Monday, January 19, 2015

Wylla With Pins In

Wylla goes in for her acupuncture treatments every six weeks. She had an appointment on Friday,  and as always, was a great little trooper, stayed still, and kept all of her pins in during the session.

Even with a howling kitty in the next room, she stayed calm for the whole 15 minutes.

Wylla will always have Megaesophagus.  I wish we could change that, but we can't, so all we can do is try to improve our ability to mange it. We've figured out that feeding her six small meals a day works best for her, and on the days she struggles to process it all, we feed her less, and will take turns holding her over our shoulders, just like you would to burp a human baby.  On these "bad" days, you'll see her napping sitting upright - she's figured out that sitting up feels better than curling up when the food isn't going down.  On most days it all goes down eventually, but there are days when it does come back up. The only good thing about her regurgitating is that once it happens, she instantly feels better. Even with these episodes, she's still managed to put on a little more weight, and when she hopped on the scale Friday, she was 6.5 pounds!

Here are a few photos from her last session. I'm so grateful that Wylla has no fear of vet visits. For her, it's just another outing, and she hardly seems to mind a bit.
 
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27 comments:

  1. What a brave girl! A chronic health issue is always a teat of one's resolve. Had a Maine Coon with IBD, never could figure out what triggered his flare ups.

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    1. My Moo has IBD as well. I really wish I could figure out what causes her flare ups. It would make life much more pleasant for everyone.

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    2. What a lovely girl. I'd love to have her - except I already have five cats and two dachshunds and can't handle any more sweeties.

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  2. She is so patient and tolerant of pretty much everything, isn't she? I firmly believe that Wylla was born an old soul. She seems to have and always had a stoic, patient, quiet personality. Maybe its from having so much done to her from a very early age. Or maybe her soul has experienced much more than she can tell us. Either way, she is such a sweet tolerant girl! Way to go, Wee Wylla!

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  3. cutest pincushion ever :) we wish she could be "cured" too but glad to hear she is managing with your wonderful help

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    1. Cutest pincushion ever, indeed. Arrange the pins just right, and it will look like you're pinning her various calico bits together. ;)

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  4. That is one impressive poppet. Wylla really is a role model -- and not just for cats.

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  5. She has no idea she has a condition like that- she probably doesn't know other kitties are different. Her world is actually bigger and not smaller because of it. She is such a beautiful girl. And she is such an ambassador for cats! She is a perfect little cat.

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    1. I was just thinking the same thing - because of her Megaesophagus, she has traveled more and met more people than the average kitty. And that has made her braver than my cats, for sure!

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  6. That's one amazing, adorable kitty! Jo x

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  7. She really is blessed to be with a family that has the ability and willingness to manage her condition, who were willing to rearrange their lives around her. Your devotion is inspiring.

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  8. Thanks for sharing these photos. It's very interesting to see the treatment in process.

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  9. I'm so glad that Wylla lives where special medical treatments are available, and that her family believes in helping her in all ways possible!

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  10. We take our 20-year-old cat to a holistic vet for acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments, and he hangs out with his pins in as well. He only grumbles when they're being removed. Good on Wylla for staying so still and calm during acupuncture. My vet says that he doesn't do many cats because they tend to not tolerate it.

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  11. What a trooper! Yay for making 6.5 lbs.! Yay for Wylla's patchwork awesomeness!

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  12. Wow, that is one chill feline! Honestly, good on you Laurie for being such a great cat Mom and giving your time and energy to caring for Wylla. Love reading your blog and hearing about all the kitties, from the itty bitties to Wylla and Bean (and all the itty bitty alumni too).

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  13. Wylla is a trouper for sure! How wonderful that her "purr-ents" help her in every possible way, and adjust meals to ensure that she gets the nutrition she needs. Sending petting and love to Wylla and Charlene!

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  14. I think she's calm because with the pins in, she picks up an easy-listening classics radio station (all Perry Como and Johnny Mathis, all the time).

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  15. What a lovely series with Wylla. She does as well with acupuncture as another kitty I know in Portland.

    It sure does seem to help with these chronic issues...

    Hurrah for 6.5!!!

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  16. This girl is one awesome, extraordinary little cat. I'm always amazed how well she endures the treatment and how well you guys take care of this special young lady :) xoxoxo

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  17. I am so glad that you take such good care of Wylla. She is a treasure.

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  18. What a sweet, well-behaved little lady she is! They really do know that a little discomfort will make them feel so much better. My Atticus receives an insulin injection every morning for his diabetes, and he is always calm and relaxed, and seems to know it will help him feel so much better.

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  19. She is so sweet! She is a very special and very lucky cat.

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  20. Ellen W. - I wanted to say that if anyone in the Sacramento area is looking into acupuncture for their animals I can personally recommend Dr. Peyton of UC Davis. She helped with my parent's rescue dog who had all kinds of neurological problems. It's really amazing to see how acupuncture really can help animals. It's made me totally change how I think about it for people.

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  21. Love your site. Can't wait to revisit when I have more time. I cannot seem to get enough about cats. :-) I am in cat rescue in Los Angeles and have cats that own me and always have a few extras around that I foster.

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