This has been a crazy roller coaster of a week, and it is only Wednesday! Let me back up a bit for some background info...long post...
Smokey went to the vet on August 20th, for his bloodwork and FVRCP. His bloodwork came back showing that his thyroid was high again, even on meds, and I was to increase the dose to twice a day. The kidney values came back consistent with where they have been, high normal, but not extreme or overly concerning, given his age.
Smokey starts hanging out under a chair or under my bed more and more. He comes out to eat some, but not a ton. He still comes to my bed at night and shares the pillow with me. He asks for a few snacks throughout the night, but not as many as he had been asking for. I figure, his thyroid is acting up, so it will take a few days for the medicine to regulate the levels.
This pattern continues. On Labor day weekend, I have to be out of town, but Auntie is there watching over everyone. I come back home Sunday night, and Smokey is weak and stumbling around when he tries to walk. I also notice he is dehydrated. Auntie says he has not been eating well at all. So we jump into action...100ml sub q fluids, appetite stimulant, and nausea pill given. He eats a bit but is very wobbly, and it is difficult for him to walk.
Monday rolls around and I give another 100ml's of fluid, another appetite pill, and decide to give some pain meds in case that is the cause of the stumbling. The weakness continues and seems to grow worse over the course of the day. He looks stoned! He still makes it to the bathroom to pee, and still tries to eat when food is placed in front of him, so am just not sure what to do. Take him to the emergency vet or not?
I knew his regular vet would be in the office on Tuesday, so he went there as soon as I got Tanner dropped at the vet school for his appointment. She ran a bunch of blood work, and tests on the urine I had captured, and basically it came back that he was in complete renal failure! It has been less than two weeks since our last blood work. In addition, he is anemic and his bilirubin levels were high. The ultrasound techs were there so they did an ultrasound to see if there was a blockage of some kind in the liver...there is not. His bile duct is inflammed some though.
She kept Smokey yesterday at the vet and ran fluids all day through an IV. He was also given some pain meds and antibiotics. He is back there today to receive more fluids and meds. He is still a bit on the wobbly side, but is trying to eat a bit better. He still makes it to the litter box to do his business. He still purrs when petted. He still has fight in his eyes. So I continue to give him a chance.
At the house, I have set him up in the kitten room, so I can close the door and confine him a bit. This way, his litterbox, food, water and bed are all very close together. The kittens can't bother him either, so he can have some peace and quiet and focus on healing. I hope to see some improvements on his blood values today. My goals to determine quality will be 1) the weakness improving or going away completely so he can walk around better, 2) Personality to return to a point where I see the old Goose again, 3) Eating well on his own without having to be forced or overly encouraged, and 4) Much less hiding under the chair, but being out and about like a regular family member again.
Purrs would be appreciated for my special boy.
