But first and foremost, an update on Ferguson. I knew she was feeling better when she hid around the corner and jumped out at me when I walked by. The girls are thrilled when she tries to lick their feet, or stalks into their room, yelling, when we are putting them to bed. It’s like we have a new kitty. She came home from the hospital on May 15nd. When they released her, her blood toxin levels were at the high end of normal and the vet hoped that her kidneys would kick in and bring things back into the mid-normal range. The bad news is that that didn’t happen. Her blood levels are still right around the same as they were when she left the hospital. So she has some kidney damage, and they won’t ever work as well as they should.
The good news is that with careful attention to her diet (special food and meds), she can still have a very good quality of life for years. Or not. We just don’t know. We’ll recheck her blood levels in about 6 months, and see where things are. All we can do now is give her what she needs and some extra tender loving care.
She is finally eating the food we are giving her. I mix in a little extra water with the wet food, just to keep her hydrated. She isn't really drinking very much, because (as I have been told by EVERY veterinary professional involved in this entire process) CATS ARE DESERT CREATURES (look under "Habitat"). So now you know. And if one more person tells me that cats are desert creatures, I will personally tattoo it on her forhead with a paperclip. Yeah, I'm that ticked off.
But wait -- it gets better. Here’s the fun part. Yes, there is a fun part. Every other day she gets subcutaneous fluids, 100-150 mls. From a 1-litre IV bag of lactated Ringer’s solution (does everyone remember the show, “Emergency”? I love you, Randolph Mantooth!) with a six foot length of tubing. And a needle! Thankfully, she is getting used to it, as are we. Okay, I am getting used to it, but DH isn't. And all he has to do is hold her and soothe her while I have to stick a needle in her. It’s not fun.
I did make one great discovery. For all you cat and dog owners, there is a wonderful product out there called Pill Pockets. They are, as they say here in New England, wicked expensive, but worth every penny. They are a soft treat with an opening in the center, almost like a little bowl. You put the medicine inside and press it shut. Ferguson LOVES it, and I love that I don’t have to pry open her jaw and then clamp it shut, only to later find the pill, wet and slimy in her bed. UGH! So all hail the inventor of the Pill Pocket.
And thanks again for your love and support.
10 comments:
I just submitted a comment that's not showing up. This is a test to see if it was just something I did wrong...
Yeah, it was me. Crap. Anyway, what I said was that I found out that the doggie day care DOWN THE STREET from me sells Pill Pockets; this is very good to know, as I'm going to try them the next time a cat (and that usually means Small One) needs meds.
I'm glad she's doing better!
All of this is very good news. I have, unfortunately the highly adaptable cat. He's fine the first couple of times and then he figures out the pattern of medicating and rebels. So far we've had 2 good days. The liquid banana flavored antibiotics may kill us both. Banana? YUCK! Glad you found the pill pockets, I know they've saved many people human-feline relationships. I know a lot of people who have to do the sub cut fluids thing and it's a good quality of life deal and not as evil as it sounds.
Cats are des...OK, I can't even make the joke and tell you because, I did not KNOW that. How did I not know that?
Banana flavored??? Good heavens, what are they thinking? When was the last time you saw your cat eating a banana? One of the meds the regular vet gave to Fergie was citrus-flavored. I mean, come on! Most cats HATE citrus.
They should be making this stuff taste like salmon, or maybe chicken livers?
Bananas are one of the few things that I really would not eat even if it was the only think available on the desert island upon which I'd been stranded. So between me and the cat we're both gagging and spitting and pissed off.
Turns out I have the only cat in the world who won't fall for a pill pocket. I had to chase him around the apartment with a fuzzy salmon flavor covered half pill. Finally had to somehow peel the pocket off the pill and jam the remnant down his throat anyway. He's such a tender, precious flower.
Friggin' cat! Too smart for his own good. My dad used to hide pills for our dogs inside liverwurst, but since I have no idea exactly what is in liverwurst, I don't really feel comfortable recommending you feed it to your cat.
Then again, it's better than him NOT taking his meds....or is it?
The problem with bringing liverwurst into the house is only that I will eat it. I love liverwurst. So awesome. For now I'm shoving the things down his throat and rewarding him with catnip later. So he'll be alive but stoned.
And liverwurst is sooooooo not on the Plan!
The WW people are very tolerant of choices both good and bad but I think if you eat liverwurst you get kicked out. No exceptions.
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