Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[EighteenTwelve]

The Sunday before last, I got up to rinse out my favorite coffee mug, tripped over Quirk, who was sprawled out in the hall, and crashed the wrist of the hand holding the mug into my bedroom doorframe.  Very impressive bruises ensued, and everything between my wrist and my little finger still hurts. 

Quirk and the mug are both unharmed.  But why did I want cats, again?

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, EighteenTwelve said:

tripped over Quirk,

Such a common thing, and a cause of many injuries. It's one of myriad reasons I feel fairly sure that my Pearl will be my last pet. 😭

Of the varied and numerous gifts my mom bestowed upon me, monumental klutzdom and crappy balance are among them.

I'm only 63, but a kitten would be a little scary in ^that regard, and as much as I would love to rescue an older pet, I frankly am sort of over the illnesses and problems that go along with that, to say nothing of the expense and now, availability of veterinary care. Being a caregiver for 3 humans and 2 kits over the past decade, has taken a big toll on me. There are other ways I can stay involved I hope.

Makes me ill thinking about it to be honest. 😪

Edit - Sorry to be a wet blanket. I think I just needed to type that out and ackowledge it. 

Edited September 20, 2023 by SuprSuprElevated

[Scarlett45]

@SuprSuprElevated you have to do what’s best for you. Maybe you could volunteer at a shelter or foster in your retirement after Pearl is gone. My Mom lamented about more pets for her in retirement, but she loves coming to my house (just upstairs) and loving on Cosmo and the cats, yet I do all the work!(best arrangement for  her at 75)

[SuprSuprElevated]

6 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

@SuprSuprElevated you have to do what’s best for you. Maybe you could volunteer at a shelter or foster in your retirement after Pearl is gone. My Mom lamented about more pets for her in retirement, but she loves coming to my house (just upstairs) and loving on Cosmo and the cats, yet I do all the work!(best arrangement for  her at 75)

Not sure about fostering as I'm sure I would be a foster fail lol, but I've considered checking into being a petter/player with-er at local rescue/shelter. We'll see what comes. I don't expect to have Pearl by this time next year. Hope I'm wrong.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Not sure about fostering as I'm sure I would be a foster fail lol, but I've considered checking into being a petter/player with-er at local rescue/shelter. We'll see what comes. I don't expect to have Pearl by this time next year. Hope I'm wrong.

Make sure it's a no kill shelter or your heart will be broken. I know, I volunteered at the Humane Society in high school.

[Mindthinkr]

@SuprSuprElevated I was thinking slightly in a different direction. Why not become a kitty sitter. Most people just want someone to feed their cat once a day and spend a bit of time petting them so they don’t become too lonely. I actually have someone coming to stay in my house next trip I have planned as they will be old (they turn 20 next month) and will need some meds. You can pick or decline whatever you feel comfortable with. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

@SuprSuprElevated I was thinking slightly in a different direction. Why not become a kitty sitter. Most people just want someone to feed their cat once a day and spend a bit of time petting them so they don’t become too lonely. I actually have someone coming to stay in my house next trip I have planned as they will be old (they turn 20 next month) and will need some meds. You can pick or decline whatever you feel comfortable with. 

That's a really good idea, depending on where DH's illness progression is. Don't like to leave him for too long, mostly because of his anxiety, but also my own. 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

@SuprSuprElevated I was thinking slightly in a different direction. Why not become a kitty sitter. Most people just want someone to feed their cat once a day and spend a bit of time petting them so they don’t become too lonely. I actually have someone coming to stay in my house next trip I have planned as they will be old (they turn 20 next month) and will need some meds. You can pick or decline whatever you feel comfortable with. 

And giving meds! One of the worst things is the feeling you can't leave Muffin because she needs special medication. I used to take care of my SIL's four elderly cats whenever they traveled. They were all on one thing or another. My husband used to call me Peaches Latour, Girl Veterinarian.

