For the record, I am not a superstitious person by nature but am also not inclined to tempt fate either, so I am not sure what category this seeming dichotomy would fall under? Whatever the case may be, I had been putting off writing the Feline Leukemia Natural Treatment article for a number of years. After it had been initially posted on my website, this little voice in the back of my mind sounded off with, “Are you sure you want to do this?” Turned out, I was not sure at that time. The article was taken down more than once before I finally decided to leave it up there so other feline leukemia cats could benefit. In retrospect, it would seem there must have been something more surrounding my reluctance after all – an intuitive knowing on some level. Fairmount developed an allergy a few weeks after posting the article. Her symptoms were very similar as those of my first cat Shema. The cause for Shema’s allergy was something that was never pinpointed. As was initially done with Shema, a process of elimination began with Fairmount to see if she had developed sensitivity for a specific food. And just like Shema, this was not the case for Fairmount either. It took approximately 3 weeks for me to locate the actual cause, and by the time the cause was discovered it was too late. It should be noted that feline leukemia cats require additional mineral supplements. From day one, Fairmount had been taking a liquid vitamin that provided a little more than standard pet vitamins. However, the vet was out of her particular brand when more were needed at one point so another brand was purchased. I didn’t double-check the label, and mistakenly assumed she would be getting the basic vitamins and minerals in the new brand. I also didn’t think a couple of months would matter all that much because her leukemia virus had been in remission for a number of years, and her health seemed to be thriving. As it turned out, this was a big mistake on my part.
Within a couple of weeks of the initial allergy her symptoms progressed. When Fairmount initially came to live with me she had a habit of licking cement, which indicated a mineral deficiency. With good food and vitamins this condition had been eliminated, but something in her environment was causing her earlier symptoms to return. I had no clue what it was, and began to monitor her very closely. One day I caught her coming out of her litter box chewing. I researched the reasons cats eat their litter, and learned it was because of a mineral deficiency. It was then that I checked the label on her vitamins and discovered that she had been getting absolutely no iron or minerals whatsoever. This pissed me off as the vet should have made me aware. In any event, it did explain why she was licking cement and then began eating her cat litter. She was trying to give her body what it needed, and was immediately placed back on her original vitamins. But soon after eating the kitty litter she became constipated. This is when I was able to finally pinpoint the actual cause of the allergy that had plagued 2 of my 3 cats, and also learned about a pet product that is very unsafe for our animals.
What many of us are not aware of is pet product suppliers are pretty much given a free pass to do whatever they want. There are very few regulations in place that protect our pets. Suppliers are not required to list the ingredients they use for their various pet products, which put our pets in danger. Sodium bentonite clay is a common ingredient in cat litter products. In addition to causing allergies, respiratory problems and other pet health problems, clumping clay litter has killed many cats and some dogs that eat cat litter. Granted, the clay is a natural mineral but fluid of any kind causes it to expand. If the litter does not get lodged in the back of the animal’s throat then it can become a plug in the intestines that many animals are not able to pass without medical care. It can also prevent the proper absorption of nutrients and cause dehydration. Therefore, we must protect our pets until our government enforces more regulations. We must educate ourselves and become aware of the ingredients used in everything that concerns them. Otherwise, our pets will continue to be used to line the pockets of big money businesses via veterinarians and drug companies. If a pet supplier does not list the ingredients for their products then do not buy the product. When it comes to kitty litter and if no ingredients are listed then you must assume that ‘bentonite clay’ is most probably the primary ingredient. Additionally, I highly recommend using natural cat litter products such as corn or wheat litter. Both are a bit more expensive but neither one of these products will cause any harm whatsoever to your pets should they inhale or ingest it.
Unfortunately for me, Fairmount already had a fragile immune system that could not counter the harmful effects of the clay litter without the support of her liquid vitamins. I had caught her eating it fairly quickly but not quickly enough. She had 6 small clay plugs that could be felt in her intestines. Due to her condition, surgery was out of the question. Outside of an enema, administering foods and herbs was the only course available. She was fed every food I could think of, and after 24 hours the plugs began to move, but the first one got stuck. She was taken back to the vet. Turns out, the plug had popped right out when the thermometer was inserted to take her temperature. But before I learned this, I had opted to follow the vet’s recommendation and she was given an enema. Which in retrospect, I wish I had bypassed. I didn’t realize this would weaken her further. The enema seemed to stop what the food and herbs had initiated. And contrary to the alleged 24-48 hours, it took an additional 4 days before any movement began again. Not to mention, she became dehydrated and had to have fluids administered. Furthermore, she still could not pass the 5 remaining plugs on her own. All required the help of lubricating jelly and my little gloved finger to ease these rock hard things out of her. Had I bypassed the enema and/or had her immune system been normal then she probably would have been able to rebound with some extra care. However, this was not the case for her, and she died within a matter of hours after passing the last litter plug. The photo reflects a very exhausted Fairmountain taking her last sunbath in her favorite window the day before she died. Needless to say and unlike my other pet loss and rites of passage teachings, she taught me a hard lesson, which is one I will never forget. Clay litter is some very nasty stuff and I strongly suggest that all kitty litter containing clay of any kind be avoided like a plague.