Tripawd Cat – Life After Amputation (Soft Tissue Sarcoma)
Spread the word Tripawds Awareness Day 3/3/22!
Get your Tri Placecard and snap a pic of your Hero!
Loads of Love from Purrkins Palace💝💝💝
The boys say thank you for a new tradition, Sally!
I took over 50 pics this Christmas this was incredibly difficult for me to pick a few to share🙄
Hoppy New Year from all of us at Purrkins Palace
May 2022 be filled with joy, peace, hope & loads of love!💝💝💝
Mom Made us some bow ties too:)
May Everyone get an extra treat today!
Until next time over and out!
💝💝💝
Today we ask you to join us in celebrating Purrkins five-year ampuversary! 🙌🏻👏🏻🎉 Whoo-hoo! There are no words of gratitude to express how thankful we are to have Purrkins hopping on five years later. Let alone thru this last year. 🎁 Purrkins is, in every word, a survivor, superhero, admired, adored. The list goes on. Every day is a celebration!
You would NEVER know today Purrkins has been on three legs for 1,826.2125 days and counting. We don’t look at Purrkins differently; I can hardly recall him being on four after five years.
We call the house Purrkins Palace because it is all set up for Purrkins to go about his life as he did on four on three. Saxton enjoys all the benefits as he ages too. Win-win
We added the ramp because Purrkins stands on his back two legs to poop. Being a tripawd, he only has one front leg to balance on the lip (very little lip) of the litter box. The ramp provides a more prominent perch for that front leg to balance on. Purrkins uses the ramp afterward to get out w/o hopping over & out the side of the box.
We wish anyone starting this journey the absolute best it is a horrible decision to take our beloved furmily’s limb! Hold onto HOPE! We never know how much time we will be gifted, so make the most of every single day! Never look back & never ever giving up HOPE!
Thank you Tripawds & members, for all the love and support thru all these years. We appreciate & love every one of you.💞
Please give the furmily a special treat & smooch from us, and hoomans reading 🤓; please have a scoop of ice cream, cake, chocolate, or your favorite beverage on us🥂!
MUCH GRATITUDE & LOADS OF LOVE from all of us at Purrkins Palace!
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Hey Everypawdy, I sincerely apologize for this overdue update. It has been a brutal 6-7 months. I’m going to give a summary with the best part first! Purrkins is finally feeling better! He told me I better update the blog before we celebrate 5 YEARS ON THREE the 27th:)
Our New Chapter
Our new chapter has not been brutal! For humans, it has been highly stressful, anxiety-producing, depressing, exhausting. Constantly watching and worry. For Purrkins, it’s been exhausting, not feeling well, whisker twitching, a few focal seizures & an unstable hop. Purrkins being highly whacked, wondering why his favorite peeps keep putting this better-tasting medicine down his throat.
Purrkins ended up not adjusting to the pheno dosage. Therefore Dr. R started to tweak his meds in February 13.13, and it continued as he told us in no uncertain terms he did not feel well, sleeping all the time, vomiting, not wanting to eat, he would not even get up to eat his meals. Lots of whisker twitching. His hop was concerning. I was looking at the QoL scale; we were scared to death! Dr. R had us come in for more bloodwork! This bloodwork revealed the pheno was in a toxic range, poisoning Purrkins.
Dr. R reduced Purrkins dosage to 12mg, and we returned in 2 weeks to recheck pheno levels. We went in for a double blood draw, a peak and trough level, which means going at 12 and 6:30 for Purrkins to be poked curbside. This shows her what the meds are doing in Purrkins body after his first dose and before his next dose. If the meds are in therapeutic range or in this case toxic. Recheck reveals Purrkins is STILL in toxic range.!!
This time she cut his dosage in half to 6.25 mg, and Purrkins rallied; he started to eat again and up to eat, asking to eat, playing you name it, a switch got flipped THANK HEAVENS & so far, no focal seizures on the lower dosage. Prayers this continues!
We returned for a double blood draw again after two weeks, and Purrkins is no longer in the toxic levels. PHEW
In my opinion, the dosage has been too high for Purrkins to have any life. It has been an awful six months of monitoring, watching, and anticipatory grief!