[ABay]

It was very difficult to find a sitter who was up to the task of giving Sasha multiple pills twice a day while I went away last year. I finally got one who was happy to learn how to use the pill popper. I used Meowtel if anyone is looking for a sitter.

[supposebly]

I had someone who is retired stay with my cats this summer. It was great! She does this as a job and picks and chooses. And my Scully had no trouble accepting the asthma medication from her. I also used a more professional service and they did well too.

[JTMacc99]

Cat-sitter sounds like a pretty good retirement gig.  

[Bastet]

I take care of (as a favor; the cats leave me booze as thanks <g>) the cats of several different friends whenever they're gone, and in the past couple years wound up unexpectedly also being the (paid) cat sitter for a couple of neighbors.  I could see taking on more of that in retirement, but around here one could never start now and make a living doing that full-time; there's practically a pet sitter on every block here, with so many people offering such services as a way of bringing in some cash. 

[Scarlett45]

Who are these two and what have they done with my cats? So affectionate!

[oliviabenson]

It’s chilly outside, cuddling is nice and warm  🤣. Very very cute!

[secnarf]

3 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Who are these two and what have they done with my cats? So affectionate!

They are so sweet!!!

Kitty cuddles are the best.

[AgathaC]

I haven’t posted here before, but could use some good thoughts. We found out today that our incredibly sweet greyhound, Miss Kitty, has bone cancer. She’s an 11-year-old retired racer (Hubby rescued her through a racetrack in our state) and she had an injury that still gave her trouble occasionally. As luck would have it, the tumor’s in that same leg, so we had no idea anything was wrong until last week. Our vet is wonderful and he’s checking to see if it spread. Amputation is probably our next move, but she likely has 6 months at best. At 11, she’s already old for a greyhound as it is.

This is tough on Hubby. He adopted her two years before we met and his other long-term dog died a year ago at age 19. He’s riding the guilt train hard,

Anyway, I know most of you have dealt with the pain of losing pets - and trying to figure out what’s best for a furry loved one.

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, AgathaC said:

I haven’t posted here before, but could use some good thoughts. We found out today that our incredibly sweet greyhound, Miss Kitty, has bone cancer. She’s an 11-year-old retired racer (Hubby rescued her through a racetrack in our state) and she had an injury that still gave her trouble occasionally. As luck would have it, the tumor’s in that same leg, so we had no idea anything was wrong until last week. Our vet is wonderful and he’s checking to see if it spread. Amputation is probably our next move, but she likely has 6 months at best. At 11, she’s already old for a greyhound as it is.

This is tough on Hubby. He adopted her two years before we met and his other long-term dog died a year ago at age 19. He’s riding the guilt train hard,

Anyway, I know most of you have dealt with the pain of losing pets - and trying to figure out what’s best for a furry loved one.

Hi. We have all been there. I know you gave Miss Kitty a lovely life, and care about her comfort and happiness most of all. I know you’ll be there for your husband, he has nothing to feel guilty about, but we know these feelings aren’t logical. 
 

At the end of the day you’ll make the best decision for Miss Kitty and your family, it’s a hard road when they are at the end. 

[meep.meep]

1 hour ago, AgathaC said:

I haven’t posted here before, but could use some good thoughts. We found out today that our incredibly sweet greyhound, Miss Kitty, has bone cancer. She’s an 11-year-old retired racer (Hubby rescued her through a racetrack in our state) and she had an injury that still gave her trouble occasionally. As luck would have it, the tumor’s in that same leg, so we had no idea anything was wrong until last week. Our vet is wonderful and he’s checking to see if it spread. Amputation is probably our next move, but she likely has 6 months at best. At 11, she’s already old for a greyhound as it is.

This is tough on Hubby. He adopted her two years before we met and his other long-term dog died a year ago at age 19. He’s riding the guilt train hard,

Anyway, I know most of you have dealt with the pain of losing pets - and trying to figure out what’s best for a furry loved one.

