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kapush
FAMILY
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You will probably find all this ridiculous if you cannot think of your pets as family. Regardless, I believe I owe it to my family to publish certain things... This is Chew . He and his two sisters came to us when they were about two months old. Their mom would come to our garden with them and leave them to play there. Once she realized they were safe she left them with us. Chew was a gentlemanly cat. When other kitties crowded our home he would stay away for long periods. He simply could not bear the divided attention, and was too dignified to ask for more. We never realized he was sick. We could see that he had lost weight, but he looked and behaved normal. Once, he did not come home for two days. This was about two months back, in May 2008. On the third day my mother went out looking for him, found him too weak to move and carried him home. We never took him to a vet. We had our reasons - which I intend to enumerate in a separate article. We could have taken him to Moitri but he looked too weak. Instead, we took him to our family physician who is a homeopath, and has cured many of our cats. My own reasearch on the Net revealed Chew had symptoms of diabetes. Dr. Roy assured us it was a case of paralysis that was affecting both dogs and cats these days. We were reassured. Chew appeared to improve. He did not leave home again. Sometimes he would sit outside, in the sun. Around the last week of May his condition deteriorated rapidly. I still did not want to move him because he was too weak. We called Dr. Soumen Chatterjee who came highly recommended. He found nothing particularly wrong with Chew and told us that he was merely in shock because of some fight with other tom-cats that he must have had. Chew was prescribed Resource Powder - a high protein supplement. He did not want to eat that - in fact he resisted the extra protein. We force fed him, because surely it was good for him. Didn't the Doctor say it was? He seemed better for a while. After that we were forced to call Dr. Chatterjee again. A whole week was wasted already. He could not understand what was wrong and lamented that this was the problem with animals: they could not tell us of their troubles. He prescribed fluids to take care of the acute dehydration and anemia that was now apparent. One of the fluids was HaemaccelŽ. I somehow managed to find someone who could administer the fluid. This very competent man held Chew like he was cattle and put in the needle and expected us to keep him still while he took a call. The needle slipped and then he tried poking it in again. We decided Chew was better off dehydrated than tortured. We paid the man Rs. 200 for his troubles. I had brought him home on my two wheeler. He expected me to reach him to the main road so he could go home easily. I gave him clear directions and bid him goodnight. The next day we went to Moitri. Dr. Sourav Banerjee understood what was wrong with him even before the blood tests were done and prescribed the proper medicines and fluid. When the test results came out we found Chew was suffering from diabetes, chronic renal failure and accompanying non regenerative anemia. He was NOT supposed to have been on a high protein diet. HaemaccelŽ would have killed him sooner because of its crystalline nature. It is contraindicated in case of renal problems. ( Here is a page that provides relevant information on it). Dr. Banerjee was almost apologetic and nodded his head while looking at the report: ' I don't know what to say' he said. And i could see that he saw his patients as patients, and that he was a doctor, not a businessman. Chew died two days later, at five to four in the morning of June 12, 2008. His eyes had gone still and had remained that way for the last four hours of his life. I don't think he recognized any of us any during those final hours.
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This is Two . Why he has such a curious name is a different story. Two had not been well for a very long time. He had been treated by so called doctors, including Dr. Soumen Chatterjee when he visited us for Chew. Two was prescribed an antibiotic and a mouth gel and a spray which I could not locate in any of the Medical Stores that i went to. There was apparently nothing seriously wrong with him except for some mouth/tooth infection, and perhaps he had also caught a bit of cold. After Chew died we did not delay further and took him to Moitri. Dr. Sourav Banerjee, as before, did not need a blood test to diagnose his condition. The test results were less unfortunate than Chew's: Two was suffering from chronic renal failure with a creatinine count of 10.4 (Chew measured above 14) and acute anemia (5.8). Two was kept on medicine and mostly fluid - twice daily- for a month. I took leave from work during the last phase to look afer him constantly as also to turn the Net upside down for some remedy. I went to work on July 11, 2008 and called home. Two had passed away at quarter to eleven in the morning. He would put up a fight whenever we tried to administer the fluid. The solution was simple, which we should have found out earlier than we did: we only had to put him in my mother's lap - or should I say, his mother's lap, and he would be quiet. He was on her lap when he died. He had looked around, just before death. Ma thought he was looking for me. Possible. Guests, who heard him call ma were always surprised to hear him call calling 'maa' and not 'meow'. He was four and a half years old when he died. He had never really grown up. Liked to sit with ma in the kitchen. Would sleep beside her, with a paw on her. He was the big healthy baby who did not like his mother talking on the phone. He would keep meowing whenever she did, and even tried to take the receiver away from her with his paw. I am glad Chew and Two died the way they did.
