This is my second to last blog about Henry’s treatment. There will be one more short one about homeopathic dosing - this is about supportive remedies that will help your cat - a MAIN remedy is also required.

It has been a while since I posted but this seems like something I need to complete, as I promised that I would. I will not stop the blog though, but it will be given a rebirth as I move on writing about life with my living cats and the discoveries I am making as I begin my D.Vet.Hom under Irene’s tutelage.

It is true that time heals. There will always be a gap in my heart and a lump in my throat, but my memories of Henry and the way that he completely changed my world help fill it with love and empathy. I can now think about my darling and smile, and in time I hope to be able to look back at pictures of his innocent little face without feeling pain. I think time is beginning to help. 

I collected Henry’s ashes about two weeks ago. When I got home I flung myself on the bed and I sobbed and sobbed. We still have him at home with us. I know the time will come, very soon, when we need to let him go and we will have our own special memorial for him. But for now I like feeling that that he is here. When we let him go, I will be ready.

So now, onto the supportive remedies with pictures to help you visualize them.

Alpha Lipoic Acid 20 mg/day. You can mix this in food with sugar to taste or make a slurry and feed with a dropper. I got this from the Vitamin Shoppe.

Moducare made by Thorne half a capsule/day. You can also use Aspen brand but no other manufacturers - avoid all those with a flower picture on the bottle as found in HF stores and some on line ones. It is an immune system supplement that is appropriate in FIP and should be emptied into a day’s food, so not fed all at once. You have to order this online - I got mine from Amazon.

Taurine 500mg per pound of food. I got this at Vitamin Shoppe.

As much Vit C (as ascorbic acid, preferably PURE powder/crystals) as your cat can tolerate not more often than every 6 hours - mixed with a LOT of sugar to taste and fed in a dropper with a little water - if your cat drools or salivates you have mixed it too strong. I got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Potassium Citrate 10mg / 2 x day. FIP tends to cause loss of potassium, and Irene suggests using 10mg per dose for two SEPARATE doses a day (NOT more at a time as it upsets the heart). Potassium gluconate or citrate tastes better than potassium chloride, and you can find 99mg capsules to use. Mix with sugar and divide into suitable number of doses. I got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe.

100 IU Vit E per day. I got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe.

One capsule fish oil a day mixed in food. Start with one drop, and gradually increase over a week. Be careful not to choose one that is lemon flavored. I got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Give Pet Tinic syrup several times a day. This is a crucial part of the supportive remedy. It is a syrup of iron with copper and vitamins and can help pre-empt debilitating anemia. I ordered mine on Amazon and urge you to pay the extra for one-day shipping. 

This post should not be taken as medical information. It is simply a recording of what my husband I did to help my cat Henry with the advice of Irene de Villiers, our veterinary homeopath. Every cat is different so please check that the gut protocol is right for your cat before you administer it.

I’ve not been able to leave the house the last two days thanks to some nasty food poisoning - either from Tom Yum with prawn or the raw chicken I’ve been chopping up for Lulu. I keep expecting Henry to just up on the bed or wander into the bathroom making his funny little half meows but I know we’re just going to have to deal with the fact that’s never going to happen. I just wish I could squish his little face again one more time. It sucks.

Lulu’s been yowling like a banshee, and I though she was going through some mega cat grief but it turns out she’s on heat for the first time. She was meant to be spayed a few weeks ago but since Henry was sick we postponed it. We were going to wait a few months until she’s gotten used to Bella, but I’m not so sure anymore. I’ve not seen a cat in heat before and I’ve got to say it’s a little bit disturbing. I feel sorry for the poor thing, she seems so uncomfortable… but Rob and I couldn’t help having a bit of a giggle at her expense last night. It feels so wrong…

We’d been giving her some homeopathic treatments, Australian Bush Essences and Bach flower remedies to help her through the trauma of losing Henry, and I stopped giving them to her on Sunday night when I got sick. Since then she’s been really agitated so I think I’ll start them again tonight.

Here’s what we’ve been using:

Ignatia Amara 30C to help process grief, made aqueous and sussussed ten times between doses to increase potency - about 5 ml in a syringe 2 x day

Wild Oat, a remedy to help one look forward and feel positive again. I just put a few drops in a jar and sussuss and dose like the Ignatia.