To be able to update the blog with good Mews is a glorious day! Purrkins is happy to be himself. We would say he is 95% Purrkins on this dosage & NO seizures 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻! I’m NOT looking at that QOL list and worrying as I was. He is asking for food, up to eat his food, back to having some zoomies, playing. He has been outside in his tent to hunt the chipmunks and birdies. Back to his sun puddling and window seat and even allowed to venture out of our site a little;) I can sleep a little, but yes, I still hear anything and wake to make sure all is ok. This new chapter has taken a toll and getting used to for us all. I’m still not 100% comfy yet but, we have hope again.
Only time will tell what each day will bring; in the meantime, we are all GRATEFUL to have moved out of the toxic stage and to have our Purrkins back! Dr. R has us documenting a day in the life of Purrkins to help him better. I send her a monthly log. She is a gem!
We just tweaked his meds again to a tad lower 6.3 mg, and now we see how this goes. We have a recheck on the 20th. I get to go into the clinic with Purrkins for the first time! He can show me around;)
We are hoping to keep checking each day off with fewer meds & no seizures. I never want to see Purrkins go thru this again, Ugh my prayers are constant.
Dr. Matt told us seizures are like cancer; they do whatever the bleep (he–) they want to do. I appreciate the honesty, but yeah, not what anyone wants to hear, but a need to know! Purrkins now gets acupuncture for seizures with his regular tune-ups for being a tripawd. Dr.Matt adds on a few different points.
I think the hardest thing with seizures is having zero control over the situation! Not being able to help Purrkins, watching Purrkins leave in his little eyes, wondering what comes next, having no idea what each day brings, will he have a seizure today? That’s the anxiety-provoking part. We are beyond thankful each day we see Purrkins be Purrkins! Hopefully one day we can close this chapter. BUT, if not, we are on a small dose, and Purrkins is doing well; he has a QOL, that’s what counts. We accept the now and keep moving forward,” a tick at a time.”
We celebrated the boy’s 11th bday a happy day! The boys got prizes and a little whip cream for their cake this year.
Next, we celebrate Purrkins 5 year ampuversary! Whoo-hoo! I was not sure we were going to get to our 5-year celebrations! We do not take a single day for granted!
Anyone here knows to savor every minute with our furry and human loved ones, and do our best to take each tick at a time! Sometimes that tick-tock of the clock is more than enough!
My Aunt Janice’s words of wisdom – ” take a tick at a time ” had a massive heart attack and died suddenly at home on June 25th. She is & will continue to be greatly missed by us all. I know she continues to be with us, helping us every day as she did in her earthly clothes. I will never forget her unyielding faith and wisdom. We Love & thank you, Janice, for all you have done for all of us! We will carry you in our hearts every day!
Some cute pics to close of the boys being brothers in the shared sun puddles;) Taking a tick at a time;)
Thanks, fur reading, loving & caring!
Loads of love and appreciation from all of us at Purrkins Palace.
28 January 2021
Purrkins needed no cape for Howloween this past year, but evidently, he felt the need to show us he is 1000% a superhero kitty because he saved all of our lives!
If you have been reading our posts, you will have seen we had furnace issues and have been without heat.
When the furnace people came out, they found soot on the outtake pipe of the house. He tested for carbon monoxide and found unsafe numbers over “2000 parts per million it should be under 100 parts per million at the exhaust!”
“We had Low levels in the house still dangerous.”
We have three detectors in the house, one on each floor, not one went off because the levels were too low on those particular detectors.
They had us open the house all up and get fresh air flowing thru. To get the poison out of the house~ He said our heat exchanger would need to be replaced. They could not tell the exact cause w/o getting into to replace it.
They got into the furnace and found a massive crack in the heat exchanger leaking carbon monoxide into the house and thru the outtake pipe outside the house.
When they came in to look at the furnace, I had Purrkins upstairs recovering from his MRI upstairs! I hear all this from upstairs!
I start hollering from upstairs because I cannot leave Purrkins. I tell him what Purrkins has just gone thru MRI/SEIZURES and ask if this caused this?!?!
YES, it is possible. He advised us to let our vets know !!!!!