It could have been much worse. They could have drowned, like Meemee. Or
poisoned, like Lomba Lej. Or dumped somewhere - probably in a lake, by our
neighbours, in a sack, like at least four others. We are thankful they
died amongst their family knowing always that they were loved and cared
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Feline CRF can happen because of a number of reasons. The symptoms are quite clear, however. Increased thirst, weight loss, wounds that refuse to heal, foul breath usually accompanied by dental tartar, weak hind legs in many instances - which is also a clear symptom of diabetes. I have also noticed other symptoms which may or may not be clinically acknowledged. Cats thus affected tend to go for raw fish or meat. The reason being, protein, generally speaking, is not particularly healthy for CRF cats since the weakened kidneys cannot get rid of the toxins produced through protein metabolism. On the other hand, without protein, cats are weakned further. They seem to know instinctively, which some doctors also know, that the protein content in raw meat/fish is absorbed almost completely by the body leaving little or no toxic waste for removal. If you are unfortunate enough to have a CRF cat in your family, please do not force him to eat the usual Renal Diet which he will probably find unappealing. A raw fish diet is just fine. They seem to know their health better than we do. Chew had stopped eating rice almost completely. It was not until the blood work was done that we knew he was diabetic. Please don't force your cat to eat what he doesn't want to. Understand that he may be terminal, and he needs all the love and care that you can give him. He might not understand why you have put him on a restricted diet, especially when his inbuilt mechanism is telling him to go exactly for the food that you will not let him have. Dr. Banerjee tried his best, but after the final blood work, he simply said, 'There is nothing more that we can do; give him whatever he wants to eat; let him remain happy and comfortable'. We hope we were able to do just that. Another symptom - very important when you have to diagnose a doctor: a real doctor will not lament that animals cant talk , that they cannot tell us of their grief. A real doctor will know. And in spite of his knowing he will insist upon tests just to make sure that his diagnosis is correct. Both Dr. Chatterjee and Dr. Banerjee are associated with Moitri. I really have no idea why Dr. Chatterjee could neither diagnose the problems nor bother to get blood tests done when he could see that the animal that was his patient could not talk to us.
I have just got myself this website. There is much that I would like to put in here, including a review of vets that I have come to know personally, and where one can find decent facilities for animals in Kolkata, as also what to avoid. I also intend to publish my own experience with Alternative Remedies and their efficacy as far as animals are concerned. Please visit in a month for updates.
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Case Studies are NOT supposed to complement a doctor's advice. I am including them here because sometimes we do not have anyone but our own layperson-selves to handle emergencies. Sometimes there isn't a real doctor around. Also, they illustrate my experiments with alternative medicine. I did not use my babies as experiment subjects if that is what you are thinking: everytime I had to do something, it was a situation where nothing else was working or when conventional medicine and treatment failed to elicit positive response. And I take full responsibilty for what I am going to write: there will be no DISCLAIMERS in my site. Cold and Subsequent Eye Infection
Helencha is the name of the place where I go to work. I saw this little kitty walking in confidently through a collapsible gate in my workplace (three and half hours of very rough bus ride from my home). His hind legs hardly worked. He was dragging them along, but moving very quickly too. All skin and bones and fluffy white fur, he looked very impressive indeed. That was a Friday. One of my students, Suparna, agreed to adopt him. I told her I would take him home for treatment and then return him to her. She put him in the basket of her bicycle and went home to bring him back the next day which is a half-workday for us. The next day I took a perforated cardboard box and requested a colleague to accompany me on her way home. Roopleena has always been a friend, and even though it would inconvenience her to not take her usual train-route, she readily agreed.
In March 2008, I found him pale and sickly. I admit that with my schedule I cannot pay as much attention to the little ones as I would like to. I must have missed the period when the sickness had materialized. By the time I noticed, he was very weak and pale. Conditions in kittens usually deteriorate extremely rapidly. Members of my human family were either out of station or down with viral fever. I could barely walk myself. The family Homeopath Dr. B. K. Roy seemed a good choice since I did not want to put Helencha at the mercy of quarks. I talked to Rana Ganguly of Moitri, and after listening to the symptoms he told me at this point and given the size of the patient, conventional medicine would not be of much use. Dr. Roy's medicine worked. Helencha was better for a day. He even ate on his own. The next day his condition went downheal steadily. I kept him on my lap as I poured over the computer and all the books on alternative medicine that I have. He was pale, barely breathing, not moving at all,and looking at me with those large green eyes. At times I wasnt sure if he was alive anymore. His nose, lips, tongue, paw-pads were all pale. He hardly had any blood left in his veins at all. When I stumbled upon the medicine and administered it, I thought I saw an instant improvement. Of course I dismissed it as my imagination. The next day he was asking for food. In three days time he was well enough to walk around on his own, though still a little wobbly. In seven days he was normal. Okay, that was the story I could not help telling you. For those unfortunate souls who might need a solution instantly, here are the useful details in a cut and dried manner. weak, bones can be seen standing out along the spine, very pale all over: lips, mouth, tongue, paw-pads, nose; has appetite, but too weak to eat. Diagnosis: acute anemia through infestation of external parasites like teaks and certainly because of worms in the stomach. Mode of treatment: 1) eliminate worms first since they are eating him inside out, but not
with allopathic medicine. Medicines prescribed: Teucrium m. Q one drop immediately after being found
sick. drops from an immunity boosting food supplement for cats; the brand probably does not matter; i used Immusafe.
