Consolidated Kansas

[JosieChick]

Thanks. Do you think she has a chance? I am trying to prepare myself for what happens. I lost my other old cat in 1996 when his kidneys shut down. I have felt guilty ever since leaving him in a cage at the vets instead of having him home. I just know he felt we deserted him. If I knew she wouldn't live for sure I would go get her and let her die here. I don't want her to die feeling lonely. I called this particular vet because he is the one everyone has said is the best. It was worth driving an hour each way to get her the best care possible. Our local vets don't have the equipment to handle these things.

It is really hard to say. Some cats respond to fluid therapy and some don't. If the vet is really concerned about her kidney values then they are probably really elevated and it is hard to say if she will do well on fluids or not. If you take her home and she doesn't get any fluids she will surely pass away. So at least at the veterinary clinic she is getting a chance and if her body can it will pull her through and may buy you some time with her.

I know it is hard to have them pass away alone but kidney failure is a terrible way to pass away and can take several days for her to succumb on her own. If you do take her home I would highly recommend having someone out to euthanize her at your home so she doesn't suffer as her body shuts down. I think if you called the vet and asked him to tell you if he thinks she has an honest chance of pulling through or not that would give you an idea of what to do. You should tell him that if he thinks she is going to pass that you prefer to have her at home and euthanized than to be alone and die in the hospital. I can even talk to DH if you decide you want to bring her home and maybe we could meet you this weekend. I have had several pets euthanized at home and it is always much nicer to have them in a familiar place when they go.

You could give her 24 hours on fluids and they might just re run her BUN/Creatanine levels to see if she is making any improvements too?

 

[Hawkeye95]

We bought some of the sticky traps this year. We knew there was a mouse in the garage; DH had seen it, but it just kept eating the peanut butter off the snap traps without setting them off. Then we put out the sticky traps here and there. One day DH noticed some fur on one of the sticky traps, so it had managed to get free. So then he came in and said he'd put all four of the sticky traps together with a nice bit of peanut butter in the middle. Sure enough, he finally trapped the little sucker; it had 3 traps stuck to it!

Is it sick I think that is hilarious??

Oh I am excited to hatch next season. I need to buy an incubator still and get all that set up so next spring I may be hollaring at you kansas missouri people on eggs lol I have spring fever in fall

Me too!!! I can not WAIT to get to hatching again!! I have 3 cockerels that I can't wait until they mature-- and many pullets to give a go with. All of them are too young. I have a couple of older hens, but I'm not using my older rooster again, so I'll have to wait to breed them with the new boys. eek! I've been considering buying eggs!

Well I am back home obviously. with swollen eyes and a broken heart. I just can't stop crying. I got there right after they opened. Luckily I tried calling early and got hold of someone,and got permission to bring her in. Tyggy has renal failure. Her levels were extremely elevated. They are forcing fluids through her which he said is the equivalent of doing dialysis. As long as she survives, he will do this for 2-3 days until the levels decrease. Then she will have to be on medication and a special diet the rest of her life. He did indicate with levels that high that it wasn't looking good for her. I just can't give up yet, although in my heart I know her chances are very slim. She was fine until last night when I noticed she wasn't her normal frisky self and felt cooler than normal when she cuddled up next to me in bed. This morning I tried to give her a drink and she tried but gagged on it.
This cat is one I rescused when it was too young to eat, when her mother got killed. She has never been even remotely like a cat. She is extremely smart and very loving to everyone. I swear she understands what I say. I ask her for a kiss she comes up and puts her forehead on my lips. She is 13+ years old so we've been together a long long time. I have two other cats who are 14 and 15 years old. Now I wonder how much longer they will be around too. They are special as well but Tyggy is the queen of the house.
The vet is supposed to call me if there is any change and said he will call each morning to give me an update on her levels.
Please pray that she survives. This is like loosing a child.

This trap is the Victor Tin mouse with the see through window. I'm going back and buying every single one they have. There were 12 mice in that thing when I got back home this morning. I just set it in the shop late last night. It is made to be a live release trap but I released them into a bucket of water where they quickly drowned. I put some dry edges cut off of cheese topped with peanut butter inside and it did the trick. All the PB was gone and only a few bites were gone out of the cheese. I am going to set one of these under each of my buildings. I'll have to move them around after I eliminate the greatest population to cover all of them but I see this working 100 times better than the bait was.

