Have you ever seen such a handsome dude?
So it was back to the vet’s yesterday. As I mentioned in the “cat scan” post, Sunny has been having continuing problems with constipation/diarhhea and occasional vomiting, which had started in July. After explaining the symptoms to the vet on the phone last week she suggested giving him liquid paraffin for a few days, which had an immediate effect, but so much so that I ended up stopping the treatment. Then Sunny got all bunged up again. So there was nothing for it but to bundle him into the cat cage and taxi over to the vet’s…
I still haven’t figured out if going to the vet’s is more traumatic for me or the cat. Anyhow, they took an x-ray that showed a build-up in his lower colon and so Sunny was given an enema and an oral dose of paraffin (which I now have to continue once a day for a fortnight) and I was sent home with a special high-fibre food to mix with his other low-protein stuff.
There is a chance that Sunny is suffering from “feline megacolon”. If so, he will need some additional meds. But there is also a chance that the diet change and paraffin treatment will get his system back on track. Figures my cat would also have colon issues. But I am a bit less worried about him now, since whatever he has seems treatable. I am also 100 euros poorer – thank goodness for credit cards!
Cats, eh?
casa azahar 
argh, it never gets easier. I need to get M., Casey & Churro in for annual checkups and blood tests, and I know it’s at least as traumatic for me to put Casey through the stress as it is for him to deal with it. At least with three I get a bulk rate bill. 😉 Hope Sunny improves!
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Poor Sunny, I hope he’s soon feeling better. I remember the trauma of taking one of my rabbits to the vet when he stopped eating. Awful.
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That is what Robind has…
The frequent smaller feedings (with the water mixed in the food) have worked wonders on her. I can’t recall what kind of prescription diet she is on. I will ask my niece what tips the vet gave her for Robind.
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This might help…
http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/mega_colon.html
I think my niece’s cat is on the IAMS “low residue” food.
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My niece writes:
“high fibre is good but low residue is also good. The pills that we give Robind are Docusate sodium capsules the same thing a human takes to soften there stool. They are over the counter and not very expensive at all (well at least here).
Pumpkin is really good to mix with the food if the kitty will eat it (most will) Any sort of liquid meds my vet says is really bad unless the kitty will lap it up, it’s to easy to get in their lungs when you force them to take it. and the old mineral oil trick is actually worse for the animal than it is good.
Docusate sodium caps have done really good for Robind though Poor kitty”
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we’ve got a few megacolons at the Gimcrack
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Poor Sunny. Hope he will get better.
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That article was very interesting, Mudhooks. And also your neice’s response. Thanks.
I’m really not sure what to do now. I managed to give Sunny about half the required dose of the liquid paraffin, but now I’m afraid of it getting into his lungs. I called the vet to ask if there was any sort of laxative in pill form that I could give him and she said there wasn’t, which surprises me. So I think I’ll get a second opinion. Maybe I’ll call María (my old vet and ex-student). I sure wish she still lived in Sevilla.
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Oh bliss! Oh joy! Sara just helped me out with the getting the paraffin down Sunny’s gullet, using the old towel-wrapping method. It’s definitely a two-person job, but I was able to s-l-o-w-l-y get the 5mls of gack down, with no risk of it going down the wrong way. Sunny made mincemeat out of the syringe though, so it looks like I’ll have to stock up on those. And Nog watched how it was done and now will be able to do the cat holding bit for the rest of the treatment.
It’s such a relief to know it can be done safely, because it’s very important to soften up the stools and get Sunny unblocked. I spoke to María earlier and she said the paraffin was the best way to go at this point. After that, like it said in Mudhooks article, it’ll be trial and error to discover which ongoing treatment will be best for Sunny.
Sara & Steve have now left to catch their plane. I’m missing them already…
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Would Sunny submit to having his abdomen massaged? It’s got to be done in a certain way to help perstalsis along. I’d know how to do it for a human – but haven’t a clue if a cat’s anatomy bears any resemblance to a hoomin.
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And actually – I don’t even now if it would be an appropriate thing to do in the circumstances.
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I’ll ask my vet about that when I speak to her on Monday.
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Oh, I know how you feel. Juno’s little vet adventure put me back over $230 in June. But what else do we do?
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Ufff, I know. That’s about what it’s cost me so far too. I just hope we can find the right combination of long-term home treatment without any more tests. I’m pretty sure my credit card is maxed by now.
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How’s the towel trick working out?
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Like a charm. I wrap him up tight, Nog holds him like a baby, and he stays still long enough to do short squirts and make sure he swallows each on well. Thanks again – it really helped doing it with you that time.
His dose of paraffin has now been halved. Haven’t seen a lot of change. He lost his appetite for a few days but now he’ll eat his new wet food if I wrap a spoonful of it in a bit of low-sodium shaved ham and hand feed it to him … yeah I know, but at least he’s eating again.
I think he lost a tooth today though. Which might explain why he was off his food.
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Poor guy. Certainly won’t have helped. Glad the gack is going down with minimum upset, though. How many syringes has he chomped through now?
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I think he actually broke his tooth chomping down on one of the syringes the other day! Now that it’s out he seems happier. He has recently learned the sneaky trick of letting the gack dribble out of one side of his mouth (and all over Nog’s shirt) while I’m squirting it in the other. Azar must have taught him that one.
The vet told me on Friday that I can lower the dose now, so it’s a much quicker process. He’s also getting malt twice a day and I’ve put some wheat bran in his wet food. And so, he’s now going every other day, which is an improvement.
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