[Felvtalk] Mo update

Sun Apr 9 17:52:26 CDT 2017

Thank you for the encouragement! I was really dreading the syringe feeding
but it went better than I thought. I was able to get 3- 3cc syringes in him
and although he hated being restrained and wasn't lapping it on his own, he
didn't seem to hate the taste and dutifully swallowed each bit until the
end of syringe 3 where he let it come back out.

I put him back on his sunny spot and he immediately went to sleep. I have
to assume a full belly was a relief.

I'm going to bring home some more 10cc syringes tomorrow, I think it will
be easier to refill less often during the feeding.

I've decided the little area we have set up is Mo's spot and I feel good
about him spending his time there and watching the birds and squirrels
outside. If this all fails, I at least know that's a happy place for him. I
won't give him meds or food there,  it's his safe spot from all this
madness.

I could swear his gums are pinking up but I may just really want to believe
that right now. I'm holding out for bloodwork at 30 days so time will be
the tell.

Sheri

On Sun, Apr 9, 2017, 4:15 PM Amani Oakley <aoakley at oakleylegal.com> wrote:

> Hi Sheri
>
>
>
> It is extremely difficult to go through what you and Mo are going through,
> and all of us have been there. I too have known the frustration and guilt
> of constantly harassing one of the babies in my charge with food. However,
> I have very often seen them come through the other end, and so, while
> things look bleak right now, if they are able to get enough to eat and if
> the meds end up helping, all is forgiven and forgotten. There is no
> question it is absolutely gut-wrenching to have to decide if you are
> helping or hurting at this time, and only you can know the right answer.
> All of us would  do different things, and every situation is unique, so
> there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Make the decision out of love and
> no matter what the outcome, remember that it was out of love that you did
> it.
>
>
>
> As I mentioned in my earlier post, I find baby food very helpful in these
> circumstances and I will squirt the food via syringe, into their mouths
> because they need more than they will take on their own right now and
> squirting it in their mouths actually means I harass them for LESS time.
> After the worst of the crisis passes, they usually will begin to show
> interest in the food without the need for the syringing, but even then, if
> they aren’t getting enough intake, I will keep syringing to ensure they are
> getting enough, until they get to the point that they are licking up enough
> on their own. It is a vicious circle of course, because not getting enough
> to eat makes them feel horrible and week, and worsens their appetite even
> more, etc. Thus, I try to break that cycle by ensuring they are getting
> enough intake, to allow the meds time to kick in.
>
>
>
> When I started in “rescuing” of strays, I was told by the animal welfare
> group with which I was volunteering, that you cannot get a cat to eat, who
> doesn’t want to eat. I have not found that to be the case, but I think that
> my success has been due to keeping the feeding time short and effective,
> and thus, I keep the skirmishing short. I can get 1 3-cc syringe of pureed
> baby food into most cats in just a few minutes, and even 10 syringes will
> take 15-20 minutes (because if I go that far, my baby is clearly open to
> getting more food). Keeping the time short and effective will minimize the
> fighting and unpleasantness for both of you, so if I can only get 1 syringe
> in before my baby gets terribly unhappy, then I will stop. But my minimum
> is 1 syringe at a feeding, and I set goals to increase that as I am able.
>
>
>
> Sadly, of course, we all know that the meds may not work, and so the food
> intake ends up being for naught (along with the regretful harassment). For
> me and Zander, that is one of the ways that the weekly bloodwork I was
> having done, was helpful. I was able to see improvement in the bloodwork,
> so it lessened the uncertainty regarding whether I was going down the right
> road. However, even bloodwork results are not always definitive because you
> can see an improvement in the numbers but it is not enough to end up
> helping. For that reason, doctors are taught to “treat the person, not the
> numbers”. Nonetheless, as long as you are seeing a few good moments and
> glimmers of improvement, there is hope and we are with you and Mo.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-bounces at felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Sheri Burbridge
> *Sent:* April-09-17 1:20 PM
> *To:* Felvtalk at felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* [Felvtalk] Mo update
>
>
>
> I feel a lot like Bob right now, it's hard to tell if we are making
> progress. I'm trying very hard to be patient but time is not on our side
> and it's difficult.
>
>
>
> Mo has been eating less and less every day and won't really lick the gel
> off anymore so I'm going to try the baby food today. With how picky he is I
> don't have much hope of him liking it. I feel like a bully constantly
> restraining him and shoving things in his mouth. I know it's the only hope
> he has but it's still hard.
>
>
>
> Yesterday I set up a little area for him on a nightstand by the window.
> There is a pad for him to lay on, his own water bowl, and he can look out
> on the back yard while the afternoon sun shines on him. It makes me feel
> better that this is where he's spending his time and not in a dark room
> somewhere. He seems so relaxed and happy there.
>
>
>
> This is all so mentally and emotionally draining. I am so grateful for you
> all that understand this struggle and don't think I'm crazy for putting so
> much effort into this.
>
>
>
> I'm going to try the baby food a bit later and also see if he will try
> some chicken. I cook for my dogs and have a batch going today so I might as
> well give it a go!
>
>
>
> Enjoy the rest of the weekend, thanks for listening.
>
>
>
> Sheri
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