Oh Danz, I'm so very sorry. I don't know what to think. I've not had to deal with this. I had a dog die of Addison's Disease and there at the end, she went into renal failure and she had to be put down. It was terrible, and she was suffering horribly. Just know that I'm feeling so sad for you and thinking of you.

Glad you got rid of a bunch of mice!

Argghhhhh!!!

What is wrong with people!!!!!?????!!! I finally have some one potentially interested in Lucie and they even raise sheep and this lady posts this under the response from the potentially interested family.

Please remember that this mix is not a true LGD do to the fact there is a herding breed in the mix. She may work fine but there is a chance for issues to arise. Because the herdinginstinct may kick in. Just thought I should mention something. Cause would hate for someone to end up with a possible problem. She would be a great all around farm dog. I would just be hesitant to put in alone with livestock.


Like I would place the dog in a situation where she was doomed to fail. She doesn't even know the darn dog! This dog is submissive to my geese who are the biggest pansies on earth. They run and scream from everything. The only problem I have is with my bantam chickens who are tiny!! She has lived with livestock, ALONE!!! I mean, seriously. I even sent someone this ladies way when they contacted me about Lucie and she was going for a trial elsewhere to buy a pup from her. After the lady that spent $150 on one of her pups she called to tell me that the dog was really sick and they had to rush it to the vet. I felt so badly that I had sent them to her and they got a sick puppy. But I didn't go talking badly about her dogs right on the page under her posts for her pups for sale! Good lord, why can't people mind their own stinking business.

WHOA. I would be REALLY angry with the person that wrote that. That was completely uncalled for! Why on earth would you write that unless you were purposely trying to hurt the chances of the dog being placed. That sounded pretty malicious.

My dachshund has spent the last 3 days digging in the corners of the chicken house trying to get to the mice in the walls. The girls have gotten used to him and just stay in their nests laying eggs while he hunts. He is good with the chickens, not so much with mice.

Oh, how funny!!

Medawinks if you are reading I am making winter melon and pork soup. I found so many variations I hope it turns out good.
At least my trip to Emporia yielded some nice pork ribs and some fresh ginger that wasn't available here.

What is a melon and pork soup? Wouldn't the melon melt down into mush once it was heated?? Or is that the point?

It is really hard to say. Some cats respond to fluid therapy and some don't. If the vet is really concerned about her kidney values then they are probably really elevated and it is hard to say if she will do well on fluids or not. If you take her home and she doesn't get any fluids she will surely pass away. So at least at the veterinary clinic she is getting a chance and if her body can it will pull her through and may buy you some time with her.

I know it is hard to have them pass away alone but kidney failure is a terrible way to pass away and can take several days for her to succumb on her own. If you do take her home I would highly recommend having someone out to euthanize her at your home so she doesn't suffer as her body shuts down. I think if you called the vet and asked him to tell you if he thinks she has an honest chance of pulling through or not that would give you an idea of what to do. You should tell him that if he thinks she is going to pass that you prefer to have her at home and euthanized than to be alone and die in the hospital. I can even talk to DH if you decide you want to bring her home and maybe we could meet you this weekend. I have had several pets euthanized at home and it is always much nicer to have them in a familiar place when they go.

You could give her 24 hours on fluids and they might just re run her BUN/Creatanine levels to see if she is making any improvements too?

Good advice.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had kind of a sad day. At least, I feel a bit depressed after it. I took my elderly friend to the surgeon that would be doing her surgery. I think she felt it was too extensive for her and she has refused to go through with it. Which means, she could die at any time now. I've tried talking to her, but she is set. I'm hoping after a bit of time to settle down and think about it, maybe she'll change her mind. But if not, then I guess just enjoy the time I have left with her. Sigh. So that was a big downer. The only bright spot of the day was having lunch with my mom while she's back in town from Seattle-- and we ate at one of our favorite downtown restaurants. We went to the Old Mill Tasty Shoppe on Douglas there in Wichita. LOVE that place. I'm glad I did that first! BTW-- Valley Feed and Seed does carry chicken leg bands. Going to pick up some of those tomorrow and then buy the ABA bands for my chicks for next year. I'm having a hard time, Danz deciding who to take! I may take more than I really want to bring in the hopes of selling some extra cockerels at National. Sale pens are $4.00 a piece/one bird and show pens are $3.50 a cage/one bird. SO it's cheaper to show them and then sell them when the judging is done!

