83 replies to this topic

[nancykind]

about 3 weeks ago someone wasn't eating their usual amount and there were leftovers (dry food) in the dish all the time. i guessed it was Tiger because i'd found a few small pee-balls in the litter box, and he's by far my most likely candidate for any sort of uti. i scrubbed down the litter box with boiling water and disinfectant and there were no more small pee-balls.

i figured, since there were leftovers all the time, that right then would be a good time to try leaving food out all the time again. they were just going upstairs and stealing Diamond's food anyway! i used to do it that way and since they didn't worry about running out of food, they didn't overeat. this worked just great until i boarded them one time and despite my firm insistence, they let them run out of food and i couldn't get them to not overeat when we all got back home. so, feeding 2x a day became the norm and has been for several years now.

well Zevon's lost weight. like a couple pounds, lost weight. i don't have a scale so i'm not sure how much - guess i'll go buy one after work tonight. he seems to be drinking okay, he seems to be normally playful, he's affectionate, still comes up on the bed, i just don't know what, or why - or IF - he's not eating. he goes nuts for treats, dry ones, and if i pull their turkey or chicken out of the frig he goes crazy, so it's not like he has NO appetite..........

i wonder if his teeth are bothering him, as well............ hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. i'm going to look at them when i get home at lunch.

other than that i'm just worried. sick to my stomach worried. that i'm missing something obvious worried. maybe i'll call the vet in the morning about a possible uti - - that would get him in right away....... i don't think he has a uti mind you because the one time he did it was verrrrrrry obvious, and i reallllly think i'd notice, even with everything that's been going on lately.

worried.

[MeOmYo]

worms?

[nancykind]

no sign of worms.... will bring a sample in on monday if i can isolate his. maybe i should isolate him for a day this weekend, anyway.

he definitely has some plaque on his teeth.... and Cassady needs dental surgery so maybe that's it..... i just gave him a little bowl of kitten chow (their treats) and he ate some but not as much as i'd have expected, having been given free reign on his own bowl..... hmmmm. possibility.

i would have thought they'd gum the food before not eating but maybe he, in particular, chooses not to do so....

maybe?

[vinandtonic]

[nancykind]

they're indoor cats, too - and didn't eat the mouse weds night! i've never had an indoor cat get worms once they were out of very young kittenhood, is that likely?

[MeOmYo]

no, probably not worms.

[Karen]

ugh, the wondering is what is so stressful!

((Zevon and Nancy))

[Spidergawd]

Healthy vibes to Zevon!

[nancykind]

he ate a good bit of kitten chow when i gave him the bowl after work, so that's good. he's not drinking an excessive amount of water so i don't think it's diabetes. leukemia is highly unlikely and moves much much faster than this so that's doubtful too. his breathing is fine, so i'm really thinking it's not his heart. he was grouchy to Cassady this morning which is very unusual and could easily be a sign of discomfort/pain. i don't want him to have to have surgery!!!!!! :rants at the universe for a moment:

[sums]

i hope it turns out to be easy and fixable

[seany]

(((healthy kitty vibes)))

[deadheadskier]

[Lazy Lightning]

Get thee well, Zevon!

[nancykind]

#^&@()#_&*^%*$#@#$@#$%^&*()*&^%$#@@#$#$%^@(#&*#$@

they have to do bloodwork, it's nothing obvious. that means leukemia (unlikely), aids (unlikely but not impossible but spells DOOM for the rest of the household), diabetes (unlikely), thyroid, liver or kidneys. thyroid would be best case scenario though still a challenge. i hope to have some of the results back late tomorrow afternoon, and the rest on weds morning.

and they didn't charge me for the bloodwork which is close to $200. i love my vet.

[nancykind]

ok, i'm betting thyroid. i can feel a lump in his neck.....

[Karen]

Our sage had liver and kidney issues in March and was very ill. She was treated with B12 shots and recovered quickly. Three months later she was diagnosed with hyperthyroid and now gets a gel in her ears 1x a day with the occassional b12 shot.
While she did not have a lump in her neck, here is hoping for the same quick recovery!

[nancykind]

dammit! kidneys. dr. john is calling dr verra about meds, we may need to adjust the heart meds. i have to try to get a urine sample. damn it.

[TEO]

(((nancykind & zevon)))

[nancykind]

teetering on the edge of, but not quite in, "renal failure" according to the urine analysis.

yet.

i hope dr john does talk to dr verra before friday!!! i tried to communicate why it was important and reiterated my willingness to catch dr verra IN this office on friday, and bring Zevon in. just call him, please!!!!

i feel so helpless. i don't like it!

