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Tip's Balance update

AnneH

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Feb 3, 2020
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Tip update:

Tip’s lab results are attached below.

The vet, Dr. Proto, thought Tip looked so good that antibiotics might not be necessary, but since the results still show a low red blood cell count, he recommends giving Tip doxycycline.

I see the blood count as considerably improved, and I wonder about the protein, albumin and platelet count that are now abnormal, and don’t know what it means.

I’m hoping to get some input here before going ahead with the doxy.

Meanwhile, Tippy was doing better, but she got constipated recently.

I’ve read that cats will poop less on a raw food diet, so I was not alarmed when the frequency went down.

I had just received my Four Paws Five Directions book when I realized that Tip hadn’t passed a stool in four days. I tried acupressure on the ‘constipation from liver excess’ points. I was only able to do it once because Tip felt so lousy that she let me do all four points, and she managed to pass a small stool afterwards, but not enough. When I was holding a couple of the points, I could feel energy pulses ~ is this unusual?

On prednisolone, Tip is less amenable to being touched.

I also tried to do some of the dietary suggestions from the book and Dr. Basko and from Forum research, but I have lots of questions.

For one thing, the book suggests cooling and neutral diet choices, avoid red meat, poultry and oily fish ~ which is basically most of what Tip’s been eating lately.

I have read that the switch from canned to raw and fresh foods can often cause diarrhea, but in these cats their stools have been lumpier and firmer, like type 2 or 3 on the Bristol stool chart when eating the raw food. I had been giving them a little psyllium, but I backed off for awhile because 1) they have been eating a lot of Answers food which I thought would help keep them regular 2) raw food is supposed to be more easily digested, and they’ve been eating it for awhile now

The most recent diet change for both of them is eating beef, but it is recommended for what ails them and they have taken to it well.

Poor Tip kept trying to go, and Roger administered a couple of enemas which gave her some relief.

I’ve been alternating between adding psyllium and Kin and Kind pumpkin fiber (with flax seed, coconut, slippery elm and ginger) to food
I add more water to food
I add blueberries and some veggies to food

Well cooked brown rice, spelt or millet; or steel cut oats ~ a good idea to add to meals, or give only if constipated?

Raw egg yolks or soft boiled eggs ~ good for constipation?

Answers food has egg in it. I can see the shells. I assume they throw whole raw eggs into the mix ~ I have read that raw egg whites can be problematic for cats ~ ?

I want Tip to be regular and to keep her that way, especially if she gets the antibiotics. How often do cats on a primarily raw food diet normally defecate?

I would like to get Tip evaluated for homeopathic treatment. Based on what these new labs reveal, is it recommended to have the first appointment before antibiotics?

Attachments
 

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  • LabReport_NYAF07232581_2020-16-6--13-21-01..pdf
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Dr. Christina

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Your caring is so wonderful, Anne.

Do not start the Doxy and definitely schedule a homeopathic consult right away.

Egg whites as part of the diet are fine.

More later.

Dr. Christina
 

Dr. Jeff

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Hi Anne.

Great news that Dr. Proto thinks Tip looks good!

Regarding interpreting her bloods, What was Tip's HCT (blood count) and albumin on her last tests?

It's very helpful for your vet to request that the lab trend the blood results.

Even better would be to make test trending part of your journal keeping. @novasimpson uses a wonderful form that is available online and that she posted in one of her threads. It's also easy to make your own in a spreadsheet format.

Yes, stools become smaller, less frequent, firmer and less frequent when pets eat a raw diet.

The answer about foods that can help constipation depends on the individual. Yes, any of the ones you mentioned can be helpful for some pets. Also, goat's milk and pumpkin can be helpful.

Same thing about the frequency of stools when fed a raw (or any diet). It depends on the individual, but I like to see them poop every day. Every other day is also common.

Try Animal Essentials Colon Rescue to reduce constipation:


Eggshell calcium from finely ground eggs is a great calcium source, but like the finely ground bone that is many raw diets, it can exacerbate constipation.

It's always wonderful to start energetic stimulation using homeopathy as oon as you're able.

Here's a nice article about getting started with homeopathic treatment in people:

 

Dr. Sue

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May 21, 2020
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Hi Anne,

Dr. Christina asked me to weigh in on Tip's diet as well. As Dr. Jeff said, stools will be smaller and less frequent on raw diet. In Chinese Medicine constipation is an issue of deficiency in both Qi (life force) and Blood (moisture and circulation). Think of the stool as a boat - the boat needs both a motor (Qi) and a river (Blood) to float and be propelled.

Foods that help Qi - sweet potato, pumpkin, chicken, beef, rabbit.
Foods that help Build Blood - sardines, chicken liver, egg.

You can add more moisture to the food. You can also move to cooked food since cooked food doesn't require as much Qi or as big of a motor and it still contains a lot of moisture. There is a company called NomNomNow that makes all ready prepared homecooked diets for cats. They have a chicken recipe that would be great. Or, you could start by making the following and see how her stools are in a few days:

1/2 cup chicken breast cooked - ground or shredded
2 tablespoon of chicken liver cooked and ground
1/2 can sardines in oil - mashed
1 tsp sunflower seeds ground (no salt)
1/4 cup broth

You can add 1 tsp of pumpkin to the above recipe.

I also like to add a supplement from Standard Process called Spleen, Desiccated - 1 twice daily. She should love these.

Your cat is so young to be having problems with anemia (low RBC count). From a conventional medicine perspective I'm curious if your vet asked for the add-on Mycoplasma test that the blood results recommended? Or is he recommending doxycycline just in case? I'd also have the blood checked for feline viral diseases - FeLV and FIV as these viruses can set cats up for anemia and constipation.

Tip may also benefit from some sub-Q fluids that you can learn to give at home along with Vitamin B12 injections.

I hope that wasn't too much info!

Warmly,

Dr. Sue
 

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