What a great name for a greyhound!  My son and DIL have a rescue greyhound who developed a leg tumor.  He's a little younger than yours but not much.  They tried to treat the tumor medically which did nothing.  Finally, they had the leg amputated.  He recovered quickly and gets around very well on 3 legs.  That was more than a year ago.  It's not guaranteed, but she might get better.  

[AgathaC]

3 hours ago, meep.meep said:

What a great name for a greyhound!  My son and DIL have a rescue greyhound who developed a leg tumor.  He's a little younger than yours but not much.  They tried to treat the tumor medically which did nothing.  Finally, they had the leg amputated.  He recovered quickly and gets around very well on 3 legs.  That was more than a year ago.  It's not guaranteed, but she might get better.  

Thank you, @meep.meep. We can hope the prognosis ends up being not so bad!

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, AgathaC said:

I haven’t posted here before, but could use some good thoughts.

Sending some your way.

If the cancer has not spread, amputation could buy significant quality time; pets - even large breed dogs - can do remarkably well as tripods, even as seniors.  If it has metastasized, Miss Kitty's best course of action may change, or stay the same but give less time, but, while it can be a terrible struggle, I think your husband and you will come to terms with what is the best decision for her when you have the full picture. 

I'll be thinking of you as this plays out; while your grief whenever the end comes will be consuming, I hope you will in time focus on having rescued her and given her the life she should have had all along for so many years.

[SuprSuprElevated]

@AgathaC, I'm sending all the positive thoughts, mojo, and prayers if you don't mind, your way.

Pets are family, with all the good, bad, joy and anxiety that entails. Your instincts are the best navigator for how to proceed. Trust in yourselves. 🧡

 

 

[Mindthinkr]

@AgathaC Sending all the pawsitive thoughts we can muster for your dear greyhound Miss Kitty. We are adding a huge dose of purrs as they are known to have healing effects on bone. Hugs and Hope 🙏🏻

[AgathaC]

Thank you all! We actually got some good news this morning — no sign it’s spread. That doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t or won’t, but that’s definitely good news for now. We’re going ahead with the amputation tomorrow.

Hubby and I are actually out of town and our initial plan was to leave Kitty and our little guy (mini dachshund — total mama’s boy) with my sister as the dog/house sitter. When her leg started bothering her, I suggested we board her instead. I just felt like she was in real pain. And she’s so gangly, I was afraid my sister couldn’t handle her by herself. So, she boarded and sis stayed with my little shadow. Because Kitty was at the vet, they were able to monitor her and run scans and tests and now go ahead and operate to get that cancer out.

Never ignore the “pet mama” instincts.

[secnarf]

The saga with Ginny continues.

We tried meloxicam to reduce inflammation in her nose in case that was contributing - no effect. Now, she has yellow/green snot coming out of her nose at rest and is sounding much more congested so I think she actually probably needs antibiotics again. They have ordered in azithromycin for us, as a new antibiotic to try. She is still sneezing out quite significant "snot rockets" that are bloody though.

The new food had helped her stool a lot (at least until starting the meloxicam), but no effect on her respiratory symptoms.

Both Ginny and Luna have occasional miliary dermatitis spots that come and go. I'm wondering if they both have allergies, but I also worry that it's something infectious. I was told they had ringworm before I got them. I am so scared of it because of the environmental measures required (e.g. ripping up all your carpets, etc). It doesn't seem super likely this is ringworm, but I'm wondering if I should do the test for my peace of mind - but also terrified that it will come back positive, even if they are just carriers of it. It doesn't seem severe enough to be consistent with allergies/atopy. This is causing me more stress than Ginny's respiratory issues, to be honest.

I've also read that dry food can contain storage mites that can be a cause of allergies in cats. Given how Ginny's respiratory symptoms improved when she stopped eating her dry food, I wonder about this for these guys.

Not sure if anyone has experience with any of the above?

