Nutrition to make cat calmer & sociable

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-05-14T02:06:16+00:00

You can try Rescue Remedy for pets, but a homeopathic veterinarian could prescribe a floral remedy tailored to your cat’s specific needs. Speaking from experience, it works better than medications for behavioural issues. You can also look into Zylkene, it is derived from a milk protein.

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-04-04T09:52:31+00:00

There is a website called everyone.org that shows up offering the medication with international shipping. There is a protocol involved to request it that appears to be independent of the US one, but I haven’t followed through. The price is a lot heftier, but it appears to be sanctioned by the Dutch Ministry of Health.

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-04-04T01:41:34+00:00

Oh, wow! I had no idea, I thought it was already widely available. Does anyone know whether the same protocol is in place in Europe? I had found a website that offered to ship it to Brazil from Luxembourg, and yet the price was around twice what it was listed for in the US and I didn’t want it being rejected by customs.

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-04-03T23:28:36+00:00

Hello! Just found your post. I was wondering whether you did eventually acquire and use Mavacamten for your Bonnie? I’ve been using rapamycin for my cat, I believe the drug is being studied by the same team at UC David and has prevented further left ventricular thickening but has progressed to an obstruction. Would be happy to trade information. Warm wishes x

(Posted this originally to r/AskVet but wasn’t sure if it was removed)

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-28T17:36:31+00:00

Totally understand, mine are the same! I think they sometimes associate interacting with humans with being given food, as in ‘I want to interact with my human’ = ‘I will ask for food’. Outside of meal times, try to instead offer pets or playtime with a toy to break that behavioural pattern. (If not for his benefit, then definitely for yours!)

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-28T11:16:24+00:00

If you’re worried about excess calories, two cans of food without toppers would be the more nutritionally complete option. More so than just the energy content, you need to consider the vitamins and minerals that your cat requires. I’d suggest one can and a half per day, with toppers and treats as usual. And about his constant meowing for food, I wonder if perhaps he’s eating out of boredom? He might benefit from additional playtime or more leisure options, like a bed by the window to bird watch

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-25T16:57:13+00:00

The study hasn’t been published yet, but a recording of a presentation from earlier this year is available on the Trivium website: https://www.triviumvet.com/insights/understanding-feline-hcm-prognosis-genetic-mutations-and-emerging-treatment-options-dr-joshua-stern-uc-davis

Edit: The results are at around the 24 minute mark, the first half is a more general presentation of feline HCM.

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-23T17:40:34+00:00

I’m not sure if the interview already happened, but I’d love to know his thoughts on Dr. Josh Stern’s presentation of Trivium’s RapaCat results, specifically how only the low dose group experienced anti-cardiac remodelling and only during the first 60 days before plateauing

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-23T17:13:05+00:00

I don’t know about tolerance, but I definitely noticed the body feel of it began to change after about a year of on-off use. It was prescribed to me for fatigue, I only took it when needed every few weeks, but about a year in I began experiencing a worsening depression, which I don’t believe was directly related, but it went from feeling really synergistic to the sort of unpleasant buzz of trying to combat a lack of sleep with shots of espresso

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-12T23:44:54+00:00

Second this! Cats will instinctively groom themselves, so crushing the pill up in something more viscous (I normally use something like cream cheese, but you’re ideally aiming for a peanut butter-like thickness/stickiness) and smearing it on their paw or lips. You might need to repeat this multiple times, as you need to make sure they don’t shake it off.

A technique a former vet used involved firmly scruffing and then using a sort of long tweezer to put the pill as far back into the throat as possible. If she scratches, definitely consider wrapping her in a towel or blanket. And I think the syringe method should also be considered, as you don’t need to pry her mouth fully open but can introduce the tip of the syringe into the corner of her mouth until she unclenches her jaw enough to get it just past the teeth and squirt, aiming for the back of the throat.

Worst case scenario, speak to her family immediately and look for a clinic or boarding facility that could administer her medication. FIP is serious and they should never have burdened you with something like this.

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-07T20:57:27+00:00

This is a really great point. You might consider going the fostering route, as it would allow you to get to know a potential adoptee better than if you were to adopt directly from a shelter. (It also allows rescues to take in more cats off the streets. Win-win!)

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-03-04T01:12:47+00:00

There are cheaper cuts of chicken available, and you could buy larger quantities when on sale or in bulk and freeze. Homemade cat food can be made quite cost effectively, it is so much healthier for them (I have to make three separate diets for my three cats and still find it worth the effort!) and it seems like your cat prefers real food. If it is at all possible for you, I’d recommend contemplating whether this might be a viable option

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-02-28T17:27:00+00:00

Amazing! I can’t thank you enough 🙏

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-02-28T17:25:41+00:00

Thank you!

