So Many Sick Cats in One House-Mine!

Maybe I should rename this "Seven Cats w/Issues" page. We have one cat with hypercalcemia. The problem is that there is too much calcium in his blood from the body taking it from the bones-a chemical and biological process that is very involved.  I read that fiber may help the body turn the calcium into something the body may break down and excrete so we are using a sugar free/orange free/veg fiber made for diabetics from the regular grocery story.  We are giving him 1/4 per meal, 3 x a day.  We will adjust it if he seems to pass a BM too much or too loose or not at all.  I also read that a theory says that hypercalcemia is caused by an acidic, low potassium, low magnesium diet and that increasing those minerals may help the body break down the extra calcium to excrete it.  Potassium needs magnesium to do its work. Magnesium helps the calcium to work as it should in the body. We are giving him a crushed pill added to his food for breakfast and lunch-1/8 pill of magnesium, and 1/8 pill of potassium a day.   It's a chemical, biological balance that is very involved and beyond explaining here. Also, an increase in magnesium may bring on struvite crystals but we are giving him a few bits of dry CD to possibly help stave it off. And we are giving him 3 ccs water by mouth three times a day because water is beneficial and helps the body excrete toxins and waste (and water helps in many other ways as well.)  AND, because our city water smells like bleach unless you run it for a few minutes, we are now using bottled water. We noticed that the cats were not drinking a lot of water on their own and in this heat, without AC they should have been. Bottled water is cheap-$1.09 a gallon at the store and they have been drinking a lot of it the last few days. 

And he's not the only one who is ill and needs to drink water.  Elizabeth had idiopathic cystitis this week  after having it last week and in March, and last December.  We think that the 4th of July fireworks in the area set her off. She was on pain meds for the bout two weeks ago and had just gone off of them when July 4th came around. Two days later, she was ill.  I read that she needs an acidifier in her food, more dl-methonine, so we are ordering Viralysis' Methigel, made just for cats.  We are also feeding her Max cat food which has high levels of DL-meth and low levels of magnesium and other things she should not receive.  She is back on Buprenex pain meds, and steroids, and water by mouth. I read that fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties so she is receiving that as well. But once again, too acidic a diet, too much DL-meth, too low magnesium, etc. and the body, the electrolytes, the function of the organs, might be thrown out of whack. Again, too much to explain here but it's a very complicated system we were born with and she as well (since our bodies work basically the same.)

Then there's Myrna Loy-HCM cat who is still going out of the box from time to time. Giving buprenex but can't over do it. Would like to know what is cause but the vet can't find it.  Does she need more magnesium or more acidifiers?  Is she in pain somewhere? Is she getting renal failure or a thrombosis? Time and tests will tell.  I'm doing more research into what she might need. Since she receives diuretics, she could be low on potassium and would also need more magnesium.  Needs more discussion. Meanwhile, since it won't hurt her, we are giving her and all seven of them, the vegetable fiber. 

So, my kitchen has become a pharmacy. I cut and measure and mix all sorts of things into their food.  I'm researching and taking notes and practically writing a book.  I'll try to keep you posted.