(no subject)

[wyld_dandelyon]

We took Amitiel to the vet again today for a blood pressure recheck. It's still a little high, but no longer dangerously so. He has lost some weight, even though he's still happily eating. It's clear he's getting close to leaving us, but not how soon that will be.

He purred and purred again for the vet and his assistant.

More details below for people who are interested in the medical stuff.

He was having a little trouble breathing, so the vet did an ultrasound. The kidneys are huge and filled with fluid. No kidney stones (which is what the vet expected since there's no evidence of blockage--he's still peeing on the floor). The current kidney diagnosis is either hydronephrosis or perhaps a genetic disease similar to cyctic fibrosis (which the vet says usually kills cats within a year). They can't do anything significant for either disease.

Amitiel also had fluid in his chest cavity, which we had the vet drain. There was quite a lot of the pinkish stuff, and the vet said that meant either lymphoma or FIV. We have two other cats, so paid for the FIV test, which came back negative. That's good news for the other cats, at least. But that leaves him with a diagnosis of kidney disease and cancer.

I did ask about calcitriol, which the vet said would not do him any good and might stress his poor kidneys even more. That was also the reason given for not prescribing a diuretic to try to slow the recurrence of fluid buildup in the chest cavity. They did give him a shot of steroids to reduce inflammation and hopefully slow the return of the fluid. That should make him more comfortable for a while, at least.

So we're back to loving him, feeding him as much as he wants (while trying not to overfeed the two younger cats, who are getting chubby), giving him the blood pressure medicine daily and hydrating him when needed.

Even though this clinic tries hard to keep things affordable, all of this has put a significant dent in my budget for stuff like conventions. (And never mind that people like our President probably have spent a lot more on a single night out for just him and one dinner date.)
In other news, I've had a sore throat for two days, and am pretty foggy-brained. I hope this is the worst of it and not the start of one of the horrible flu strains going around.

Comments

[red_trillium]

Aw, sorry to hear about the cancer diagnosis, kidney disease & fluid build up in his lungs. But I am glad that he is happy right now and that you guys are taking care of him and loving him. And I hope that your sore throat is just a normal cold, not a nasty version of the flu.

[wyld_dandelyon]

The fluid was in the chest cavity, not the lungs. However, it was taking up space and therefore making it harder for him to breathe in, especially combined with the fact that the kidneys have expanded large enough to press on the bottom of the lungs.

I'm sorry too, though I've known for a long time that cats don't live as long as humans, and if nothing else gets you, cancer, heart disease, or a stroke will.

Thanks for the good wishes.

[acelightning]

What a beautiful floof-cat! Love him as much and as hard as you can, and know that he loves you, too.

If you're not running a fever by now, it's probably not the flu. Vitamin C, and hot tea with lemon and honey and fresh ginger - which boosts your immune system - in it, and as much rest as you can get. And if you can stand capsaicin, eat the spiciest things you can stand (curries, Sichuan cuisine, Mexican, any kind of hot sauce), including regular black pepper, which helps the body metabolize the beneficial properties of hot peppers and other medicinal herbs.

[wyld_dandelyon]

He's a sweetie.

And I was feeling better pretty quickly, so I don't think it was the flu. Thank goodness. I'm too busy for that!

[acelightning]

Glad to hear you're okay!

[soundofsunlight]

I'm sorry for the sad news about the kitty. Just loving him and feeding him and making him happy sounds like the best way to spend your time together.

[wyld_dandelyon]

Yep, that's pretty much it. Except for making sure he gets the blood pressure meds, of course. He glares at me every time, but at least he can see me to glare at me.