I emailed Dogwood Neurology, Dr. Matt, & Dr. R (kitty vet) right away. Saturday, I heard back from Dogwood, not Purrkins vet, but another neurologist. He looked over my email and ALL the info and had the front desk call me.
Saying YES carbon monoxide can predispose Purrkins to seizures!
I heard from Purrkins Neurologist today. Dr. Isaacs confirms what his colleague said and set up a plan with Dr. R to get Purrkins off the Phenobarbitol in 6 months if Purrkins remains seizure-free.
Purrkins hangs out by ALL the heat registers. The first time I noticed a mild whisker twitch was in Oct. when we would have started the furnace. I have videos of Purrkins seizures in front of the heat registers. Of course, I notice this now !!
Saxton has not shown any symptoms! (looking back now, I can put the pieces of this puzzle together. Saxton used to hang out by the registers but has not for some time! I never questioned Saxton moving his sleep spots. The boys do change their sleep spots quite often. But still, this was a clue I missed!
Saxton must have sensed something/felt something and started lying on the sofa. It spared SMART SEXY SAXTON from harm!
We have angels watching over us, and they all came to Mr. P.’s rescue! I have no words, you guys. WE ARE SO THANKFUL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE! IT BREAKS OUR HEARTS PURRKINS HAS SUFFERED AND HAD TO GO THRU ALL OF THIS!
Mark and I also experienced symptoms! Nausea, headaches, aura headaches, tired, my brain (hard to process and pull information like normal. HAZEY! I remember posting in the forums and telling a member my brain is not like it used to be and blaming it on the pandemic. Pandemic brain, NO, it was CO BRAIN!
ALL the symptoms Mark and I attributed to all the stress we have been going thru for months. I have been drinking ginger tea daily for nausea.
We now have a new heat exchanger plus they replaced all the burners, gas orifices & exhaust. The heat exchanger was under warranty; the furnace is not even 10 years old.
So apparently, carbon monoxide detectors have a massive difference in how many parts per million can be picked up?!
We discussed this with the furnace people!! Why did our 3 detectors not alert us?!? He explained that our levels in the home were not high enough for these particular detectors to go off.
Purrkins suffered; we had symptoms at what point would those of have gone off! I suspect we would all be dead by the time ours went off!
WE DID NOT! THIS SHOULD BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE!
He told us there is a big difference in detectors and the amounts of poison detected – we bought ours at a big box store years ago. I remember paying 30 bucks apiece. We do test these and change the batteries etc.
So after the long discussion and him explaining the DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LEVELS AND WHAT IS DETECTED. THE SENSITIVITY!
We purchased a monitor that picks up low levels.
Low-Level Carbon Monoxide Monitor National Safety Institute Model 3000
THIS WILL PICK UP under 5 parts per million.
You have to buy this model thru a licensed HVAC company.
Find an NCI-Certified Professional in Your Area?
This monitor was $250, no not cheap, and worth all of our lives!!!!
The furnace tech said most everyone balks at the price of this unit, which ends the conversation. Mark told them to please use us, Mr. P, as an example! We were fortunate to have the lower levels and not be dead! Purrkins being a cat small and hanging out by the registers, is lucky to be alive.
DOMESTIC CO DETECTORS AVAILABLE
Thank god Purrkins will be ok that we are all still here to share this god awful experience! We can ONLY HOPE & PRAY our story.
Purrkins story will spare other souls & SAVE lives. It has to!
Ok, my friends, that’s all we have for you today and a lifetime, honestly! ALL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AT PURRKINS PALACE!
LOADS OF LOVE, THANKS & AMEN 🙌🏻
💝💝💝
More useful links below:
DEFINITION OF ACUTE, CHRONIC, AND OCCULT CO POISONING
What signs and symptoms suggest CO Poisoning
What Does a Carbon Monoxide Detector Do and How Does it Work?
About carbon monoxide detectors?
Carbon Monoxide Information Center
Chronic and occult carbon monoxide poisoning: we don’t know what we’re missing
28 January 2021
Purrkins new vet is a cat-friendly practice
A Gold level CAT ONLY hospital!
