Quote:
Originally Posted by nemesis
Smokey is continuing to get better. His appetite and demeanor are good. I think his remaining odd behaviour is due to him being annoyed at being taken to the vet for a few days and then having his fluids the next day (he get skittish if he sees people congregating in a conspiratorial way, i.e, "what are they up to now?"). I've been giving smaller meals more frequently to help ease his stomach and elevated his food and water bowls.
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Excellent
Do you think this most recent hiding/odd behaviour of Smokey's is very concerning/out of character or does it usually take him a couple of days to get over vet visits/changes in the household (visitors staying overnight etc)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by nemesis
I also heard about an herbal supplement called Slippery Elm Bark which is supposed to help with stomach acid, nausea, and so on, has anyone tried it?
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I did use SEB for a bit as it also soothes & coats the lining of the intestinal tract, soothes mouth ulcers and helps with constipation/diarreah by rebalancing the water absorption in the bowels.
For my girl the issue that prompted me to use SEB was constipation, it worked well for ensuring her poops were not too dry & she could pass them easier. At that time I was feeding bone-in ground raw food and as her homeopath & I discussed her food more we determined that she was starting to react to the ground bone - the content was too high for her system to handle, and once we switched her to a bone-free, calcium supplemented raw food she didn't need the SEB anymore.
A note of caution with SEB you should give it at least 1 hour before or after any other medications or supplements as it can interfere with their absorption, SEB stimulates the production of mucous in the gastro-intestinal tract. Also being that it is a herbal supplement, my animal homeopath & homeopath vet recommended it not be used as a daily long term solution, any herb can react against other herbs, supplements and medications, and as with any herbal remedy it is important not to overdose.
SEB is considered safe & effective however the magnesium content is high which is a concern if the urinary pH is high and it does contain calcium so it's not recommended for one with hypercalcemia.
Some info on SEB:
http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#SEB1
http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=...em=slipperyelm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nemesis
Up to this point he's been receiving 150 ml of fluids twice a week. He had his last dose of IV fluids on Monday, and we gave him his Subq dose yesterday. The water pouch is gone. I'm trying to decide if we should give him another subq dose today, and just go with every day until Saturday, or give him a break. The vet said that we could give him his first dose right away the next day after he comes home, and then switch to every other day after that. But if receiving the fluids every day would be more beneficial, I have no problem doing it. My only concern is that it will upset him if we do it every day. He is more compliant than before, and we are better at controlling him during it, but he doesn't really "like it" per se. On the other hand, it's possible that he was more annoyed at us last night after fluids because he was still upset about having to be at the vet for a few days. Hmm. I wonder if I could even give him a break today, and then resume giving them every day until Saturday. I also wonder if it's better to be consistent in the timing of it, as in, not switch between every other day/every day, and just stick to one.  |
In your situation I would be comfortable giving fluids everyday providing the fluid is fully absorbed & re-assessing after Sat's bloodwork comes back from the lab, if you think Smokey needs a break then by all means give them every other day as your vet has already mentioned is okay.
If you skipped fluids on Wed & he acts worse/more cranky/drinking noticibly more etc during the day Thurs then give fluids each day starting Thurs through Sat & mention to the vet how his behaviour was during this week.
We do want to be as consistant as possible with the fluid schedule just so the cats are not going longer than recommended/needed without fluids, as that makes the symptoms more pronounced & constant dehydration is not that easy to overcome. It all depends on how much/how frequent each individual cat needs.
Overall shifting the schedule a few times isn't going to be too big of an issue while you figure out what works best for Smokey. The results back from the lab will help your vet determine if it's better everyday or every other day, your observations are also very helpful in determining which is better for Smokey.
A bit about fluid frequency
http://www.felinecrf.org/fluid_thera...ency_of_fluids
A bit about overhydrating
http://www.felinecrf.org/treatments.htm#fluid_retention
What is he like a couple of hours or so after getting fluids? Is there a difference in his behaviour/demeanor than before giving fluids?
