Septic Arthritis or Mediated Polyarthritis?

[DeesCats]

Sorry Molly isn't still feeling well.

As far as the litter box goes, can you make a small platform in front of the box so she doesn't have to step as high?

I used a couple pieces of 2 inch thick rigid foam insulation board to create height to get into the litter boxes when my angel cats were getting old and couldn't quite step over the lower front of the boxes. I just covered them with a washable puppy pee pad/mat to hide the pink foam color and provide traction for the cats.

You may have to make a series of different heights to make it easier for Molly to get in the box. I am still using one piece of the 2 inch foam board as one of my newer cats has short legs and it makes it easier for him to enter and leave the box.

 

[Mac and Cats]

Don't stop the gabapentin abruptly, even if you are considering eliminating it. If there is any way that you can give her a low litter box and prevent the guy who raises his rear end from using them, it would be worth a try.

Oh, sorry that wasn't clear. I am not considering eliminating the Gabapentin at all. She gets it twice a day, but I think it's not helping as much. I am not opposed to giving it to her 3 times a day, it's just that the timing doesn't quite work out very well. I'll look around and see if I can find a good litter box solution that would work for all the cats. Thanks!

 

[Mac and Cats]

Sorry Molly isn't still feeling well.

As far as the litter box goes, can you make a small platform in front of the box so she doesn't have to step as high?

I used a couple pieces of 2 inch thick rigid foam insulation board to create height to get into the litter boxes when my angel cats were getting old and couldn't quite step over the lower front of the boxes. I just covered them with a washable puppy pee pad/mat to hide the pink foam color and provide traction for the cats.

You may have to make a series of different heights to make it easier for Molly to get in the box. I am still using one piece of the 2 inch foam board as one of my newer cats has short legs and it makes it easier for him to enter and leave the box.

That's a good idea, although two of the litterboxes don't have much space in front of them because they are on two small kids tables that are stacked and we have stairs on the wall going up to both of them. I may have to re-think our current set up. I'll see what I can come up with this weekend. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Mac and Cats]

Small update: I took Molly to the vet today. They did a senior blood panel, urinalysis, gave her fluids and also gave her a Solensia injection. I previously did not think I wanted to continue trying Solensia, but it truly improved her life before and she has been absolutely miserable the last couple of days. Molly is NOT a picky girl and has just eaten anything I put in front of her the whole time we have had her. She has been turning up her nose at previously favored foods/treats except Temptation treats. She has been eating a small amount of Fancy Feast here and there. I have been giving her Cerenia daily and it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. The doctor thought it was a good idea to try Solensia again with caution. We should have the blood/urine results sometime tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. I right now have her set up in our guest room with a litterbox/food/water/comfy bedding just so no one (ie. other pets) bother her. I will give her the option to leave the room a couple hours before we go to bed to see how she's feeling/if she wants to sleep with us (she usually sleeps at the foot of our bed or on me). The doctor said that if the Solensia does not help and nothing shows up on her tests, that we should probably have a conversation about quality of life and saying goodbye to her. I don't disagree as the only enjoyment she has had over the last few days is when I brush her. Please keep your fingers crossed that we don't see any serious swelling. She peed in her carrier on the way home with about 10 minutes left to getting home (she had a very full bladder). Poor girl. I put a folded quilt at the bottom so at least she didn't have to sit in a puddle for too long.

When we first started getting her Solensia injections, we noticed she felt better very quickly compared to what others have noticed in their cats. I wish I had taken notes (I have started taking notes now), but I feel like it was within a week or two. So, I'm hoping for a quick turn around. Her behavior is very similar to how she acted when we first had her diagnosed with hyperthryroid, which is why I also wanted to do a blood test even though she just had her T4 tested in January and it was fine. Please send us good vibes for her to feel better soon.

 

[FeebysOwner]