[SuprSuprElevated]

So truly sorry @secnarf. Wish I had something to contribute. I can't recall if you've sought the advice of a 2nd vet, but if not, you may want to consider it. Sometimes a fresh perspective can help.

Continued well wishes headed your way! 🧡

[Suzn]

Freya and friend.

[isalicat]

20 hours ago, secnarf said:

The saga with Ginny continues.

We tried meloxicam to reduce inflammation in her nose in case that was contributing - no effect. Now, she has yellow/green snot coming out of her nose at rest and is sounding much more congested so I think she actually probably needs antibiotics again. They have ordered in azithromycin for us, as a new antibiotic to try. She is still sneezing out quite significant "snot rockets" that are bloody though.

The new food had helped her stool a lot (at least until starting the meloxicam), but no effect on her respiratory symptoms.

Both Ginny and Luna have occasional miliary dermatitis spots that come and go. I'm wondering if they both have allergies, but I also worry that it's something infectious. I was told they had ringworm before I got them. I am so scared of it because of the environmental measures required (e.g. ripping up all your carpets, etc). It doesn't seem super likely this is ringworm, but I'm wondering if I should do the test for my peace of mind - but also terrified that it will come back positive, even if they are just carriers of it. It doesn't seem severe enough to be consistent with allergies/atopy. This is causing me more stress than Ginny's respiratory issues, to be honest.

I've also read that dry food can contain storage mites that can be a cause of allergies in cats. Given how Ginny's respiratory symptoms improved when she stopped eating her dry food, I wonder about this for these guys.

Not sure if anyone has experience with any of the above?

Is there any reason why you can't just stop giving her dry food for a couple of weeks (there are so many canned varieties out there) and see what happens?

I would do that immediately and also consult a different vet for a second opinion, as others have suggested here. Good luck!! 😺

[SuprSuprElevated]

5 hours ago, Suzn said:

Freya and friend.

What a beauty! 

[SuprSuprElevated]

[secnarf]

3 hours ago, isalicat said:

Is there any reason why you can't just stop giving her dry food for a couple of weeks (there are so many canned varieties out there) and see what happens?

I would do that immediately and also consult a different vet for a second opinion, as others have suggested here. Good luck!! 😺

She's currently on a fairly strict diet, and has never really been a fan of wet food as she struggles to physically get it into her mouth. She only ever eats small amounts.

I may end up having to do that, but I've been doing some reading about storage mites and it sounds like most often, the food doesn't actually contain them until you open the container, and keeping the newly opened bag in the freezer can help prevent the mites from getting in. So, I will try that the next time I get a new bag.

You guys had great ideas for how to give Ginny her B12 injection, so now I am asking for help with her new antibiotic. There is no vet formulation of azithromycin, so they use the human pediatric suspension. Ginny hates it so much - first I tried just giving it to her to lick (same way I give her meloxicam), and she took one lick and jumped back, started clawing at her face and spitting. I tried mixing it in food, and she refused to touch it. I then wrapped her up the same way I do for the B12 and tried to give it to her the same way you would pill a cat (syringe directly to the back of the mouth) but she fought like hell and ultimately most of it ended up on her cheek.

It's extremely thick and sugary and has a strong "medicine" taste to it, and the taste lingers in your mouth (yes I did try it) so it's understandable she hates it. But I still need to give it to her.

[Mindthinkr]

12 minutes ago, secnarf said:

She's currently on a fairly strict diet, and has never really been a fan of wet food as she struggles to physically get it into her mouth. She only ever eats small amounts.

I may end up having to do that, but I've been doing some reading about storage mites and it sounds like most often, the food doesn't actually contain them until you open the container, and keeping the newly opened bag in the freezer can help prevent the mites from getting in. So, I will try that the next time I get a new bag.

