GimmiesFishes.org

In the hopes of establishing an official home for Gimmie's Fishes domain and hosting set-up was completed today.

This blog will still be in use but mirrored at the official site.

GimmiesFishes.ORG

A new year... a new determination.

January hit the ground running. I'm finding it incredible that the month is almost gone. Seems like 2008 was never-ending... for me... it certainly had a lasting affect.

So, the holidays are behind us and the tree is tucked away in its box for another year. Now it's time to roll up the sleeves and get back to work.
Determination can be an odd companion. At times it is never-yeilding; at other times it is ever-wanning. But if it's truly there then deeds can be done.

[ photo of Junipurr Lily and Rosie Rosebud, titled "We're Pal's!" ]

I've had a few things impose themselves upon the temporary "retirement" from my cause - and all have been positive.
Back in early December I had an email from a vet that works at the Paris, France corporate office of Royal-Canin.

I doubt anyone is actually following this blog, but if so one might recall that I had attempted to contact a vet at RC for help and was told that she was moving to Brazil and a new vet would be taking over her position. The vet I contacted promised to give my emails and contact information to the new person. Days, then weeks, then months passed and nothing... and then in came an email from the new veterinarian.

She wrote:

C. Galli sent me your e-mail and your request. First of all, I'm sorry for this late answer but it took time to collect some information and because of personnal issues I couldn't send you this e-mail before.

In fact, I haven't found other researchs written by Dr Houard or scientfific research related to ketamine & sphynx. It seems that his paper was the result of his personal experience, as he has a private practice near Paris.

I've searched for people you could contact on this subject: it exists some veterinary associations specialised in anesthesia . They may have observed the same thing as they are specialised in this field and they consult a lot of cats & dogs.

These are the contacts I've found in the USA:
Veterinary analgesia and anesthesia support group http://www.vasg.org/
American college of veterinary anesthesiologists http://www.acva.org/

Hope it will help you, Best regards
S. Rivière

--------------------------------------------------------

I found her email encouraging and it gave a renewal to my quest... if only for the sake of having someone remember and feel it important enough to respond. See? I am so desparate for any success that even the slightest thing is a milestone.

So, then I had not one, but TWO emails sent from Sphynx owners. One in South Africa, and one from the USA. Both had heard that I had documents on Ket/Val and Sphynx and asked if I could provide them literature to give their vets. Which I most happily did. Oh, but to save one life, one heart from breaking. Encouragement!

On 07 January I was contacted by a fellow Sphynx lover who happens to be a very successful breeder as well; Arden Gaitlin-Andrews, of AngelFire Sphynx cattery. She said that she was starting an International Sphynx Breeder/Enthusiast Newsletter - for the SX community - and asked if I would be the Editor of the owner's section.

I jumped at the chance.

Now.. bear in mind I jump at chances regardless of if they have a monetary value to my time. For years I've bashed my head in, locally and w/in my own apathetic community, to bring about a community band, a community dinner-theatre, and a 5-county non-profit arts council. All were successful but back-mind-and-spirit breaking experiences. After resigning as president from the arts council I took a solomn (well other than my rants to exceptionally close friends) oath to NEVER, EVER put myself out for my unappreciative community again.

But this is different. This strikes a cord. This would allow me a platform, a voice, and a way to help countless others know more about the Sphynx breed. It would allow me to share my findings directly with others who are interested.

So.. yeah, well.. you see where this is going. :-)

Our first newsletter - Volumn 1 - will be distributed digitally and will cover the months of March/April 2009. Some of the topics covered are:

• Safram Sphynx - by Sandy Adler
• Nebulization - by Diana Scott & Carolyn McGuire, DVM
• With or Without the Necklace? - by Carlee Marrer-Tising
• Genetics 101 - by Paul Patton
• Bath Time - by Cyndee Gause
• A Special Goodbye [Sue Gleason] - by Paul Patton
• Feline HCM - by Judy Webb Gunby
• Judging Sphynx Across Associations - by Mary Perfitt-Nelson
• Sphynx Multiples - by Kay Marshall
• Showing Sphynx in Switzerland - by Carlee Marrer-Tising
• B.A.R.F. - by Judy Webb Gunby
  

I would like to encourage you to join our FREE subscription list at Sphynx Newsletter Subscribers Yahoo Groups (mention this blog in your request to join), or you can visit us online at our Sphynx Breeder/Enthusiasts Newsletter Blog and on Facebook.

I do appreciate any readership this blog has. If you are reading it ... thanks.

Bilbo and Gimli watching birds - January 2008
Artwork copyright of K.Marshall

Humble Pie

Eating humble pie is not as bad as, say, eating a bug or walking into an unseen (and quite large) spider web (as I did today)... but it's, well, humbling.
My ranting last post still has some small measure of validity with an emphasis on *small*.

