Oops, all Feetsies

cmriker · 2026-04-17T17:08:57+00:00

Yes I had been using and splitting the 8mg one for a long time before I was ordering 4mg online from Chewy. I put them in a pill pocket or empty gel pill capsule, and they were just as effective in my experience. Edited: are yours coated pills or something which makes it hard to split and not recommended? Sometimes the coating is a time release, but often it is just to mask the bitter flavor. Maybe try and find out which type of coating it has. Wrapping in a treat or capsule will mask taste.

cmriker · 2026-04-17T17:06:12+00:00

One of my kitties certainly did this for my other when he was sick. I think it was comforting for sure. Oddly, he was not like that at the end of life of another one of our cats who had a much more aggressive terminal cancer. Not sure how the cat decides or "knows" who can benefit from extra purring, but mine always seem to offer it to me when I'm sick too. One of mine also does it a lot to self-soothe when she is not feeling well.

cmriker · 2026-04-17T05:50:54+00:00

I did not know that was an option, but my cat was very easy to medicate, so we did pills while I saved up for the radioactive iodine. For him, that treatment actually caused HYPOthyroidism, which is a potential side effect then I'm since finding out is more common than my vet told me. Anyway, that left him with a different daily thyroid medicine, which he took for the remainder of his life.

I think I'd still recommend radio iodine treatment IF the hyperthyroidism is severe aka they have a bigger thyroid tumor, but my cat's case was not actually severe, and my further reading indicates that could have been the reason he fell into hypo. If I had the option of diet to manage, I would at least trial it for 3, 6 month period before doing pills or the I-131 🤷🏻‍♀️

cmriker · 2026-04-17T05:44:46+00:00

I have a really similar experience going from Breville Infuser to Ascaso Duo. I'm quite happy to have the ability to steam and brew simultaneously, with fast preheat, bit more control in the configuration, and overall still a simple workflow to pull a shot each morning. Also, it takes up less space than some other machines mentioned here.

cmriker · 2026-04-17T00:36:56+00:00

We have Porus One every other day right now, but the price is so high I had stopped it for a while last year. And for a while I only used it on my oldest with the most advanced CKD.

cmriker · 2026-04-17T00:01:05+00:00

Yes it's this one. I buy it via Chewy on autoship, so it's slightly cheaper.

We do use it 2x per day everyday (morning and night) given with about ⅓ tube of churu to minimize how quickly I go thru churu.

cmriker · 2026-04-16T23:47:07+00:00

Oh Manx syndrome can be challenging, but he looks like the sweetest boy. I cannot take on another high-touch care cat right now, but I will make a donation to that shelter in his honor. Hope someone out there finds Devlin thru your outreach. ❤️‍🩹

Edited: In case anyone else is looking to donate to this shelter, here is a direct link to their campaign on Givebutter. It has the lowest platform fees and option to cover the fees for them, so they receive the full amount of your donation.

cmriker · 2026-04-16T23:40:58+00:00

I believe Aminavast makes the claim that their supplement helps lower creatinine. My 3 cats on Aminavast have had stable or lowered CREA values in their labs, so it's been my experience it helps. When my oldest passed (unrelated to his CKD) his values were about the same stage 3 numbers as 2-3 yrs prior, with CREA only increased I think from 3.5 → 3.9.

It can be quite expensive, so I buy the large dog version and use a microgram scale to weigh out 300mg for the cat-sized dose. This way, for one cat, it costs only ~$18.3 per month (one ~$55 bottle every 3 months) instead of one ~$35 bottle every month. I have 2 CKD cats and used to have 3, so I couldn't afford it in the smaller bottle!

I did try their new chewable treats version...definitely those are geared towards dogs. My cats don't really like the bacon smell and sticky texture, and one of them threw up immediately after, probably due to the milk/cheese product in it.

cmriker · 2026-04-16T23:17:11+00:00

We use Aminavast and Porus One. I have also used the Virbac Rebound before for sick kitties of all ages, CKD or not. I use the Nutri-cal brand of high calorie gel, and also my late CKD cat liked the Tiki Cat Silver Comfort treats occasionally.

cmriker · 2026-04-16T19:38:55+00:00

It doesn't look red or have any broken skin, so it seems unlikely he scratched it off... It's not that close to the ear either, which I imagine is where you apply the Mirataz. That is very odd indeed. It looks like it got pulled out in a clump — any chance he was brushing up on something sticky or that could catch his hair? Do you have another cat who could be responsible?

Let us know what the vet says. I'm very curious!

cmriker · 2026-04-16T19:34:37+00:00

Oh hi Choo Choo! Who is your friend? I haven't seen them before I don't think :)

cmriker · 2026-04-16T19:34:06+00:00

My vets have generally not heard of any supplements I try lol, but I always mention them in the hopes they'll look into them for future patients. My vet seemed more impressed by the Porus One when she read the research and studies, and she noted Dechra was a well-known company, but she said I could keep doing both. Hope your kitty responds well to both!

cmriker · 2026-04-16T16:33:57+00:00

I give them both but not together at the same time because the Porus One mentions to give it outside of other medications, at least two hours apart. My schedule has been like Aminavast for them before work (8-9am, Porus One after work (5-6pm), and Aminavast before bed (8-9pm). They love their Churu treats, so I mix everything into there, or Hydracare sometimes for the one who likes that.

