pets

[bud_2005]

A lot of people take great care for their pets and spend lots of money on them. So if people can take their pets to day spas, then why can't we get CPAP for them.

Here's a little background: My cant tends to sleep a lot throughout the day. And when I come home from work he is always yawning. I love my cat a lot and if there is any way I could extend his life I am up for it. Do you think they will ever make CPAP machines and masks for cats? He is part siamese so he has a smaller face if that makes a difference.

[Juliebove]

I have read that cats sleep for about 18 hours a day and have also read a figure of about 80% of their day spent sleeping. So when my cat began sleeping more, I didn't think much of it. I also didn't think much of it when the vet said she thought she had a faint heart murmur. After all, she will be 17 in Oct. That's pretty old for a cat. I figured she was in pretty good health if that was all that was wrong with her. I was also happy that she had lost weight having been overweight and liking her food far too much for many years. The vet however was concerned and felt she had lost a little too much weight too quickly.

Turns out she is hyperthyroid. We are working on treatment. She has a liquid medicine that she eagerly lapped up the first time, but hasn't taken willingly since. She has to go back about 3 to 4 days before the end of the 30 days (when the bottle of meds will run out) to see if she is on the right dose.

Already, I can see that she has more energy! I should know this because I myself have had a thyroid problem. When I was hyperthyroid at first I was really hopped up, but that didn't last long and soon I was exhausted. Exhausted yet oddly wired. And I too developed a heart problem. In my case it was caused by overmedicating an underactive thyroid and I think that was caused by eating too much soy and other goitrogenic foods. At any rate, it's all good now and I'm not on any meds for it.

If you really think your cat is sleeping more than he or she should be, a trip to the vet is in order. It could be something that is easily treated like thyroid. I really don't know if other animals could have sleep apnea but it's highly possible. My cat can snore really loudly at times. Sometimes she even wakes herself. It's rather funny.

I do wonder though why they don't have more treatments for pets. For instance, my cat has had two teeth pulled due to cavities. Why can't they put a filling in a cat's tooth? Is it because the tooth is too small? I hated having the teeth pulled but the vet said she was probably in pain and I don't want that.

As a kid, I always wondered why they didn't make glasses for cats and dogs. I realize now that even if the cat or dog did need vision help there would be no way to get the right prescription. I also wonder how much we really know about pets vision. I once saw an in depth show about cats and it showed what the world looked like through they eyes of a cat. What they showed didn't look at all like how we see things. I just wonder how they know this?

[Julie]

A cat would tear a mask to shreds in 10 secs flat. A 17 yr old cat = a 90 year old person and should not be treated like a lab experiment. I know you want to help, but sometimes it's just time for them (and us!) to be 'old', along with the consequences of that. I'm not talking about "older" people or animals being allowed to go untreated just because they're old, but there is such a thing as end of the road when it comes to reasonable quality of life. Maybe someday there will be equipment or treatments available that do not interfere with our normal enjoyment of life, be so uninvasive that we're not aware of them, but until then, we shouldn't try to impose our 'stuff' on them. And cats (young and otherwise energetic) DO sleep many hours a day, and that may increase with age, so it's not necessarily something that needs "fixing".

[Severeena]

My cat snores when she sleeps, but this does not mean she has sleep apnea she is 11 years old.

[howkim]

One of my cats snores, but I don't think he has apnea. He is diabetic, though, and I have to give him insulin twice a day.

[Paul56]

Hahahahaha... this is hilarious. A cat wearing a sleep mask? Hahahahaha

[t-bone]

I am, as indicated in many ways, a cat person. There was some proof of this here viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41046&p=359851#p359851 .

One of our remaining cats snores a bit. Actually, it sounds more like a wheeze, and I've sometimes wondered whether he taught himself to make this noise, given the way he modeled some of his other behaviors after my own (in this case, sounding a little like a cat's imitation of a human snoring).

