Bionic Jezebel: A very un-vegetarian shopping list

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."

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

A very un-vegetarian shopping list

Tonight I stopped at Dominion on my way home from work to pick up some food to tempt Jezebel. I had initially only intended to pick up some tuna, plastic wrap and Luv chickens. By the time I got to the check-out counter, this is what was in my basket:

Purina Luv Chicken Flavour cat treats
Purina Luv Salmon Flavour cat treats
Purina Luv Tuna Flavour cat treats
Fancy Feast Turkey & Giblets Feast (Michael's cat Tiffany used to like this)
Sheba Meaty Chunks with Poultry Liver (I'm sure we've given this to the cats before...)
Whiskas Catmilk +Plus (98% lactose reduced, with extra taurine)
Clover Leaf solid light tuna in olive oil
Master Choice chunk light Tongol tuna in water
Gold Seal Pacific pink salmon
Brunswick sardines in spring water
Brunswick sardines in soya oil
Heinz Strained Chicken with Broth baby food
Heinz Strained Lamb with Broth (babies eat this stuff!?)
Heinz Beginner Sweet Potatoes (I thought I read something online about cats liking this)
one small single serving plain yogurt (organic)
6 eggs (free run)
100g cheese curds (I dunno... cats like cheese, don't they?)
6 Ziploc single serving storage disposable containers (for storing any leftovers from above)
one icing bag set (for filling the syringes--I'm tired of scraping cat food off the ceiling)
Glad cling wrap (for wrapping the filled syringes)

This is possibly the most un-vegetarian shopping spree I've ever had. About the only thing I'd normally have any use for is the plastic wrap (and it's not even something I can eat). What I want to know is, what's with the canned fish??? How many different types of tuna, salmon, etc. can there be? A whole grocery section, apparently. You can get tuna in a can, tuna in a bag, tuna in a box... tuna in water, tuna in oil, tuna in lemon dill sauce, tuna with chili peppers... And what's the difference between flaked light tuna, flaked white tuna, solid light tuna, chunk white tuna, premium chunk light tuna...? I thought buying tofu was complicated. I need bionic memory skills just to keep track of all the different kinds of tuna available.

Anyway, if I can't get her interested in any of the food I bought today, I'll try some of the items suggested at this website. I might even pull out the big guns tomorrow--chicken liver and fresh giblets (although I'll have to get someone to show me how to cook the stuff.)

Also tried finding more of the 20ml syringes... no luck. I went to three different drug stores and a home medical supply centre. I think I'll have to try Starkman's Surgical Supply at Bathurst and Davenport, or just go back to the vet hospital and ask them for more.

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

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

A very un-vegetarian shopping list

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