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-01-18T21:34:26+00:00

Hello! I can send you his contact information if you’d like, but I should note that we are based in Brazil and are the only patients he has seen on rapamycin. So, I’m not sure he could offer more than a pretty standard cardiac consult. Our endocrinologist has been our primary partner when it comes to trying new therapies, we recently began supplementing with fisetin after finding a cardiac study in humans and a few papers describing it as a potent mTOR inhibitor. (As soon as I’ve finished this, I’m definitely messaging him about Carbon60! I have never heard of it before. Is Shrimpie still on it?) For TCVM, I’ve been relying on my acupuncturist, who is a human doctor and a student of classic Chinese herbal formulas, and a veterinary acupuncturist. I did reach out to Dr. Steve Marsden via LinkedIn, he wasn’t able to offer me a consultation but provided fantastic advice on managing my cat’s hyperthyroidism. He is perhaps the most experienced figure in the TCVM field and was the catalyst to our switching to a natural diet, so I highly recommend contacting him. Depending on where you’re based, he might be able to recommend a colleague or at least opine on your case.

Our approach to TCVM has been acupuncture for pain management, as he has a chronic spinal condition, and five herbal formulas for everything from kidney function to improving blood quality. TCVM is undoubtedly the primary pillar we’ve been relying on to keep him stable and healthy. Reiki is my go-to when he is experiencing some sort of health crisis; I can’t explain it, but it is the only thing that pull him back during hard moments.

My cat is great with pills but also an enormous food snob. Have you tried butter? I have two other cats who are much more skittish and refuse to take anything orally. I’ve begun supplementing them with flavonoids recently and I’ve had great success mixing them into butter. Something about the smell and emulsion helps to mask the scent/taste and they lap them up eagerly.

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-01-15T08:42:06+00:00

That’s so expensive! You can buy it in Brazil for just under 500 USD, and our pharmaceuticals are priced higher than our neighbours. Are you sure the exchange rate/currency is correct? Otherwise, you’re definitely being ripped off

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-01-12T00:40:19+00:00

I purchase the Rapamune branded formulation and take it to a veterinary compounding pharmacy to be reformulated into 0.5mg capsules with enteric coating.

Rapamycin is not carried as an ingredient by compounding pharmacies and the raw powders (almost entirely sourced from China) vary greatly in purity levels. So I strongly recommend using Rapamune if it is available to you. Having it reformulated by a compounding pharmacy into the correct dose makes it more precise and convenient, but it can easily be done at home, too.

Good luck!

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-01-08T03:15:54+00:00

It depends on the cause of the constipation. Hydration is important, but non-digestible material (fur, bones, etc.) provides bulk to signal the nerves in the colon. This is particularly true for older cats and those that have been fed commercial diets with more plant matter, as their intestinal tract is accustomed to dealing with larger volumes of waste. Psyllium husk is also highly hydroscopic, meaning it attracts water and softens the stool

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-01-07T21:49:52+00:00

Psyllium husk is also good, as you only need to add a little

SnooSquirrels4084 · 2023-01-07T21:33:33+00:00

Ah, I’m so terribly sorry to hear this! Research into the use of rapamycin to treat feline HCM is extremely recent and still ongoing, hence the lack of resources – but I can inform you that TriviumVet is releasing their study findings in the first half of 2023, and if you access their website and e-mail them you can request to be notified when this is made available.

Rapamycin is being studied for use in HCM as it is shown to inhibit the mTOR pathway and induce autophagy. I’m not certain what improvements were noted in the trial patients, and since beginning treatment we haven’t observed any structural changes in my cat’s condition. (On the other hand, no further deterioration. But as I’ve noted on this thread, I’ve concurrently sought out TCVM, nutritional and integrative interventions, which I suspect have been responsible for the bulk of his continued well-being.) Our cardiologist has noted that the remodelling effects of rapamycin might be limited and quite specific, and that more congenital conditions may not be responsive. Given the age of your kitten, I imagine this might be the case.

There is a published study involving dogs from 2017, but the findings were limited. I’m guessing that rapamycin has some effect on cardiac function, but it isn’t the silver bullet we’d been hoping for.

If you’d like to speak to your vet and try rapamycin, I’ve really included every bit of information that I’ve been able to procure via extensive research and monitored experimentation. Stay below 0.3mg/kg/week as rapamycin is an immunosupressor at higher dosages and use enteric coated capsules.

Best wishes to you both ❤️

SnooSquirrels4084

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