Update Re: Ember and weight loss
Thank you Jane, MC, Marylyn, Caroline, Tonya, Belinda and Wendy for your thoughts and advice. I wanted to wait for a week or so in order to report back what I hoped would be a uptick in Ember's weight. Unfortunately, she's still hanging around the general "9 1/12 pounds" area. Probably optimistic of me to think that just more regular Sheba would push it up. I picked up a baby scale last week so that I can weigh her here at home. I ordered small bags of Wellness CORE, Wellness Adult Complete Health Chicken and EVO based on what y'all said. I'm going to try the EVO again in smaller portions, and since it's something of a "kitten" food, I'm hoping it'll help put some weight back on. If there's a problem with it, I have the Wellness options to fall back on. Marylyn, I looked at Just Born and may pick up some. I'm just unsure about mixing that and Transfer Factor, since TF has colostrum (or something "colostrum-esque"). Looked interesting, though, especially since they mentioned giving it to pregnant or nursing adults. Once I get the dry food (hopefully by the end of the week), I'm going to give Ember a few more weeks before I take her back in, hoping that her weight will go up. If not, I'll definitely look into the thyroid tests. My vet didn't seem to think the thyroid could be the problem, and the symptoms I've read about for kitty thyroid issues don't seem to match what's going on here, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Thank you all again for your replies. Lance
Re: Ember and weight loss
FreeT4 is the test you want to do if there is any possibility of the T4 being incorrect. Fred's T4 was normal but his FreeT4 showed he was in the early stages of hyperthyroid, so we caught it early and he only needed a very low dose of iodine when he had the treatment and I got to bring him home the next day. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting & web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Ember and weight loss
Yes, if you go this route ask for a full thyroid panel. There is a 'basic' test. I don't remember which one.. which can come out negative when your cat really does have a thyroid problem. t wendy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hey Lance, Checking the thyroid is a good idea because cats with thyroid issues often can't gain weight no matter how much they eat. Let us know how the test goes. The test is called a T4, and some vets also take a free T4. I don't know what else to tell you about the weight loss. Did your vet offer any other possible explanations? You could try to introduce the Evo back slowly as you said. If she has another reaction, maybe she has an allergy to something in the food, which would be good for you to know. :) Wendy "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has!" ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ - Original Message From: Lance To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 5:39:01 PM Subject: Ember and weight loss Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losing weight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, when Ember developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it. Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decided to take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptly went away. Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8 pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now, this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiest thing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks, I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats. Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cell count, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run that test on Ember in a few weeks. Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving as always. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okay for me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vet wanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'd rather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which anyone here has had good results? Thank you, Lance Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with Yahoo! Autos. http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
Re: Ember and weight loss
Hey Lance, Checking the thyroid is a good idea because cats with thyroid issues often can't gain weight no matter how much they eat. Let us know how the test goes. The test is called a T4, and some vets also take a free T4. I don't know what else to tell you about the weight loss. Did your vet offer any other possible explanations? You could try to introduce the Evo back slowly as you said. If she has another reaction, maybe she has an allergy to something in the food, which would be good for you to know. :) Wendy "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has!" ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ - Original Message From: Lance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 5:39:01 PM Subject: Ember and weight loss Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losing weight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, when Ember developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it. Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decided to take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptly went away. Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8 pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now, this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiest thing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks, I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats. Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cell count, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run that test on Ember in a few weeks. Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving as always. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okay for me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vet wanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'd rather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which anyone here has had good results? Thank you, Lance Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with Yahoo! Autos. http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
Re: Ember and weight loss