The links below will explain in detail why the experience is so different for cats.
Click the links above for all the information, please these are just screenshots.
ANYTIME one of the boys has/had to visit the vets (traditional practices), they do not recognize each other non-recognition aggression.
One cat comes home; we have issues for days afterward. Hissing, growling, fights! We do the scent swapping techniques, a multi-cat diffuser plugged in, and we still have problems. We have taken both the boys to the vets even if only one has an appt. (this does help)!!! Not ideal, however;)
Not surprisingly, the boys come home smelling like who knows what and alcohol. I have not smelled any alcohol on Purrkins, and he has had bloodwork done 3 times at the kitty hospital. I will have to inquire further on this one;) They have pheromones going in the clinic, a kitty/cat playroom where they let the cats relax to get an accurate bp, etc., and I’m not sure what else as we have not been in yet. (covid)
We have NOT had ANY issues with Purrkins coming home from the kitty hospital! Saxton knows who Purrkins is and vice versa. It is like Purrkins never left home.
Time spent at appt, dealing with cat-specific issues and follow-ups!
Genuinely caring about your cat and want the best for them in the future. MASSIVE!
We noticed a big difference right away – they understand what pain signals your cat is experiencing & they treat accordingly. There is no begging for medicine and made to feel like your drug-seeking.
I was not speaking a foreign language trying to explain what pain signals Purrkins was showing me! Never did I have to repeat or have the need to try to explain further! I had a MASSIVE sense of relief on our first curbside appt just speaking to the new vet😇. She ensured me Purrkins would be pain-free until our dental appt. (dental has been postponed for at least 6 months)
For example, The kitty vet- sent Purrkins home with 200 mg Gaba for tooth pain and said if this did not manage the pain, we would add another med vs. the traditional vet who sent home 1/4 capsule of Gabapentin for tooth pain.
When I phoned the traditional vet to tell him the 1/4 capsule of Gaba was not helping Purrkins discomfort, he was hesitant to send more home.
I am 95% positive we would still not have a diagnosis with the other clinic. Dr. R, the kitty vet, took this and ran with it. She was available to us when we needed her. This alone is massive and a huge blessing! I sent her several videos of Purrkins – what I was seeing and my concerns. She was right back to me EVERY time! She got neurology on the phone, sent videos of Purrkins to them & got them involved ASAP! I heard back the following day.
She has faithfully checked on Purrkins, and I can contact her and know I will hear back!! She has said from day 1,” I am here for you” SHE HAS BEEN AND THAN SOME! 😇💎
The old clinic ?! Not one call to check in on us.🏃🏻♀️💨 I will be writing a letter 🤬(that’s another novel)
Saxton will also be transferring over to the new clinic to see Dr. R in the spring/summer! It will be interesting to see what Saxton thinks and the difference it is for him.
Saxton is all “cat”; he is never happy to leave the house and protests, Hisses, growls, goes potty in the carrier (we don’t blame him either), he has grabbed for the vets ( bites) claws! (again, we don’t blame him:) Saxton has had nothing but trauma at the vets since he was a kitty; the poor guy has had health issues since he was 12 weeks old! Most of his life! We do forewarn the vets that Saxton can be unpredictable! 😼
We anticipate a much different experience for Saxton. 🙏🏻 (I will let you know) We hope so for Saxton’s sake.🤞🏻
We cannot speak higher of our experience, the care, the time they spend, being a phone or email away and getting a response back on weekends, holiday!
This entire experience has been a nightmare, but switching vets curbside to the kitty hospital has been the biggest blessing! We got care asap and continue to get care vs. waiting months to book a traditional practice dental app. The boys not being in distress after a vet visit. The entire household is not stressed after a vet visit!
If anyone has a cat, find a cat-friendly hospital for your cat, for you, for the household. It is a gift and one we all NEED!
They have gone above and beyond for cats! THEY ARE ALL CAT LOVERS! Whoo-hoo, FOR CATS!!!
LOADS OF LOVE FROM all of us at Purrkins Palace 💝💝💝
And Yes we have a few more updates to follow & we will be up to date soon;)
Thanks, fur reading
26 January 2021
Purrkins phenobarbitol plasma level was getting into the therapeutic range on 1/16/21, 11.25 mg for 11 days, plus his increase to 15 mg for 3 days.