As an example of his modeling after my own actions, one of his other idiosyncratic things is that he LOVES his morning shower. When he was a very small cat, he would sit on the edge of the tub and meow at me with a facial expression that was almost asking, "Don't you know that's WATER coming out of that wall? What are you DOING?!?!" As he grew, he decided that if I did this shower thing willingly on a daily basis, there must be something to it. I have pictures of him on a disc somewhere, standing on the edge of the tub with one forepaw on the water escustion, with his other forepaw helping him keep track of one trickle of water coming from the shower head so that he could drink that water with his eyes almost closed. We live in a different house now, and the shower head doesn't have the same type of errant spray stream. The tub doesn't have the flat surface on the edge, either. He has to settle for having a trickle of water arranged for him near the edge of the tub. However, he still insists on getting his shower water every time someone takes a shower here.

Shower water must taste better, or something.

Anyway, I've wondered about a CatPAP machine for him, but figure that he probably wouldn't wear it, deciding that there are limits to what he's willing to model.

[birdshell]

T-bone, are you sure that cat hasn't undertaken the shower in an attempt to SAVE you from the water? Then, cats being clean animals, he may have decided that the shower actually WAS a rather good idea.

What happens should there be a day when you may shower later than your accustomed time? Does he let you know it is time for his shower, as cats will do if their food supply has not been adequately replenished at the appointed scheduled moment?

But, back to the point of CatPAP and other animals...

Dogs were the original research subjects of Dr. Sullivan in his development of CPAP. So, there is already a precedent set for managing to mask a canine. That might be considered to be CaninePAP.

Ah, well...maybe not. However, we have had many more dogs who snore than cats. My family does tend to snore and have apnea, so maybe dogs have the capacity to learn to snore...

Karen,
Who wishes there were animal PAPs for her beloved ones

P.S. Bulldogs are champion snorers, in my experience

[kteague]

t-bone - cute story! One of my cats runs for the tub as soon as the door opens after a shower, trying to catch the last trickles of water out of the spout. Grandkids know they better check the tub before turning on the water or they might get climbed by a frantic escaping cat! My about 9 year old cats and the new puppy are a hoot, as they mimick each other's behavior in how they interact, play, and sleep.

I have a cat that I believe does have sleep apnea. It's not so much usual sounding snoring, but she will have a few noisy sounding exhales, then a forceful exhale, then her breathing will pause for about 10-12 seconds, then she resumes breathing with no signs of distress or struggle. The first time she did it I thought she had died (we had just lost our dog who simply layed down and died while playing outside), and as I jumped up to check on her it startled her and her breathing resumed. In between these occasional episodes her breathing and sleeping is normal, and the episodes are seldom these days. Oddly, when it was happening frequently, she was also doing this thing while half awake and half asleep where her head would repeatedly jerk to the side, just like I did when I was so terribly sleep deprived. My neurologist said my jerks were myoclonic jerks or a part of my limb movement disorder, and that I was probably in stage 1 sleep even though I thought I was awake. (That was when I put myself on driving restriction, as one of the times it happened was while I was driving, just moments before I fell asleep at the wheel.)

But back to the cat. It did cross my mind how very miserable it must be for any animal that by nature sleeps so much to have a sleep disorder. Any type of ongoing treatment is not an option for either of my cats. They were wild as young cats, and although they are affectionate with me, it is strictly on their terms - no holding, carrying, restraining of any sort. They are fully clawed. I will respect their desires and try not to traumatize them with regular forced restraint. I did do it when one needed emergency surgery to save her life. That temporary period of trauma has given her 7 more healthy years, so it turned out to be a good decision.

It's a hard thing to be forced to make decisions on how far to go in treating a beloved pet, and a very personal one. Each pet's tolerance for treatment and resultant quality of life are I'm sure carefully considered by almost any loving owner. While some may hold on at the pet's expense, I think most don't want to see their beloved pet suffer. There are so many fine lines that will never be agreed on.

Even in the realm of human health care such differences abound. We ran into it when my mother's illnesses were clearly not overcomable. The doctor suggested it was time to let nature take its course. While I agreed in general based on my mother's expressed wishes, the doc and I differed on which treatments were prolonging life and which treatments being withheld meant allowing unnecessary suffering in the interim. When she could no longer indicate her wishes on such specifics, my guiding thought was, "What would Mom want?" and I think we, the family, honored her in our decisions.