there are a couple of websites you can find with just normal searches that explain what all the test values should be, so you can help evaluate your vet's evaluation. i think i found them through a, "feline blood test results" search. (i'm still not back on my main computer, so can't find half my stuff.) even some of the "standards" are different--i think it seemed as if they might have changed in the past years? so some vets may be working with older guidelines. and it's not ALWAYS the numbers--it's the constellation of symptoms that count. a cat can have HORRIBLE numbers, but be so strong, or have more things to accomplish on its journey here, that it stays around way longer than it "should"--likewise, a kitty who tests out fine can crash in less than 24 hours. learn what values are most important in what conditions: belinda listed the ones for kidney problems; there's a different set for liver. that way, if you vet says your cat's bun is really high, and it's 36, you can say, um, well perhaps the most valuable thing this list can teach us is NOT to assume that our veterinarians know everything, or have encountered everything. what matters is their willingness to learn, to be open to our questions and the information we bring them from our own sources, and their commitment to we, their clients, and our cats. MC On 9/28/07, Belinda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >What were his creatinine, BUN, phosphorus, potassium and HCT, those > are the big numbers concerning CRF? What lab were they sent to? > > -- > > Belinda > happiness is being owned by cats ... > > Be-Mi-Kitties > http://bemikitties.com > > Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens > http://adopt.bemikitties.com > > FeLV Candlelight Service > http://bemikitties.com/cls > > HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting & web design] > http://HostDesign4U.com > > > > BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] > http://bmk.bemikitties.com > > > -- Spay & Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
Re: Ember and weight loss
What were his creatinine, BUN, phosphorus, potassium and HCT, those are the big numbers concerning CRF? What lab were they sent to? -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting & web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Ember and weight loss
I don't know. I was floored recently to get two totally different reads on Bob's cbc's when I took him to a new vet. You might try going for a second opinion. My 'old' vet said cbc looked fine. My 'new' vet said the values showed the beginnings of crf and wants to start fluids and medications. I know it's expensive, but I was really floored at the different diagnoses I received within 2 weeks on the same cat and same symptoms. tonya Lance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losing weight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, when Ember developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it. Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decided to take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptly went away. Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8 pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now, this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiest thing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks, I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats. Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cell count, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run that test on Ember in a few weeks. Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving as always. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okay for me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vet wanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'd rather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which anyone here has had good results? Thank you, Lance
RE: Ember and weight loss
We had a 19 year old cat that ate nothing but wet Whiskas (microwaved!) her entire life!!! My mom and I laugh and laugh about that now that we are spending so much money on Wellness and supplements! Who knows?! I try to tell her that now with the proper food and supplements, maybe our "normal"- non-Felv cats- will live to be 30! -Caroline Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:32:59 -0400From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: Ember and weight lossi think that many of us have found, no matter what WE might have thought, that sometimes the best diet for a cat--especially one with an underlying problem--is whatever the heck they'll eat we all know 20-year-old cats who've never seen anything but meowmix, after all. sigh. wondering if you did any probiotics stuff when she had the diarrhea--i know that i've heard that sometimes the EVO can cause it, but so MANY things can cause diarrhea that it's often hard to track down. for my kids, i do a slurry of pumpkin and yogurt--they love it (well, jess doesn't even wait for the yogurt to be added--or for the pumpkin to be out of the can, for that matter), it's good for them, it adds in good gut flora (it's cheap) if the sheba is making her happy, well, i'd go for it. i'm also with nina on dry kitten food in terms of calories, but it's so rich that for SOME adults, it can cause the runs as well ember's being happy and playful is really the most important thing, tho... unfortunately, i have no answers, but sometimes the numbers aren't the most important things... MC On 9/27/07, Lance < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losingweight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, whenEmber developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it.Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decidedto take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptlywent away.Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now,this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiestthing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks,I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats.Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cellcount, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run thattest on Ember in a few weeks.Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving asalways. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okayfor me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vetwanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'drather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which anyone here has had good results?Thank you,Lance-- Spay & Neuter Your Neighbors!Maybe That'll Make The DifferenceMaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCatsMSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: 289856892 _ Explore the seven wonders of the world http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE
Re: Ember and weight loss
