Guest guest Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 hello, i've been watching this group for a while; i'm not a pro when it comes to tcm, but very interested in the topic. a little bit about myself: i'm almost 25 years old, student, living in austria and currently undergoing a tcm treatment against a chronic infection of my respiratory system (my tcm doctor said it was a wind cold invasion, while my digestive system is too hot so it's a little difficult to treat me, but we're making progress). anyway, the reason why i'm writing today is not me, but my cat, clio. she has always been very thin, but not sick or inactive at all, that's why the vet didn't treat her against it. today i found out that clio is suffering from a bladder infection - i'll bring her to the doctor tomorrow and she'll probably get antibiotics. does anyone know anything of the " alternative " type that i could do to support the healing process? and, perhaps, something to make her eat more / gain weight? i'm afraid that if she really gets sick some day, she'll be too skinny to get through it. now, i'm aware that this must be quite an unusual question, and an even more unusual introduction, i hope you won't mind. chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 Hello chris, and welcome to Chinese Traditional Medicine. I can't help any with the bladder infection problem because my knowledge of TCM vet. treatment is very limited. Hopefully some other members in the group can help. As for the weight gain, I don't recommend this while she's sick and undergoing treatment but goat's milk will put weight on animals and humans. Some cats (and other animals) don't like it, but it quickly becomes a favorite food for many. Some supermarkets sell cans of goat's milk though I always went with the fresh when I could get it. Other members hopefully will have some other suggestions. Victoria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 Chris, if you email me privately, I might be able to suggest a couple of things & also, hopefully, to put you in touch with some people in Europe who might know. I belong to a few cat groups & am fairly familiar with cat health & medicine. As you know, TCM doctors don't discount all western conventional medicines & in some cases, they need to be used. But looking at a cat's health from a holistic or TCM viewpoint is quite new for most vets. Yet it is growing in popularity & more vets in North America are treating pets both conventionally & with acupuncture/herbs. Please be aware though that some herbal formulas, while completely safe for humans, may not be for cats. Humans can eat a wide range of plants with no harm but if eaten by cats, can prove fatal. Cats developed as obligate carnivores & their livers (the actual liver organ not TCM term, Liver) lack many of the cytochromes necessary to detoxify (actual term is metabolize) plant compounds & many drugs - particularly the P450 family or have much lower amounts of these enzymes. Because their livers cannot change some of the potentially harmful compounds into forms easily excreted, toxic levels can build up quickly. I know there are specific formulas safe for cats so not all herbs are contraindicated for them. Also if you're interested, you might wish to join the Cats-Health & Behaviour Group at http://pets.cats-healthandbehavior/ It numbers almost 2500 members, many from various countries around the world. Some of us are skilled at reading blood test results & helping explain them to others. While some strictly use conventional meds, others use a variety - whatever helps & works. This is a general group about cats' health & not meant for any specific condition. And please be aware that in cats, bladder infections can frequently, if not treated quickly, lead to worse problems, including kidney failure. In the meantime till you get her to a vet, adding extra water to her food & feeding her canned rather than dry will help dilute her urine a little & flush out the bacteria somewhat. Judy On Wednesday 07 November 2007 11:12:15 am kahoku wrote: > hello, > > i've been watching this group for a while; i'm not a pro when it comes > to tcm, but very interested in the topic. > > a little bit about myself: i'm almost 25 years old, student, living in > austria and currently undergoing a tcm treatment against a chronic > infection of my respiratory system (my tcm doctor said it was a wind > cold invasion, while my digestive system is too hot so it's a little > difficult to treat me, but we're making progress). > > anyway, the reason why i'm writing today is not me, but my cat, clio. > she has always been very thin, but not sick or inactive at all, that's > why the vet didn't treat her against it. > today i found out that clio is suffering from a bladder infection - i'll > bring her to the doctor tomorrow and she'll probably get antibiotics. > > does anyone know anything of the " alternative " type that i could do to > support the healing process? and, perhaps, something to make her eat > more / gain weight? i'm afraid that if she really gets sick some day, > she'll be too skinny to get through it. > > now, i'm aware that this must be quite an unusual question, and an even > more unusual introduction, i hope you won't mind. > > chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 thank you, judy, i will contact you. clio is fine, she got several injections and an infusion, but we also noticed that she had lost weight. i just don't know how to make her eat more, she wouldn't even take tuna when i hold it in front of her nose. if anyone knows any natural appetizer, or anything i could do to make her eat more, i'd be grateful. chris Judy Wilkins wrote: > Chris, if you email me privately, I might be able to suggest a couple of > things & also, hopefully, to put you in touch with some people in Europe who > might know. I belong to a few cat groups & am fairly familiar with cat health > & medicine. As you