Natrum muriaticum [Nat-m] This is one of our best remedies in anaemic conditions. There is
paleness, and, in spite of the fact that the patient eats well, there is
emaciation. There are attacks of throbbing headache and dyspnoea,
especially on going up stairs, constipation ands depression of spirits,
and consolation aggravates. With these symptoms there is much palpitation,
fluttering and intermittent action of the heart. The hypochondriasis in
these cases is marked. Scanty menstruation is frequently an indicating
symptom. Kali carbonicum is one of the most important remedies in anaemia,
weak heart, sweats backache, especially with female complaints. source: http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/anemia-symptoms-treatment-cure.asp Key attributes of Cell Salt Natrum Muriaticum are Anemia, Brain fag, Catarrh, Chorea, Constipation, Cough, Cracks skin, Debility, Depression, Diabetes, Dropsy, Dyspepsia, Goiter, Gonorrhea, Gout, Grief, Headache, Herpes, Hiccough, Infertility, Intermittent fevers, Leucorrhoea, Lice, Nettle rash, Ring worm, Self abuse, Sleep walking, Spermatorrhea, Spleen enlarged, Infertility, Sun stroke, Paralysis, Ulcers, Varicose veins, Vertigo, Warts, Whooping cough, Worms. source: http://www.rxhomeo.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=186
A homeopathic remedy is made from the whole herb. It is said to be effectual against small thread-worms in children. Ferrum Phosphoricum Ferr. Phos. 3x increases haemoglobin. In pale, anaemic subjects, with violent local congestions. Hemorrhages, bright from any orifice. http://www.abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Ferr-p
Methylcobalamin is a coenzyme form of Vitamin B12 which is biologically active. This means that your body can use it as is, and does not require any metabolic steps to make it body friendly. The product comes in a sublingual tablet(dissolves under your tongue) because your digestive system modifies the molecule. The sublingual method allows the vitamin to directly enter your bloodstream, providing rapid benefits. http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Vitamin-B12-(Methylcobalamin)-Supplementation&id=92032 Please use the following links for detailed information: http://di.eisai.co.jp/di/EPI/MBL_A_EPI.pdf https://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=21679
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Cold is a common problem with kitties. The usual signs are as in humans: running nose, sniffles, watery eyes and sometimes, but not always, sneezing. After a while the nose will be stopped, and with no sense of smell, the kitty will stop eating even though she is hungry. The disease must not be taken lightly especially if the eyes are affected as well. Please take a look at the photographs. Cheetah was cured by topical application of Chloromycetin Aplicaps. Bagheera continued to grow worse. They were both suffering from congestion and had trouble breathing. Nostrils blocked, eyes watery, they were a pathetic sight alright. I did not delay in taking them to Moitri after making sure Dr. Sourav Banerjee would be there. He prescribed Azithral (Azithromycin) for Cheetah, whose chest condition was worse than Bagheera's: 0.5 ml once daily for seven days. Bagheera was given Sporidex, five drops thrice daily for seven days. His eyes were worse than his chest. Both the patients were administered with Milflox (moxifloxacin hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) one drop in each eye four times daily for ten days and Predmet (prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension) for thirty days in progessively reducing dosage (one drop in each eye four times daily for the first ten days, then thrice daily and then once). We were to report after seven days. Unfortunately, because of the mahamichhil (literally: great procession) called by a leading political party, that could not be done. We contacted the doctor over phone, and the next visit was postponed for a week. The check up is due tomorrow (September 08, 2008). And one more thing, if you find them unable to breathe through their nostrils, which you will, do administer one or two drops of saline nasal drop from time to time.
I am happy to say that the patients are bouncing around happily now.
Cheetah and Bagheera were about two months old when the medication described above was prescribed; they weighed 600 gm and 650 gm respectively.
Postscript:
If eye infections are not treated timely, the eye sometimes bulges out of its socket. This had happened with one of ours when Dr. Subir Bhattacharya was treating him. He had prescribed nothing but Chloromycetin Aplicaps and saline water wash. The condition grew worse and a complicated surgical procedure had to be undertaken: a mesh was created in front of the eyeball to keep it in place and the eye was closed with bandage to push the eyeball in place. This took about a month's regular visit to the doctor's chamber and agony for the poor kitty. I don't know if that case was similar to this, but even then I did feel that the prize winning operation which the doctor was so proud of might have been avoided with proper treatment. The next time he performed a similar surgical procedure, the patient came home and died after staggering around and passing reddish liquid from the rectum for a day or two. Apparently she had had a problem in her intestines already. She had suffered while the procedure was going on because not much ketamine could be used, and did not even live to enjoy any benefit. Dr. Bhattacharya's best advice when we called was: 'it is just the effect of anaesthesia: she will be fine in a day or two'.
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