You guys had great ideas for how to give Ginny her B12 injection, so now I am asking for help with her new antibiotic. There is no vet formulation of azithromycin, so they use the human pediatric suspension. Ginny hates it so much - first I tried just giving it to her to lick (same way I give her meloxicam), and she took one lick and jumped back, started clawing at her face and spitting. I tried mixing it in food, and she refused to touch it. I then wrapped her up the same way I do for the B12 and tried to give it to her the same way you would pill a cat (syringe directly to the back of the mouth) but she fought like hell and ultimately most of it ended up on her cheek.

It's extremely thick and sugary and has a strong "medicine" taste to it, and the taste lingers in your mouth (yes I did try it) so it's understandable she hates it. But I still need to give it to her.

I would try a compounding pharmacy. They might be able to put it into a pill form which can be hidden in a pill pocket or pill putty. I have had to get a med done that way for my cat. It was much less waste and hassle for him to take it. Good luck 💛

[Bastet]

I checked, and azithromycin can be compounded.  If you can find a pharmacy that will do a water-based liquid (which is then flavored with chicken, fish, liver, etc. depending on their options and your preference), that's the best bet at it being palatable.  (The wonder pharmacist at my local pharmacy makes her own "triple fish" batch with real fish, and Riley actually enjoys her medicine.)  But even if you get stuck with oil based liquid or a gelcap (which you could try hiding in a pill pocket if it's small enough), at least it will be flavored with something that cats like, not sugary flavors designed to appeal to a kid.

Some cats, I've been able to shove almost any ol' pill into a pill pocket and they'll eat it.  Some, no way, and Riley is a big ball of no way, so anything she needs that can be compounded, I get done that way.

I know you're amassing a lot of veterinary expenses these days, but since this shouldn't be a long-term drug, if you can swing a compounded version, I recommend trying it.  If you don't have anyplace local, try mixlab.com -- they won't be able to do water based, unfortunately, but they're a pet med only online pharmacy with excellent customer service, including honest feedback on which flavors and formulations cats seem to best tolerate.

[secnarf]

28 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I would try a compounding pharmacy. They might be able to put it into a pill form which can be hidden in a pill pocket or pill putty. I have had to get a med done that way for my cat. It was much less waste and hassle for him to take it. Good luck 💛

Ginny won't take pill pockets, as they are too chewy. She struggles with anything chewy/sticky - pastes, gels, chewy treats etc.

3 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I checked, and azithromycin can be compounded.  If you can find a pharmacy that will do a water-based liquid (which is then flavored with chicken, fish, liver, etc. depending on their options and your preference), that's the best bet at it being palatable.  (The wonder pharmacist at my local pharmacy makes her own "triple fish" batch with real fish, and Riley actually enjoys her medicine.)  But even if you get stuck with oil based liquid or a gelcap (which you could try hiding in a pill pocket if it's small enough), at least it will be flavored with something that cats like, not sugary flavors designed to appeal to a kid.

Some cats, I've been able to shove almost any ol' pill into a pill pocket and they'll eat it.  Some, no way, and Riley is a big ball of no way, so anything she needs that can be compounded, I get done that way.

I know you're amassing a lot of veterinary expenses these days, but since this shouldn't be a long-term drug, if you can swing a compounded version, I recommend trying it.  If you don't have anyplace local, try mixlab.com -- they won't be able to do water based, unfortunately, but they're a pet med only online pharmacy with excellent customer service, including honest feedback on which flavors and formulations cats seem to best tolerate.

Mixlab is only for people who live in the US, they don't ship to other countries.

The availability of a suspension means that human pharmacies wouldn't compound it, as they don't have the need. It's not readily soluble in water.

Even if I could find an online place that can compound - or my vet can - that will take time, and she has gotten worse each day.

Azithromycin can actually be used long term for maintenance (initially start daily, then go to every 72 hours for maintenance) - but we would only look at that if she actually responds. At that point, I would have to look into an alternate way of getting the drug into her, but right now I have to work with what I have available, unfortunately.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

Mixlab is only for people who live in the US, they don't ship to other countries.