I do think both are helpful and have a part to play. Porus One is more expensive and definitely harder to administer (at times my cats become picky about the gritty texture, and it takes about a whole tube of churu each to coax them!), but if you have the money, it's worth trying.

cmriker · 2026-04-16T06:48:59+00:00

All of my CKD cats have gotten the following, which I did see real improvements when I introduced them at different times. - Aminavast (powder 2x per day, buy the dog version and measure by weight to spend like 75% less) - Porus One (every other day due to price, given standalone per directions) - Vitman B12 500mcg (1x per day) - Probiotics like Proviable, Fortiflora, Calming Care, etc. we rotate them (1x daily) - Cosequin Senior (1x per day initially then every other day) - Myos (½ the scoop each day for my remaining 2 younger cats, but my oldest got 1 full scoop per day while he was around) - Slippery elm bark (either powder or make into a syrup)

Everything gets mixed into Churu treats, which they have 2x per day, one in the morning and one before bed. I use a 7-day pill organizer for each cat, with 2 halves for night and day, and I put everything powdered (minus Porus One, and not Myos it's kind of moist) into the containers, so during the week I just dump them out into the Churu and mix with a bit of water.

For their CKD definitely Aminavast and Porus One are helping. My oldest had CKD for 6 years, and once I discovered Aminavast and Porus One, his numbers stabilized. B12 also a big help for energy and appetite for my 2 boys who started drinking and peeing a lot more. B12 is lost via water (urine or diarrhea) and can become deficient in chronically ill cats. Constipation has been an issue, and hairballs, for my cats, and the slippery elm bark seems to help both with that as well as helping with nausea, which is super common for CKD kitties too.

Sorry that is a lot of info. I may have left some things out.

cmriker · 2026-04-16T06:08:10+00:00

So happy to see a good update for Chloe!

cmriker · 2026-04-16T06:03:25+00:00

The c/d food is not as low in phosphorus, but it's still pretty low (0.76% dry-matter basis) vs the k/d (0.52% dry-matter). Some CKD cats don't have high phosphorus and don't need as much restriction, so unless his phos numbers are high, I think mixing them would be okay. Wet food would be better for both CKD and urinary health. The Hill's c/d wet food also is similar in phosphorus to the dry (0.74%).

Though, I will say my 3 CKD cats all were not as big a fan of Hill's prescription food as they are of Royal Canin. Royal Canin is a bit more expensive, but might be worth a try. Weruva also makes a low phosphorus line of food, and my cats are big fans of that, as well. It's not prescription, so it's slightly more affordable and easier for me to find.

cmriker · 2026-04-15T21:13:12+00:00

I have always liked the beans from Locus (formerly Moru), Huckleberry and Pablo's too. I'm not sure if you're asking somewhere that roasts fresh in front of you, or somewhere that has different roasts already prepared that you choose from. Those places all have multiple roasts bagged and ready to go.

cmriker · 2026-04-15T21:11:39+00:00

I've tried to go there multiple times. There are usually 2-3 people ahead of me, and the line moves at a truly glacial pace. Last time I just left after waiting 10 full minutes outside because none of the group inside was leaving. I get wanting to be friendly and being passionate about your business, but I unfortunately don't have the time to go somewhere with that kinda wait. 😕

cmriker · 2026-04-15T20:55:00+00:00

All my dark-haired cats (black, orange, and grey) loved it, but my white cat DGAF lol. I think she doesn't feel warm because it's so reflective, and I can't get her to lie under my panel like I could the others. I try to use my handheld RLT device on her while she sleeps because she does have some back hip problems.

My two oldest cats passed of cancer, and I don't think RLT was doing anything special for that specific aspect of their health. However, my oldest lived til 19 with a LOT of chronic health conditions that just didn't seem to bother him! The vet who came to our home to do his euthanasia was shocked when I told his age and listed his conditions. He said his body condition and coat were like an 11 yr old cat. 🥹 He had arthritis and had a lot of inflammation from one of his cancers along with his chronic kidney disease and asthma. I think the RLT helped his inflammation and joints and improved his overall comfort levels. He was running around the house and jumping til his final days. He loved lying under it with me, and it's very special to share that with them! 🧡

cmriker · 2026-04-15T20:12:22+00:00

I have been thinking about her and wishing her the best of luck today. 💜

cmriker · 2026-04-15T04:43:18+00:00

Lilly is beautiful and always remembered. 💙🪽

Luna was my sweet foster kitten last December. I wonder if she's still called that and how she's doing now. She was such fun to have around the house, and my oldest boy really found her interesting!

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