 

[queenbigears]

I just had to share. Through our chicken raising adventure we have lost some of our babies and learned so much. I am proud to say my five girls are laying like crazy now. At 20 weeks all five are laying everyday. I couldn't be happier.

 

[chicken danz]

It is really hard to say. Some cats respond to fluid therapy and some don't. If the vet is really concerned about her kidney values then they are probably really elevated and it is hard to say if she will do well on fluids or not. If you take her home and she doesn't get any fluids she will surely pass away. So at least at the veterinary clinic she is getting a chance and if her body can it will pull her through and may buy you some time with her.

I know it is hard to have them pass away alone but kidney failure is a terrible way to pass away and can take several days for her to succumb on her own. If you do take her home I would highly recommend having someone out to euthanize her at your home so she doesn't suffer as her body shuts down. I think if you called the vet and asked him to tell you if he thinks she has an honest chance of pulling through or not that would give you an idea of what to do. You should tell him that if he thinks she is going to pass that you prefer to have her at home and euthanized than to be alone and die in the hospital. I can even talk to DH if you decide you want to bring her home and maybe we could meet you this weekend. I have had several pets euthanized at home and it is always much nicer to have them in a familiar place when they go.

You could give her 24 hours on fluids and they might just re run her BUN/Creatanine levels to see if she is making any improvements too?

Thank you Josie. He did say her chances were not looking good because the levels were extremely high. He said he would try the fluid for two to 3 days and see if the levels went back down. That honestly sounds so much better to bring her home and have her euthanized here that to die alone. I don't want her to suffer any more than she already is. I guess I'll know more tomorrow or the next day. He is supposed to call me in the morning.
I am feeling angry. It's just been a couple months ago I rushed her to our normal vet cause she wasn't able to pee. He gave her antibitoics and said it was a bladder infection. She got better ( I thought) but now when I'm reading about this I realize that was my first clue she was going into failure. I wish he had suggested a different diet or something. He is good with horses and cattle but he just isn't a small animal vet. He ran no labs or anything just prescribed an antibiotic. I also noticed that the cat box has literally been swimming in urine lately. It never occurred to me that this could be a sign of a problem. With 4 cats it's so hard to know who is doing what unless I notice them acting strangely.
So is there some kind of particular thing in their diet that causes problems or that could be missing? I was reading they need a diet of high protein and low potassium. Okay I'm trying to think chemistry here. Sea food is very high protein but because the ocean is absolutely full of potassium does that mean I have too much fish in their diet? I have these other two very old cats and I don't want to do this again.

Hawkeye, winter melon and pork is a Chinese dish. The winter melon looks like a watermelon but lighter colored. It is hollow inside kind of like a gourd would be and the meat is white. I thought the same thing because it reminds me of the way watermelon looks. Everything I have read says it is delicious, nutritious, and light. Medawinks actually told me what to look for. My Chinese customer gave me a winter mellon to try. What I read is that it is kind of like tofu in a way as it takes on the flavor of what it is being cooked with. The worst I have to loose is some pork ribs and some fresh ginger root. So I thought I'd try it. I also baked some butternut squash with cinnamon and sugar this afternoon. I guess we'll see how that turns out.
DH is not at all adventurous and gets his mind made up ahead of time he doesn't like things so I may be eating all of this alone or the chickens and dogs will have a feast.

 

[JosieChick]

Keep us posted and I will talk to DH about bringing stuff up to have handy in case you decide it is time and want to bring her home. I would be very frank with him about your wishes to have her pass at home because he may think that you would rather her pass there if she is really sick. A lot of people don't want to deal with the loss at home. It is nothing in her diet, it is just a disease of old age in cats. Many, many house cats die of renal failure. Often they don't look sick until they are really sick too. The diet he is recommending is just to try to maintain what kidney function she has left but regular cat food doesn't cause kidney failure. If you are concerned about your other cats I would highly recommend taking them in to a vet that sees cats and ask for a wellness check up. Request that they run blood work and if they offer testing for early renal failure. DH has a panel that they recommend for cats over eight years of age that includes blood work, a thyroid level and a test that is sensitive to early renal failure long before the vast majority of the kidney has shut down (when there is tons of drinking and urinating) It would help you assess their overall health and if someone is in early renal failure there are things you can do like diet changes and sub cutaneous fluid therapy at home to extend their life.