These results below are for 2 weeks on 15 mg 2 times a day.
Dr. Isaacs (neurologist) said the Phenobarbital dosage is per animal and how the body metabolizes the drug. They had to test the plasma concentration levels in Purrkins blood in 2 weeks since his dose was changed to ensure the pheno was therapeutic. Not too high and poisonous.
Purrkins levels determine what we do with the dose from here. If the dose were to change, they would need to retest the plasma levels after 2 weeks. If the dose remains the same, then the plasma levels would be checked once a year. The dosage goes by how each animal metabolizes the drug, not by the size of our furmily.
Purrkins had an excellent visit; he does not mind going to see Dr. R whatsoever.
We had to take the truck as we had a fresh dump of snow. Purrkins had to ride on my lap.
Purrkins does not mind traveling to Dr. Matts or to see the Kitty vet. Massive difference in a cat-only clinic vs. traditional practices (post to follow on cat-only clinics) Purrkins had his blood drawn and gets all kinds of love and attention. They adore Purrkins😽! Purrkins was in there for maybe 15 minutes, and we were on the road again.🎵
Mr.P’s parking spot at the kitty hospital.
We stopped at the pet store & pharmacy to get Purrkins meds.
Saxton stayed home again. I checked on him with our little camera!
A little peace of mind! Screenshot below:)
I can talk to Saxton thru the little Wyze camera🙂 how cool!
Watch Saxton look for me 😁 The audio is not the greatest, for the cost, what does one expect. It does everything we had hoped plus.
One nickname we have for Saxton is joe birdie! Saxton’s full name is Saxton Joe. Where the birdie comes in? Who knows i am explaining this because you will hear me call Joe Birdie:)
We do not leave the little camera on when we are home:) Creepy, but it is lovely to watch the boys and check in when we are not. We have one set up 24/7 for the litter box because Sexy Saxton has health issues, and we have to know who deposits what and when:)
Purrkins is starting to adjust to the pheno dosage, still not steady on his three. Each day is better! He is now doing his 2,3,4 sets of steps when we’re there to make sure he does not have a mishap. We are not to our new normal yet. We are getting there!🙌🏻
Dr.R is waiting to hear from Dr. I (neurologist) for Purrkins plan in the future! I will hear back from her again this week.
We are still w/o heat – the parts came in; they are coming out tomorrow.
Purrkins got his Tripawds Ambassador Kit in the mail today.😎
Loads of love & much appreciation! 💝💝💝😽😽🎗🎗🎗
More updates to follow…
25 January 2021
Yes, this is a version of US hoomans hehe YAAAAY, big hugs to you all!!
Thanks, fur all the love, support, prayers & fur reading!
We love you all!
More updates to follow.
💝💝💝
23 January 2021 – 12:23 am
The hazy daze are on the way out – WHOO HOO!
Purrkins slept most of the day today, but we see Mr. P’s sparkle coming back. You can see Purrkins in his eyes today!
Purrkins is stepping back in aware and alert when he is up.
Repeated syringing the broth and water today& Purrkins ate on his own from his bowl;)
I wrote Purrkins kitty vet with an update on Purrkins. Her response below.
From Dr.R –
“I know you are doing a great job keeping an eye on Purrkins! If his improvements don’t continue, let me or Dogwood know!
Take care and give Purrkins a nice rub from me!”
Dr. R will see Purrkins on Tuesday 26th, for his plasma levels.
We try to do shifts. BUT as you can see from the above picture, these do not always work in my favor;) Mark was on shift above;) Snoozing on the job!
Hopefully, we find our newest normal again soon. Purrkins adapts to the meds, no spells,(seizures), etc.🙏🏻 And as megstamum
stated, “PLEASE, Sexy Saxton, do not get any ideas here.”
This has been more terrifying than the amputation!
We ALL need some time to regroup and catch up on sleep & everyday things!
We also look forward to having some heat again, burr!
Loads of love and again much appreciation from all of us at the chilly Purrkins Palace🥶
💝💝💝