[Karen]

[TEO]

Oh my! Much Love & Light :heart:

[Rayzeeday]

:heart:Love from Amy and I in Maine:heart:

[nancykind]

found a holistic vet in clifton park but i currently can't get in until january. the lady said she'd talk to the normal office person when she returned this afternoon to see if they can do better though.

i see one just outside of rutland, that's not too much farther. they don't appear to do acupuncture but they do offer some of the other alternative treatments i've been reading about.

little pricey............ not sure i can swing it...................

[MeOmYo]

[Karen]

[vinandtonic]

:heart:

[elder]

thinking of you Nancy

[nancykind]

who'd a thunk those creepy little s could mean sooooo much. i can't thank you all enough.

soooo, i have an appt at http://www.holisticpetcaretoday.com tomorrow morning. that's the one in clifton park. the one in vt was over $500 just to walk in the door and walk out with any sort of plan and they don't do acupuncture which i'm really kind of interested in.

still haven't heard back from dr john so at least i'm taking action, of some kind!!!! wish me luck!

[TEO]

All best wishes

[nancykind]

he sure perks up for chicken! i read on a couple different websites that skinless chicken might have benefits - that it's now thought not to be so much about having 'NO protein' and more about the kind of protein they're getting. and i haven't been recommended any kind of diet yet. and it makes him happy. so it makes me happy. and i feel better for having bought him a chicken the other week!

i realize there's no cure, but if you ever look up cardiomyopathy and could remember where he started from, you'd realize he's a miracle. i love him.

[TEO]

Handsome boy

[Spidergawd]

[nancykind]

i made that one my wallpaper last night.

[nancykind]

well. we are home. the visit was about an hour and a half and he received acupuncture and i have a couple of homeopathic pills to give him.

she said it's obvious that this is recent. something new and that hasn't been going on too long, which is good. she thinks they can definitely help him with the weight loss, overall feeling of wellness and that if we can balance the kidneys that a lowering of heart meds may definitely be in order, but that is down the road.

he usually hides under his towel in the carrier but was out the whole way home and was very vocal! he headed straight for food when i let him out. she loves the chicken - that's a great food for him, as is lamb. he needs 'warming' foods and those are two good ones. turkey should be avoided but fish would be good - - she prescribed canned food if he'll eat it.

she asked if there was a benson's near me. i'm a BIG fan of benson's, as you may know. and i have to go there anyway so i'll do that in a little while.

they are willing to work with me as far as late appts too - next week is thursday later afternoon but ongoing, we can do fridays at 5pm, which is fine. it was 45 mins door to door in smooth traffic and good road conditions so hopefully i don't have too many issues with weather in the next few... months, if i'm going to be positive, which i am.

so a good visit, interested to see where things go. still haven't heard from dr. john. Zevon is resting comfortably in a super cushy bed i made him on a living room chair. he seems.... well, something that's good but that i can't quite describe. more peaceful maybe, or at peace with himself.

i'll post more pictures, i have a few on my phone i need to get off.

[Karen]

Sounds like Zevon is moving in a positive direction!

[nancykind]

dr john called to tell me that dr verra does want to change meds but that he hasn't figured out to what yet and is running behind and will look over the numbers after patients are done. by the time he does that, dr john says it will be after 9pm and that most likely he (dr. john) will call me with the change tomorrow sometime. dr dallas mentioned the enapril specifically, so we shall see....

[nancykind]

oh, and the first place she tried to put a needle in was at a relaxation point on top of his head and his head BROKE two needles! apparently his skin is very tough right there but fortunately all the other ones went in fine and he was calm throughout. the needles are copper on the ends and the same color as his fur. and he chose to be on the windowsill where there was a towel down, and there were birds and chipmunks running around outside. it was a very nice place.

[TEO]

Sounds like a very comfortable and healing place.

[nancykind]

dr john called me at 10:25pm last night!

i am to discontinue the enalipril altogether. that's 2 less whole pills per day but will be offset by the homeopathics, which i have to cut up, and there's two of them. so he won't be getting something he's supposed to have, will have to look up more about enalipril.

he sure wanted more of the wellness canned food this morning, very excited about it! Tiger doesn't care for canned. hardly whined when it was time for meds which he'd started doing - all part of the 'just not feeling good' - and is walking around with his tail straight up, love it!

if he gained half a pound or so, he'd look completely healthy, as it is he looks like a youngster! well, okay, maybe a very wise youngster.

here he is at 4 months with his faaaaaavorite toy, 'bird'.


here's bird today and actually, i bought yellow material and wrapped it a new body a year or so ago. somehow a tuft of the original beak survived. it is still, by far, his favorite toy.

