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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006 General Board Posts >> My poor, drugged out cat!
        
(Message started by: Kris_in_SJ on Jun 14^th, 2006, 7:49pm)

Title: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jun 14^th, 2006, 7:49pm

So ... I have an elderly cat with behavior problems in the past year. First, urinating (can I say pissing?) in the family room repeatedly. A small dose of Valium twice a day has cured that particular problem. Of course, I had to replace the carpet and baseboards to the tune of about $1,500.

Now he's begun pooping in the dining room! Back to the vet. During the exam, he found a mass in the cat's throat - couild be a benign thyroid tumor ... could be something much worse. We can find out by paying $400 for x-rays and blood tests. Decision still out on that. Meantime, he started the cat on Amitryptyline (Elavil) 10mg/day for anxiety and pain. Said it wouldn't kick in for about 2 weeks and to keep giving the Valium. Gave the first dose last night and the cat has been in kind of a semi-coma all day.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Isn't 10mg what they usually give people? The vet's office is closed tomorrow, so just thought I'd throw the question out there for input.

Love/Hate the cat .... Kris

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by mynm156 on Jun 14^th, 2006, 8:12pm

That s High for a CAT Shit thats HIGH for you or me. Adult dosage starts with 2mg then they work thier way up!. Dose it have a V in the middle? and what color?

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jun 14^th, 2006, 8:21pm

I don't see a V in the middle of the name - just Amitriptyline 10mg tablets. There very small and white. They were filled at a Walgreens - my vet doesn't keep any controlled substances on site. It just seemed a really high dose to me. I thought that was the dose big people got!

Kris

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by Mastifflvr28 on Jun 14^th, 2006, 9:28pm

Kris, do you have an emergency clinic in town that you can call and talk to about your cat?
This says that the most common side effect is drowsyness. Valium sedates also...
I don't have a lot of experience with Amitriptyline, we don't subscribe it much.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=586

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=633

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=540

From
https://www.1888petslife.com/products/amitriptyline-50.asp

Additional Information:
Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. It is used to treat certain behavior problems such as separation anxiety, fear of noises and anxiety in dogs as well as urinating out of the litter box, spraying and anxiety in cats. The usual dose in dogs is 0.5-2mg/pound every 8-12 hours. The usual dose in cats is 5-10mg as a single dose once a day. Side effects may include drowsiness, loss of appetite and urinary retention.

What are the side effects
Side effects of amitriptyline may include drowsiness, dry mouth, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. There may be an increase in excitability.

Good luck,
Mast

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by Ueli on Jun 14^th, 2006, 10:41pm

From http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/amitrip_ids.htm:
Initial Dosage for Adults: For outpatients 75 mg of amitriptyline HCl a day in divided doses is usually satisfactory. If necessary, this may be increased to a total of 150 mg per day.

But considering dose per body weight, 10 mg is still high for a cat (unless he's of the 30 pound variety).

BTW, the neuro gave me once 10 g as sleeping aid. But I gave it up again after a few days, I couldn't stand the all-day drowsiness.

All the best for your cat

Ueli [smiley=smokin.gif]

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by Ree on Jun 15^th, 2006, 12:30am

Kris...... we are living parallel lives... my crazy kitty... as I have spoken of several times here, has been peeing on my world since we got her. She came to us from a bunch of teens that just weren't caring for her they had cut off her wiskers.... buzzed her eyebrows..... she looked punk, and she was walking into walls etc. We took her to a vet when we first got her expecting the vet to say she had been taken away from her MOM too young or something... we thought she was like 5 weeks old she was so tiny....more like 6 months and she was in heat.....OK so we have her "fixed"....does it "fix" the problem NOOOOO... I put litter boxes everywhere....she is still peeing on everything incuding our beds.... So then I put her on 25 dollar a bag *small bag...of urinary tract food and they put her on antibiotics.... does that work NOOOOO... I take her back... 300$ worth of blood tests medication, feriomes, hormones.....does this work ....ya temporarily because they dont want her to stay on the hormones they say it'll kill her kidneys.....IM SAYING KILL THE KIDNEYS....PUT A CORK IN HER..... ANYTHING.....Now she lives in the laundry room and it smells like pee...She Christens everything that is on the floor. So if my daughter comes in and throws her backpack on the floor... pee pee time... If someone leaves laundry on their bedroom floor... peepee time.....
oh and she also abuses herself she over cleans until she makes herself raw and bare. She is on steroid injections every 3 weeks.....I told my daughter either we get rid of her and she is adorable.....or we start letting her out....so I need flea stuff and worm stuff and whatever else out door kitties need.... Life sux when you are a prisoner in your own home... If I don't close my bedroom door I can expect to sleep in a pee puddle... I even looked up the pet psychic... I had decided I would pay up to 100$... she wants 300$ sorry no pet psychic for you kitty...... We tried amytriptaline and my cat is small... they gave us 10 mg too they said we could try to cut them its almost impossible..... have you ever seen a cat spit.....mine does. She is bizarre....
Good luck with your problem....I'm gonna hire a kitty hit man......ree

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by cootie on Jun 15^th, 2006, 12:59am

Here's sum good cat info......animals can have mental and stress issues the same as people only they are usualy left to there own devices to handle them and that is usually sum for or neurotic behabvior........hope this helps ya understand sum stuff............................

