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- Sep 6, 2011
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Just wanted to give a quick update on my little man.
We went to the new vet on Saturday and it was definitely the most positive visit we've had in awhile. Not because of any good or bad news we got, but because I'm in love with the new vet and his staff. They were all very gentle with him and wrapped him up in a towel when they had to take him out of the room. Maybe this doesn't sound like much, but my previous vet's staff had dropped him in his carrier, basically wrestled with him to get bloodwork and were too strong when feeling his abdomen during exams. This new vet got up in his tummy and felt a good bit but he did it without making Bear swat and hiss which is very nice!
We didn't do much except look through his records/xrays to determine what's already been done and what the biggest issues are. We've put his breathing problems on top of the list, with his obesity and kidney issues close behind. They did bloodwork so we can check for diabetes and any thyroid issues while also checking on his kidneys. They're also going to pull his old labwork to compare.
I didn't ask about switching foods but I've put Bear on a strict diet of 2 - 2.25 cans a day. Whenever he's hungry, he only gets a little spoonful so that the 2 cans last throughout the day. Hopefully this keeps up and he drops weight!
Because the vet wanted to offer him some relief and suspects that his lung issues are allergy related, he gave him a shot of Dexamethasone. He said this would help any inflammation in the lungs from allergies. I was initially a little worried because it's not supposed to be given too much in cats with diabetes (and I suspect he has diabetes - we'll find out soon) but he seemed wonderful this weekend. I can't say it helped his breathing since he's still breathing loud and fast, but he was definitely the perkiest he's been in a long while. He also seemed to be moving better since I'm assuming this drug helped his arthritis a bit. It's not a long term treatment we can do but it was definitely nice to see him so happy. He spent the better part of the weekend outside, rolling in the leaves.
We went to the new vet on Saturday and it was definitely the most positive visit we've had in awhile. Not because of any good or bad news we got, but because I'm in love with the new vet and his staff. They were all very gentle with him and wrapped him up in a towel when they had to take him out of the room. Maybe this doesn't sound like much, but my previous vet's staff had dropped him in his carrier, basically wrestled with him to get bloodwork and were too strong when feeling his abdomen during exams. This new vet got up in his tummy and felt a good bit but he did it without making Bear swat and hiss which is very nice!
We didn't do much except look through his records/xrays to determine what's already been done and what the biggest issues are. We've put his breathing problems on top of the list, with his obesity and kidney issues close behind. They did bloodwork so we can check for diabetes and any thyroid issues while also checking on his kidneys. They're also going to pull his old labwork to compare.
I didn't ask about switching foods but I've put Bear on a strict diet of 2 - 2.25 cans a day. Whenever he's hungry, he only gets a little spoonful so that the 2 cans last throughout the day. Hopefully this keeps up and he drops weight!
Because the vet wanted to offer him some relief and suspects that his lung issues are allergy related, he gave him a shot of Dexamethasone. He said this would help any inflammation in the lungs from allergies. I was initially a little worried because it's not supposed to be given too much in cats with diabetes (and I suspect he has diabetes - we'll find out soon) but he seemed wonderful this weekend. I can't say it helped his breathing since he's still breathing loud and fast, but he was definitely the perkiest he's been in a long while. He also seemed to be moving better since I'm assuming this drug helped his arthritis a bit. It's not a long term treatment we can do but it was definitely nice to see him so happy. He spent the better part of the weekend outside, rolling in the leaves.
