Okay, so Ralph and I just got home. When I picked him, he is still VERY loopy. As soon as I put the carrier in my car the cat pee smell hit me like a brick. He obviously got it on him because he stinks so bad! He was growling at me and I was almost crying. I let him come out on his own because I was terrified. He wobbled out and fell over about ten times and hit his head on the wall. He is happy though and has not growled once. Right now he is in my lap, pee smelling and all, and finally sleeping.
So now, I need pee smell removing tips?
A bath is out of the question for Damien…I mean Ralph. I am thinking about those bath wipes or dry shampoo? I am going to let him sleep on me and get completely calm and happy but I may have to run to the store in a bit. HE really stinks!
Pet stores sell wipes for just such an occasion; if you have baby wipes that will help but they’re not formulated for the strong stuff. If you have/can get Johnson’s baby shampoo, soak a warm washcloth in sudsy water w/ the shampoo, wiping w/ it will help as well. No matter what you wipe him w/ rinse well, w/ warm-hot washcloth and rub him dry him immediately; he won’t be in a mood for drying himself and he doesn’t need a chill on top of everything.
You’re going to have to wipe his behind and back legs well. He won’t like that. Got a leather coat?
Oh dear, this devil kitty will not like all of that. I am just hoping I can get him to hold still long enough to wipe him down a bit. I think I will just buy a large quantity and over the next few hours just wipe him down as much as possible until I get him pretty clean. He is just so stinky, and yet curled up and sleeping in my lap. I guess this is how folks with kids handle all the bad stuff…you just love them and deal with it.
If you’ve got a glass-enclosed shower with a hand-held nozzle, you can put him in there and chase him around with the water like I had to do with Feather one day when I got soap on her (if she wouldn’t always sit on the sink, that might not happen!) - she got clean, but she sure didn’t like it much.
Just putting this out there for you guys - we were going to all the trouble of holding Max down and squirting her medicine in her mouth, and it turns out that she likes it - she just gobbles it up when we put it on her wet food. It never occurred to us to TRY it first!
Well after a late night run to the Pet Supply store, I managed to get a pre-moistened wipe on him and I spritzed his brush with some kitty deoderant. This morning he had managed to give himself a bit of a cleaning and he smells pretty good. Still a touch of pee smell but not much. I am going to try for another round with the wipes today at lunch. He slept on top of me all night and was starving and back to normal this morning.
I am just hoping the tests confirm thyroid, as we expect, and I would love for him to gain some lbs back. He just looks pitiful, but he already seems to be doing lots better!
And in the past when pills have been called for in my house, Cat Whisperer, I put them in a tiny piece of Tuna and they are gobbled up. This is after I paid $10 extra dollars for a pill gun/torture device that never worked.
Try Greenies pill pockets. IF they give you pills (IF it’s thyroid). Mr. Got Milk loves 'em.
Ask if the pharmacy can compound the meds. If it’s thyroid, he’ll probably get methiamazole. That can be compounded into a liquid. You get a syringe, hold down kitty, and squirt it in. This actually might NOT be the best choice for your cat, who sounds like a handful. Mr. Got Milk loves the flavored liquid so much (I get him tuna or salmon flavors) that he will march right up to the syringe and lick it as I plunge! It took me a couple doses for him to learn that he liked the taste, so giving him these meds has been super easy for me.
What might be better for your guy: this new ear gel I’m trying. I have a little syringe, squirt a tiny bit into an ear, rub it in, and he purrs the whole time because he thinks he’s getting a head rub.
Point being: It’s all the same meds, but ask your vet about the administration options. Unless he’s a candidate for surgery and/or the radiation treatment (and you can afford either), you will be giving him meds for the rest of his life. Might as well try all the options and choose the one that’s easiest for you.
Thanks Dogzilla, IF it is thyroid I actually looked at the pill pockets last night while buying kitty wipes. The vet said I could try pills first if it is thyroid, and even crush them up in food. With my devil kitty, the less restraint the better. He does love having his ears rubbed, so that might be an option if the pills go badly.
The vet says she would not really advise surgery due to his age, she did say the radioactive therapy would be an option, and after looking online for details, it is tempting, but there is not one facility that I can find in Mississippi, even if I could save up the money. I am NOT road tripping to Atlanta or Little Rock with Ralph. He hates car rides almost as much as he hates the Vet.
I do travel a little on weekends, Sat to Sun kinda trips though, and I am hoping I can figure something out to keep him on a med schedule if needed. Maybe and automatic feeder with a couple of pill pockets just to keep him from missing a dose…but I am getting a head of myself. I will post more Monday, if not sooner, to update on any results or conditions.
