Tanner Tuesday

Tanner reminded me that it has been too long since his last post, so here goes...

Tanner is doing great!  His weight has come back on since he started the thyroid pills.  He weighs 14lbs 8oz now.  This is a good size for him.

His fur has all grown back in from his treatments.

He went back in recently for bloodwork recheck and everything is stable.  His thyroid is back in the normal range, and his kidneys remained stable with the new meds.

Tanner still loves to play with a string in the evenings, although he and Oliver find it more difficult to play with the speedy kittens around.  

Life continues to be good for Tanner and we want to keep it that way for as long as possible!  Thanks to everyone for all your purrs and good thoughts for my Tanner Man.

Tanner Tuesday

Tanner is doing really well.  We have not had any vomiting and he is eating like normal.  He has been taking his thyroid pills for over a week now, and he gained 5 ounces this week!  Looks like the pills are working.

Tanner and Harrison

Tanner is asking to play more as well and is snuggling in the bed at night.  I believe he feels better.  He will go in a few more weeks to the vet for a recheck.

Thanks for checking on my favorite orange boy!

Tanner Tuesday

Tanner continues to do well, although we have another condition to add to his list...

Tanner went to the vet last Friday, for his annual visit.  It was determined that he had lost almost 2 pounds since April.  I knew he had been going down some, but didn't realize how much exactly.  The vet was concerned of course, as was I.  His coat has also been looking a bit unkempt for a few days, so I was wondering about him.

You may remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned he was vomiting more.  I mentioned this to the vet and we agreed to do an extra intensive blood panel to see what was going on.  Our vet mentioned he was a bit worried about Tanner...never a good sign :)

I wasn't sure if the results would be in on Saturday or if I'd have to wait until Monday.  Thankfully, the vet called first thing Saturday morning to give me the news...

Kidney Values = all stable

Anemic = not at this time

Potassium, phosphorus = All normal

Pancreatitis = YES, continue with the Pepcid injections daily for at least two more weeks

Thyroid levels show he is now Hyperthyroid.  Two more pills a day for Tanner.

The vet was actually quite pleased with the results as these are pretty normal aging diseases, and treatable.

Tanner has started his pills for his thyroid, so hopefully the weigh loss will stop and he will start feeling better.

For those keeping track, Tanner now takes 7 pills a day, and gets potassium powder in his morning can food.  He is getting one injection daily of Pepcid, and one injection weekly of his Adequan.

He is a happy boy though and loves life.  He plays hard enjoys a cuddle on the couch at night.  I am so thankful he is a tolerant boy!

Thankful Thursday

Updated: Just heard from the vet...Smokey is not responding to treatment at all.  His numbers have not improved.  He is telling us it is time to go.  Smokey will be crossing the bridge in the morning, at home, in his favorite bed, surrounded by love and family.

 

 

Today, I am thankful for the blogging community and friends!  Thank you all for the support you are showing me and Smokey, (and Tanner) at this time.  Thank you Ann for the wonderful graphic and for spreading the word about Smokey.

 

Smokey is at the vet for day three of fluid therapy...he seems a bit perkier today, is walking/standing better, and is cooperating at the vet's office!  He still does not want to eat much, if at all, on his own.  The vet used a syringe yesterday and fed him 1/4 can of AD food.  I hope if we can support him and get some more food into his system, he will feel better and want to eat on his own.  Eating is something we have struggled with for months though, although not to this extreme!

 

Today, he will have his blood work rechecked, and I hope we will see the numbers going in the right direction.  If not, other decisions may need to be made.  The vet has listed his prognosis as "guarded" at the moment, so we are taking things slow and are thankful for any small improvements we see.

 

I'm not exactly sure all the meds he is getting at the vets office, but this is what I do know:

- Cerenia (nausea)

- Clavamox (antibiotic)

- Something to help bring the phosphorous levels down

- IV fluids

 

A couple of things I am truly thankful for are:

1) Timing - so thankful I did not treat the Hyper-Thyroid at the radiation center earlier this year when we determined he had a problem.  I have had many wonderful months with my Goose!

2) I am thankful we held off on doing the blood work until August, and did not do it at the visit in July...the pet sitter would have been dealing with this problem because I would have been out of the country!

3) Very thankful that Tanner is doing well, and at least for the time being, I am focusing my main attention on one sick boy instead of two.

 

Things happen for a reason, and at the right time!

 

I appreciate all the comments on the last post, and the suggestions many of you made about alternative care options.  I plan to research those suggestions and may be contacting some of you for more information!

 

Thank you all for the continued purrs and prayers!

What a Week Wednesday

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.



Three Boys - Thursday

Little man Ollie had his neuter yesterday, and did fantastic!  Everyone at the vet's office loved him, and they threatened to steal him from me.  I don't think he spent much time in his cage for being toted around!  He is a love bug and enjoys attention.

 

At home last night, he was starving, so he ate really well.  I had hoped he would go on to sleep after a hearty meal, but no, he was a wild man!  I think he was so excited to be back home, and to see Cousin Georgie...they played and played.

 

Tanner is feeling better, and did not need an antihistamine this morning!  He is still sneezing some, but does not seem as "stopped up" as he had been.

Smokey has been having a rough time lately, and so another trip to the vet has revealed that he is hyperthyroid now.  We have started on his medicine for that, and I can see improvement in his eating, and overall perkiness.  He is also in the high-normal range for kidney values, so even though he looks good on paper, we have started giving some fluids, twice a week, to see if that will also perk him up.  He seems to stay in a constant state of slight dehydration, and that is enough to make him feel puny. 

 

So, he is getting a thyroid pill daily, a shot or pill of Pepcid daily, appetite stimulant a few times a week, sub q fluids twice a week, and then his arthritis shot and immuno-therapy injection each just every two weeks.  He is turning into a pin cushion/medicine cabinet!

 

My hope is that we get him back on the right path, get his blood values stabilized and can maybe wean from some of these meds/procedures...but we will keep doing them as long as they are needed.

 

That's the news on my three boys this week...