IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

 Forum Rules Site Rules and Courtesies
 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> Lancelot
Pippin's Mom Kel
post Oct 5 2012, 03:58 PM
Post #1





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 161
Joined: 5-March 12
From: Massachusetts
Member No.: 7,510



Hi, all. It's been more than eight months since we lost our sweet Pippin, and I'm finding myself facing another cat illness. Our handsome, naughty boy Lancelot came to live with us in April. He's a stunning white cat with blue eyes, and he's a polydactyl - he has more toes than he knows what to do with!

Lancelot has not been an easy cat. He was about a year old when he came to live with us. Our vet's head tech found him living by her grandmother, outdoors. He was "sort of" someone's cat, and went into and out of their basement through a broken window.... he didn't really have a home. With the permission of his "owner," our vet tech brought him to the vet, and they set about neutering him, checking his health, and finding him a home. When my husband and I saw a post about him on Facebook, we fell in love.

Lancelot was wonderful at the vet's office, playful, outgoing, loved treats. When we got him home, he started having trouble adjusting. We have four other cats, so it's a lot. He was constantly fearful, and his reaction to fear was aggression. When he got startled, he'd lash out at anything and everything, and he didn't calm down quickly. He would yowl and strike out at us, chair legs, thin air... And it took at least 20 minutes for it to subside. We gave him lots of love and support, and tried to teach him that he didn't have to be scared, but after a month, things hadn't improved.

After a lot of soul-searching and discussions with our vet, we decided to start him on an antidepressant. The difference was obvious within a few days. He was less scared. Less reactive. Less aggressive. He was turning into a sweet cat - the sweet cat that my husband and I knew he was in his heart. We were still working to get him to get along with one of our other cats, my big orange man, Karma. We were making progress on this.

August 31, my husband called me at work, which he never does. Lancelot had a seizure, and my husband was rushing him to the vet. The seizure ended on its own, after a minute or so, but Lance had fallen out of his 6' high cat tree during it. sad.gif Our vet looked him over, and he was in a normal post-seizure state. Of course, being the touchy cat that he is, he started to object to being at the vet's, so we decided to do bloodwork the next day. I have to give our vet major kudos here. My husband called at 5:15 on a Friday, when they close at 5:30, and they said "bring him in right away." Their computers were shut down for the day, and they were closing up. They did not hesitate to bring Lance right in, and they stayed late to make sure he was ok. And, as it turned out, they didn't charge us at all for the emergency visit. Not a cent. Everyone at the vet, the techs, the vets, the office manager and secretary - they were all in the room making sure Lance was ok. I'm still so deeply touched at this that it makes me cry, honestly. We've been going to our vet for seven years now, and we've been through a lot with them, including losing Pippin. I feel so lucky to have found our vet.

So Lance had bloodwork the next day, chemistries, blood counts & infectious disease panels. Everything checked out just fine, and for a while, Lance seemed fine. We thought maybe this was just a one-off thing, which we're told does happen with cats and dogs, both. I went away on vacation, to Alaska with my mother and her sisters, thinking things were fine. My husband emailed me that Friday, 9/22, and told me Lance had another seizure. I was on a cruise ship, so our ability to communicate was minimal. It was just awful, not being there. The seizure only lasted a minute, and Lance recovered quickly afterward. My husband called the vet the next morning, of course. Lance stayed fine, and I was so happy to get home and see him and the other cats that Sunday. We talked to our vet again Monday, and decided not to put Lance on meds yet, since the seizures were nearly a month apart. I was fine with this, since I know the threshold for starting phenobarb in cats with seizures is more than one a month, or more than one in 24 hours.