As long as his kidney and liver values are okay, he would be a candidate for the radiation. You could probably get them to do it at Auburn at the vet school there. But I’m kinda with you: if it’s easily managed by giving meds, and I don’t have $1200-1500 to irradiate the cat, why not just give him the meds and not fool around with radioactive kitty litter? Screw that.
Don’t worry about weekend travels. You can always pay a petsitting service to go over and give the meds (especially if he does well with the pill pockets or the ear gel). I like that autofeeder idea. Let me know if that works out.
The Bernie had thyroid problems and was on methiamazole for the last 2 years of her life. We did the ear cream, which worked very well, but became cost prohibitive for me. We went back to pills and I will agree that pill pockets worked great (It’s a treat! It’s your meds! No, it’s a treat!). We tried mashing the pill and putting it in her wet food - after a few days she began pawing at her food, eating around where the pill was most concentrated. However, smashing the pill and mixing it with meat baby food worked just as well at the pill pockets.
We also had a pet sitter when we would go away for the weekend. She was (and is) fantastic. Find one that is licensed, and call for references. One weekend, after we lost Bernie’s frenemy of 16 years Cleo, our pet sitter offered to take Bernie home with her just so Bern would have constant company. For price comparison, mine charges $18/day for two 30 minute visits. Holidays were $28/day. She would feed, pill, clean the cat box, check the mail, open/close curtains, and then just play / pet / talk to Bern and Cleo.
Can you take him to a groomer? Let them deal with the happy fun time involved in bathing a cat?
Glad to hear everything is okay - that there are bright days ahead for you and Ralph.
I paid for radioiodine - I’d do it again. It cost $1100. Pills and ear cream can add up over the life of a cat (Bo was 14 when diagnosed), but the real value to me was not having to give my cat meds! My cat gained all his weight back and his coat improved. Well worth it, IMO.
Glad to hear Ralph has improved. Sick kittehs are no fun, and lots of worry.
This is jumping the gun a lot, but if it is hyperthyroidism, I would be surprised if they did not offer the I-131 treatment at the vet school at MSU (http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/animal_owners.html), seeing as it’s a fairly common sort of thing. If for some reason they don’t, they will know where to refer you.
Here’s hoping Ralphie feels better sooner rather than later!
I thought MSU would surely offer the treatment too given the wonderful Vet School program they offer horsetech, I just did not see it on the quick internet search I performed.
I still have not heard from the vet today to confirm the diagnosis. Ralph did okay this weekend though. He did not have any runny poops on the carpet (HOOOOORAY!!!) and the vet gave me some tiny pills to help with the potential vomiting. They are tiny and I tucked them in some wet cat food and the first time he gobbled them down. But the next time I fed him, he just looked at me and meowed. He finally got hungry enough to eat around the tiny pill and left it in his bowl. I was kind of amazed actually. He still puked twice even with what little amount I tricked him into eating.
I am really starting to dread the potential of trying to get medicine in this devil cat. I am scared that Pill Pockets will be a temporary fix until he figures them out too. Ugh.
I had mixed results with the pill popper. My vet tech gave me one from the vet’s office to try. I suppose if you get it down to an artistic, single motion with your hand, pop open kitty’s mouf, pop pill, run for the hills… it might get to be pretty quick and easy.
I found Mr. Got Milk just shredded the crap outta my arms until I started asking for liquid compounds. He eats around pills mixed into his food as well. Their noses are amazing. With antibiotics though, you usually have to wrap the little guy in a towel and try the “cram” method. I would like to find some chain mail shoulder-length gloves for such occasions.
Sometimes I use a pill crusher or a mortar and pestle to grind the pill up, then mix it in with canned food. Make sure the pill you are giving can be treated like that (Ask the vet).
My cat happily takes his methimazole crushed up in his food. I had to take him to the vet today because he’s been losing weight even though his thyroid levels are fine. Hopefully they’ll be able to tell me some good news tomorrow. He’s 16 years old, so I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time.
I found the MSU website a little sparse in the details department compared to others I’ve seen, so I imagine it’s more of a website problem than a range of services problem. Anyway, glad for the decent update on the kitteh.
Thanks again horsetech and I agree with your description of the website. Quite surprising considering the prestige attached to that Vet School.
I just called the vet, since I still have no news…they said “oh, we have not gotten the results back yet. Check back tomorrow.”
Argh.
Still, he is doing okay for now. No poops on the carpet, and no vomit…HOOOOOORAAY!!! But I would feel better if I could start some kind of treatment so I would feel like we working in the right direction. I just want him to gain some lbs. and be healthy.
