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Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Dystopiary
putting up a hook to hang my hopes upon
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Thank you everyone for the good wishes!
He seems ok in himself iykwim, but as many of you know this has come after a period of significant weight loss and on and off vomiting, and blood tests that showed a couple of slightly raised numbers for liver and kidneys.
He's 15 so not a spring chicken any more - although I am really hoping that tomorrow's test will point out something that is manageable, I will be upset but not necessarily massively shocked if it shows something bad is going on. Alternatively it could be a repeat of what we went through with Sonic last year, and the ultrasound doesn't really show much out of the ordinary.
Still, whatever the outcome, it is massively important to me that we have done whatever diagnostics have been recommended, and to know that we have done everything possible to try to find out what is wrong and maybe, hopefully, manage that so he stays in good health for as long as is possible.
Love him to bits, he's snoozing on my lap atm.
He seems ok in himself iykwim, but as many of you know this has come after a period of significant weight loss and on and off vomiting, and blood tests that showed a couple of slightly raised numbers for liver and kidneys.
He's 15 so not a spring chicken any more - although I am really hoping that tomorrow's test will point out something that is manageable, I will be upset but not necessarily massively shocked if it shows something bad is going on. Alternatively it could be a repeat of what we went through with Sonic last year, and the ultrasound doesn't really show much out of the ordinary.
Still, whatever the outcome, it is massively important to me that we have done whatever diagnostics have been recommended, and to know that we have done everything possible to try to find out what is wrong and maybe, hopefully, manage that so he stays in good health for as long as is possible.
Love him to bits, he's snoozing on my lap atm.
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Back from the vet hospital!
The ultrasound has been done, the images will be analysed by the specialist and the results sent to our vet who will phone us later in the week (except no they won't, cos they never bloody do, I expect I'll have to phone them on Friday. EDIT: I take this back, my regular vet phoned me the same day, see my post lower down the page).
Nothing obviously worrying was detected - so no large masses or anything of that nature was seen. Still we will wait for the full analysis before fully relaxing.
Jakey was horrible to get into the carrier as usual, it's always a nightmare, but we managed it first go this time which is a bit less stressful for everyone involved, and no-one sustained any injuries on this occasion! (I remembered to put on a thick long-sleeved fleece jacket before picking him up!) It's not deliberate anyway, just that he panics and starts scrabbling with what seems like about 10 legs.
He was very well behaved once he was there though, the vet said he was very sweet and gentle and Jakey apparently chatted to him the whole way through the procedure, I am very relieved that no sedative was needed. I was expecting it to go OK, Jakey is a very sweet creature and if they could manage to ultrasound Sonic without sedation I knew Jakey would breeze through it.
So we'll hear the full results later in the week.
The ultrasound has been done, the images will be analysed by the specialist and the results sent to our vet who will phone us later in the week (except no they won't, cos they never bloody do, I expect I'll have to phone them on Friday. EDIT: I take this back, my regular vet phoned me the same day, see my post lower down the page).
Nothing obviously worrying was detected - so no large masses or anything of that nature was seen. Still we will wait for the full analysis before fully relaxing.
Jakey was horrible to get into the carrier as usual, it's always a nightmare, but we managed it first go this time which is a bit less stressful for everyone involved, and no-one sustained any injuries on this occasion! (I remembered to put on a thick long-sleeved fleece jacket before picking him up!) It's not deliberate anyway, just that he panics and starts scrabbling with what seems like about 10 legs.
He was very well behaved once he was there though, the vet said he was very sweet and gentle and Jakey apparently chatted to him the whole way through the procedure, I am very relieved that no sedative was needed. I was expecting it to go OK, Jakey is a very sweet creature and if they could manage to ultrasound Sonic without sedation I knew Jakey would breeze through it.
So we'll hear the full results later in the week.
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LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
So far so good! Hopefully by the spirited defence he put up he's still got some go in him yet. It's good they couldn't find anything concerning.
philosophical
Well-Known Member
Great colour.
Why watch TV yourself when you can pass an evening looking at that beauty?
Good cat/curtain colour coordination.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
I do love a ginger tom! So handsome.
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
I had to have a look while he was grooming himself just now - pink cat tummy!!!
He's got an odd arrangement of nipples in the wrong places and a massive scar due to surgery years ago, I'd not seen his naked tummy since it's been completely healed, so that was interesting.
He's got an odd arrangement of nipples in the wrong places and a massive scar due to surgery years ago, I'd not seen his naked tummy since it's been completely healed, so that was interesting.
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Just had a call from our lovely vet, Angel, who has confirmed a diagnosis of Stage 1 Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Pancreatitis.
