click okay and it’
ll take you there.
First, I want to stress the importance of doing at home exams on your kitties. This past week one of my good friends Liz was
giving her cat, Kally Kat, a massage for her arthritis. While doing this she found a lump on one of her nipples. She immediately
brought Kally to the vet and upon examination the vet told Liz it was a good thing she found this early. Kally’s blood work all looks
normal and great but she will have surgery to remove this lump this Thursday. Another kitty, Natalie, recently had a lump removed
because it was malignant and she’s currently getting chemo for breast cancer. I’ve read that usually breast lumps are malignant
and one of the best reasons to get your kitty spayed before or at 6 months old is to reduce the chance of this occurrence, among
other reasons that are self explanatory (overpopulation).
I found this great video online on how to give your cat an at home exam and it’s done by a vet, it’s really good, check it out.
www.monkeysee.com/play/1332-cat-care-giving-a-basic-home-exam
Here is another great link, Causes of solid appearing lumps and bumps on the skin.
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/healthcenter/cats/diseases/solidlump.html
Same goes for anything you may notice with your kitty’s eyes, any unusual or long lasting irritation. Two other kitties I know both
had eyes recently removed for iris melanoma. Natasha and Ashlynne are both doing very well and functioning as if nothing
happened.
Since I started this website and learned about so many feline illnesses and knowing how things can come out of the blue, I’ve
decided to go ahead and purchase insurance on Finney and Lacey. After talking with a few pet parents, they’ve convinced me it’
s the best thing for my kitties and for me. For about $32 a month and a $100 deductible, I won’t have to ever hesitate to take
them in should something happen. Or to make an on the spot decision about surgery or treatments (heaven forbid)! The
insurance plan I’m getting pays 90% of those costs. I wished I’d had this with Alex because her illness left me in the hole almost
$4,000 and she’s not even here anymore. I stressed about how I would pay for things every single day and I had to borrow most
of that money which was a huge burden on me. I have this link on my More Resources page but I’ll give it again. It’s a link for pet
insurance and this particular page lists the companies, the cost and plans all in comparison to each other.
www.petinsurancereview.com/cat.asp
I know many of you have been looking for something to help with nausea other than pepcid and other antacids, 100% pure
distilled aloe vera. www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=IU-1002
I asked my friend who’s a holistic vet about it and this is what she said: I use aloe vera for digestive issues. It works great for
vomiting or inflammation, but be careful as too much can cause diarrhea. I either have them give it straight in a syringe or mixed
with something else like food. It works best if given about 30 minutes before eating. The distilled liquid is great because it tastes
like water. It can be added to their water but make sure it doesn’t deter them from drinking. If so, give it in the syringe or food. I
would follow the dosing for children on the back of the bottle or get your vet’s advice on how much to give.
I also found out through researching this that there is a derivative of aloe vera called acemannan that is used by vets, teaching
universities etc. for the treatment of FeLV and related diseases. It actually is quite remarkable in the success rate!
www.desertharvest.com/av-flv.html.
This other link also, just scroll down to the part where it says:
Studies of the effect of acemannan on retrovirus infections:
clinical stabilization of feline leukemia virus-infected cats.
www.aloeresearch.com/vetmore.html. I would even rather see this used in cases of sore bums. Instead of using Vaseline or baby
products which have mineral oil and petroleum, dab some of the distilled aloe onto a cotton ball and dab on kitty’s sore hiney
(sp?) after bad bouts of diarrhea. Don’t however use the jelly as that has additives that aren’t safe to ingest.
A couple of things I didn’t know is that if your kitty is super hard to pill or refuses to eat anything added to their food and they are
not eating well at all, your vet can give them a taurine shot that lasts up to a month. Thanks Judy for that great info. Also helps if
you’re going away somewhere and you’re getting pet sitters or something. It’s one less thing for them to worry about. Also, Barb
found out something interesting about the chronic use of Ursodiol. It says in the Feline Patient textbook to supplement with 250-
500mg per day due to increased urinary losses of taurine. Marvistavet says: There is a possibility that chronic use of
ursodeoxycholic acid in cats may deplete the body of the essential amino acid taurine, thus necessitating dietary
supplementation with this amino acid. Dogs are able to manufacture their own taurine internally so this issue is not problematic
for them. I know several kitties that are taking Ursodiol so please take notice of this and ask your vet about it.
