Quick cat update.

[farthing]

Just thought I'd give you all a quick cat update after all the good wishes we have recieved over the last few months- then have to go and wash floors.

Spice is STILL doing well, I think. Every 2 weeks she gets a convenia injection to keep any infection down in her mouth. I'm pretty sure her kidney levels are going up, but at the same time she is eating well. She doesn't do much anymore, but still manages to hop onto the bed and then step onto the hammock, and then onto the window sill for a drink. She gets her next acupuncture session next week, so I will get her weighed then, and will try and get a urine sample- at this point it seems a bit less invasive than a blood sample and will still give an indication of how bad her kidneys are.

Pumpkin and Sooty were both in for their boosters today and have lost weight, which is good because they were both a bit hefty- and with Pumpy's knees its better he is lighter.

Fluffy and Pudding are in tomorrow for thyroid tests and weight checks. I'm hopeful Pudding is within normal and increased in weight, but fear that we may still have to put Fluffy through an op- she is still very lean and hungry.

Jimmy goes in on Friday for his thyroid test, and I want to ask about his snotty nose- its back again- because he has the funny eye I suspect it is linked in some way with cat flu. No tests have been done previously, so I think I will talk to the vet and ask if a swab to identify the infection will help. Most of the snot comes out of the same nostril as his non-eye.

I also need to get a urine sample from Helga, she has bloody cystitis again, and the vet said it is quite often something other than an infection, it may be diabetes or kidney failure (( I confess, diabetes is my concern). A blood sample is out of the question just now, she is too portly to try at the moment but a urine sample will give a clue as to whether kidneys or diabetes may be an issue.

Samson and Misty are doing well, although, while pondering this afternoon during the time I cleaned out the rabbits, I think I will get her blood pressure checked- just in case.

Tabatha seems less keen for food, which is worrying me, but I think actually it is because she is no longer hyperthyroid but within the normal range ( actually a bit low) because she looks fantastic.

Candy's tummy has calmed down again, although I'm not convinced she's 100% there is nothing obvious, and it may just be the heat.

Loki needs to go out!

[dandysmom]

Farthing, your cats are so lucky to have you looking after them so well! I don't think I could cope.......

[farthing]

The first 2 - Pudding and Fluffy have been tested- so have to wait now for results. As predicted Fluffy has lost more weight ( very disappointed) and the vet thinks we may need to try her on felimazole again ( problem is we really need her to be fairly stable before any GA occurs anyway). She was taken off it when she was only at 2.5mgs once daily, we think the other vet just didn't stock it. Fluffy is on 30mgs of vidalta (above the recommended top dose), so we may have some more leeway with the felimazole.

Pudding has put on 1/4 of a kilo, less than last time, but she is now in with the others and moving around more- she has gone from 1.78 to 2.33 to 2.55, so a steady increase over the 2 months. I hope her thyroid levels have reduced, if they aren't normal.

I've booked Tabatha to go in tomorrow with Jimmy as she is a bit snuffly too.

Misty and Spice are in for blood pressure checks on Tuesday and Spice gets her acupuncture on Thursday- Bournville and Pixie ( horses) also get their boosters on Thursday.

really need to get a diary for the wall.

Corrie (dog) had another fit this morning, and Jack (goat) is wheezing again. Jack had the satr of pneumonia a couple of weeks ago and he recovered after an antibiotic injection, but I think the changeable weather and his age ( he's 12) are causing problems.

[Shelley123]

Thank you for the update, it sounds like animal hospital.
Do you get time for a life Farthing or is this it
I so admire you, like Eileen i don't think i could cope.

[yola]

Wow - Farthing, just reading that makes me cross-eyed! And I thought I had my hands full with cats/kids and their various ailments.

Hats off to you and Mike . . . you're a treasure to these poorly pets and probably their only chance at continued existence.

[jan]

You are obviously a very special person Farthing - and you still have heaps of love and affection to hand around. Lucky animals that find you definately!! (and your other half, he must be pretty special too as it happens.) Kind of makes up for all the rotten so and so s that dont treat their animals so good. Love to all your menagerie. Jan x

[farthing]

The next installment.

Tabatha is doing well and has put on more weight, although she is a bit wheezy- being FIV I am very careful to treat any infections ASAP. She is on a course of betamox, she got an injection today and is due one more on sunday and another on tuesday.

Jimmy is not looking so good at all. He has lost more weight and his one good eye is now runny. The vet is quite concerned and hitting this infection with all he has got- he got another betamox today ( I gave him one on wednesday, under the vets advice), he will get a convenia injection tomorrow and he is also in baytril tablets, I also have to add bisolvon to his food to try and remove the mucus. We are sending off a thyroid blood sample because the vet think he is still high, but if not we need to start looking at whether something else is going on. The vets are pretty worried there is something bad happening in his abdomen, the concern is down to the long term issues he has had with constipation. I am again disappointed that this is happening to him, he hasn't had bowel problems for ages- he struggles sometimes, but always manages to go. I suppose I had hoped to take him in and make him all better, when in fact he looks worse.

[PoshPuss]

Wow Farthing, you really are Superwoman
I take my hat off to you xxx

[pookyandjo]

i have to agree with everyone else Farthing...there will be a special place for you in the next life... i dont know how you do it...i was only saying to my husband yesterday that since Charlie the puppy has joined our 2 cat household it seems like SUCH a lit more work... Dogs ARE a lot more work than cats.. but all the same i always seems to be feeding, measuring out food or doing something fur baby related...
I cant imagine how you manage with the menagerie you have

[farthing]

Well the blood test results are back for Jimmy, Pudding and Fluffy, and a somewhat worrying.
Pudding is higher than the recommended levels, so we will increase her meds from 15mg of vidalta to 20, she has not been very keen on her food lately, I have been blending it again and she was eating happily, but I will try leaving it as normal tonight, just in case she has gone off the mush. She has a sore eye so I will need to get that check, perhaps that is putting her off her food a bit.

Jimmy is very slightly higher than the recommended dose, so we are leaving him at this level for the time being, rather than put him too low. This now leaves me very worried about his weight loss. The vet wants us to give him a couple of weeks with his antibiotic and get the snotty nose cleared- illness can depress the thyroid levels and we may find when well he will actually be higher. If he starts to put on weight over this time- great. If he continues to lose weight he will have to go in for more tests- probably bloods, scans and maybe x-rays- but he must be overthis bug first before we risk any GA anyway.

Fluffy is very concerning because her thyroid levels are back to over 200! She is regularly sick, so that may explain the problem or not reacting well to the vidalta. We are now going to change her back onto felimazole ( the previous vet moved her of this orginally when she was on a very low dose). She will get 5mgs in the morning and 2.5mgs at night to start with and will be retested in 3 weeks.

To add to this I discovered that Mallow, our stray bunny, seems to have growths on her mammaries, so she is booked in tomorrow to be check, probably before spaying and possibly mastectomies.