 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / January 2004unearthly vocalizations
Hi all, Carey is a cat I've written about before. She's currently 10.5, has a suspected brain tumor and has some OCD behaviors. She currently takes prednisone daily and Valium every other day. Since kittenhood, she's been a very vocal cat. It used to be cute when she would meow for us, we'd call to her, and she'd bop down the stairs with an "oh - HERE you are" look on her face. She generally has a very sweet voice. OTOH, a few times a day, she makes the most unearthly sounds one can imagine - sounding like a Leopard (the one in Bringing Up Baby specifically - hmmmm - wonder if she's figured out how to use the VCR?). It seems that she wakes up from a nap and is disoriented and starts screaming for the rest of us (2 humans, 2 dogs, 1 other cat). Sometimes, calling her gets her bopping to wherever we are and silent. Other times, she continues her wailing. She has always done this to some extent during the middle of the night, but lately she's driving me crazy. ~ 3 a.m. or so, she starts in and no amount of yelling, calling, whatever, seems to quiet her. It seems like forever, but in reality, after about 5 minutes she settles down, usually in the bedroom. The dogs and other cat sleep in the bedroom all night, and Carey mostly chooses to do the 10-3 shift somewhere else. I think it's another wake and confused cycle, but can't figure out how to deal with the behavior. I can't shut her IN with us, because I'd have to include a litter box (and the dogs are in the room), and shutting her out wouldn't stop our hearing her (not to mention the other cat would therefore be shut IN). I've considered doing a timed feeder to open at 3 a.m. to intrigue her and break the cycle, but don't know if it would be successful. I'll be getting her to see her neurologist, but am off my feet for several weeks so it won't be until then. Has anyone dealt with this kind of vocalization cycle? Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] >Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine >www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com This makes me wonder about her hearing and eyesight. > >Hi all, > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > > snip.... I'd be a bit concerned ~maybe~ about the Prednisone and Valium, though I'm sure you'd have checked up before giving them - both- or at least the Prednisone can be pretty strong on the system, and hard to get off -talking about humans here, I 'd guess worse for a pussycat, their strong drugs, I'd prefer a more 'natural' and "better for you" treatment. - Thing is, so many drugs these days are not meant to cure anything - only treat the symptoms - again not only for animals - same applies for US too! Take a look at this site - and DO have a read, even search yourself for more info on the product, there are heaps of sites. http://www.nutritionfarm.com/products/petpycc.htm not only will this treat a condition, it can go a long way toward - dare I say it - curing the problem! It certainly cannot do anything but good! but have a read and come to your own conclusion. stuartATslingshot.co.nz ~ just replace the AT with the correct @... I'd love to hear how things go - if you did switch to this. >From: sc0nnect@gmx.co.uk (Stuart) >I'd be a bit concerned ~maybe~ about the Prednisone and Valium, though >I'm sure you'd have checked up before giving them Yes. As a long-time prednisone user myself, I understand the many potential problems. I also trust her neurologist. - both- or at least >the Prednisone can be pretty strong on the system, and hard to get off >-talking about humans here, She's not going to get off of it unless we change her meds to something that works the same. It has done the job of controlling many symptoms. >I 'd guess worse for a pussycat, their >strong drugs, I'd prefer a more 'natural' and "better for you" >treatment. - Wouldn't we all! Unfortunately, pred really is a wonder drug, as much as it is an awful substance, so it's a tough call. >Thing is, so many drugs these days are not meant to cure anything - >only treat the symptoms - again not only for animals - same applies >for US too! Her tumor will not be cured, so treating symptoms is pretty much the only choice. >Take a look at this site - and DO have a read, even search yourself >for more info on the product, there are heaps of sites. >http://www.nutritionfarm.com/products/petpycc.htm >not only will this treat a condition, it can go a long way toward - >dare I say it - curing the problem! It certainly cannot do anything >but good! but have a read and come to your own conclusion. >I'd love to hear how things go - if you did switch to this. I'll give it a read. Obviously, not switching to anything until we see her neurologist, but open to change. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >From: j1boss@aol.com (J1Boss) >Her tumor will not be cured, so treating symptoms is pretty much the only >choice. I thought you said it was a "suspected" tumor (?) ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm Lauren writes: >I thought you said it was a "suspected" tumor (?) Narrowed down prognosis may be a better term. I won't do the MRI since I won't cut into her brain. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com circa 21 Jan 2004 17:43:39 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, J1Boss (j1boss@aol.com) said, > >I'd be a bit concerned ~maybe~ about the Prednisone and Valium, though > >I'm sure you'd have checked up before giving them [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > I'll give it a read. Obviously, not switching to anything until we see her > neurologist, but open to change. Predisone/prednisolone are highly effective palliatives for cancer and tumors, and the side effects in cats are different than in humans. Basically, I'm just writing to support your decision to continue the prednisone until you talk to the neurologist. :-) Laura  SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. > >Hi all, > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > > snip.... I'd be a bit concerned ~maybe~ about the Prednisone and Valium, though I'm sure you'd have checked up before giving them - both- or at least the Prednisone can be pretty strong on the system, and hard to get off -talking about humans here, I 'd guess worse for a pussycat, their strong drugs, I'd prefer a more 'natural' and "better for you" treatment. - Thing is, so many drugs these days are not meant to cure anything - only treat the symptoms - again not only for animals - same applies for US too! Take a look at this site - and DO have a read, even search yourself for more info on the product, there are heaps of sites. http://www.nutritionfarm.com/products/petpycc.htm not only will this treat a condition, it can go a long way toward - dare I say it - curing the problem! It certainly cannot do anything but good! but have a read and come to your own conclusion. stuartrATslingshot.co.nz ~ just replace the AT with the correct @... I'd love to hear how things go - if you did switch to this. > Take a look at this site - and DO have a read, even search yourself > for more info on the product, there are heaps of sites. > http://www.nutritionfarm.com/products/petpycc.htm > not only will this treat a condition, it can go a long way toward - > dare I say it - curing the problem! It certainly cannot do anything > but good! but have a read and come to your own conclusion. Fortunately the site owner understands the tremendous medical and legal difference between "may help prevent" and "will treat" or "will cure," which you obviously do not. Signaturejamie (jamiemck@newsguy.com) "There's a seeker born every minute." >From: m. L. Briggs mlbriggs@nospam.net >This makes me wonder about her hearing and eyesight. I don't think eyesight is any problem. She doesn't have any problem seeing bugs, leaping to and fro, etc. Hearing may be something to consider though. Odddly, lst night, she had one very short "calling" session and responded to my call immediately. A quiet night! Maybe she knows I wrote about her! Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com I have no experience with the medications your kitty has been taking, but we've had a few older cats that have made these gut-wrenching meows in the middle of the night. I once had a vet tell me that our 17 year old was probably 'lost' when she was making these sounds. Like an Alzheimer patient might be. The cats we've had that do these weird sounds at night have always stopped when we've found them and taken them to our room. Or when we call them, if they can find their way to us, the meowing stops. So, I don't think in our case it's because of pain or anything like that. It does seem like they are just lost and want company! Your kitty's case may be different since she is sick and on medications. But she could also be experiencing the same fears as our older cats when they lose their bearings! Michelle >Or when we call them, >if they can find their way to us, the meowing stops. So, I don't [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Michelle Yeah - I think it's very much like Alzheimer's - including that it is worse at dusk or night (like "Sundowners" syndrome). Disorientation has got to be a little scary. I feel for her of course, but I need my sleep too! She's an incredibly sweet little cat and I only want what's best for her. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com Can you get her a big pen and put it in the bedroom for her with a cat box? Then she could be right there, but still be protected from litter eating dogs. Karen > >Or when we call them, > >if they can find their way to us, the meowing stops. So, I don't [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine > www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >From: "Karen" kchuplis@alltel.net >Can you get her a big pen and put it in the bedroom for her with a cat box? >Then she could be right there, but still be protected from litter eating >dogs. > >Karen hmm - you may have somethng there. Instead of penning her in with a box (the other cat would need box access as well), maybe if I just put a box in a pen only the cats can access, and close everyone in the bedroom together. It's worth a shot. Right now I'm off a foot and have to crawl up the stairs, so I'll need to get DH to put something together! We feed them right before bed (my first attempt to curb this nighttime wailing), so maybe I'll just move a dish up to the bedroom as well. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >From: j1boss@aol.com (J1Boss) >Carey is a cat I've written about before. She's currently 10.5, has a >suspected brain tumor and has some OCD behaviors. She currently takes >prednisone daily and Valium every other day. >It seems that she wakes up from a nap and is disoriented and starts screaming >for the rest of us (2 humans, 2 dogs, 1 other cat). Have you tried discontinuing the Valium? BTW, how long has she been on valium? Has her thyroid been checked? Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm >Have you tried discontinuing the Valium? BTW, how long has she been on >valium? > Has her thyroid been checked? > >Lauren we're trying that now. She has been off the Valium for only 2 days. She's been on Valium for close to 2 years (April 2002 - I can't believe it's been that long - we thought we were saying goodbye when this first happened!). Yes, her thyroid has been checked ~ 6 months ago (suspected problem since she weighs only 4.5-5#, down from her usual 9#). Last night was another relatively quiet night. A few not-so-weird meows and response when I called to her. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >Yes, her thyroid has been checked ~ 6 >months ago (suspected problem since she >weighs only 4.5-5#, down from her usual >9#). Suspected? Good god, this cat has lost half her body weight in just six months! Get her thyroid tested ASAP! Since she did so well on the valium I certainly wouldn't take her off it, epecially since it has the side effect of stimulating the appetite, which she obviously needs. You'd better get her to a vet right away. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray >Suspected? Good god, this cat has lost half her body weight in just six >months! Get her thyroid tested ASAP! No! She dropped the weight in the beginning of her illness (April 2002), and has been at a stable weight for well over a year. Her thyroid was checked about 6 months ago (have to check my records). > Since she did so well on the valium >I certainly wouldn't take her off it, epecially since it has the side >effect of stimulating the appetite, which she obviously needs. You'd >better get her to a vet right away. She is temporarily off the valium. She's on a very low dosage (1.25 mg), every other day. She eats well. I give her food as often as she wants it. This isn't a new condition and I am in contact with her veterinary neurologist. I can't bring her to the vet myself because I currently can't walk and have to find transport when he has an available appointment. She's no different than she has been for the past year and a half - no emergency. >"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do >nothing." [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >- W.H. Murray Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >She has been off the Valium for only 2 >days. She's been on Valium for close to 2 >years Did you discuss this with your vet, or are you "experimenting." With drugs such as Valium, Prozac, Amitriptyline, etc, one should NEVER stop the medication abruptly. A cat needs to be weaned off of such medications over a period of time and stopping abruptly can be very hard on cats (in humans they can suffer from withdrawal) and the cat may hide its troubles and give you a false sense of things being ok. You should continue the medication and as I stressed before, should have her thyroid checked ASAP. Excessive vocalization and weight loss are both common symptoms of a hyperthyroid condition. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray Megan wrote: >Did you discuss this with your vet, or are you "experimenting." With >drugs such as Valium, Prozac, Amitriptyline, etc, one should NEVER stop >the medication abruptly. Yes, I've discussed it with her veterinary neurologist. You should >continue the medication and as I stressed before, should have her >thyroid checked ASAP. Her thyroid HAS been checked. Her weigh loss was at the early part of this illness, and has been stable for well over a year. > Excessive vocalization and weight loss are both >common symptoms of a hyperthyroid condition. Once again, she HAS had her thyroid checked. Her weight has been stable although low. She has always been very vocal, but the "tone" has changed over the time she's been ill. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >Her thyroid HAS been checked. But that was six monhs ago. She could easily have become hyperthyroid in the last six months. She should be tested again. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray >Her thyroid HAS been checked. But that was six monhs ago. She could easily have become hyperthyroid in the last six months. She should be tested again. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray >But that was six monhs ago. She could easily have become hyperthyroid in >the last six months. She should be tested again. > >Megan Since she lost the bulk of the weight before testing, I doubt it, but I have found transportation/assistance and am seeing the neurologist next week. Her weight is stable, she's active, playful, snuggly and her usual OCD with the dogs. Last night was another relatively quiet night. Don't know why, but enjoyed it! Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com >From: j1boss@aol.com (J1Boss) >and her usual OCD with the >dogs. What does this mean? ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm >From: darnit7@aol.comnolitter (PawsForThought) >>From: j1boss@aol.com (J1Boss) > >>and her usual OCD with the >>dogs. > >What does this mean? She sucks and nibbles on them non-stop at times. She has done this since she first came home at 8 weeks old. The many different dogs she has lived with in her 10+ years are incredibly tolerant. I have to physically remove her and put her somewhere else at times. Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet" Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com > Megan wrote: > You should [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Her thyroid HAS been checked. Her weigh loss was at the early part of this > illness, and has been stable for well over a year. That does not mean she isn't hyperthyroid. In cats where the disease is mild or fluctuates in and out of the normal range, weight equilibrates with the disease process after a certain point. Your cat has *already* lost ~half of her body weight... > > Excessive vocalization and weight loss are both > >common symptoms of a hyperthyroid condition. > Once again, she HAS had her thyroid checked. How? Which test(s) did you order? Routine total serum T4s are reliable *only* in cats with *no* underlying systemic illness or condition that could alter the binding of plasma proteins -- malignancy and malnutrition are two conditions that are *both* known to alter binding proteins -- which may even produce a synergistic effect -- IOW, their combined effect may be greater than the sum of their individual effects. She can *still* be hyperthyroid even with a "normal" (but altered) TT4 -- IOW, a change in the concentration or binding of plasma proteins can alter the total T4 concentration while the concentration of free T4 remains pretty much constant. In this case, the TT4 measurement will be misleading and most likely erroneous -- which her symptoms certainly indicate... The most accurate way to measure fT4 in cats where the T4 may be falsely depressed is by Free T4 by Equilibrium Dialysis (fT4ED) - fT4ED isn't affected very much by altered protein levels because the blood sample is dialysed prior to assay. All that's needed for a fT4ED is a blood sample and about $25... both of which you probably get from the spiked choker collars you use to train dogs... |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.