I just spoke to the vet that made the calls... yes, that's plural... to the number I provided to her for Dr. Michel Houard. No, she didn't update me on the fact that she had tried and was unsuccessful. Had she done that I would have been back on the trail enforce.
However, as a person who doesn't really believe in FATE but who likes to leave her options open on that subject (to some extent), I guess - as with many things - timing is everything.

My timing this past month was extraordinary. I was, shall we say, hell-bent on gaining some ground on my lost time. I posted to a group of Sphynx breeders - a Yahoo based group I help moderate - asking for any more assistance on finding a person willing to make a call to gay old Paree. By luck I was offered help from four kind breeders; one in Tennessee, one in Texas, one in the UK, and one in France.
Here's how it played out and why I am eating this tasty pie.

My UK contact and my Texas contact both put me in touch with the Project Manager International Marketing for Royal Canin Group in France. I contacted her - she is moving to Brazil. She gave me another vet's name that will be taking her place. Both of those outlets were a no-go.

Then I decided to phone the breeder in Texas. While we spoke she found not one, but two more possible French "connections" tucked away in her files. One, a TICA judge and the other, the president of FiFe (Federation Internationale Feline). I wrote first to FiFe president, Annette Sjödin. She responded back within thirty minutes to offer me two more contacts. I wrote to both.
Another scant few minutes passed and then an email came in to me at gimmiesfishes from one of the contacts. She was willing to help and she gave me another contact as well.
... you know what's coming next, I suppose... Yes, I wrote the new contact.
The first contact is a Sphynx breeder in France. She had a new document containing scientific information on a research study conducted by a team of researchers studying Ketamine use in felines. [ see document ]

The second contact took me back once again to the International TICA judge. Her email to me has had me on cloud nine for days. She stated:

"You found the right person. I know well Michel Houard. I worked with him as his vet tech for 22 years. I can translate things for you or bring him material because I go in France every month. Tell me what you need."

As tears streamed down my face I composed myself as well as an email reply to this kind person. Her advice to me was to draft a letter to Dr. Houard (who is apparently not a member of the virtual community) and outline my mission and my reasons for it. She also told me that the telephone number that I have for Dr. Houard was incorrect. One little number was off... umm, now are you following me?

So... that brings me to today and the meal upon which I now feast.
In my letter to Dr. Houard I am including the names of all of my contacts - people who have stated that they clearly want to help. I wanted to include the vet cardiologist who was trying to contact him as she is fluent in spoken and written French... so I phoned her this afternoon to ask if she would allow me to list her as an Alabama contact for Dr. Houard. In our conversation she mentioned to me that she had tried two or three times to phone him with no success -- umm -- no wonder. I told her about my recent streak of good fortune and that my latest contact corrected the incorrect telephone number. "AHHHHhhhhh, she said, so that's why I couldn't connect with him!".
Yes, indeed. *chomp-chomp*

As for being kind enough - and most importantly, interested enough to allow me to list her as a contact for him, she also offered to translate my letter to him from English to French. I most likely will accept that offer even though I have already arranged for the Tennessee breeder to "loan" me her native French brother-in-law.

Always have a backup plan. I've learned that about ten weeks too late but...

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..."

Today I am dancing for Gimli.



Gimli looks back at Mom - taken two days before his death.

Ketamine References: the buzz is out, isn't it?

There are many articles available via the Internet, written by vets or scientists, which raise serious concerns over the use of the very common and very cheap induction agent, Ketamine. Research substantiating this was conducted in the early 1990’s by Dr. Michel Houard, of Chambourcy, France, and specifically states if Ketamine is used on Devons, Cornish, Germans, Selkirks, and Sphynx, it will cause death.

What's important to note for Devon and Sphynx owners is that within THESE breeds this drug can do one of three things:

1. Cause non-diagnosed cardiomyopathy (HCM) in a cat to progress
2. Due to the drug lowering the *heart rate, it can cause a cat to go into congestive heart failure (CHF)
3. Advance an undiagnosed HCM so that another dose of Ketamine may cause death

What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a widely used dissociative drug. It has a noted history of causing an increase in blood pressure, a rough recovery, and, as is referenced in numerous resources, can cause cardiac arrest leading to congestive heart failure in breeds – particularly those that may have the spasticity gene.
Ketamine is commonly used as an induction agent for children and the elderly, and is noted on the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

What does "dissociative" mean?

A dissociative is a drug which reduces (or blocks) signals to the conscious mind from other parts of the brain, typically, but not necessarily, limited to the senses.

Ketamine as a street drug - vet clinics beware: -- resourced from DEA (US Drug Enforcement Agency)

Street terms for Ketamine: jet, super acid, Special "K", green, K, cat Valium.
Ketamine comes in a clear liquid and a white or off-white powder form.
Ketamine is a tranquilizer most commonly used on animals. The liquid form can be injected, consumed in drinks, or added to smokable materials. The powder form can be used for injection when dissolved.

