Vibes needed please - all 3 cats poorly

[booktigger]

Well, they put a local anaesthetic cream on his neck so he doesn't feel as much, but he still struggles!! He is much more food orientated on these new meds (he is a contrary hyper-t cat in that he isn't that food orientated, I think the Felimazole initially increased his appetite too), I even got him to eat some of his breakfast before going out this morning, and he had 2 pouches plus some biscuits for his tea, so hopefully he will put on some of that much needed weight. New meds are more expensive than old meds though unfortunately.

Molly is eating really well, I split her wet food up, and it seems she is getting her steroids earlier, so trying to eat me out of house and home, but she wont eat certain flavours anymore!!

Not having such a good time with Zia though, she has gone really picky with her eating, although hopefully it is just cos I forgot her Metacam on Thurs (dont know how I only remembered to medicate two cats!!) and she had Friday's late cos she kept running away from me :-( She is sitting on windowsills enjoying some sun so I took her outside with me yesterday, and seeing her outside in the sun highlighted just how thin her back end has gone, and her back is dipping as well - but she is 20 next month with lots of health issues. Tried to give her some different wet this morning and she is hardly touching it, then wasn't interested in her renal dry, so relented and gave her some adult dry with it - first time I have had to do that in 2 weeks, but the phosphorus in that dry isn't much more than her renal (renal is 0.3, the adult is 0.7), so it isn't that bad.

 

[katkisses]

I am glad that Molly is doing great!!!

Zia is 20!!!? I didn't know that, what a good girl! Most old cats I have seen are skinny, but I know what you mean.

You are an angel to take care of them so well!

 

[booktigger]

Can I have some good vibes for the girls please, both have been sick overnight. Doesn't seem to have affected their appetite much though, and Zi's even eaten some renal wet. Am praying it is just a one off for both of them.

Zi will be 21 next month (I take her birthday as the day she came into rescue, so she could actually already be 21). No one would guess she is as old as she is, unfortunately I am struggling with my photobucket account, so can't post a recent pic for you.

 

[katkisses]

Many for all of your precoius babies!

 

[booktigger]

Thanks, i gave her smaller rations for 24 hours, and put her back on full rations last night, she hasn't been sick since, and neither has Zia.

 

[farleyv]

I am still sending up thoughts and prayers for you and your gang. My Coopers lived to 22.

You are doing a huge service to these old sweeties. I know it is day by day sometimes.

Please give them a hug from me.

 

[booktigger]

Thanks, it means a lot - none of mine have eaten a lot today, all are lying around snoozing at the moment, bless them!! Sam is really clingy today (I was out Fri night, and then fundraised all day yesterday, so needed a lie in this morning), so going to go and lie on the sofa with him!!

 

[katkisses]

Glad they are doing ok! Many

for you.

 

[mazobear]

What an incredibly gorgeous cat. I do so hope he gets better

 

[booktigger]

Thanks, Sam was so incredibly clingy last night, and he is drooling more now, so am definitely not going to take him back for his bloods, I think his poor mouth needs a bit of a break. Will get him weighed this month tho

 

[booktigger]

Got home last night and Sam's mouth was swollen on his bad side, so got him in at the vets at 5 tonight - he had been drooling a lot on that side of his mouth at the weekend, but I opened his mouth enough to check it wasn't smelly and there was no sign of it being swollen on Sun. It doesn't look like an abscess though, but he has stopped drooling, so I am wondering if he has a blocked saliva gland. This will be the first time I get to meet the new vet, so fingers crossed he is OK, and we can start doing a 3 min journey rather than a 20 min journey

 

[farleyv]

Let us know. I will be thinking of you.

 

[katkisses]

Oh no, I hope it goes well!!!

