All of the kitties are going to the vet tomorrow morning. Ambush and Stella are having fluids. Kiesha is going to be tested to see if she has a UTI like the other two, and if so, she will needs meds.
The farrier is also coming out tomorrow morning for Isis and Kasane. He’ll check Prize’s feet to find the best way to get her on the same schedule as the other girls. (Her feet look great.) Chris at the barn is going to keep an eye on the girls and let me know how they are for the farrier.
After finishing with the kitties, I’m going to head to the barn and spend the day with the girls. It’s supposed to be really pretty. I can’t wait!
Vet called me back with the results of Ambush’s blood panel. He is showing early stages of kidney problems and needs to start getting fluids like Stella. He only needs them once per week instead of twice per week.
He dropped three pounds since August. That is a lot of weight.
I may be asked to start doing blood glucose levels on him at home my pricking his ear. Will find out more on Saturday.
Stella and Ambush had lots of quality time with the vets today. Stella got fluids and a urine test. Ambush had a urine test, spot glucose test, and blood pulled for a blood panel. The vet did preliminary urine analysis on both kitties and they both came back with UTIs.
Ambush and Stella both got antibioitics injected. Stella is very difficult to give pills to and any liquid antibiotics cause her to froth at the mouth. Ambush gets the runs from clavamox pills. Kiesha gets to go in on Saturday morning to see if she also has a UTI. Chances are she does. Last June, all three of the kitties came up with UTIs.
The vet said something interesting. Apparently when a set of kitties are well bonded and one of them gets sick, the other kitties can pick upon this and the walls of their bladders can become inflamed. Not sure if it’s a stress hormone release or what.
Stella is curled up on my lap right now, purring. Kiesha is at my feet. Ambush is some where.
I went to take a nap and Stella curled up next to me under the covers. She jumped back out from the covers, went underneath, and came back out. She couldn’t settle in one place. She kept on stopping and then meowing almost like a bark. I put her in the bathroom with food. I’m going to take her to the vet first thing in the morning. She curled up in the cat bed in the bathroom and didn’t protest when I closed the door.
Ambush is also going to go to the vet tomorrow. He needs to have his blood glucose levels checked. He’s lost weight over the past two weeks or so and his coat isn’t looking well. I’m wondering if maybe all of the kitties have UTIs again like they did last June.
Several times per week, I hear this “ca-thump-ca-thump-ca-THUMP” noise from the bathroom. When I go in to investigate, Her Cuteness is chasing her tail in the bathtub. You would think that a 20 year old cat would know that her tail doesn’t go any where. She’s 20 going on three.
For the first time, I managed to get Stella on video. Here she is, chasing her tail very late one night. Silly kitty. She’s pretty flexible for an old girl.
I have been very lucky for the past few months. While Isis has been having trouble this year, the kitties have been healthy this fall and winter. Stella has been doing very well, even though I have not been good about getting to the vet for her fluids. Ambush still seems to be doing well on his low insulin dose and steady diet. (He is using the litter a lot — I’m going through 18 pounds of litter in about 10 days).
Kiesha has been playing with Stella every night. Both of them canter through the house and play tag. Tonight Stella played with a piece of paper on the carpet: tossed it up in the air, caught it, skittered after it across the bamboo carpet. Yup, she’s 20 going on 3.
I have the kitty beds around the desk now: Ambush on the floor to my right, square bed on the boxes to my left, and the special heated (water proof in case Stella leaks) bed on the floor near the plug. Keisha is on the square bed and Stella is on the heated bed. Ambush’s paws are twitching right now. Cute.
I’m going to Mom’s for Christmas and bringing Ambush with me. He is usually good about the drive up and doesn’t get too stressed. I’m leaving Stella and Kiesha behind in the care of my sister. Stella gets stressed when I’m not here and doesn’t eat, so I can’t be gone too long. Poor kitten. She never does well, but it would be much harder on her traveling to Mom’s and dealing with being stuck in a room with Ambush and smelling dogs that she doesn’t know.
She’s been recovering well (yay!) and so far seems to be doing better. I’ve been feeding her on my desk. She seems to eat more when I’m nearby than when I’m not.
Our checkup with the regular vet went well. She was pleased that Stella’s test results showed similar numbers to last December’s blood work. The kidney disease hasn’t progressed very much.
She played like a kitten today — I have the cuts on my hand to prove it. Feisty little girl. Twenty going on three.
She is showing her age: her hip muscles are almost non-existent because of arthritis and kidney problems that cause the kidneys to eat up any available protein source (like muscles). She seems happy and is not in pain.
It’s hard when you suddenly realize that the kitty who was with you through college is suddenly getting older. Every day with her is suddenly more special.
Initally, Stella seemed to be a little better this afternoon. I stayed home with her and she seemed to be walking and trotting around the apartment. Just a little wobbly but not much. I was getting ready to go to the barn to feed (horsesitting), and woke Stella up to move her into the bathroom. She was worse than she had been this morning. Her front legs trembled as if she was too weak to properly stand just before 4:00.
The emergency vets did a blood panel on her (results showed slightly elevated kidney numbers). From what I understood, the blood panel did not show that she was anemic or that she had an imbalance in her electrolytes. The vet thought that maybe Stella could have elevated blood pressure that might cause her weakness or that the combination of her arthritis and muscle atrophy in her rear limbs/hips made her wobbly. The vet gave Stella 60 cc of fluids and I took her home.
The vet suggested x-rays and blood pressure check. Unfortunately, it was too expensive to do there. I was already beyond the limit of what I can afford.
She is currently bathing herself on the little bed set up next to my desk. She just finished her first really good meal of the day. She’s been drinking well.
Stella is having trouble walking this morning/afternoon. It started just before lunch and lasted almost an hour. I called the vet just before they closed. They said to keep an eye on her and if something happens to take her to the emergency clinic. Otherwise to call them on Tuesday and let them know how she is.
She started off being wobbly on her back end and only taking 5-7 steps before laying down. After about 20 minutes, she was able to jump down from the bed, walk to my desk, climb on the desk, and jump back down. She’s definitely improved, it’s just been a slower improvement this time. Her gums look okay and she has been eating.
She doesn’t seem like she is distressed, more frustrated that her rear end isn’t cooperating. Poor kitty.
Update: Stella is worse. I’m taking her to the vet clinic. She is so weak she can barely stand up.