Allergy season is upon us again and I’m already feeling the effect of the trees blooming and I know pretty soon my kitties will
also. Any kitty with a chronic illness can have allergy symptoms due to a suppressed immune system. Keep your windowsills
clean of pollen, wipe them with a wet cloth daily. Use kitty wipes once or twice a week to keep their fur clean of pollen and other
allergens. Use L-lysine more frequently, this helps support their immune system and helps with respiratory issues. On that note
there is a cat that’s been taking Zyrtec for asthma and allergies and so far is doing very well on it. Might be something to ask your
vet about if it’s really bad. Supposed to also help with rodent ulcers, stomatitis, even intestinal ulcers.
www.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2010/february/zyrtec_for_cats
March 29, 2011
The last two weeks have been extremely trying on everyone with so much going on with sick and passing kitties, the events in
Japan, etc. These are no doubt stressful times.
A sad passing was our friend Carol’s Marrakech. This sweet little angel passed away after a long life of respiratory problems.
There were also a huge number of kitties going to the ER in the last week or so. I hope this trend has slowed down now! I had
mentioned that I’ll be getting pet insurance for Finn and Lacey next month and that I plan to go with Pet Plan. Bonnie, Ashlynne’s
mom recently dealt with them since Ashlynne had to have her eye removed because of iris melanoma. She wrote me and gave it
a rousing paws up! She said they paid on every charge she submitted without hesitation and notified her by email that they had
received it. They had it in their tracking system so if there were any "alerts" on the claim (incomplete records, for example), it
would show up there and said they would email her if there were any alerts. It took less than two weeks after they received the
claim for her to get the check. I’m sold!!!!
I want to mention that there is now a shortage of Flagyl (metronidazole), I think it’s only certain doses and/or sizes and I believe
the pharmacies and vets are probably fine right now with their stock but it’s worth noting that you shouldn’t wait until you’re down
to your last pill to call them if you need a refill. (Thanks to Barb for this info on the shortage).
I’d like to end this newsletter with something Carol had posted on Marrakech’s page, it’s really beautiful.
Hymn to Osiris
Excerpted from "Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead
“The doors of perception open; what was hidden has been revealed. It is myself I see and a thousand colors swirling in liquid
light. I am where the sun sets below the mountains. I am in this body. I am that star rising above clouds hung by a thread from its
ocean moon. Hail myself traversing eternity walking among gods, a shuttle flying across the loom through the threads of time.
This is all one place, one cloth: a man’s life endures. On earth flowers grow, snakes crawl and wisdom lies in the palm of a hand.
All that is will be—hawks and sparrows, the thousand lives within.
I have come home. I have entered humanhood, bound to rocks and plants, men and women, rivers and sky. I shall be with you in
this and other worlds. When the cat arches in the doorway, think of me. I have sometimes been like that. When two men greet
each other in the street, I am there speaking to you. When you look up, know I am there—sun and moon pouring my love around
you. All these things am I, portents, images, signs. Though apart, I am a part of you. One of the million things in the universe, I am
the universe, too. You think I disguise myself as rivers and trees simply to confuse you? Whatever I am, woman, cat or lotus, the
same god breathes in every body. You and I together are a single creation. Neither death nor spite nor fear nor ignorance stops
my love for you.
May we come and go in and out of heaven through the gates of starlight. As houses of earth fill with dancing and song, so filled
are the houses of heaven. I come, in truth. I sail a long river and row back again. It is joy to breathe under the stars. I am the
sojourner destined to walk a thousand years until I arrive at myself.”
This link is to report any food or health issues:
www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/fpsr/WorkflowLoginIO.aspx?
metinstance=D1A8B42FD3662A81249CA452BD44D7DC23C263EF&IncompatibleBrowser=true.