These are things that are commonly seen in elderly cats and therefore no big shocks or surprises, thankfully. It is good to have a diagnosis that explains his weight loss and vomiting, and can be managed for a while (he's an old boy and I have no illusions that he is going to last forever bless him!)
Management will be by diet for now, the pancreatitis can be painful during a flare-up and cause anorexia, so I have to keep a close eye on that and phone the vet for medication if he goes through further bouts of vomiting - anti-emetics and pain relief if need be. He does seem ok in himself (whatever that means!) though and is currently eating well, grooming, enjoying laying in the sun, wanting cuddles, and having his "funny-five-minutes", all stuff that is normal to happy cats.
If nothing goes wrong in the meantime then we'll do blood tests again in October to check kidney function, it will at some point of course decline, hopefully we can catch it when that starts to happen because it should still be manageable with diet and later on medication if/when it gets to stage 2.
So although there is stuff going wrong, this isn't an unexpected or a tragic diagnosis - catching these things early is critical to the difference between them being manageable conditions (at least for a while) and being at death's door - so I am content with knowing that we have done the right thing with all the tests and know what to do going forward.
Thank you to everyone for your support and kindness, and not least for letting me ramble on about my cats over the years.
I do need to do a bit of research on chronic pancreatitis though, apparently it is very common in elderly cats - does anyone have any experience of it to share?
These are things that are commonly seen in elderly cats and therefore no big shocks or surprises, thankfully. It is good to have a diagnosis that explains his weight loss and vomiting, and can be managed for a while (he's an old boy and I have no illusions that he is going to last forever bless him!)
Management will be by diet for now, the pancreatitis can be painful during a flare-up and cause anorexia, so I have to keep a close eye on that and phone the vet for medication if he goes through further bouts of vomiting - anti-emetics and pain relief if need be. He does seem ok in himself (whatever that means!) though and is currently eating well, grooming, enjoying laying in the sun, wanting cuddles, and having his "funny-five-minutes", all stuff that is normal to happy cats.
If nothing goes wrong in the meantime then we'll do blood tests again in October to check kidney function, it will at some point of course decline, hopefully we can catch it when that starts to happen because it should still be manageable with diet and later on medication if/when it gets to stage 2.
So although there is stuff going wrong, this isn't an unexpected or a tragic diagnosis - catching these things early is critical to the difference between them being manageable conditions (at least for a while) and being at death's door - so I am content with knowing that we have done the right thing with all the tests and know what to do going forward.
Thank you to everyone for your support and kindness, and not least for letting me ramble on about my cats over the years.
I do need to do a bit of research on chronic pancreatitis though, apparently it is very common in elderly cats - does anyone have any experience of it to share?
oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
Glad it was nothing terrible. You are both knowledgeable and dedicated - I'm sure you will be fine with managing his chronic conditions as much as is humanly possible.Just had a call from our lovely vet, Angel, who has confirmed a diagnosis of Stage 1 Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Pancreatitis.
These are things that are commonly seen in elderly cats and therefore no big shocks or surprises, thankfully. It is good to have a diagnosis that explains his weight loss and vomiting, and can be managed for a while (he's an old boy and I have no illusions that he is going to last forever bless him!)
Management will be by diet for now, the pancreatitis can be painful during a flare-up and cause anorexia, so I have to keep a close eye on that and phone the vet for medication if he goes through further bouts of vomiting - anti-emetics and pain relief if need be. He does seem ok in himself (whatever that means!) though and is currently eating well, grooming, enjoying laying in the sun, wanting cuddles, and having his "funny-five-minutes", all stuff that is normal to happy cats.
If nothing goes wrong in the meantime then we'll do blood tests again in October to check kidney function, it will at some point of course decline, hopefully we can catch it when that starts to happen because it should still be manageable with diet and later on medication if/when it gets to stage 2.
So although there is stuff going wrong, this isn't an unexpected or a tragic diagnosis - catching these things early is critical to the difference between them being manageable conditions (at least for a while) and being at death's door - so I am content with knowing that we have done the right thing with all the tests and know what to do going forward.
Thank you to everyone for your support and kindness, and not least for letting me ramble on about my cats over the years.
I do need to do a bit of research on chronic pancreatitis though, apparently it is very common in elderly cats - does anyone have any experience of it to share?
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Thanks! I mean it isn't great news, those aren't things that are curable and treatment is just to stave off the inevitable for a bit and keep him comfortable and happy - but hopefully he will be with us and comfortable and happy for a bit longer, there wasn't any "sorry but he's got an aggressive brain tumour" or "we can't do anything and he has days rather than weeks" that I had with the other two iykwim.
