So Gaby is back in the hospital... she did recover from her bout of pancreatitis (and I'm really thankful for everyone's prayers and wishes) but in the process, she developed hepatic lipidosis. She's almost 17... I already lost a cat to this damn disease.

She's going to have a feeding tube inserted tomorrow... the vet isn't willing to give me a prognosis due to her age and there are the obvious risks of the anesthesia due to the liver problem as well as the fact that she also has a chronic kidney disease, even though it's still asymptomathic and in the early stages...

I already cried a lot at the vet's office... but I guess things are as they are. Life here is limited... She's an elderly cat and I'll do every single thing in my power to help her. Please pray for her...

You've got it.

Prayers 8|

Gaby will be in my thoughts, I hope tomorrow goes well for the both of you.

Daneerie wrote:So Gaby is back in the hospital... she did recover from her bout of pancreatitis (and I'm really thankful for everyone's prayers and wishes) but in the process, she developed hepatic lipidosis. She's almost 17... I already lost a cat to this damn disease.

She's going to have a feeding tube inserted tomorrow... the vet isn't willing to give me a prognosis due to her age and there are the obvious risks of the anesthesia due to the liver problem as well as the fact that she also has a chronic kidney disease, even though it's still asymptomathic and in the early stages...

I already cried a lot at the vet's office... but I guess things are as they are. Life here is limited... She's an elderly cat and I'll do every single thing in my power to help her. Please pray for her...

Tons of prayers are coming from me! I had a cat who fought that and survived, but it was a long process and her chances of survival at the outset were 50-50.

Prayers are on the way for you, too. I know the stress of having a sick furbaby.

Thank you so much, you guys... thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm getting my second reiki attunement tomorrow which allows me to heal distantly... I want to offer it to all of you, for whatever you may need, as a thank you for your prayers, words and wishes. You are all a blessing in this world.

Gaby's surgery just got its time confirmed, it's going to happen at 5pm UMT -2. She licked a little bit of the wet food at the vet's office and is calm.

Daneerie wrote:Thank you so much, you guys... thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm getting my second reiki attunement tomorrow which allows me to heal distantly... I want to offer it to all of you, for whatever you may need, as a thank you for your prayers, words and wishes. You are all a blessing in this world.

Gaby's surgery just got its time confirmed, it's going to happen at 5pm UMT -2. She licked a little bit of the wet food at the vet's office and is calm.

Her wanting to eat, or taking interest in food, is a good thing.

When my cat was sick with hepatic lipidosis and had a feeding tube, I kept her segregated from the other cat and in the main bathroom with kibble and her litter box. The bathroom was carpeted (by the prior owners of the house -- I always wondered about that decision to carpet a bathroom), but I added a kitty bed for her. It had a nice, warm radiator, so she would be comfortable, and I left a radio playing easy listening music for her. As she got stronger, she got very demanding about being fed. That's how I knew she was on the road to recovery.

It took me a few feedings to get the knack. I found out quickly that you have to put the food in S-L-O-W-L-Y. And if you think you're going slowly, then do it even MORE slowly. If I did it too quickly, she'd get nauseous and lose the whole feeding. The vet did add some anti-nausea pills to crush up along with the meds, to give her at each feeding. You might consider asking for that sooner, instead of later, so you won't have to make an extra trip to the vet to pick it up if she has issues keeping things down at first.

One thing I did was buy a pill grinder from the vet. Best $15 I ever spent. My hands have pain all the time (probably osteoarthritis), so it hurt too much to crush a pill between spoons to turn it into power. The grinder takes care of that in no time flat. It looks like this. http://fetchrx.com/pill-grinder-shaver-w-3-cups

I ground the pills, which fell into the nice little measuring cup, then poured them into the serving of food and mixed it all together. Then I fed the cat with the medicated food.

Likes2Read, that is very useful information... thank you very much! Indeed that is a concern... that she doesn't get nauseous or that we don't feed her too quickly. The good thing is that she isn't throwing up like the cat I lost. She vomits every 2-3 days and is definitely interested in food... even though not enough. I'll ask the vet about the anti-nausea meds though because I notice that when she is having a bad day with lots of nausea that's when she feeds less. I really appreciate all the advice The idea of relaxing songs sound very good as well! She likes to hang out in my room so I'll play her something nice.

Good thinking. I think that the vet won't mind adding the anti-nausea meds as a pre-emptive strike against the problem even showing up in the first place. But the slow, slow feeding is still something that might take practice. Let the vet demo it for you and watch when you do it. And you have access to something I didn't have in 1997: a camera phone to videotape the process.

I've charged all my healing spirits (the Phoenixes, the Dragons who heal, the Unicorns/Alicorns, and others) and all my felines (two Familiars, three Mashebas, and a Cat Sidhe) to keep her company. It's the least I can do for a fellow cat person.

:*3 & best wishes & 8| for your Gaby. I hope she is comfortable & recovers well.