Star of Bethlehem, a comfort remedy to give emotional comfort, sussed and dosed like the Ignatia.

Bach Rescue Remedy and Heather (for loneliness and feeling left behind) - just a few drops added to her water bowl.

And the Australian bush essence mixtures that I outlined a couple of posts earlier, rubbed between her ears twice a day.

Rob and I have been taking the same protocol but in slightly stronger doses and it seemed to be helping, until this tummy bug. I might go and dose us all up again now.

Kate x

Sunday 29 January, 2012.

Antibiotics are NOT good for cats with FIP - they actually speed FIP and can cause a lot of harm to your cats system. If your cat has been given any antibiotics, stopping them immediately and starting your cat on Irene’s “gut protocol” could help to undo the damage.

Henry was given two doses of Clavamax, once by his vet and once by me before I learned how dangerous antibiotics were to cats with FIP. I fed him the gut protocol once per day. He didn’t seem to dislike the taste, but he would not eat without some convincing either. So I mixed about 2/3 of the dose below with a little food and a few drops of filtered water, and fed it to him with a syringe. He didn’t seem to mind too much. If you’re not sure how to feed a cat with a syringe, there are videos that might help on youtube.

The recipe I’ve copied below is for a ten pound cat - so adjust it if your cat or kitten is a very different weight.

We found all the ingredients below at our local health store, except for the PABA and Taurine which we purchased at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Irene’s gut protocol

Mix together:

Saturday January 27, 2012.

It’s taken me a few days longer than I thought to get around to writing about Henry’s brief treatment. It is hard to write about it - when we go through pain we want to move on, not relive it. But like I said earlier, I want to write about our experience in case it helps someone else, so that’s what I’m going to do.

I know that Irene’s treatment was helping Henry, and if it hadn’t have been for the curve ball we were thrown at the very end of his life, I do think he would have had a shot at pulling through.

*** If you have a cat who you think may have FIP, visit our veterinary homeopath Irene’s website or join her yahoo group for support, advice and links - FIP-to-HEALTH. There IS hope, regardless of what your vet may tell you, but time is of the essence. FIP acts very fast, so you will need to as well.***

Henry had a history of poor health. When we adopted him he had an upper respiratory infection and a gammy eye - a lot of kittens do have this problem though, so it did not alarm anyone. With a lot of attention and TLC he seemed to come right. Towards the end of October he was admitted to hospital for 5 days with a fever of almost 106 that wouldn’t drop. We didn’t think he’d make it - but by the fifth day his fever was back to normal and we bought him home.

Looking back I don’t think he ever fully recovered. From then on he was always a little bit slower than Lulu, he seemed a bit clumsy, and his belly seemed a little too round for his body. But overall he seemed ok. We thought he was just a bit goofy.

He went downhill very rapidly. I became a little concerned about him a week before we took him to the vet - he didn’t seem his usual self and I thought he might be depressed. His fur was not as soft as it had been. His belly was getting bigger, but his back seemed to be bonier. He wasn’t interested in playing anymore.

On Sunday January 15, we were worried enough to ring the vet, who set us up with an appointment for the following morning. Bloods were taken on Monday the 16th and an ultrasound was taken on the Tuesday the 17th. Henry actually tested negative for FIP but the vet told us the results often showed false negatives (Irene has since verified that the “tests” are pretty much useless) and that she was certain he had it. She said there was nothing we could do but make him comfortable, and consider euthanasia when the pain got too much.

I wouldn’t accept her diagnosis and want to make it clear that I still do not agree that FIP has to always be fatal - but sadly in Henry’s case she was right, as he died exactly one week later.

Conventional medicine considers FIP to be universally fatal. If you want to help your cat with homeopathy, which has had proven successes, there are some of things you MUST avoid at the vet. You can find more about why by clicking through the links on the FIP-to-HEALTH yahoo group. 

• NO predinsone or steroids - one dose will almost always kill a cat with FIP
• NO antibiotics - these can speed FIP. If (and only if) your cat has a proven bacterial infection there is a homeopathic alternative - talk to Irene or the group.
• NO Lysine - it suppresses the system
• NO Interferon or “immune system supplements” (other than Thorne Moducare - more on that later).
• NO worming medication

And finally…

• Don’t accept that euthanasia is the only option until you have consulted with Irene or at least the members of her yahoo group, which includes many of her students.

