Woodstock's Story

January 21st - The cats got a cat climbing/tree house for Christmas. It's very popular, but Woodstock thinks it is all his--especially the very top of the castle.

Update on Woodstock's regimen for all who are interested. He is still on every 2 week COP protocol including 1 pred pill/day. He still takes daily 1 IP6 pill (inositol hexaphosphate). He takes Petinic. He takes Tinkle Tonic almost daily, especially for the week of the cytoxin, then it's Tinkle Tonic twice/day. Then he also must have extra water to keep his urinary tract healthy. Right now he's peeing fine, so I'm not giving the Tinkle Tonic every day, but I do give him 500 mg Vitamin C daily.

The daily meds he's taking, which were recommended by Dr. Newkirk (who WAS selling his practice and moving to Colorado, but decided to stay with his NJ practice): Poly-MVA, (for nutritional support and increased energy during chemotherapy) 3 cc, twice/day; Ambrotose (immune support), 1 pill/day; Beta-Thym (natural cortisone), 1 pill/day; Simplex M (glandulars), 1 pill/day; CAS Options, Feline (extra strength immune and antioxidant supplement), 1 pill twice/day; Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics, 1/4 tsp of powder in food; Phyllanthus Complex, (liver support), 1 pill/day. I almost never give him the pepcid anymore, because he doesn't seem to need it. I also give him 500 mg of Vitamin C daily.

I'm still making the homemade diet, but I also feed Wellness, canned & dry. I also sneak him some Purina One crunchies (bad mommy), which he loves. Too many carbs, but as long as he's doing well, and it's just a snack it's ok.

January 29st - This week Woodstock started his next round of chemo with elspar. He now weighs 7 pounds 9 ounces--Cornish Rex cats are supposed to look small but feel heavy, and he does--a muscle man. Dr. Clark says that if all is well in April (his 1-year anniversary of the diagnosis) we'll move to chemo every 3 weeks, after a kidney ultrasound. She thinks we may have written a new protocol! No matter what happens, right now and since last April Woodstock is living the high life, happy and healthy.

March 29th - I had a feeling all was not quite right with Woodstock. There appeared to me to be a very subtle difference in him--some different quality. I weighed him, and he had lost 4 or 5 ounces. To the vet we went--mild urinary tract infection, no crystals, treating with clavamox. He's a fine boy.

April 7th - Woodstock's 1st RE-birthday--it was 1 year ago today that I rushed him to U PA. Today he had his next dose of Elspar, and we move to chemo every 3 weeks. Now I have to watch him even more carefully. He is a joy, welcomes all visitors, flies around the house. He and his sisters are so happy that spring is here and they can enjoy the sun and fresh air. Keep those prayers and blessings coming.

May 25th - Today Woodstock is 3 years old! Rejoice, dance, and eat cake. Last week he had cytoxan--we're on every 3 weeks chemo now. He got tired of it last week: cytoxan causes urinary tract infections, so every day for a week, I gave him extra H2O by mouth. He's back to happy now, just in time to celebrate his Woodstockness! Well, I guess I didn't give him fluids long enough--URI started today, so antibiotic and more fluids start now. Sooo, next time fluids for even longer! He's feeling fine.

Also, no more anti-oxidents right around chemo time--just like doctors told me with my radiation treatments--the anti-oxidents interfere with the chemo.

July 21st - Woodstock's next cycle of chemo started today. He weighs in at 7 pounds 13 ounces. Happy guy. We've been back to Tinkle Tonic every day and sometimes extra H2O to watch out for UTIs. Now he eats mostly fresh meat, Wellness cat food and crunchies, and LapHappy.

November 17th - Woodstock is on his next round of chemo. Last blood work showed normal values for EVERYTHING!

December 15th - Woodstock is in his second day of the round of cytoxan. He has had some diarhea and is not his usual over-hungry self. I haven't noticed this happening before on the cytoxan. He's sitting in the sun, my little manly-man.

When Woodstock first started taking chemo, I got the cytoxan from the vet. After learning that it caused urinary tract infections I started giving him extra water. NOW, I get the cytoxan from a pharmacy and get the patient information sheet, part of which states: "While you are taking this medication, you must drink more fluid than usual and pass urine frequently. This helps your kidneys to remove the drug from your body and avoid some of the side effects." Sooooooooo, everyone who uses cytoxan--get water, water, water into your kitties!

December 17th - Woodstock has been sick with this cycle of cytoxan. Not eating much, and 6 bouts of diarrhea. I'm giving water and LapHappy by mouth (and just adding some Slippery Elm bark powder), and making sure that when he does eat he gets a phosphorous binder to help his kidneys. We'll see...

December 19th - Finally, today, Woodstock seems to be back to his old self. So that means 6 days of feeling bad from the first cytoxan pill. I'll discuss with his doctor when we go in for January appointment. Still pushing fluids and monitoring output. Everything is ok as long as Woodstock is healthy and feeling fine.

December 23rd - Up all night, after giving Woodstock lots of water, he keeps going to his box and not using it. So we start antibiotics--good thing I got the prescription from Dr. Clark before leaving for Christmas. He's fine now, but I still want to make sure he gets extra water and extra FOS for digestion.