Sorry, I didn't realize you lived elsewhere.

The drug is available as an injection (for humans), so is that possible, or is it only available at a dose that can't be properly reduced for pediatric (and then off label for veterinary) use?

If not, it sounds like for now you're just going to have to continue wrapping her up and syringing the icky liquid into her mouth as best you can.  If you come in from the side, aiming for a bit more the other side than the back of her mouth, and then clamp her mouth shut, you may have better luck getting her to swallow it.  But it's really just trial and error, and practice, and it's all so stressful (for you and her) in the meantime.

I'm sorry, I know this is all quite difficult.  I wish all you've done so far had yielded an answer as to cause!

This is such a mystery.  I can't recall the full backstory -- are you still dealing with primary care vets, or have you moved on to specialists?  I wish some of my personal experience that led to consultation and research provided anything that could even possibly point you in a direction of exploration, but it's all new to me.  It's a frustrating and frightening spot to be in, I know that, so you have my continued sympathy.

But, going back to your original update, I've known many people whose cats came out of the shelter with ringworm (one friend of mine is dealing with this right now), and disinfecting is certainly not fun, but it does not require ripping up carpets and such!  A carpet shampooer/steam cleaner will get the job done.  It doesn't sound like that's the issue, anyway, for several reasons, including that if she had it, you should have it by now (it's zoonotic).  You could get the test for peace of mind, of course, but I'd be stunned if that was present.

[secnarf]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

Sorry, I didn't realize you lived elsewhere.

The drug is available as an injection (for humans), so is that possible, or is it only available at a dose that can't be properly reduced for pediatric (and then off label for veterinary) use?

If not, it sounds like for now you're just going to have to continue wrapping her up and syringing the icky liquid into her mouth as best you can.  If you come in from the side, aiming for a bit more the other side than the back of her mouth, and then clamp her mouth shut, you may have better luck getting her to swallow it.  But it's really just trial and error, and practice, and it's all so stressful (for you and her) in the meantime.

I'm sorry, I know this is all quite difficult.  I wish all you've done so far had yielded an answer as to cause!

This is such a mystery.  I can't recall the full backstory -- are you still dealing with primary care vets, or have you moved on to specialists?  I wish some of my personal experience that led to consultation and research provided anything that could even possibly point you in a direction of exploration, but it's all new to me.  It's a frustrating and frightening spot to be in, I know that, so you have my continued sympathy.

But, going back to your original update, I've known many people whose cats came out of the shelter with ringworm (one friend of mine is dealing with this right now), and disinfecting is certainly not fun, but it does not require ripping up carpets and such!  A carpet shampooer/steam cleaner will get the job done.  It doesn't sound like that's the issue, anyway, for several reasons, including that if she had it, you should have it by now (it's zoonotic).  You could get the test for peace of mind, of course, but I'd be stunned if that was present.

There is IV azithromycin for humans, I looked into whether it could be given subcut (one website said yes but I don’t think that is accurate, it can cause tissue damage, at least in humans, so is diluted quite a bit for slow IV administration). 
I could potentially use the IV formulation and give it orally, but the vial once reconstituted is only good for 24 hours, so it would be a huge waste, and again would take a few days at least to be able to order it in.

The next step is to consult the veterinary college, so I think we will move forward with that. It is likely they will want a CT scan which will be several thousand dollars. 
Thanks for your reassurance with the ringworm! It has really been stressing me out :(

[SuprSuprElevated]

@secnarf-

I'm sure this is probably an inane suggestion, but if she has a spot that she obsesses about cleaning (licking), perhaps you could put a fractional dose on it to see if she would lick it just to clean it off. Maybe isolate her into a carrier first, so she doesn't spread it around the house with the ick! zoomies?

I know, lame.   

[ABay]

This morning I dragged 5 cat trees, the litter genie, and 3 big litter trays out to the curb. This stuff has been sitting in the cat room since Sasha died, waiting until bulk trash month. All that's left are the area rugs but I'll need help getting them out. It was so hard, both physically and emotionally.