If we'd managed to get a diagnosis for Sonic's kidney issues sooner he might still be here, but it wasn't for want of trying - he had exactly the same tests last year that Jakey has had recently but just bad luck or bad timing, ie not at an advanced enough stage to detect, nothing showed up in those tests. Glad that we know what is going on with Jakey and can maybe slow the progression of the diseases and keep him healthier for longer. It does mean he is starting to be a bit on his last legs though bless his heart.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
"I don't CARE if you're working, Mum! Me wants cuddles right now."
KatyF
Barren of fucks
Luna has just done a spectacular vomit all over the rug. Looks like mainly food but I'm rusty with things like this - should I be concerned? Do we need a trip to the vets or just monitoring for now? She's currently sat having a wash on the windowsill and doesn't seem distressed.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
As she's quite young, she may get dehydrated quicker so I"d check with a vet just in case. I'm sure she's fine but definitely see a vet to make sure.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
Does she get out to hunt or tend to bolt her food? That is IME often the cause of inexplicable/one-off pukes. Hairballs of course but your see the ball of hair and sometimes cats do chuck for absolutely no other reason than they are cats!
I wouldn't be too worried about a one-off, unless there is blood/bile/foam or combined with upset guts or obvious lethargy/unhappiness. Its if it starts happening regularly that you need to get it investigated.
I wouldn't be too worried about a one-off, unless there is blood/bile/foam or combined with upset guts or obvious lethargy/unhappiness. Its if it starts happening regularly that you need to get it investigated.
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
If it's just a one off I wouldn't panic (unless you knew she'd eaten something bad, or there was odd stuff in it like blood or bits of plastic or something!)
They do occasionally vomit for all sorts of reasons (hair-trigger vomit reflex on them) and a once off is usually nothing to be concerned about.
So just keep an eye on her, if she does it again in a short space of time/after her next meal then phone the vet, similarly if she develops other symptoms or if it is something she does regularly.
If you think it might be to do with her eating too fast (usually when that happens it comes back up quite violently within about 10 minutes of them eating), you can get bowls that are specially shaped to slow them down when they are eating
EDIT: Oh also, if feeding her food that has been kept in the fridge, let it get to nearer room temp before giving it to her, I made that mistake with Jakey once and it hit his stomach cold and didn't stay down long!
They do occasionally vomit for all sorts of reasons (hair-trigger vomit reflex on them) and a once off is usually nothing to be concerned about.
So just keep an eye on her, if she does it again in a short space of time/after her next meal then phone the vet, similarly if she develops other symptoms or if it is something she does regularly.
If you think it might be to do with her eating too fast (usually when that happens it comes back up quite violently within about 10 minutes of them eating), you can get bowls that are specially shaped to slow them down when they are eating
EDIT: Oh also, if feeding her food that has been kept in the fridge, let it get to nearer room temp before giving it to her, I made that mistake with Jakey once and it hit his stomach cold and didn't stay down long!
You look like you're running the very real risk of claws in your tits. Is it really worth it?
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Sonic used to sit on me like that, I used to sometimes humourously refer to my tits as my "cat shelf"
(And yes it was worth it
)
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Since Jakey was having issues with vomming last week (not related to the above convo about one-off vomming, this is due to his recent health conditions) I've been feeding his wet food divvied up into smaller portions with a 1 hour gap between them, and adding water and giving it a stir so it ends up with a thinner gravy (the latter I started yesterday because the vet told me it's important to get as much water into him as possible) and it's going well so far, he hasn't brought it up since I started on the smaller portions (so half a portion fed at his usual time, then the other an hour later).
I used to do this with Radar too when he was having problems with chronic vomiting, which was a fairly persistent issue for him after his major illness where he had a feeding tube for a bit, which gave me the idea to try it with Jakey. Anything that helps him keep his grub down is good.
I think he's still feeling a bit nauseous, every so often he does a sort of hiccupping thing and I think he might be about to bring stuff up. Will keep a close eye on it and ring the vet if he starts vomming again. He otherwise seems OK today, very cuddly and was running around investigating things earlier.
I used to do this with Radar too when he was having problems with chronic vomiting, which was a fairly persistent issue for him after his major illness where he had a feeding tube for a bit, which gave me the idea to try it with Jakey. Anything that helps him keep his grub down is good.
I think he's still feeling a bit nauseous, every so often he does a sort of hiccupping thing and I think he might be about to bring stuff up. Will keep a close eye on it and ring the vet if he starts vomming again. He otherwise seems OK today, very cuddly and was running around investigating things earlier.
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LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
She's surprisingly careful about that. I used to hate having big tits as a childfree asexual and used to feel they were wasted on me, but I suppose in a manner of speaking I am using them to nurture Lilith, even if not in the feeding sense. My housemate saw me cuddling her the other day and commented "She really brings out the mother in you!"