Some things you should DO:

• DO tell the vet you would like to look into homeopathic treatment - even if they don’t agree with it a good vet should respect your decision and will work together with you.
• DO ask for lactated ringers solution, and a lesson on how to administer it. It is surprisingly easy to give, and will wash out toxins and provide hydration is necessary. Ask your vet what is the right amount - for Henry we gave 75ml about every 32 hours.
• DO ask your vet if they can locate injectible Vitamin C from a supplier. It is hard to find in the US as the FDA banned it for economic reasons. If your vet doesn’t have it, call around local vets and veterinary homeopaths - chances are someone will have some. I ordered some online from Australia, but it might be a bit slow coming as it still hasn’t arrived a week later. Here’s the link in case it’s your only option, or if your in the US you could try this link to find a holistic veterinarian who may stock it.
• DO ask for copies of your cats most recent blood work - it will be needed to determine homeopathic treatment.
• DO ask for copies of your cat’s medical history, especially and x-rays and ultrasound reports. They may prove useful for analysis, but you may also need them handy if you vet is unresponsive and or unavailable and you need to find a new vet.

I don’t pretend to be an expert - I have only known that FIP even exists for eleven days. If I’ve got anything wrong or missed something important, please leave a comment to let me know.

I still miss the little guy. Last night Rob and I both dreamed he was not really gone, but back home with us, hanging out. Sad face.

Kate x

This post should not be taken as medical information. It is a recording of what I did to help my cat Henry with the advice of Irene de Villiers, our veterinary homeopath. Every cat is different. Please be sensible and find out all you can to make sure you do what is right for your cat’s situation.

Friday January 27, 2012.

 Here is my fave pic of me and Lulu… she is just SO beautiful.  Kate x

Friday January 27, 2012.

A funny thing has just happened. As you will have read, Lulu has been very lonely and found the grief hard to deal with, and a few people have suggested we adopt sooner rather than later to help her through it, but we have not been so sure.

Last night I started talking in my sleep about how we had found Lulu’s biological sister and were going to adopt her. I don’t remember the dream but my husband told me this morning that I was talking very lucidly and for quite some time!

It was probably more to do with my being worried about her grief than anything prophetic, but I emailed the rescuer we adopted Lulu from in October to tell her about the dream and she wrote back to tell me that one of Lulu’s sisters had actually just become available for adoption. The other cat is not from the same litter, she is several months older, but she does have the same mother. She could not be adopted earlier because she was pregnant and then nursing. She looks like a greyer, slightly fatter version of Lulu in the photographs, and her name is Bella - which is one of the names I was thinking about giving Lulu.

If it wasn’t for the dream I probably wouldn’t be considering adopting again right away but it is such a strange coincidence. Before we decide first I need to find out whether it is safe to bring her into the home this soon. I have bleached and cleaned absolutely everything, but obviously we would hate to lose another cat to FIP especially if it is preventable.

Bella:

Lulu:

Stay tuned for updates.

Kate and Lulu x

Thursday January 26, 2012.

It’s been a hard couple of days for Rob and I. The house feels empty without Henry. But what’s even sadder is seeing Lulu pine for her best friend.

She’s been walking around the house in circles, meowing and looking for him. She needs constant attention and affection, which I am giving her by the bucket load, but I’m worried how she will cope when I am back at work, and on her own for three weeks when we go to New Zealand for our (second) wedding.

Maybe she just needs a little time and love to adjust.

A few people suggested that it would best for her if we were to to get rid of all of Henry’s smells, so today I’ve done a big clean out - not without a few tears.

I had some luck calming her with Australian Bush Flower essences. Lulu’s very kind kitty sitter met me last night with two bottles - Emergency Remedy and a mixture of several flower essences she labelled Grief. Here’s what was mixed in the Grief remedy, and their uses according to google:

• FRINGED VIOLET: Fringed Violet is said to help people recover from shock and trauma, as well as fear and fragility after an attack.
• BORONIA: Obsessive thoughts, pining, broken hearted. It also enhances
  focus for creative visualisation.
• BOTTLE BRUSH: Overwhelmed by major life changes.