We can't ask our pets what they want, and it's hard to not apply our human values regarding life to them. In the end it's still a very personal decision.

Kathy

[t-bone]

T-bone, are you sure that cat hasn't undertaken the shower in an attempt to SAVE you from the water? Then, cats being clean animals, he may have decided that the shower actually WAS a rather good idea.

What happens should there be a day when you may shower later than your accustomed time? Does he let you know it is time for his shower, as cats will do if their food supply has not been adequately replenished at the appointed scheduled moment?

Karen, he may have initially been trying to save me from myself. He certainly had that plaintive expression of "don't you know that's bad for you?" on his face.

He's not as fixated on the shower being at a certain time--but if someone starts the shower running, he runs to the room, vibrating to a stop much like Gonzo on the Muppet Show. Jenn's daughter found shortly after she moved here that Stoker's shower needs surprised her a bit, so she closes the door BEFORE she starts the shower. Stoker has figured out how to get into the room (with some human help), however...

[kteague]

A friend had a stray kitten she adopted that LOVED swimming! They had to watch that he didn't beat them to their tub of bathwater. He'd actually get mad when she showered instead of running a tub of water, and would "fuss" at her while she showered, and remain aloof and even turning his head away if she approached him for a while afterwards. With a little research she found there is a breed of cat known to like water, and her cat's coloring and appearance fit the description. Made for interesting conversation since even after years of growing up with cats, that was a novelty to me.

[Julie]

Hi, there are no magic tricks or anything, just that they are well known to like running water to drink, which is why if you go to a pet store, you'll see "fountain" type drinking equipment that simulates running water vs. a plain bowl.

[Ternes4202]

I am new to CPAP and also an animal lover with a cat. My cat doesn't have any sleeping or snoring problems. After reading these posts, I have a thought for those that would like CPAP for their cat. Could a fan blowing in kitty's face when they are sleeping be enough to deep their airways open? Just a thought!

[timbalionguy]

What a great topic!

i had a cat that snored. Saver her life one time because she had become trapped in a messy basement. I just had to wait until she fell asleep and I was able to locate her by her snoring. As she got older she snored less.

As I note in my signature, lions snore. I have a friend who had a behemoth of a lion named 'Leo'. Leo had grown to enormous, almost liger size because he was castrated when he was very young. As a result, his growth regulation mechanism didn't work right and he grew to be much larger than a normal lion, but with no mane. (A castrated lion will not grow a mane.)

One night while visiting, I elected to sleep out with his cats. As soon as i was settled in, I realized Leo, who was in the pen next to where I was, was snoring. I said to him, 'Leo, stop snoring!" and he did! Le was a great lion and I always enjoyed working with him.

Someone here mentioned pets and medical choices. When Leo grew old and was terminally ill, he told his owners in no uncertain terms it was OK to euthanize him. When they did euthanize him, he was dead before they had hardly began.

In general though, if you notice your pet slowing down in his day to day life (doesn't play as much, doesn't readily come when called, eats significantly less food), get your cat to a vet. Animals do an incredible job of hiding their symptoms when they are sick. So, when the symptoms do show, they are often seriously ill.

As far as blowinga fan in the face of a cat, that will not work. CPAP works because the insode of the airway is pressurized in respect to the outside. A fan pressiurizes both inside and outside the airway. However, the main reason it would not work is it would annoy the cat to no end!

[birdshell]

...

As far as blowinga fan in the face of a cat, that will not work. CPAP works because the insode of the airway is pressurized in respect to the outside. A fan pressiurizes both inside and outside the airway. However, the main reason it would not work is it would annoy the cat to no end!

That was my exact thought when I read the suggestion, which isn't far-fetched, really. However, I've never known a cat to seek lying near a fan because of the heat, as have many of our dog...whether that is truly because they like the heat and/or despise the fan, only the cat knows.


