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...
Continue reading...Kidney Disease
Post emergency clinic
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...
Continue reading...Illnesses invade! Run!
I have a sinus infection, Isis has EPM, and Ambush and Stella have urinary tract infections (UTIs). Recovery is on its way through… The day after Isis came home from the hospital, Ambush had a sugar crash. He was unaware of anyone or anything that happened to him. A trip to the vet, some good wet food and blood glucose test later, he was on the road to recovery. The next day he...
Continue reading...Stella: Gamer kitty!
Today started with a vet visit with Stella for her fluids. She has been so good about it. Surprising, considering that she has limited patience. If something takes longer than five minutes, she will start protesting vigorously. The fluids have made a huge difference for her: the evening after she has her fluids, she plays hard. One night, she decided to help me play Guild Wars. This was the first time she took...
Continue reading...Stella’s vet appointment
Stella got fluids today — and had some good news! She lost a few ounces last week. Today she was back up to 5 pounds. It’s a gain of one or two ounces, but that’s a lot for a little cat. Stella has been surprisingly good for her fluids. She knows we’re trying to help her. She isn’t happy about it, but she doesn’t fight when she has fluids either. She plays like...
Continue reading...Stella doing better
Stella finally seems to be doing better. After two courses of trying to give her Clavamox antibiotic twice per day (and her successfully avoiding it 25% of the time), the vet gave her an injectible antibiotic that lasts for two weeks. The dose is determined by the cat’s weight, so it has the potential to be expensive. At five pounds, Stella’s dose was cheaper than one run of Clavamox. Every few weeks, Stella...
Continue reading...Stella’s Vet Visit
Stella was really good at the vet’s. She seems to have calmed down and knows we’re trying to help her. She’s been quiet in the car and good about getting into her padded carrier. She let Dr. Kipp draw blood without too much fuss for the blood test. While we were waiting for the test results, a friend of mine arrived. She has an older kitty who gets subcutaneous fluids twice per week....
Continue reading...Stella: No UTI
Stella does not have a UTI: lab culture came back negative for anything. Dr Kipp thinks that Stella’s urninating is due to a progression of her kidney failure possibly also some senility. Stella has a follow-up visit tomorrow afternoon at 4:45 to check her blood work (luckily that test is only $25 instead of the $99 for the urine test). The blood work will also help us know if Stella needs to be...
Continue reading...Stellster and the bed
Stella has developed a bad habit: if any piles of clothes are left on the bed or within her reach (like the laundry basket), she will pee on them. If the litter box is not clean or does not have enough litter in it, she will pee on my bed. (Mattress covers are worth their weight in gold!) Two nights in a row, I forgot to buy new litter. The three litter boxes...
Continue reading...Finally some progress with Stella
Stella hates the wet food from the vet (NF kidney prescription diet). Ambush (aka “the Vacuum”) won’t eat it. Stella still didn’t like the Merrick’s Turduken or Granny’s Pot Pie wet food, which both smell marvelous. Ambush and Kiesha were in love with these flavors. Stella couldn’t care less. The good news? Stella likes one dry food I found: Blue Buffalo Spa Selects. It’s a Lite formula, which she doesn’t need, but the...
Continue reading...Stella. Again. Sigh.
Last night, Stella did not look good. When we were going to bed, she tried to stand up to position her self next to me. Her rear end didn’t cooperate and she flopped over. She hadn’t eaten much that night and it was definitely showing. Poor kitten. The vet said that ideally Stella should be on an all wet food diet. That might happen if I could find a wet food she would...
Continue reading...I can has wet food?
Stella, bless her heart, is not eating most of the food I leave out for her. She prefers dry food over wet food. With her kidney issues, wet food is much better for her. So far, I’ve tried cans and flavors from four or five differnet brands. Stella ate the Wellness wet food pertty well for three days. Until I found a dry food she would eat… and then she quite eating the...
Continue reading...Stella’s vet check
Week before last, Ambush had his vet checkup. We upped his insulin dose to three units twice per day and decided to change the kitty food to something with lower carbs and lower protein (for Stella). My vet suggested that I bring Stella in, especially after mentioning how hard the last few months had been on the itty-bitty-cuteness-kitty(tm). Stella is now 19. Up until these past few months, she never looked her age....
Continue reading...