Any questions, please write to Boo's mom, Sandy

Boo Boo was rescued by his papa John in the Spring of 1989.  He and his sister Tasha lived with a junkie who neglected them to the point of abuse.  When he came to live with John, he was in very bad shape:(  But with lots of TLC, he blossomed and grew to become a handsome young Persian boy cat.

In April of 1989, I saw Boo at his dad's place.  There he was, sitting on the coffee table posing for me.  As soon as I sat down, he jumped on the couch beside me and started purring.  He had the neatest loud, rumbling purr I have ever heard.

I had never even pet a cat before I met Booey.  It was truly love at first sight for both of us.  He picked me to be his mama, and I fell in love with him.  Since then, I have become a cat fanatic.  Boo and I had many happy years together, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

In April of 1997, Boo was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).  I was devastated when the vet gave me the grim diagnosis.  She said this was the worst possible combination because he had fluid around the lungs/heart area so anything that took fluid away from there, would do the same to the kidneys, which were already working overtime and needed fluids.  I took him to a specialist who confirmed the HCM and told me to give Boo Cardizem and Lasix.  He told me that nothing could be done for the kidneys at this point.  He was given 2-3 weeks to live, max.

I read every little piece of information I could get on CRF and HCM focusing on natural alternatives for treating them.  I took him off Lasix around day 3 and never did give him the Cardizem.  Instead I started him on the following regimen on day 4, which he stayed on pretty much till he passed away on Dec 11, 1998, in his sleep of a massive heart attack.

I hope this gives people who are dealing with both these diseases hope because neither of these diseases is a death sentence, and certainly if Boo could enjoy a good quality of life for 20 months after he was diagnosed with two serious diseases, so can other kitties.

Boo got various homeopathic remedies (based on his symptoms) as his disease progressed.  Since homeopathy should be tailored to the individual cat, my recommendation would be to consult a vet trained in homeopathy.  For more information on homeopathy and cats, read the Homeopathy FAQ.

For the heart:

• Taurine (an essential amino acid for cats) - 250 mg twice a day
• L-Carnitine (which helps the body utilize energy) - 250 mg a day
• Co-Q-10 (helps muscles function efficiently) - 30 mg a day
• Two 3 cc syringes of a brew consisting of the following herbs:
• Motherwort (helps palpitations and an irregular heartbeat)
• Siberian Ginseng (an adaptogenic - helps the immune system, gives energy, and helps the body deal with stress)
• Astragalus (a Chinese tonic that strengthens the immune system)
• Dandelion leaf (mother nature's perfect diuretic as it is high in potassium, unlike Lasix)
• He Shou Wu (Chinese herb which tonifies kidney Jing essence)
• Hawthorne Berries (strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure, and relaxes arteries)
• Two 3 cc syringes of tea made from peppermint leaf

• 1 pill of Golden Book Tea a.k.a. Sexaton
• 2 tablets of Potassium Gluconate 595 mg (99 elemental)

Vit B- complex, Vit E (d-alpha tocopherol), Pycnogenol, Valerian, Milk Thistle, Ginkgo Biloba, Gotu Kola, Garlic and Cayenne (check the brand of Cayenne carefully because most of them cause heartburn even in people who do not have ulcers and/or gall stones), Shark Cartilage, Glucosamine Sulfate, Boswellin, Vit A, Cod Liver Oil (which is hi in Vit A and Vit D), and Tien Ma Pien (Chinese medicine for rising Liver i.e. good for BP etc.)

For techniques on how to use loose dried herbs, check this site: http://www.acupuncture.com
 
 

Return to Main Page