This past Wednesday, my husband had brought Lancelot into the bedroom to sleep with us. We had been taking turns, since Karma and Lance don't get along yet - Karma gets to be in the bedroom one night, Lance the next. At about 6 in the morning, my husband noticed Karma wasn't in the bedroom, so he got Lance and brought him in. Good thing. We woke up at 9:30 to hear a rapid snorfling sound... Lance was on the floor, having a seizure. This is the first one I had witnessed of his. We talked to him, kept him calm, made sure he didn't hit his head. We timed it. About 1-2 minutes, since we weren't sure how long he'd been having it when we woke up (though, I don't think it was long; we don't sleep through things like that). It was so scary to see him like that. Lots of drool. When he was almost done, he got up and tried to run away, but couldn't - I gently laid him back on his side, and told him it was ok, we loved him, it was going to be ok. And then he just laid there for a bit, eyes open but staring at nothing. Then, he slowly woke up and started purring. I cleaned up his drool, and we brought him into bed with us, and comforted him. After a little bit, he wanted to get up and pace the room. He did that for a while, like he wasn't quite sure where he was, sniffing everything, and so on. Finally, he came back up on the bed and laid down with us; he was sleepy all day. This seems to be his norm, after a seizure.

So we called our vet, and we're talking about starting phenobarb... but we're taking Lancelot to a neurologist Monday to make sure there's nothing else we're missing. sad.gif With the infectious causes ruled out, it's *probably* idiopathic epilepsy, which is actually good news, since it's treatable and not progressive-terminal like the infectious causes can be. I'm just so scared that we're going to get unexpected bad news, like a tumor or something else. This brings back all the fearful memories of when Pippin was sick. I'm so scared for my little Lancelot. I just feel sick.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.


--------------------

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
- Kahlil Gibran
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
DannysMom
post Oct 5 2012, 04:56 PM
Post #2





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 1,113
Joined: 3-February 12
Member No.: 7,464



Dear Kel, I am so sorry to hear that Lancelot had another seizure, and I can imagine how worried you are. I will keep your precious kitty boy in my thoughts and prayers. It is a good thing that you were right there when he had the latest seizure and that you were able to comfort him. I do hope that the neurologist will be able to find out what's wrong with him and hopefully it won't be anything bad. I was wondering if maybe his other meds could be causing the seizures, if maybe he should go on a different anti-depressant?

You also mentioned that he has blue eyes. Is he deaf by chance? I know that sometimes cats with blue eyes (other than Siamese and other oriental breeds) are deaf.

I know how distressing this must be for you and how this brings back memories of Pippin and his illness. I pray that you will find some peace and have a restful weekend.

Hugs,
DannysMom


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
moon_beam
post Oct 6 2012, 04:37 PM
Post #3


Forum Moderator


Group: Moderators
Posts: 8,088
Joined: 20-July 08
From: Virginia
Member No.: 4,861



Hi, kel, please permit me to add my sincerest thoughts and prayers for your precious Lancelot and you and your husband as you journey this road of unknowns with your precious Lancelot's seizures. It is good that you will be able to consult with a neurologist before starting the pheno - - hopefully to confirm that there are no tumors or other neurological health challenges as the source of the seizures. Please know that I do so understand how your heart is burdened with fear and worry. I am keeping your precious Lancelot, and you and your husband, in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how things go on Monday with the neurologist.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
DannysMom
post Oct 7 2012, 11:40 PM
Post #4





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 1,113
Joined: 3-February 12
Member No.: 7,464



Kel, I found this about seizures in cats when the cause is not something that has to do with changes in the brain. I thought it might be helpful information for you to check on.

The most commonly encountered extracranial causes of feline seizures are:

thiamine deficiency in the diet
hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels
hepatic encephalopathy - advanced liver disease which affects the brain. A portosystemic shunt is the congenital disease which most often causes hepatic encphalopathy in young cats.
electrolyte imbalances such as low calcium or low sodium blood levels
poisons such as antifreeze (ethylene glycol), carbamates, organophosphates, lead, metaldehyde (slug bait), strychnine and others

Seizures are usually not the only symptoms seen with the extracranial causes of seizures in cats. Your cat may exhibit a variety of other symptoms, depending on the condition involved.