The management of stress has three components: diagnosis (manifestations of stress), assessment of situational factors (causes of stress), and intervention (methods of stress management).
Common manifestations of stress in cats

; Spraying (even in neuters)
; Inappropriate elimination
; Pacing back and forth at perimeters of fences
; Loss of appetite
; Pulling out of fur
; Trembling
; Excessive meowing
; Hiding from the world, under beds, behind curtains etc
; Physical symptoms and illness
; some illnesses and disorders (such as acne) have been associated with stress. Stress can also be a response to physical illness, so it is most important to check with your vet to rule out a medical condition

Common causes of stress
; Overcrowding in multi-cat households
; Travel
; New family member (human or animal)
; Parties/visitors
; Cat Shows
; Medical conditions/injury
; Confinement
; New cat in the neighbourhood
; Change of any kind

Cats differ in their responses to stress. Some may take major changes without batting an eyelid, while others may fall apart at the sight of an earwig. Here inherited temperament and early socialisation play a role.

Common methods of stress management
Management of stress generally gives three options:
1. Change the situation causing the stress
2. Change the response of the cat
3. Combination of 1 & 2

1.Changing the situation

Changing the situation may be easy it is often appropriate if the cat shows stress in a specific situation but seems fine the rest of the time. Removing the stressor or removing the cat from the situation may sometimes be the simplest option. For example, this may involve rehoming the cat if the cat is not suited to a multicat environment, or to cease showing the cat if it does not have a sufficiently confident or robust temperament

2. Changing the response of the cat

Vet prescribed / pharmacological

Discuss with your vet; reserve for severe and chronic problems

Clomicalm (Clomipramine) is commonly used by vets to treat anxiety disorders: it is an anti depressant that works best as a long term treatment combined with behavioural therapy
Valium (Diazepam) a tranquilliser. But can have a paradoxical effect that makes the cat more agitated.
Nb show cats found to be sedated are disqualified, so this is not an option for show anxiety
Cats can vary in their response to some of these methods and therefore it may be necessary to trial a variety of them to find what works for your cat. Some techniques, particularly the tactile ones of massage and t-touch are very useful for human-cat bonding and can also be relaxing for the human practitioner.

Cats are intelligent and sensitive beings, and respond to the situation in the household, picking up tension and anxiety in their humans.
Therefore, management of our own anxiety and stress is integral to minimising the stress felt by our feline friends.

Cats can deal with strees
in complicated bazzar ways........a new cat can feel threaten'd and overpowerd and slink around and just pee where ever it wants ........sum where never raised with a cat box or it was left to get filthy gross so they had to dn find new places to go and start new BAD habits unfortunelty. Some do it to make a statement daily to run you out of the house and home or "challenge "you daily by doin so. eiether way it'snot workin betwee n ya's for sum reason and the cat doesn't care where he pee's pr was maybe left to pee where ever at one time and cat box left gross so it started a new bad habit. Supposidly cats won't use dirty boxes cuz rhey leave tracts for preditors to find them easily cuz o the odor on the feet from a dirty box. And with cats they see you as SPRAYING just the same as they do when you toss used cothes and stuff on the flloor (your scent left) as it is for them to spray or poop and leave theres behind. To them that is the concept they get out of it. Older cats can get a bit senile too and just plain forget what there doing and start peeing in hallways or floors thinkin that is is where they are supposed to go. We all loose it sumday at one time or anouther......it's just a mater of time Pam

Unhappy cats can turn this way..........or neurotic ones that are overamped with cleanlyness and then go pee on the bed........there mixed up. Sumthing is goin on........things have to be evaluated and figured out to WHY. They mite not like the bigger familiy situation or less attention or too much sudden change. Sum may do better caged up for a while *nice big roomy cage) wit cat box and food to redevelope good habits and traits or reprogram. Sum are worth the hassle to change ad sum are better off left to the outside for all that behavioral stuff if miserably unmanageale. Ya can't save em all but they should all get a chance. Catalistic do gooder Pam

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jun 15^th, 2006, 9:33am

Thanks for the input, guys. Great links, Mast! And, Ree, I'm sure glad I don't have YOUR cat.

I went ahead and gave a second dose last night and he's sleepy but better today. Drinking a ton of water from the bathtub faucet (only place he'll drink from) so I guess the med makes him thirsty.

Guess we wait and see now.

Neurotic cat owner ... Kris

Title: Re: My poor, drugged out cat!
Post by imnotbub on Jun 15^th, 2006, 2:47pm

I am one that firmly believes that pets are here for the enhancement of our lives. When they cease to give pleasure, they have no use and therfore no place in our homes. The cat won't stop peeing in the house? Unless you like the smell, lose the cat. I'm not saying that pets are disposable, but a pet is not a person either. I LOVE my dog, but if keeping it became that much of a problem, the dog would be history.
[smiley=twocents.gif]

Steve