Thank you Josie. He did say her chances were not looking good because the levels were extremely high. He said he would try the fluid for two to 3 days and see if the levels went back down. That honestly sounds so much better to bring her home and have her euthanized here that to die alone. I don't want her to suffer any more than she already is. I guess I'll know more tomorrow or the next day. He is supposed to call me in the morning.
I am feeling angry. It's just been a couple months ago I rushed her to our normal vet cause she wasn't able to pee. He gave her antibitoics and said it was a bladder infection. She got better ( I thought) but now when I'm reading about this I realize that was my first clue she was going into failure. I wish he had suggested a different diet or something. He is good with horses and cattle but he just isn't a small animal vet. He ran no labs or anything just prescribed an antibiotic. I also noticed that the cat box has literally been swimming in urine lately. It never occurred to me that this could be a sign of a problem. With 4 cats it's so hard to know who is doing what unless I notice them acting strangely.
So is there some kind of particular thing in their diet that causes problems or that could be missing? I was reading they need a diet of high protein and low potassium. Okay I'm trying to think chemistry here. Sea food is very high protein but because the ocean is absolutely full of potassium does that mean I have too much fish in their diet? I have these other two very old cats and I don't want to do this again.

 

[sharol]

I looked back over your initial post. The fact that she was choking on water is a bad sign. Renal failure causes lesions in the mouth in later stages that keep the animal from eating. A good sign of it is breath that smells like ammonia. If you can get in to see her (after you talk to the vet), you might get a better idea how she is doing and cheer her up. My last experience with euthanasia was my well loved Brittany, and I sat on the floor of the vet's office (same office, different vet) holding her when he did the injection. She had a huge tumor in her throat that was causing her to cough up blood and was in great misery. I sat there on the floor with her in my lap crying for 10 minutes. They are very kind people there.

IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. You are doing all you can for her. My thoughts will be with you.

Thank you Josie. He did say her chances were not looking good because the levels were extremely high. He said he would try the fluid for two to 3 days and see if the levels went back down. That honestly sounds so much better to bring her home and have her euthanized here that to die alone. I don't want her to suffer any more than she already is. I guess I'll know more tomorrow or the next day. He is supposed to call me in the morning.
I am feeling angry. It's just been a couple months ago I rushed her to our normal vet cause she wasn't able to pee. He gave her antibitoics and said it was a bladder infection. She got better ( I thought) but now when I'm reading about this I realize that was my first clue she was going into failure. I wish he had suggested a different diet or something. He is good with horses and cattle but he just isn't a small animal vet. He ran no labs or anything just prescribed an antibiotic. I also noticed that the cat box has literally been swimming in urine lately. It never occurred to me that this could be a sign of a problem. With 4 cats it's so hard to know who is doing what unless I notice them acting strangely.
So is there some kind of particular thing in their diet that causes problems or that could be missing? I was reading they need a diet of high protein and low potassium. Okay I'm trying to think chemistry here. Sea food is very high protein but because the ocean is absolutely full of potassium does that mean I have too much fish in their diet? I have these other two very old cats and I don't want to do this again.

 

[cherwill]

Thanks. Do you think she has a chance? I am trying to prepare myself for what happens. I lost my other old cat in 1996 when his kidneys shut down. I have felt guilty ever since leaving him in a cage at the vets instead of having him home. I just know he felt we deserted him. If I knew she wouldn't live for sure I would go get her and let her die here. I don't want her to die feeling lonely. I called this particular vet because he is the one everyone has said is the best. It was worth driving an hour each way to get her the best care possible. Our local vets don't have the equipment to handle these things.

I'm so sorry. I've had you both in my thoughts today. It's hard to know what to do. I've had to deal with this too many times with dogs over the years and I've not once been convinced in my heart that I made the right decision at the right time. My brain tells me I've done the right things and certainly the best I could, but a breaking heart doesn't believe that. You are doing everything you can and making the best decisions you can with what you know. That's all any of us can do. I'll just repeat what others have said, make sure the vet knows how important it is to you to take your cat home if he's going to die.

Is it sick I think that is hilarious??

Yes. Yes it is. But it's one of the things I like about you!

I had kind of a sad day. At least, I feel a bit depressed after it. I took my elderly friend to the surgeon that would be doing her surgery. I think she felt it was too extensive for her and she has refused to go through with it. Which means, she could die at any time now. I've tried talking to her, but she is set. I'm hoping after a bit of time to settle down and think about it, maybe she'll change her mind. But if not, then I guess just enjoy the time I have left with her. Sigh. So that was a big downer. The only bright spot of the day was having lunch with my mom while she's back in town from Seattle-- and we ate at one of our favorite downtown restaurants. We went to the Old Mill Tasty Shoppe on Douglas there in Wichita. LOVE that place. I'm glad I did that first

I just had to share. Through our chicken raising adventure we have lost some of our babies and learned so much. I am proud to say my five girls are laying like crazy now. At 20 weeks all five are laying everyday. I couldn't be happier.