I don’t know why but there’s a box that comes up for everyone stating that your browser doesn’t support it but just click okay and it’
ll take you there.
First, I want to stress the importance of doing at home exams on your kitties. This past week one of my good friends Liz was
giving her cat, Kally Kat, a massage for her arthritis. While doing this she found a lump on one of her nipples. She immediately
brought Kally to the vet and upon examination the vet told Liz it was a good thing she found this early. Kally’s blood work all looks
normal and great but she will have surgery to remove this lump this Thursday. Another kitty, Natalie, recently had a lump removed
because it was malignant and she’s currently getting chemo for breast cancer. I’ve read that usually breast lumps are malignant
and one of the best reasons to get your kitty spayed before or at 6 months old is to reduce the chance of this occurrence, among
other reasons that are self explanatory (overpopulation).
I found this great video online on how to give your cat an at home exam and it’s done by a vet, it’s really good, check it out.
www.monkeysee.com/play/1332-cat-care-giving-a-basic-home-exam
Here is another great link, Causes of solid appearing lumps and bumps on the skin.
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/healthcenter/cats/diseases/solidlump.html
Same goes for anything you may notice with your kitty’s eyes, any unusual or long lasting irritation. Two other kitties I know both
had eyes recently removed for iris melanoma. Natasha and Ashlynne are both doing very well and functioning as if nothing
happened.
Since I started this website and learned about so many feline illnesses and knowing how things can come out of the blue, I’ve
decided to go ahead and purchase insurance on Finney and Lacey. After talking with a few pet parents, they’ve convinced me it’
s the best thing for my kitties and for me. For about $32 a month and a $100 deductible, I won’t have to ever hesitate to take
them in should something happen. Or to make an on the spot decision about surgery or treatments (heaven forbid)! The
insurance plan I’m getting pays 90% of those costs. I wished I’d had this with Alex because her illness left me in the hole almost
$4,000 and she’s not even here anymore. I stressed about how I would pay for things every single day and I had to borrow most
of that money which was a huge burden on me. I have this link on my More Resources page but I’ll give it again. It’s a link for pet
insurance and this particular page lists the companies, the cost and plans all in comparison to each other.
www.petinsurancereview.com/cat.asp
I know many of you have been looking for something to help with nausea other than pepcid and other antacids, 100% pure
distilled aloe vera. www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=IU-1002
I asked my friend who’s a holistic vet about it and this is what she said: I use aloe vera for digestive issues. It works great for
vomiting or inflammation, but be careful as too much can cause diarrhea. I either have them give it straight in a syringe or mixed
with something else like food. It works best if given about 30 minutes before eating. The distilled liquid is great because it tastes
like water. It can be added to their water but make sure it doesn’t deter them from drinking. If so, give it in the syringe or food. I
would follow the dosing for children on the back of the bottle or get your vet’s advice on how much to give.
I also found out through researching this that there is a derivative of aloe vera called acemannan that is used by vets, teaching
universities etc. for the treatment of FeLV and related diseases. It actually is quite remarkable in the success rate!
www.desertharvest.com/av-flv.html.
This other link also, just scroll down to the part where it says:
Studies of the effect of acemannan on retrovirus infections:
clinical stabilization of feline leukemia virus-infected cats.
www.aloeresearch.com/vetmore.html. I would even rather see this used in cases of sore bums. Instead of using Vaseline or baby
products which have mineral oil and petroleum, dab some of the distilled aloe onto a cotton ball and dab on kitty’s sore hiney
(sp?) after bad bouts of diarrhea. Don’t however use the jelly as that has additives that aren’t safe to ingest.
A couple of things I didn’t know is that if your kitty is super hard to pill or refuses to eat anything added to their food and they are
not eating well at all, your vet can give them a taurine shot that lasts up to a month. Thanks Judy for that great info. Also helps if
you’re going away somewhere and you’re getting pet sitters or something. It’s one less thing for them to worry about. Also, Barb
found out something interesting about the chronic use of Ursodiol. It says in the Feline Patient textbook to supplement with 250-
500mg per day due to increased urinary losses of taurine. Marvistavet says: There is a possibility that chronic use of
ursodeoxycholic acid in cats may deplete the body of the essential amino acid taurine, thus necessitating dietary
supplementation with this amino acid. Dogs are able to manufacture their own taurine internally so this issue is not problematic
for them. I know several kitties that are taking Ursodiol so please take notice of this and ask your vet about it.