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
moon_beam
post Oct 9 2012, 10:01 AM
Post #5


Forum Moderator


Group: Moderators
Posts: 8,088
Joined: 20-July 08
From: Virginia
Member No.: 4,861



Hi, kel, just stopping by to let you know you and your precious Lancelot are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope today is treating you both kindly, and am here for you.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Pippin's Mom Kel
post Oct 12 2012, 12:40 AM
Post #6





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 161
Joined: 5-March 12
From: Massachusetts
Member No.: 7,510



Moon_beam and Danny's Mom, thank you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers for my Lancelot. I tried to post an update Monday night, but the site was misbehaving, and I've had a hectic three days at work since.

The appointment with the neurologist went well! He's a crabby boy when he wants to be, and he was not at all pleased to be driven 45 minutes to an unfamiliar place, and he was annoyed and stressed when the neurologist wanted to examine him. She was really fantastic, though! She and the tech who took care of him thought his crankies were the funniest thing. They distracted him with a toy while she tried to listen to his heart... I guess he's the first cat they've seen who actually played with it! So, in spite of his crankies, it sounds like they liked him (and of course, who doesn't want their babies to be universally liked?). We opted to get all the diagnostics out of the way in that visit, even though it was expensive, to spare Lancelot the stress of multiple trips. We did an MRI, liver tests (more than just the one on normal chemistries) and a spinal tap.

The MRI was normal, ruling out structural defects and tumors. We found that out Monday afternoon, thank goodness! We got the rest of the results Tuesday, so we had a huge weight off our shoulders pretty quickly... the liver tests were all normal, ruling out liver failure, which is usually caused by shunts in a young cat. We also have a good baseline for future comparisons, so we can keep a close eye on his liver while he's on his meds. The spinal tap was also normal. Our big concern here was FIP... all of his infectious disease tests were negative, except the one that tests for coronavirus - that showed he'd been exposed to the virus. Almost all outdoor cats are, but that doesn't mean they have FIP (which happens when the virus moves into certain immune system cells, causing the body to attack itself). We lost our sweet Horatio to FIP 6 years ago, when he was two, so we were very nervous about that possibility. The normal spinal tap rules that out too! smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif

I'm so glad we got everything done at once. I had a feeling the liver tests would be normal, and it would have meant multiple trips for poor little Lancelot. And now we can move on and start him on phenobarbital for his seizures. We started that Wednesday. He gets it twice a day, and he's so, so good about taking it with Pill Pockets! Thank goodness, because there's no way we'd be able to medicate him otherwise.

We did have a frightening time Monday night after we got home from the neurologist. Most of the anesthesia had worn off, and Lance was starving, so we let him eat. He ... may have overeaten, oops. From 7 PM until about 1 AM, he was super happy, loving, perky.. he was counter surfing and looking for moths (it's one of his favorite things to do in the evening). All of a sudden, at about one, he started looking like he felt awful. Eyes half-lidding, etc. He refused his midnight feeding. He got very upset when we touched him (which isn't abnormal for him, but it was abnormal for how he'd been acting that night). We helped him down from the counter, and he went into the litter box, and urinated. Of course, his nosy brother Strider had to come peek in and see what he was doing, so maybe that's why he did what he did next. He sat down in the litterbox. When Pippin became sick for the last time, he laid down in the litterbox. My husband and I were absolutely terrified. Mike and I brought him out of the litterbox, and he just sort of sat there. The place we'd taken Lance to is a 24-hour hospital, with 24/7 emergency vets on, so we called. The tech and I spoke for a while, and since he had eaten, urinated and been ok, it was probably his day and the anesthesia catching up with him. (He had propofol for anesthesia, and thank goodness I have experience with it - I remember having many patients who were feeling awesome when they first recovered and were coherent, but as it truly wore off, they started to feel lousy). So we gathered Lance up, took him into the bedroom and put him on the bed, and turned the lights down. After a little while, he started to look a lot more comfortable. We watched him closely, and he was himself by morning. What a night.

So... so far, so good, minus that scary evening. Thank you both for all of your thoughts and prayers - they've helped more than you can imagine! I'll have to post a picture of sleepy Lance after his procedures, bundled up in blankets. He was a little hypothermic after them, so we had to make a purrito out of him. wink.gif


--------------------

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
- Kahlil Gibran
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
moon_beam
post Oct 12 2012, 02:11 PM
Post #7


Forum Moderator


Group: Moderators
Posts: 8,088
Joined: 20-July 08
From: Virginia
Member No.: 4,861



Hi, Kel, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your precious Lancelot are doing. I'm soooo relieved to know that his tests turned out okay, and that he is now beginning his regimen of pheno. As you know it will take a few weeks for a therapeutic level to take effect, and I'm hoping that the pheno will keep your precious Lancelot seizure free.