Congratulations! My 10 laid no eggs today. Again ... it happened last week once, too. Grr.

Quote:

Argghhhhh!!!

What is wrong with people!!!!!?????!!! I finally have some one potentially interested in Lucie and they even raise sheep and this lady posts this under the response from the potentially interested family.

Please remember that this mix is not a true LGD do to the fact there is a herding breed in the mix. She may work fine but there is a chance for issues to arise. Because the herdinginstinct may kick in. Just thought I should mention something. Cause would hate for someone to end up with a possible problem. She would be a great all around farm dog. I would just be hesitant to put in alone with livestock.


Like I would place the dog in a situation where she was doomed to fail. She doesn't even know the darn dog! This dog is submissive to my geese who are the biggest pansies on earth. They run and scream from everything. The only problem I have is with my bantam chickens who are tiny!! She has lived with livestock, ALONE!!! I mean, seriously. I even sent someone this ladies way when they contacted me about Lucie and she was going for a trial elsewhere to buy a pup from her. After the lady that spent $150 on one of her pups she called to tell me that the dog was really sick and they had to rush it to the vet. I felt so badly that I had sent them to her and they got a sick puppy. But I didn't go talking badly about her dogs right on the page under her posts for her pups for sale! Good lord, why can't people mind their own stinking business.

What a jerk. She should just let you and the interested family discuss the particulars of their situation and the dog instead of trying to scare them with a generalization.


We spent the afternoon scraping paint at one of the houses we take care of. We're repainting all the trim and fixing whichever windows and screens need fixing. I feel so guilty because DH has to do the majority of it, and he'll have to do the majority of the painting unless my foot miraculously gets much better quickly. I can't be on it for too long at a time, and I can't stand on a ladder, so I can only deal with the stuff within my reach. I'm not short, but I'm not tall either, so all the eaves and many of the windows and roof trim are out of my reach. I saw the foot doc again Monday and he re-wrapped my foot with a different kind of support wrap and I'm to leave it on for 2 weeks. If the inflammation isn't gone by then, or it's not improved at all in a week, I get a steroid shot. Once the inflammation is gone, he has some things he wants to do to help with the "biomechanics" of how my foot moves; something about metatarsals and the arch not being in a line they way they should be. DH is being nice about and understands that most of this job is going to be on him, but that's certainly not how either of us thought it was going to be when we took it on.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Hugs to you Danz. I know this is hard and I know that you will do everything you can to make her comfortable and healthy. I hope everything turns out ok.

Wow.. miss a day an a half and it's over 150 posts! I can't keep up with ya'll lately. LOL

I got my new puppy yesterday! She is half pitbull -half Presa Canario Mastiff. Gonna be a big girl. My DH named her Kitty. He thought it would be funny to call "Here Kitty" and have a 200lb dog come running. LOL







Here she is compared to Darwin - our 3yr old American Bulldog. Tiny, but she might outsize him in a few years!

 

[medawinks]

Oh NO!!! Danz.... Your sweet tabby? I have you and her in our family prayers! Some pets definitely are able to be much more than a treasured pet in our lives......


HEChicken, am I understanding that a pad for heating a lizard is all you are using as a heater for your incubator? Your description sounds so easy to build and like it might be quite fun for a 9 yr old boy too......especially since we have everything you mentioned needing..... But drat, I would be a huge mess if anything went wrong!! But, then my 9 yr old is happily pulling mealworms out of the mealworms farm I swore I would never be able to stomach. Hmmm..... Definitely food for thought!!

Glad you spoke up Momma hen! That little chick has a chance now

Josie.... I wish some people would stop acting like they know it all... They are everywhere.... Hang in there! Lucie will find her family!

My new roosts are home I think my girls like their big "cage" on my sun porch. I had always wanted an aviary with doves... Now I have one to watch my birds sleep

 

[medawinks]

I know I missed replying to more.... My brain is a sieve.....

Cherwill- I hope your foot it better soon!! I am having nerve pain in my foot and I do understand.... Not fun!