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#21
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Gaubster wrote:
Feline w/d and r/d from Hill's are formulated with a pH range of 6.2-6.4 which will help manage crystals. So, you are wrong on that count, Megan. No I'm not. I never said it was wrong to feed that. I said I "questioned it" which is entirely different. Apparently it didn't occur to you that managing crystals and dissolving them are two different things. First of all, I have a real big problem with a vet that proclaims a cat has to be on a special food/drugs for "the rest of its life" because of *one* incident of constipation. Have you seen the test results yourself? How can you diagnose over the internet? I didn't make diagnosis. Again you are too ignorant to comprehend basic language. I questioned the proclamation that the cat would have this condition for life based solely on *one* incident, which is completely valid. Just because you blindly follow whatever a vet or Hills tells you without doing any research or using common sense doesn't mean others should. snip the rest of Gaubsters typical attempt to start an argument over food Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray |
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#23
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#24
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Thanks to everyone who gave their input. It was good to get such a diverse
(and sometimes contradictory) range of views. Even the vets (and there were several of them from the same vet practice who examined Toby) couldn't all agree upon what the problem(s) might be, so I guess I shouldn't feel guilty about being all confused. Toby first got ill about 2 months ago - I noticed he had been going to the litter tray every few minutes - I carted him off to the vet immediately, where the first vet took a urine sample and tested it for crystals and/or bacteria. That first test came back positive for bacteria but negative for crystals. Toby was put on antibiotics, but no change of diet was recommended (he was being fed IAMS dried and Whiskas Advance wet). He had an anti-inflammation shot as well, and the frequent litter tray visits stopped - he got back to his normal routine of 2/3 times of weeing a day. A few weeks later, when Toby went to the clinic for a follow-up urine test after completing his course of antibiotics, a second vet discovered that Toby was badly constipated and had a distended colon. (Toby had always poo'd every other day - I simply accepted that as his normal routine, I never suspected he might be constipated. He never showed any signs of straining or pain when he poo'd before.) After Toby failed to poo for 4 days in a row (despite being treated with both lactulose and cisapride), a third and fourth vet (from the same clinic) recommended an enema under anaesthesia - this was duly administered after an x-ray was taken. The last two vets said the x-ray was inconclusive for a megacolon diagnosis, although Toby's colon was distended. Meanwhile, the second urine test came back - Toby had struvite crystals AND bacteria! Vet no. 2 decided that the bacteria could be lab contamination, so no additional antibiotics were prescribed. So the decision was made to put Toby on the Hill's dried w/d and wet r/d combination (both had higher fibre, are formulated to keep urine urine pH at 6.2 to 6.4, and the wet r/d would ensure Toby has sufficient fluid intake). Fast-forward to two weeks later - a third urine test this week showed Toby's urine is free from either bacteria or struvite crystals. Phew! However, vet no. 2 felt that it would be wise to continue with the Hill's diet as well as the lactulose and cisapride treatment for the foreseeable future as Toby's colon continues to be distended (although he now poos regularly once every 1 to 1.5 days). Three different urine tests yielding 3 different results, on top of a possible idiopathic megacolon diagnosis - the vets don't have a clue why Toby's constipation developed nor why it progressed to the almost megacolon stage. It's all pretty much guess-work at this stage - keeping my fingers crossed that Toby's bowel movements will go back to normal eventually and he can be safely taken off the cisapride. (Cisapride is expensive and has been suspected of causing a few human deaths and withdrawn from the human market so it is not easy to get except thru vets, but lactulose is just a synthetic sugar and unlikely to cause any long term harm, plus it is much cheaper and easier to obtain.) It has been a very stressful couple of months for this daddy! Devlin Perth, Australia |
#25
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Thanks to everyone who gave their input. It was good to get such a diverse
(and sometimes contradictory) range of views. Even the vets (and there were several of them from the same vet practice who examined Toby) couldn't all agree upon what the problem(s) might be, so I guess I shouldn't feel guilty about being all confused. Toby first got ill about 2 months ago - I noticed he had been going to the litter tray every few minutes - I carted him off to the vet immediately, where the first vet took a urine sample and tested it for crystals and/or bacteria. That first test came back positive for bacteria but negative for crystals. Toby was put on antibiotics, but no change of diet was recommended (he was being fed IAMS dried and Whiskas Advance wet). He had an anti-inflammation shot as well, and the frequent litter tray visits stopped - he got back to his normal routine of 2/3 times of weeing a day. A few weeks later, when Toby went to the clinic for a follow-up urine test after completing his course of antibiotics, a second vet discovered that Toby was badly constipated and had a distended colon. (Toby had always poo'd every other day - I simply accepted that as his normal routine, I never suspected he might be constipated. He never showed any signs of straining or pain when he poo'd before.) After Toby failed to poo for 4 days in a row (despite being treated with both lactulose and cisapride), a third and fourth vet (from the same clinic) recommended an enema under anaesthesia - this was duly administered after an x-ray was taken. The last two vets said the x-ray was inconclusive for a megacolon diagnosis, although Toby's colon was distended. Meanwhile, the second urine test came back - Toby had struvite crystals AND bacteria! Vet no. 2 decided that the bacteria could be lab contamination, so no additional antibiotics were prescribed. So the decision was made to put Toby on the Hill's dried w/d and wet r/d combination (both had higher fibre, are formulated to keep urine urine pH at 6.2 to 6.4, and the wet r/d would ensure Toby has sufficient fluid intake). Fast-forward to two weeks later - a third urine test this week showed Toby's urine is free from either bacteria or struvite crystals. Phew! However, vet no. 2 felt that it would be wise to continue with the Hill's diet as well as the lactulose and cisapride treatment for the foreseeable future as Toby's colon continues to be distended (although he now poos regularly once every 1 to 1.5 days). Three different urine tests yielding 3 different results, on top of a possible idiopathic megacolon diagnosis - the vets don't have a clue why Toby's constipation developed nor why it progressed to the almost megacolon stage. It's all pretty much guess-work at this stage - keeping my fingers crossed that Toby's bowel movements will go back to normal eventually and he can be safely taken off the cisapride. (Cisapride is expensive and has been suspected of causing a few human deaths and withdrawn from the human market so it is not easy to get except thru vets, but lactulose is just a synthetic sugar and unlikely to cause any long term harm, plus it is much cheaper and easier to obtain.) It has been a very stressful couple of months for this daddy! Devlin Perth, Australia |
#27
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From: "Devlin Tay"
Toby's colon continues to be distended (although he now poos regularly once every 1 to 1.5 days). Three different urine tests yielding 3 different results, on top of a possible idiopathic megacolon diagnosis There's a great group you could join for cats with IBD and other bowel problems: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FelineIBD ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm |
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