I have bad news. But don't fret, as there are also pockets of blessings within that bad news.
Elsie's inflammatory bowel disease is progressing, and in the last week, she has started to throw up almost everything she eats. We have increased her dose of prednisone (from 0.3 mL every 2 days to 0.5 mL everyday... a big increase) but to no avail.
I don't mind cleaning up throw up. Really. If it means keeping my cat, I'll clean up throw up 10 times a day. I mean, I do it all the time at work.
But here's the thing I keep asking myself: Is she suffering?
Thus far, the answer is definitely no. She's content. She throws up and then purrs almost immediately. She's acting totally herself.
But if things change, as Mom said, we'll have a decision to make.
As I said, there are little blessings in this. I came home tonight to no throw up! I think I have found the trick to Elsie keeping her food down, which is this: Feed her extremely small amounts, every couple of hours. We're talking 15 pieces of dry food or two teaspoons of wet food. More than that, and it comes back up.
How long can she go on eating like that? No way of knowing. Is the total quantity of food enough for her to maintain her weight? Time will tell.
I ask for your prayers for my girl. I know that no matter what happens, she has had the best of lives and will one day go to praise her Creator forever (yes, I believe that animals go to Heaven). Still, some more time with her here on earth would be wonderful....
Ah, the beautiful Miss Elsie P. Well if she can get up to the top of a 5 foot unit I would say she's doing OK for now. I, as a new to cats person, would have thought a poorly cat not feeling it's best would hide away in a cosy corner somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSending you both love and happy thoughts
Awww Lydia, I'm sorry about Elsie's bowel disease progressing. It seems tho that you have a solution, at least for now with the small feeds. I am sending many prayers and positive thoughts to you and Elsie in hopes that she will improve greatly.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried probiotics for your cat? It works well for people with irritable bowel. It's like sending in reinforcements for your immune system team. You can buy it in capsules which you could empty into her food (and stir it in, of course). In spite of what the containers always tell you, it must be kept refrigerated (the bacteria dies really fast). I like Organika brand Acidopholus(it's in capsules with apple pectin). I won't buy it anywhere that they don't refrigerate it, and I bring an insulated lunch bag with freezer packs so that I can keep it cold on the way home.
ReplyDeleteI will be thinking of you and Elsie.
ReplyDeleteeaucion, Elsie has been on kitty-probiotics and enzymes for... months, if not years, now. I haven't really kept track, but it's been quite a while. For a long time, that took care of it. Then we had to add bi-montly prednisone injections. Then we had to go to 0.3 mL once every three days of oral prednisone, and now we're up to 0.5 mL everyday. It's progressive. But she does still take the probiotics and enzymes at the vet's orders. They mix right into her wet food.
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