BTW, if you heard about the chihuahua being blown away by a 70 mph gust of wind, and rescued on the advice of a pet psychic:

_________________________________________

April 28, 2009
Psychic Locates Wind-Blown Flying Chihuahua

DETROIT, Mich. -- The sky darkened and the air began to thicken, a sure sign that a storm was brewing.
But as Dorothy and Lavern Utley readied to leave the Saturday afternoon flea market in Waterford, Mich., their five pound Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, was apparently nowhere to be found.
The answer to the dog's mysterious disappearance, they soon realized, was blowing in the wind.
"The wind was going 70 mph, probably, just really getting bad," said Tinkerbell's owner, Lavern Utley. "We didn't see her, but someone said they had seen her lift off into the air.
"We found her leash on the highway, about a six-lane highway, and we went all around looking, but she just wasn't there."
The family searched the area for two days, uncovering no signs -- save the leash -- of the 8-month-old puppy's whereabouts. But then, just as strangely as the dog vanished, a solution appeared. A pet psychic called and told the couple to look in some nearby woods.
On Monday morning, the family and other local residents, who were aiding in the search efforts, turned up at the nearby swampy location.
"I just went up to a hill in the woods and was probably there for around a half-hour, calling her name," Utley recalled. "She just came running to me. She wasn't hurt or anything. She was fine, just had some mud on her."
The Holly, Mich.,- based pet psychic, who goes only by her first name, Lorrie, says she was certain that Tinkerbell was unharmed. She first learned of the case when a local radio station phoned her, seeking assistance.
Lorrie asked what the dog looked like, and within a few minutes, she says, she had a vision of Tinkerbell.
"I knew that she was in the wooded area over by the grocery store. I saw her unconscious or sleeping, but I knew that she was still alive and that she wasn't hurt. I knew that they should keep looking," Lorrie said.
The pet psychic has been in the industry for the past 16 years, she says, noting that two generations of ancestors have also practiced the trade.
At first, she started communicating with only people, but now Lorrie says she regularly reaches out to animals, both alive and deceased.
"I'm just so glad that she is home," Lorrie said of Tinkerbell. "The Utleys are such sweet people and I am really thankful that she is safe."
Utley says he never used to believe that pet psychics, or any kind of psychics, might actually offer accurate premonitions.
"I believe in all that stuff now!" he said. "I wasn't even going to go back there and look, but my wife talked me into it. We thought she was long gone. But I'm so glad that I listened."

Amy Lieberman is a staff reporter for Zootoo Pet News. She can be reached at alieberman@zootoo.com http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/psychiclo ... yingc-1335
_________________________________________

I happen to live with driving distance of the pet psychic. I wonder if she could tell me why my (*mother's) cat is so...sort of autistic in behavior? I don't know if there is any validity to the psychic, but this certainly does make one think. Said cat is distant toward people about 99% of the time, is tactilely defensive, hates to have her schedule changed by even a few minutes, and is known to be very loud about any perceived problems with any of these things.

She also loves to play with wadded or folded Tootsie Roll wrappers, even CATCHING them in her paws, batting them like a bad volleyball hit, and playing hockey with them to fetch the wrapper back for another throw. (She tolerates a few strokes of petting between throws, but that is no doubt because she wants the toss!) I am not kidding about the catch, truly...she gets the wrapper with 2 paws, sometimes getting it stuck in between the pads of one, and having to rescue it with her mouth. She will also fetch the wrapper back with her mouth, although she will eventually begin eating that wrapper...sigh. I don't think that even lightly waxed chocolate scented paper is very good for a cat.

She also used to push the water bowl with her paw before drinking, so she now has a fountain for her drinking pleasure. It seems that she and her mother both drink more water with the fountain in place; I was told that the feral cat will prefer to drink running water in the wild, as it is generally fresher and a safer source of the wet stuff.

Karen,
Who likes cats who cuddle, and wonders if timbalionguy is a friend of "Siegfreid and/or Roy"?


*I rescued her and her siblings as tiny kittens with eyes still closed. Mother cat had brought them into the shelter of my front entry in a very rainy night, and were still there when I returned. Mother ate 3 tuna-sized cans of cat food that night, judiciously meted out in halves with about 30 minutes in between. I had bought the food thinking it would last for a few days...JUST in case she was still there with her array of kittens. Needless to say, IMHO, mother was rescued too.