I can so understand your fear-filled Monday night when the effects of the anesthesia began to wear off, an so happy that he began to feel better after you and your husband got him comfortably settled on your bed.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Lancelot kindly, Kel. Please know you, your husband, and your precious Lancelot are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I look forward to knowing how he's doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
DannysMom
post Oct 13 2012, 01:49 PM
Post #8





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 1,113
Joined: 3-February 12
Member No.: 7,464



Hi Kel, I'm so relieved to hear that Lancelot is doing better and that the tests ruled out tumors and defects. Your precious boy had quite an ordeal, but he made it through. It's good to know that he will take the pheno in a pill pocket. I know so very well how difficult cats can be to medicate as my Tina was almost impossible to medicate. I'm so glad that Lance is doing better.

You may want to investigate some natural alternatives to pheno as I have read that it can cause liver damage. I know we all would love to see a picture of your precious kitty boy! smile.gif


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Pippin's Mom Kel
post Oct 14 2012, 12:26 PM
Post #9





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 161
Joined: 5-March 12
From: Massachusetts
Member No.: 7,510



Danny's Mom and moon_beam, thank you so much - as always - for your kind thoughts about my little guy. He's doing well on the meds so far. I think he's enjoying getting the extra "treats!" We won't tell him they're really pills, though, right? wink.gif

Danny's Mom, thank you for mentioning the potential for phenobarb to cause liver damage. The neurologist wants to see him every six months, and for us to call her if he has a seizure. He'll have his liver checked at every six-month checkup, so I feel confident that we're ok to have him on the medication. I'm personally not overly comfortable with natural remedies, which can also have unanticipated side effects - and which are less understood by the veterinary community. I do wonder if something like acupuncture might help. We'll see how he does, and how he checks up in six months. smile.gif

So far, so good, though!



--------------------

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
- Kahlil Gibran
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Pippin's Mom Kel
post Oct 14 2012, 01:15 PM
Post #10





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 161
Joined: 5-March 12
From: Massachusetts
Member No.: 7,510





Lance recovering from anesthesia!


--------------------

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
- Kahlil Gibran
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
DannysMom
post Oct 14 2012, 01:34 PM
Post #11





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 1,113
Joined: 3-February 12
Member No.: 7,464



Kel, thanks for posting this lovely photo of Lancelot! smile.gif Oh, what a sweet face he's got! And those blue eyes! smile.gif He is such a handsome kitty boy, like a white knight. All he needs is his shield and sword. smile.gif

I do hope he does well on the pheno and that his checkup in 6 month will go just fine. I only suggested looking into natural remedies, because most of the time they have less side effects and are gentler on the body's system. I guess acupuncture may be something to consider. There are some very good holistic vets out there who have experience with acupuncture and other treatments.


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
moon_beam
post Oct 15 2012, 11:58 AM
Post #12


Forum Moderator


Group: Moderators
Posts: 8,088
Joined: 20-July 08
From: Virginia
Member No.: 4,861



Hi, Kel, adding my "thank you" to DannysMom for sharing this wonderful picture of your precious Lancelot with us. He is indeed a very handsome boy!! You can see in his eyes that he knows he is LOVED. You are so blessed to have the privilege of being his Forever Mom - - and he is so blessed to have you as his Forever Mom.

It sounds like you and your veterinary practitioners have a good plan of treatment and follow up for your precious boy. Please let us know how he does on his meds and his check ups. The pill pockets are wonderful, and I'm so glad your precious Lancelot is being cooperative. This makes giving meds soooo much easier - - on both your precious Lancelot AND you.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Lancelot kindly, Kel. Please know you, your husband, and your precious Lancelot are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I look forward to knowing how he's doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 05:17 AM