know, TCM doctors don't discount all western conventional > medicines & in some cases, they need to be used. But looking at a cat's > health from a holistic or TCM viewpoint is quite new for most vets. Yet it is > growing in popularity & more vets in North America are treating pets both > conventionally & with acupuncture/herbs. > > Please be aware though that some herbal formulas, while completely safe for > humans, may not be for cats. Humans can eat a wide range of plants with no > harm but if eaten by cats, can prove fatal. Cats developed as obligate > carnivores & their livers (the actual liver organ not TCM term, Liver) lack > many of the cytochromes necessary to detoxify (actual term is metabolize) > plant compounds & many drugs - particularly the P450 family or have much > lower amounts of these enzymes. Because their livers cannot change some of > the potentially harmful compounds into forms easily excreted, toxic levels > can build up quickly. I know there are specific formulas safe for cats so not > all herbs are contraindicated for them. > > Also if you're interested, you might wish to join the Cats-Health & Behaviour > Group at http://pets.cats-healthandbehavior/ It > numbers almost 2500 members, many from various countries around the world. > Some of us are skilled at reading blood test results & helping explain them > to others. While some strictly use conventional meds, others use a variety - > whatever helps & works. This is a general group about cats' health & not > meant for any specific condition. And please be aware that in cats, bladder > infections can frequently, if not treated quickly, lead to worse problems, > including kidney failure. In the meantime till you get her to a vet, adding > extra water to her food & feeding her canned rather than dry will help dilute > her urine a little & flush out the bacteria somewhat. > > Judy > > On Wednesday 07 November 2007 11:12:15 am kahoku wrote: >> hello, >> >> i've been watching this group for a while; i'm not a pro when it comes >> to tcm, but very interested in the topic. >> >> a little bit about myself: i'm almost 25 years old, student, living in >> austria and currently undergoing a tcm treatment against a chronic >> infection of my respiratory system (my tcm doctor said it was a wind >> cold invasion, while my digestive system is too hot so it's a little >> difficult to treat me, but we're making progress). >> >> anyway, the reason why i'm writing today is not me, but my cat, clio. >> she has always been very thin, but not sick or inactive at all, that's >> why the vet didn't treat her against it. >> today i found out that clio is suffering from a bladder infection - i'll >> bring her to the doctor tomorrow and she'll probably get antibiotics. >> >> does anyone know anything of the " alternative " type that i could do to >> support the healing process? and, perhaps, something to make her eat >> more / gain weight? i'm afraid that if she really gets sick some day, >> she'll be too skinny to get through it. >> >> now, i'm aware that this must be quite an unusual question, and an even >> more unusual introduction, i hope you won't mind. >> >> chris > > > > > > Post message: Chinese Traditional Medicine > Subscribe: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > Un: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > List owner: Chinese Traditional Medicine-owner > > Shortcut URL to this page: > /community/Chinese Traditional Medicine > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Cod liver oil usually will increase a cat's appetite. You cut open the end of a capsule and squeeze it into the cat's mouth. At least you try to squeeze it into the cat's mouth. She'll lick it off her face. How much does Clio weigh? When you took her to the vet, what was her body temperature? The normal for a cat is around I believe 102 degrees F. When a cat's body temperature gets too low, the cat won't eat or drink. But this is something that's more likely after treatment with antibiotics. (From a TCM standpoint antibiotics have a cooling effect on the body.) If this happens you'll want to give ginger tea. That's ginger tea made with the dried ginger, not the fresh as it's the Interior of the body that needs warming. This treatment is ONLY for cats whose body temp has dropped and who are not eating or drinking. I had a cat whose body temp went down to 96 degrees F. (There're some posts about it on here. The cat started eating and drinking again and survived. But until he did, I had to give IV glucose solution IM and feed by hand. The vet recommended meat baby food like one feeds to human babies.) One of the most nutritious convalescent foods for cats (and for humans) is beef juice. The way you make it is to put small cubes of beef into a glass jar that can withstand heat. A canning jar is perfect. You put a loose lid on top (so air can escape but water won't get into the juice). You place the jar into a pan with water in it and turn the heat on fairly low. The hot water that the glass is sitting in gradually will cook the blood and juices out of the meat inside the jar. When it cools down, you give the cat as much as she will take with a medicine dropper (if she's not eating) or just let the cat lap it up from a swallow dish if she is eating. This is a food that is very easy to assiminlate. Even for animals and people with impaired digestion. There also are high calorie vitamin and mineral gels that you can buy. Squeeze some out on a finger and aim for the cat's mouth. I want to stress something that Judy said. If you use an herbal formula be very, very careful that each herb in it is one that is safe for cats. Cats can be poisoned by so many things that humans aren't bothered by. Unfortuately some businesses put profits before the lives of beloved family members like Clio. Victoria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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