Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I am so bummed, I noticed on the rug listing this morning that the person already sold the rug. 🙁
Oh crap, on the rug, I wrongly assumed it was sold (yours), not meant to be; you will find another one. The search continues.
We got our boys at a humane society event at Petsmart, too;)
I'm glad your vet is on board - not doing the month's worth of the antiviral.
If the gaba reduction does not go well, call and let them know and get your refill.
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We totally get it! Learning to advocate through this situation is not easy, it's something we are not taught and we figure out the hard way as we go. I'm just glad we could be there for you and Petunia (and Possum!).
The meds plan your vet made sounds reasonable. I'm so glad your mind could be put at ease by talking it out and having a strategy. It will help if you keep a journal too, if you haven't already started one. That will really show you the progress over time, even if it's just brief notes. And putting your emotions down really helps decompress too. It doesn't even have to be legible, just another way to get the worry out of your system so that you can focus 100% on helping Petunia and being there for Possum as well.
Hope your week goes great!
Aww bummer on the rug! Sheesh. Must have been a good one. There will be others!
Holly,
Are you saying 180 calories per day, or per feeding (twice a day)? The food I’ve been feeding them is 242 calories per 5.5oz cans.
I don’t know why they don’t put carb content in the nutrition facts (maybe cause then people might not buy it?), but there is a formula:
- Add up the %Crude Protein, Crude Fat, Ash, Crude Fibre and Moisture (34+16+3.5+8+10=71.5)
- Subtract this number from 100% (100-71.5=28.5)
So the adult cat wet food I’ve been feeding her has 1.5 carbs.
The mature one has carb content of 6.5. I’m wondering if it is still a better choice, even though it’s over 5. Possum isn’t diabetic anymore, and I couldn’t imagine that 1.5 over will bring her back.
What do you think?
Yes, I was saying 180 a day based on what I THOUGHT you were feeding. 219 calories a day.
Which chicken formula are you feeding, then? Regardless - how much are you providing in a day? 2 cans = 484 calories?
Oh, thats brilliant carb content on the one you ARE feeding !!! Whoo hoo !!!
Oh dear, NO, I don't like that many carbs on the mature formula! I would never take a chance on either cat. You will gain and or lose muscle. You don't want Possum going back to where she was. If it were me, I would stay on the diet you are on and cut the amount you feed them. Cut the can into 4ths or 8ths to get the right amount. Say you cut the can into 4's; one can for each serving is 60.5 X 3 = 181.50
I need to know if you are feeding 484 calories. TWO CANS? This changes things if so. I WOULD NOT cut back that drastically if thats the case. Let me know, and I will help you figure.
Yes, I don't know why they don't list it either. It is frustrating. Thanks for the formula. I was not aware I'll save that.
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I use one 5.5oz can per feeding and split it into two servings, one for Possum and one for Petunia. So they essentially are getting one full 5.5oz can per day, so 242 calories per day.
I have been feeding them the Blue Wilderness Chicken Adult Recipe. That’s why I was suprised there was a mature recipe cause I thought adult would be adult. 😂
ok GREAT, I was freaking out on 484 calories
So, if it were me, I would stay on the current diet - I would start the reduction at 200, watch for two weeks, and adjust from there; if you are not losing 185, watch and see 180, 172, etc. COUNT the treats, too. If it goes in, it COUNTS towards the daily allowance. Keep dialing down until you are at the desired weight (I don't know what she is now and desired is). All cats and metabolisms differ; For example, we had to continue to cut calories to 147 calories! I had a lot more weight to get off my guys after the amputation (3.5 lbs thats is a ton on a cat)
You cut back and see how Petunia responds. Please get her on the scale at least once a week and continue to weigh and keep notes. We are not in a race; we are working to implement a SAFE weight loss. 1-2 % a week. And when you reduce slowly, like the above -they do not complain as much;)
I use this calculator to check for percentages. Weight Loss Percentage Calculator Yes, it's for humans, but it doesn't matter; we want the percentage of loss figured. If you lose more than 2 % in one week, you add more calories, BUT if you do as I described above, you should lose SAFELY, and you watch the scale to be 100% sure all is going as it should.
I hope that makes sense. It WILL work if you stick to it!
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Here ➡️(ask Elizabeth) is the most accurate calculator we have found. MOST online calculators are FAR too generous, but we start somewhere. You can do whatever you are comfortable with; you can calculate with the numbers below and find out from the vet her ideal weight. It all comes down to too much going in, and we cut back.
Thanks for all the info!!! It’s crazy cause they didn’t always eat all their food, but since I’ve separated them during feeding, they do now. But I’ll start that asap!
Also, I just made the rehab consult appt for Wed Nov 8th! I’m SO EXCITED!!! I’ll end up paying some out of pocket, but so grateful that TRIPAWDS will cover $200, so it will be worth it! They said the appt will be 1.5-2hrs long. I just gotta write down all the requirements and make sure I do it. This will actually be their first tripawd kitty, so the lady told me they are going to be really excited that she’s coming. The lady has a tripod dog herself, which I thought was cool. I am actually going out of town from Nov 29-Dec 2nd, which has me worried a bit cause I most likely will only have someone stop by to feed them. So I’m hoping for some progress. I will probably just keep Petunia in the bedroom and the lady said she will come by not just to feed, but also to give them pets and such, so maybe she can let Tuni out of the bedroom for a little bit.
Also, I decided that I truly need to invest in Tuni’s recovery and livelihood, so I got the 100ft yoga mat roll of Amazon. It will hurt at first, but be worth it in the long run. I think the house will look better with yoga mats I can cut to size, instead of having a bunch of different rugs throughout the house. I will still be able to find other places for the rugs, but at least I can have uniformity on the high traffic areas she goes to (bedroom, laundry area - litterbox - and family room). I’m actually really happy with this decision right now.
You are welcome. I am happy to share what worked for us. Slow and steady wins the race!!
WHOO HOO on the appt! We look forward to hearing how it goes, and I love Petunia will be their first kitty! Nov 29 is a bit away; you will be amazed at her progress by then.
MOST excellent on the yoga mats 👏🏻
Scratches to Petunia and Possum please
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YAY! You are a great mom. Take some pictures for us if you think of it.
Samatha, after I reread your post,
Holly,
Are you saying 180 calories per day, or per feeding (twice a day)? The food I’ve been feeding them is 242 calories per 5.5oz cans.
I wanted to ensure you understood what I was saying: total calories in a day!
You can still feed twice daily as long as the daily calories are in that range. I was not stating to feed once daily. That would be torture to any cat. Multiple feedings are recommended. Feed as you always have. Just cut the total amount in the day.
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