Posted By Russ Emerson on August 11, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Mycah seems to be doing better today. She ate almost all of her breakfast, and she’s been drinking well and using the litterbox (or, unfortunately, the floor next to it.) She seems no lazier than normal.
She likes the door-less PTU as a hangout, I think because it limits any unwanted approaches from Kismet and Packet. She’s more tolerant of them, but not so much that she actually wants them within paw’s reach.
Got a call from Nice Lady Vet about an hour ago; the fructosamine test was within normal bounds, so diabetes isn’t the issue. She did suggest broadening Mycah’s diet to include regular (non-prescription) canned food; it’s possible she’s just bored with the same food, day in and day out, for the last two and a half years.
I want to keep an eye on how she eats; I still get the feeling she’s having difficulty getting her food down, which might, I suppose indicate a problem with her mouth, throat or stomach, but she doesn’t seem to have any actual pain that she’s complaining about.
We’ll take any progress we can get.
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Posted By Russ Emerson on August 9, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Mycah is doing… not horribly bad, but not terribly well.
The lab results from Tuesday’s visit came back; her blood sugar was a bit elevated, but they wanted to run another test on the sample, so I had to drop by and pony up for the additional test — a fructosamine test, whatever that is. It sure sounds like it’s blood sugar related.
Mycah being diabetic, this is a concern. Her diabetes has been under control with diet alone for the past 2+ years, but perhaps she’s beginning to require insulin injections.
She’s moving better than she was earlier this week; she’s resumed her “bunny hop” method of climbing the stairs, for instance. She doesn’t appear to be limping in any way.
Her litterbox habits appear to have returned to normal, though her “output” is a bit reduced.
She’s lost weight, two pounds since she was checked in April. She’s still overweight at 14 pounds, but that seems to me to be too much, too fast.
She’s not eating all her food at mealtimes. It looks as if she’s having a hard time getting it down. I think I need to record a video and show it to the vet.
Kismet and Packet are getting pushy about the food, too. At mealtimes, I prepare the three dishes and give Mycah hers first, so she has a chance to eat — her hyperthyroidism meds are in her meals. The lads then get their meals, across the room from Mycah; they wolf their stinky goodness down, then start making eyes at Mycah’s dish.
Her eating has slowed down to the point that she’s not even halfway done by the time the lads finish, and I find myself standing over her to keep them away until she finishes and walks away. If the lads nose into her dish, Mycah doesn’t even bother defending her food, she just walks away. She’s usually a member of the clean plate club, but this past week she’s been leaving food in her dish.
She spends all her time relaxing, sometimes in a PTU with the door removed, sometimes on her gizzy quilt, sometimes deep in the dark recesses of my bedroom closet.
I’m very worried about her. She’s been through a lot, health-wise, and I’ve tried to do what’s best for her all along, but at 13 she’s not a youngster — I hope she has a few more good years in her.
Update, 8/10: she’s not eating much at all now. I’ve brought food upstairs, and I put some in front of her whenever she comes out of her hidey hole, but she shows little to no interest in it. This is so uncharacteristic of her, I’m getting even more worried. I think another call to the vet tomorrow is in order.
Category: Animals |
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