[secnarf]

7 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

@secnarf-

I'm sure this is probably an inane suggestion, but if she has a spot that she obsesses about cleaning (licking), perhaps you could put a fractional dose on it to see if she would lick it just to clean it off. Maybe isolate her into a carrier first, so she doesn't spread it around the house with the ick! zoomies?

I know, lame.   

Most of it got on her yesterday and I suspect it was Luna who licked most of it off. 
Today I tried coating the syringe with wet food, which seemed to help. The whole dose went into her, at least, but she still hated it. 

4 hours ago, ABay said:

This morning I dragged 5 cat trees, the litter genie, and 3 big litter trays out to the curb. This stuff has been sitting in the cat room since Sasha died, waiting until bulk trash month. All that's left are the area rugs but I'll need help getting them out. It was so hard, both physically and emotionally.

I’m sorry, that’s such a hard thing to do :(

[Mindthinkr]

11 hours ago, secnarf said:

The whole dose went into her, at least, but she still hated it. 

That’s wonderful. I’m hoping she will get used to it and fight it less. I really feel for how difficult this has been for you both 💝

[bosawks]

New coats!

Special guest star is my mom’s dog, Micah…

[ABay]

Your dogs are always stylin' and profilin'!

[SuprSuprElevated]

@secnarf -  (From FB - I know many know about this, but just in case...)

CAUTION CAT OWNERS

I wanted to share the horrors we went through for the past 3 weeks.

We first noticed drainage coming out of her right nostril. It was mostly clear in nature and she was sneezing quite a bit. We took her to our vet and they thought she had an upper respiratory infection. We gave her antibiotics and went on our way.

One week later, the drainage had increased and turned bloody and her appetite was starting to decrease. We called the vet again and they had us come in an pick up another antibiotic/immune boost to add to her food.

That Sunday, she stopped eating, stopped drinking, was isolating herself and I noticed she wasn’t going to the bathroom as much.

At this point, nothing was helping. She was dying and we knew it. All day Friday I cried and kept thinking about what we had done differently around the house and that’s when it hit me. About a month ago Adam found these really good smelling plug in fragrance wall diffusers. I immediately unplugged them, opened windows and turned on fans. By Friday evening Mit Meow was able to walk to us. Saturday morning she woke me up at 4:45 am meowing and hungry. Her nasal drainage had stopped, she was eating, her balance was improving and she wanted attention.

After further investigation we learned that several of these diffusers are toxic to animals and that they have more severe reactions to cats because they are at nose level to them.

Written by Audrey Tucker & Adam Tucker.

September 18 at 12:49 PM

 

 

[secnarf]

@SuprSuprElevated the only diffuser I have is a Feliway one. 
I used to use the Bath and Body Works diffusers, when Echo was younger - and was plugged in right near her litterbox. I never noticed any symptoms, but heard they can be bad for cats so stopped after maybe a year or so? But I did always wonder if it contributed to her lung cancer. Impossible to say, and a few months before she got sick she was exposed to a lot of construction dust and fumes that could have also contributed (while I was at work - I came home early one day and found what they were doing and I was furious). 
If Ginny didn’t have litterbox issues I would switch from the clay litter we use now to a paper based one. I just don’t want to cause more issues with her avoiding the box because she doesn’t like the litter. 

[SoMuchTV]

3 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

@secnarf -  (From FB - I know many know about this, but just in case...)

CAUTION CAT OWNERS

I wanted to share the horrors we went through for the past 3 weeks.

We first noticed drainage coming out of her right nostril. It was mostly clear in nature and she was sneezing quite a bit. We took her to our vet and they thought she had an upper respiratory infection. We gave her antibiotics and went on our way.

One week later, the drainage had increased and turned bloody and her appetite was starting to decrease. We called the vet again and they had us come in an pick up another antibiotic/immune boost to add to her food.