In certain areas, Ketamine is being injected intramuscularly. Ketamine, along with the other "club drugs," has become popular among teens and young adults at dance clubs and "raves."

It is marketed as a dissociative general anesthetic for human and veterinary use, the only known source of Ketamine is via diversion of pharmaceutical products.
Recent press reports indicate that a significant number of veterinary clinics are being robbed specifically for their Ketamine stock.
DEA reporting indicates that a major source of Ketamine in the United States is product diverted from pharmacies in Mexico. Prices average $20 to $25 per dosage unit.
Higher doses produce an effect referred to as "K-Hole," an "out of body," or "near-death" experience.
Use of the drug can cause delirium, amnesia, depression, and long-term memory and cognitive difficulties. Due to its dissociative effect, it is reportedly used as a date-rape drug.

Scientific/Medical: -- resourced from Wikipedia

Ketamine is a drug for use in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis (today a part of Pfizer) in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist, and at high, fully anesthetic level doses, ketamine has also been found to bind to opioid μ receptors and sigma receptors. Like other drugs of this class such as tiletamine and phencyclidine (PCP), it induces a state referred to as "dissociative anesthesia" and is used as a recreational drug.

From PUBMED:
Ketamine Death
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1481214&pageindex=4#page

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are numerous other anesthesias that your vet should be aware of, and suggest as an alternative if that question is raised. Many of these are non-dissociative and do not cause an increase in blood pressure and do not have the rough recovery that is noted over and again with Ketamine, or Ketamine derivitives such as Telazol and the gas Haloflurane.

Isoflurane or Sevoflurane are extremely common examples of gases that can be used instead of Ketamine or like agents.

Please note: Anesthetics agents increasing the risk for death in Rex and Sphynx are:
- Dissociative: Ketamine (Imalgene®, Clorketam®, Zoletil®)
- Volatile: Halothane

Reference:
Dr. Mike Richards, DVM – Cobbs Creek, VA Matthews Veterinary Clinic

“Ketamine causes hypertension during anesthetic recovery and it is possible that the detrimental effects attributed to Ketamine may be due primarily to cases of undiagnosed cardiomyopathy in cats undergoing anesthetic procedures. These cats would be especially sensitive to hypertension and the increase in blood pressure induced by Ketamine is supposed to be pretty significant in some cats.”

Additionally he wrote:
“For a long time I have heard reports of episodes of pulmonary edema and/or heart failure following anesthesia in cats. There has been some concern among veterinarians over the potential for Ketamine, a commonly used anesthetic agent, to cause episodes of pulmonary edema. Ketamine appears to cause hypertension during the recovery period in many cats. If the cat has pre-existing cardiomyopathy this could lead to a sudden worsening of the cardiomyopathy leading to pulmonary edema and death, if the cardiomyopathy cannot be brought under control with medications. There is some possibility that this effect could occur even without cardiomyopathy being present. I have only seen reports of this condition in association with Ketamine but it may occur with other anesthetic agents".

NOTE: I located Dr. Richards at his vet clinic in Cobbs Creek, Virginia, and phoned his office. He suggested that I read over available articles on this subject at PubMed.org for citable references.

Reference:

PUBMED

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1255390&pageindex=1#page http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1255390&pageindex=2#page http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1255390&pageindex=3#page
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1255390&pageindex=4#page


Reference:

On the risks of anesthesia - even when your vet tells you that it's safe:

Feline Anesthesia in the New Millennium—SOTAL

State of the Art Lecture
Dr. Jan Ilkiw
Diplomat, ACVIM (Anethesiology)
Professor, Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis.


EXCERPT – full lecture at this link

The last and most recent study included all species and reported techniques and concerns, rather than complications and morbidity. While castration and ovariohysterectomy were the most commonly performed procedures requiring anesthesia in cats (together 54%), dentistry accounted for 22% of cats requiring anesthesia. Intubation was carried out in cats by 76% of practitioners and all small animal practitioners used inhalants for maintenance.
These studies indicate the significant risks and mortality associated with anesthesia in cats, especially if they are ASA category 3-5. The use of inhalants for maintenance of anesthesia in veterinary practice is frequent and the most commonly reported complications relate to intubation and respiratory arrest. While halothane was the mainstay of inhalant anesthesia in these studies, Isoflourane is now probably the most commonly administered inhalant. In veterinary practice, the use of monitoring equipment that is likely to warn of impending complications is rare. In those patients that were monitored appropriately, hypotension was the most frequent complication.

Information will be added to this post as gathered and verified. The goal is to encourage the drug companies that produce Ketamine for veterinary use to include a warning on the label for exotics breeds.

The smaller picture is to have breeders, owners, and vets be provided legitimate, verifed information regarding Ketamine and potential deaths of felines in the exotics breed.