I'm a big believer in Just Born with Colostrum..high quality/high calorie in powder or pre- mixed. I frequently add it to food for Dixie as well as for the ferals who are going into the winter and need to bulk up. Dixie and the Royal Princess Kitty Katt enjoy(ed) the pre-mixed for snacks/treats. Dixie really enjoys full fat yogurt too. PC (who knows his history) enjoys yogurt (full of probiotics) too. If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man. St. Francis - Original Message - From: "Jane Lyons" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:22 PM Subject: Re: Ember and weight loss Hi Lance, Nina suggested I try feeding dry 'kitten' food (any decent brand) because the caloric value is much higher. I did, and MeMe has been eating it and steadily gaining weight. If Ember likes Sheba, I would bump it up. If she needs to gain weight I'd offer her anything (again, decent quality) that she will eat. I had to give up the notion of feeding a "species appropriate" diet. I am just grateful that she is eating dry kitten and gaining weight. I give her Sheba and a variety of 'quality' wet food that she sometimes tolerates if it is covered with warm water and 'lapable'. Hope she can pack some ounces back on. Jane On Sep 27, 2007, at 6:39 PM, Lance wrote: Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losing weight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, when Ember developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it. Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decided to take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptly went away. Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8 pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now, this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiest thing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks, I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats. Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cell count, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run that test on Ember in a few weeks. Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving as always. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okay for me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vet wanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'd rather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which anyone here has had good results? Thank you, Lance
Re: Ember and weight loss
i think that many of us have found, no matter what WE might have thought, that sometimes the best diet for a cat--especially one with an underlying problem--is whatever the heck they'll eat we all know 20-year-old cats who've never seen anything but meowmix, after all. sigh. wondering if you did any probiotics stuff when she had the diarrhea--i know that i've heard that sometimes the EVO can cause it, but so MANY things can cause diarrhea that it's often hard to track down. for my kids, i do a slurry of pumpkin and yogurt--they love it (well, jess doesn't even wait for the yogurt to be added--or for the pumpkin to be out of the can, for that matter), it's good for them, it adds in good gut flora (it's cheap) if the sheba is making her happy, well, i'd go for it. i'm also with nina on dry kitten food in terms of calories, but it's so rich that for SOME adults, it can cause the runs as well ember's being happy and playful is really the most important thing, tho... unfortunately, i have no answers, but sometimes the numbers aren't the most important things... MC On 9/27/07, Lance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three > months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losing > weight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, when > Ember developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it. > Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, > especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decided > to take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptly > went away. > > Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8 > pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now, > this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiest > thing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most > of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks, > I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats. > > Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cell > count, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't > think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run that > test on Ember in a few weeks. > > Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving as > always. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding > that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okay > for me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vet > wanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'd > rather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which > anyone here has had good results? > > Thank you, > > Lance > > -- Spay & Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
Re: Ember and weight loss
Hi Lance, Nina suggested I try feeding dry 'kitten' food (any decent brand) because the caloric value is much higher. I did, and MeMe has been eating it and steadily gaining weight. If Ember likes Sheba, I would bump it up. If she needs to gain weight I'd offer her anything (again, decent quality) that she will eat. I had to give up the notion of feeding a "species appropriate" diet. I am just grateful that she is eating dry kitten and gaining weight. I give her Sheba and a variety of 'quality' wet food that she sometimes tolerates if it is covered with warm water and 'lapable'. Hope she can pack some ounces back on. Jane On Sep 27, 2007, at 6:39 PM, Lance wrote: Ember went to the vet today for a CBC. We go roughly every three months. For the last eight or nine months, Ember has been losing weight. This particular problem started around last Christmas, when Ember developed diarrhea, and I had no idea of how to get rid of it. Pumpkin helped a little, but I was reluctant to try anything else, especially since it really didn't seem to be an infection. I decided to take Ember off of Innova EVO dry, and the diarrhea almost promptly went away. Since then, Ember has been dropping weight. She's lost about 1.8 pounds since that time until today, when she weighed 9.5 pounds. Now, this might be my fault. I hope it is, as that would be the easiest thing to fix. I've only been giving her a can of EVO a day for most of the time, and that might not be enough. In the last few weeks, I've also given her two cans of Sheba a week as treats. Ember's CBC was normal, which, in her case, means good red blood cell count, and just below normal white blood cell count. The vet doesn't think that this is thyroid-related, but I might have her run that test on Ember in a few weeks. Ember eats well (especially the Sheba). She is playful and loving as always. Should I try a brand new bag of EVO dry to see what adding that back might do? I would add that *very slowly*. Would it be okay for me to bump up Sheba, and has anyone fed much Sheba? The vet wanted Ember to come back in to be weighed in a few weeks, but I'd rather do that at home. Is there a postal or baby scale with which anyone here has had good results? Thank you, Lance