That Sunday, she stopped eating, stopped drinking, was isolating herself and I noticed she wasn’t going to the bathroom as much.

At this point, nothing was helping. She was dying and we knew it. All day Friday I cried and kept thinking about what we had done differently around the house and that’s when it hit me. About a month ago Adam found these really good smelling plug in fragrance wall diffusers. I immediately unplugged them, opened windows and turned on fans. By Friday evening Mit Meow was able to walk to us. Saturday morning she woke me up at 4:45 am meowing and hungry. Her nasal drainage had stopped, she was eating, her balance was improving and she wanted attention.

After further investigation we learned that several of these diffusers are toxic to animals and that they have more severe reactions to cats because they are at nose level to them.

Written by Audrey Tucker & Adam Tucker.

September 18 at 12:49 PM

I was trying to skim because of your warning up top, but now I see that 1) everything ended up okay, and 2) this wasn't your personal story.  So if anyone else was a little to squeamish to read the details - bottom line, they discovered the problem and the cat's okay.

(My daughter has learned to start all the stories she tells me with "Everyone's okay, but..." [we had a trip to the ER last night] [we've been finding all these weird holes around our house]...)

Anyway, just to be clear, this was just those fragrance diffusers, right? Not the cat-calming ones?

[Bastet]

24 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Anyway, just to be clear, this was just those fragrance diffusers, right? Not the cat-calming ones?

Yes.  Scent diffusers - whether reed or plug-in - can be toxic to cats, depending on the oil used.  Most of them will not cause harm just from the cat breathing them in, only if ingested or spilled on the skin.  But better safe than sorry, so if you have any, it's good to check what oil is in it and then look up whether that's toxic (and, if so, how toxic) to cats.

[SuprSuprElevated]

I am probably not someone who will put a squeamish warning on a public service post, because that's sort of the point...to get folks to read and become educated about things. I am also not someone taken to post things with gratuitous stories or images of injury or worse. The above was shared as it was potentially germane to another poster's issues, specifically nasal bleeding.

[SuprSuprElevated]

Most know about Xylitol toxicity, but we can't know everything that contains it.

[supposebly]

All scents or perfumes can potentially be toxic or at least quite problematic for cats.

Perfumes in hair or other care products, cleaning products, scented candles, any air fresher things, scented diffusers or oils, scented litter, even humidifiers can affect the respiratory system of cats as I found out when I tried to help my asthmatic cat  by buying one. It made it so much worse. Second hand smoke could also be a problem.

@secnarf, maybe it's time to hunt down anything scented or perfumed in the house. Any new furniture that might emit toxic fumes?

[secnarf]

I don’t have much in the way of scents - it’s really just hand soap. Nothing new, either. 
 

As we are talking about things that could be toxic to cats - if anyone uses Voltaren topically, that is in the same family of meds as Advil, and highly toxic to cats. There is even a case report of an owner who put Voltaren on their feet, and then walked around barefoot. The cats ingested enough from walking on the same floors (and then grooming themselves) that two of the three cats died and the other got really sick. When my doctor prescribed something similar for my wrist/hand/forearm I wouldn’t even use it at home and instead only used it at work. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

I don’t have much in the way of scents - it’s really just hand soap. Nothing new, either. 
 

As we are talking about things that could be toxic to cats - if anyone uses Voltaren topically, that is in the same family of meds as Advil, and highly toxic to cats. There is even a case report of an owner who put Voltaren on their feet, and then walked around barefoot. The cats ingested enough from walking on the same floors (and then grooming themselves) that two of the three cats died and the other got really sick. When my doctor prescribed something similar for my wrist/hand/forearm I wouldn’t even use it at home and instead only used it at work. 

DH uses that!

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I hadn't read this b4. 

birch-sugar-is-the-same-thing-as-xylitol-and-its-toxic-to-dogs/

Edited October 3, 2023 by SuprSuprElevated