Unfortunately we couldn’t find this one which probably would have been the most helpful:

• STURT DESERT PEA: Emotional pain, deep hurt, sadness. Triggers healthy
  grieving and releases deep sadness.

I rubbed about seven drop of each remedy on her head between her ears last night and would you believe she fell into the deepest snooze. She actually seemed kind of stoned! I took a little myself (tried it under the tongue, and rubbing it on my wrists - both good) and was quite amazing how helped me feel a little better too. See you later Xanax.

Today she was crying again so I’ve put a few drops of each remedy into a water vaporizer, and that seems to be helping calm her nerves too. She has started eating again… just a little bit, but it is a start.

I’m not sure whether another playmate for her would help or if she needs time to adjust. I would prefer to wait a few months, but then I just hate seeing her so sad. I’m also getting conflicting information about whether we need to have her tested to make sure she isn’t carrying the FIP virus or not, and how long we need to wait to test her. Some people are telling me it is contagious and some saying are it is not. She has tested negative in the past - but then so did Henry. I’ll update the blog when I can get more information.

Here are the two besties together.

:

Kate x

Wednesday January 25, 2012.

I’m getting a lot of lovely messages about the care I gave Henry in his last days, and would like to mention someone who deserves just as much credit. Someone who cared just as much about Henry as I did, and who did so much to help both him and me. 

To my husband Rob, you have been so amazing. You cared so much for Henry, and did so much to help me care for him. You believed in his recovery. You gave him so much love throughout his life, and you gave him absolutely everything you had this last week.

You have been there for me every time I have needed to cry, cuddle or vent, and you’ve reassured me every time I’ve blamed myself or felt guilty. You have amazed me with your strength and open-mindedness and I don’t know how I could have gotten through this without you.

Henry was so lucky that you were his Dad, and he loved you very much. Lulu knows how lucky she is have you. I think you’re pretty special too. I can’t wait to marry you again in March.

Love, Kate xxx

Tuesday January 24, 2012.

Henry passed away last night.

He was doing so well all day. Then around 7pm, he started gurgling. By midnight, it had turned into choking and by the time we got him to the emergency vet around 2am he was coughing up blood. The vet wanted to euthenize right away, as his blood sugar was dangerously low at 50 and an x-ray showed his lungs were filled with fluid that would be impossible to drain. We kept him alive with a glucose drip for about a half hour, but after a discussion with both the vet and Irene we realized that he would not get better and it would be kinder to let him go.

I held him in my arms as he went -  he was is so much pain. His poor little mouth was foaming with blood and he was crying. So we had to let him go sleep.

Today has been so empty without him. Lulu has been a huge comfort - I don’t know how she knows, but she does. She sat next to my face for hours all morning and wouldn’t even leave my side for breakfast. She licked at my face and pawed at my neck like Henry used to do. She has been amazing.

I am so grateful to everyone’s support - I know you were all rooting for a happy ending for Henry. I do believe Irene’s treatment would have cured him if it weren’t for this complication, and he was doing so well.

Irene explained that his death was a result of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). When I was giving him his vitamin C supplement by dropper on Sunday he did not like the taste, and the reaction it had resulted in his getting some into his lungs. He got over the initial response of struggling for air but a day later he developed a complication - “aspiration pneumonia”, as a complication of inhaling something that is intended for swallowing. Aspiration pneumonia usually takes a day or two to develop - a day in Henry’s case. It is a type of pneumonia caused by foreign material in the
lungs, which in turn developed a complication of aspiration pneumonia called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A build-up of fluid in the lungs prevented him breathing properly, and the blood in his lungs came from aspiration pneumonia damage. Yet another complication was that his glucose level dropped drastically even though he was getting it supplemented.

Rob and I both miss him a lot. It hurts.

But I’m not done with this blog. I wanted to write it to so that I could help other people going through a FIP diagnosis and there is so much I have learned that I need to share here before I’m done. I need to figure out what shape it will take but there will be more to come.

Thank you for all your support over the last week.

Henry, you were an amazing, gentle little soul who was loved by so many people. We’ll always have you in our hearts. We love you.

Kate, Rob and Lulu xxxx