Allergy season is upon us again and I’m already feeling the effect of the trees blooming and I know pretty soon my kitties will
also. Any kitty with a chronic illness can have allergy symptoms due to a suppressed immune system. Keep your windowsills
clean of pollen, wipe them with a wet cloth daily. Use kitty wipes once or twice a week to keep their fur clean of pollen and other
allergens. Use L-lysine more frequently, this helps support their immune system and helps with respiratory issues. On that note
there is a cat that’s been taking Zyrtec for asthma and allergies and so far is doing very well on it. Might be something to ask your
vet about if it’s really bad. Supposed to also help with rodent ulcers, stomatitis, even intestinal ulcers.
www.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2010/february/zyrtec_for_cats
March 29, 2011
The last two weeks have been extremely trying on everyone with so much going on with sick and passing kitties, the events in
Japan, etc. These are no doubt stressful times.
A sad passing was our friend Carol’s Marrakech. This sweet little angel passed away after a long life of respiratory problems.
There were also a huge number of kitties going to the ER in the last week or so. I hope this trend has slowed down now! I had
mentioned that I’ll be getting pet insurance for Finn and Lacey next month and that I plan to go with Pet Plan. Bonnie, Ashlynne’s
mom recently dealt with them since Ashlynne had to have her eye removed because of iris melanoma. She wrote me and gave it
a rousing paws up! She said they paid on every charge she submitted without hesitation and notified her by email that they had
received it. They had it in their tracking system so if there were any "alerts" on the claim (incomplete records, for example), it
would show up there and said they would email her if there were any alerts. It took less than two weeks after they received the
claim for her to get the check. I’m sold!!!!
I want to mention that there is now a shortage of Flagyl (metronidazole), I think it’s only certain doses and/or sizes and I believe
the pharmacies and vets are probably fine right now with their stock but it’s worth noting that you shouldn’t wait until you’re down
to your last pill to call them if you need a refill. (Thanks to Barb for this info on the shortage).
I’d like to end this newsletter with something Carol had posted on Marrakech’s page, it’s really beautiful.
Hymn to Osiris
Excerpted from "Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead
“The doors of perception open; what was hidden has been revealed. It is myself I see and a thousand colors swirling in liquid
light. I am where the sun sets below the mountains. I am in this body. I am that star rising above clouds hung by a thread from its
ocean moon. Hail myself traversing eternity walking among gods, a shuttle flying across the loom through the threads of time.
This is all one place, one cloth: a man’s life endures. On earth flowers grow, snakes crawl and wisdom lies in the palm of a hand.
All that is will be—hawks and sparrows, the thousand lives within.
I have come home. I have entered humanhood, bound to rocks and plants, men and women, rivers and sky. I shall be with you in
this and other worlds. When the cat arches in the doorway, think of me. I have sometimes been like that. When two men greet
each other in the street, I am there speaking to you. When you look up, know I am there—sun and moon pouring my love around
you. All these things am I, portents, images, signs. Though apart, I am a part of you. One of the million things in the universe, I am
the universe, too. You think I disguise myself as rivers and trees simply to confuse you? Whatever I am, woman, cat or lotus, the
same god breathes in every body. You and I together are a single creation. Neither death nor spite nor fear nor ignorance stops
my love for you.
May we come and go in and out of heaven through the gates of starlight. As houses of earth fill with dancing and song, so filled
are the houses of heaven. I come, in truth. I sail a long river and row back again. It is joy to breathe under the stars. I am the
sojourner destined to walk a thousand years until I arrive at myself.”
| Newsletter Archive February 2011 |
| Copyright © IBD Kitties 2008-2012, all rights reserved |
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