Bionic Jezebel: Bionic sleeping powers

Bionic Jezebel

On June 1, 2004, Jezebel the cat was admitted to the hospital for Hepatic Lipidosis. Jezebel's life was saved by emergency bionic surgery. Outfitted with a percutaneous gastronomy tube and stylish muscle-shirt, Jezebel now leads a double life: housecat and undercover operative. "We can rebuild her. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first Bionic cat. Jezebel will be that cat. Better than she was before. Better... stronger... faster."

Monday, June 14, 2004

Bionic sleeping powers

End of the first night, three feedings done. The tube feedings are getting easier on all of us, particularly Jezebel, who actually fell asleep during the last one. The hardest part is getting the food in the syringe in the first place. I cleaned cat food off my ceiling for the first time tonight.

We weighed the bionic cat at 8pm tonight on our brand spanking new scale. She weighs 10.2 lbs. I don't know what she weighed before the hepatic lipidosis--probably around 14 lbs.

Angie dropped by tonight for a visit. We offered Jezebel some Luv chickens and she nibbled on one of them.

We also noticed Jezebel twitches a lot more than usual now when she sleeps. Evidently this must have something to do with her new bionic super powers.

From www.healthypet.com: "Feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL), also known as "feline fatty liver syndrome," is the most common form of liver disease in cats in North America. The disease is unique to cats; it is not found in other companion animals.

The condition is triggered when a cat stops eating due to stress, another disease or for any other reason. After a few days without food, the cat's body will begin to use fat for energy. Cats do not metabolize fat well; therefore the fat cells build up in the liver and eventually prevent it from functioning normally. FHL is very dangerous for cats and can be life threatening if left untreated.

Cats with advanced symptoms such as jaundice or seizures require hospitalization. They need intravenous fluids to reverse dehydration and liver failure.

While cats of all breeds and any age are at risk, middle-aged, obese cats are most susceptible to the disease. The most common form of the disease is idiopathic (of unknown origin), however the disease can also occur in conjunction with other diseases of the liver.

Hepatic lipidosis is treatable, especially if caught in the early stages of the disease. If aggressively treated, 70 to 80 percent of cats will recover from the disease. When left untreated, FHL advances rapidly and is always fatal. Successful treatment requires intensive nutritional support until the cat's appetite returns. An ideal diet for a cat with FHL fulfills her basic nutrition requirements, promotes liver regeneration, and facilitates recovery from metabolic imbalances associated with the syndrome.

In almost all cases, a feeding tube needs to be placed into the cat's stomach, either directly through the side of his body or through his nose or esophagus down into the stomach. A veterinarian will prescribe a special food mixture to be syringed through the feeding tube several times per day. The average time from diagnosis to recovery with intense treatment is four to six weeks, and some cases may require up to 18 weeks of nutritional support."

Bionic Jezebel

Monday, June 14, 2004

Bionic sleeping powers

0 Comments:

About Me

Previous Posts