Edited by nancykind, 05 November 2011 - 04:52 PM.

[vinandtonic]

what a handsome boy!

best of luck with the new treatment regimen. please keep us posted!

[nancykind]

oh, i will! seems good this morning, running around, excited for his food. i like it!

we're going to re-test the blood and urine in about a month. my suggestion mind you, not dr john's. i swear he's just waiting for Zevon to get to a point where my options are gone.

take charge of your own (pets'!!) health care!!!

[scarfire]

your cats are very lucky nancy!! keep up the good work!

[Karen]

oh, i will! seems good this morning, running around, excited for his food. i like it!

we're going to re-test the blood and urine in about a month. my suggestion mind you, not dr john's. i swear he's just waiting for Zevon to get to a point where my options are gone.

take charge of your own (pets'!!) health care!!!

Glad to hear he's having a good day today!

I certainly hope that is not the case with the vet I'm with you in taking charge of their health care! They know me very well at the vet

[nancykind]

thanks Karen, i know you're both really pulling for him.

so far so good and nobody could be more amazed than i am. he'll get the treatment a day early this week and a day late the following because dr dallas is off on friday and i will have to ask about their t.giving weekend schedule.... yikes, that one could be tough!

kinda f'd up a free yoga class with the thursday appt this week but hoping to still be able to go to part 2 next week. oh well. but i can take yoga anytime (though i'm honest enough to admit the free intro was a bonus) and this is really important. i called them to talk about the appt this morning and before i could get a word in the girl was asking 'how's he doing??'. dr john never even once asked how he was doing last week! but i got free bloodwork - i gotta keep reminding myself of that....

[Spidergawd]

Yay for Zevon! Sounds like progress is being made.

I swear, I am totally compelled to come check in on him here every morning! Lots of positive vibes from me...

[Karen]

[nancykind]

thanks JP so i have an ultrasound for Cassady on 12/9, an u/s for Zevon 1/6, an u/s for Cassady 3/2, and the blood re-test for Z on 12/3. freakin' ouch.

[nancykind]

o
m
f
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so i was getting ready to head back to work after lunch and was saying goodbye to everyone. Z was in the litter box so i decided to wait for him. he was in there an awfully long time so i looked and he was in pee position. okay. waiting waiting waiting - and i can't hear anything. i used to be able to hear him from the next room! he finally finishes, gives the litter one swipe with his paw, and leaves.

oh shit. i thought. sure enough, nothing there, after all that. and he's not a shy pee-er so it wasn't that i was there. so then he went to clean his butt, as cats who have just gone to the bathroom will do, and he starts to lift the leg, puts it down. starts to lift it, puts it down. again. again. then he whines. okaaaayyyyy.

call the vet they said bring him in, so i did. waited a lonnng time, called my boss to let her know. finally got in and saw dr john. the bladder is fine so he wants to cathetarize him. that went well, took just a few seconds and Z was very good, though i had scruffed him. so dr john says he's going to check the urine and something like 15 minutes later comes back and says it's clear. so we put him on amoxycillin just to be safe. nice and 'mild', i know he handles that one okay. and he doesn't charge me for last week's urine analysis and he doesn't charge me an office visit for today. i end up with a 2 1/2 hour lunch.

maybe i caught a uti super early.... dr john said his penis was verrrry red. i dunno though, the one time he had a uti he peed penny sized pee balls every 5 minutes. very different. i'm guessing maybe the new food was too much too fast, will discuss with dr dallas tomorrow, and about the kd diet.

and someone threw up HUGE some time after i got home at 7. it looked like canned food but they hadn't had any yet.

awwww, he's still hurty, and his face looks sad and worried.

Edited by nancykind, 10 November 2011 - 10:27 AM.

[vinandtonic]

:heart:

hope he's feeling better very soon!

[nancykind]

thank you Elayne.

not a good night, he still hasn't peed, he's hurty and is trying to pee anywhere he can. scrubbing the main litter box down now, it's drying, and going to call the vet at 7. this is awful. i want an ultrasound done on his kidneys.