Update on Jasmine

Hi,

I want to thank the many who have responded to my posts over the past year with regards to my 15 yr.-old kitty who is both hyperthyroid and CRF.

I'm really pleased to report that her most recent blood work showed a creatinine level of 1.8! This is down from 2.4 at the end of November, which in turn is down from 3.0 back in August. Unfortunately they could not draw enough blood to also do T4 and BUN. Although the BUN had also come down from 38 to 26 over the past few months.

So, these numbers do seem to be a testimony to the effectiveness of fluid therapy, which she has been receiving weekly since early September. She also receives daily potassium gluconate and methimazole. Every few days I give cyproheptadine depending on the level of appetite and food consumed.

Basically I'm content and hanging in there. All things considered I believe Jasmine is doing well, although the weekly visits to the vet are becoming ever more stressful for her, which is something I want to talk about with them the next time I go. Lately the doc wants to give her a weekly penicillin and prednisone injection ever since she had a crash right before Christmas. I really think the combination of the two is causing some problems with diarrhea.

Regards to all,
three4rd

Glad to see Jasmine is doing good. I, too, have a HT kitty, Arthur.

You certainly are committed to her. She is lucky to have you.

What a wonderful update! The potassium will help increase her appetite as will the cypro. The penicillin could be causing the diarrhea, as you suspect. Talk to your vet about that. You're doing a fantastic job with her!

Gosh, her kidney values sound good (the newest creatinine and the old BUN). Was her "crash" due to the hyperthyroidism? Sorry, I don't know much about the meds, she is on, but why penicillan? Just as a precaution to keep her from getting an infection? That seems strange to me, but maybe that's not the reason. I know in people they don't like them taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, so they don't develop an immunity to them (I THINK I'm writing what I'm trying to say )

Anyway, glad to hear she's coming along at her ripe old age.

Hi Stephanietx, mrsgreenjeens, and farleyv-

Thanks so very much for your encouraging and kind words. It means alot to me. Jasmine has been such a good cat for the 12 years that I've had her, that I do want to do my very best for her. I know I'll be so sad when the time does come to have to let her go. If you had told me a few years ago that I'd be giving a cat medicine 4-5 times a day, taking her to the vet once weekly for subcutaneous fluids, and feeding her another 4-5 times daily, I would probably have said that there is no way I'd ever do that for any animal and that if she is that bad it's time to let go - but things change as they get older and we learn to deal with these conditions. Like my one vet has often said - you're not just treating a cat, you're dealing with a geriatric. Thanks again and my best to your own kitties!

I haven't been following your previous threads, so I don't know exactly what happened. It's good to hear that Jasmine is doing better, though! Sending some vibes her way, helping her to get even better!

Hi catbehaviors,


Thanks so much for the reply. Basically, my vet thought that Jasmine would not be on the planet much longer when she came in the Thursday night before Christmas. I was pretty upset on Christmas Eve about it. But, she rebounded and is doing well now. Every day a day of grace....

I'm glad to read that Jasmine is doing better!