 

[booktigger]

Well, not the best vet visit, as I suspected it doesn't seem like an abscess. The vet thinks it is suspicious and has mentioned the word I tried not to let into my head - tumour. We have been here before though, so hopefully this vet is wrong on that score, and he just has a lot of inflammation that is confusing the diagnosis - we wont know for certain without a biopsy, and it isn't something I am willing to put him through. There is a chance it is just sort of scar tissue from his ulcers, he has been given a Convenia jab to deal with any infection, and I have to give him Metacam for the next few days, and we are going back on Friday. His weight is pretty much the same, although he has been eating more, so am not happy about that. What I am annoyed about is that he was only at the vets two weeks ago, and I asked about ab's and got told they weren't necessary - if this is just a severe infection, I wonder if it would have happened if I had given them to him after that? It doesn't affect his eating, which is good, but the vet was also concerned his tongue was being pushed to the side, I am hoping that is just cos he was struggling.

He came home, sat in the neighbours with me for a while, had some tea, and then got into a fight and came home with a bloody mouth - rather than let me clean it, he finished off his tea!! He was rather quiet and dopey last night, but hoping that is just the ab's.

 

[farleyv]

Please know I am thinking and sending up prayers for you and your sweet friend.

You deserve a medal.

 

[katkisses]

I hope the vet is wrong too.

At least it isn't keeping him from eating, that is good!

It's not fair that innocent creatures have to go through so much.

 

[booktigger]

Thanks everyone. Tried wetting his biscuits last night and he wasn't overly keen, most went over night though. He much preferred the dry ones I put down this morning!! His face doesn't look as swollen to me this morning, so fingers crossed that is a positive sign and it will look even better when he sees the vet tomorrow, and the vet might think it is just a flare up of his calici (as his eyes have been a bit runnier than normal too). He hates me putting the Metacam straight down his throat though, and Zia is struggling more than normal with it as well. Molly's tum has been a bit upset overnight, so she is on some LactoB this morning, but she is demanding food more than ever, although doesn't look to be gaining any weight.

 

[katkisses]

I m glad that his face seems to be getting better! I hope the others start feeling better too.

How did the vet visit go?

 

[booktigger]

Well, I do like my new vet, he is much more relaxed about Sam's hyper-t treatment, he will just let me have tablets without putting Sam through another blood test, and without seeing him again. I have said I will get him weighed a couple of days beforehand just to be on the safe side, but he is happy as long as Sam stays stable, he isn't bothered if he doesn't gain much weight, unlike the other vet, apparently it is better for them to be lean in old age, although I would have thought after losing 400g in a month, some weight gain would be good, as he can't afford to lose more. Unfortunately the main reason for the relaxed attitude is that his hyper-t is a secondary issue at the moment.

His mouth was a lot cleaner, but there is still a growth - I could feel it last night when stroking his chin. IT is slightly affecting his eating, in that he is getting a build up of food in the side of his mouth (got bits of food shook on me three times last night!!). What was worse yesterday though was I got up to bits of blood on the kitchen floor - I had broken one of the cat bowls the night before, so first instinct was I had missed a bit (which I had), until I turned round with the cleaning stuff to find blood splatters up the kitchen wall!! His mouth had obviously bled a bit, so he shook his head and hit the wall - that is the second time his mouth has bled this week, so obviously something is getting worse. I am annoyed at the vet who looked at him 2 weeks ago and said his mouth was fine.

I am a lot more relaxed about it than I was when we first suspected it 7 weeks ago, can't work out why. Other than a/b's and Metacam, there is nothing we can do, as I am not willing to put him through a biopsy (and the vet isn't keen too either, and he isn't the only one, when we first suspected this, I spoke with 2 vets and the vet nurse and none recommended it).

Molly has been incredibly demanding this weekend, bless her - she still looks in good health, apart from her shaved bits that aren't growing back very well.

Pics

Molly


Zia


Sam and Ellie (the foster cat, the only youngster in my house)


Sam, taken this week showing the swelling


Sam and Ellie, welcoming me when I was late home!!

 

[katkisses]

I am sorry about Sam's mouth, I know that is heartbreaking.

Does the vet think the growth could be his thyroid? Could it be causing his hyperthroid issue?

Molly looks alot like my Bear.

What a pretty girl! I love Zia's Batman mask, that is so cute! Elliot looks like she is full of character.