Lexie and Ash had their vet check-ups today..

[carole]

Both kitties were due for their vaccination today and general checkup.

I am not sure who is more nervous, me or the kitties, it went pretty well, i have a great vet and he is very kind to the kitties.

I had some concerns about Lexie's weight, since she has been on Royal Canin she has gained a lot of weight and is quite , shall we say podgy,she is on the special diet urinary SO for struvite stones to prevent them re-occurring,he said it was the food that was making her fat,as it is high in fat, unfortunately you fix one thing and have another problem, so despite my best efforts at restricting her intake, Lexie is to remain rather rotund i guess, however she had lost a little since her last visit,so that is progress.,as usual she was a little darling there, i love how both my kitties bury their head into my armpit, i guess it makes them feel secure.

Good thing Lexie's teeth are good, she crunches every single biscuit down and only eats biscuits and of course she is only 6 and half years old, so, so far so good.

Ash is doing well considering his renal failure,and the vet was pleased, however he had some gingivitis and his gums looked rather red,i was disappointed to see that, but it is because of his kidney failure, we had his dental only eight months ago, but it does complicate matters, as if they get worse he may require some extractions of the top molars, but it is doubtful he would survive the surgery,because of his renal failure and heart murmur, so i am not happy about this news, and it really is a catch 22,so far he is ok,it is not bothering him,but if it does, I am not sure what we will do,so little sad about that.

However he has gained just a little weight since last visit in July, which is always a very good sign in a kidney cat,as the vet said it is when their weight plummets and keeps going that way, you really have concerns, and it is probably time to look at putting them to sleep,so all is going as best as can be expected.

I had been meaning to ask him how long did he think Ash would live with his medication,he said it usually gives them about a year, maybe two if you are very lucky, so far he has had eight months, and he was certain he would have passed away long before now had we not chosen to medicate him, so we are hoping Ash will be with us again this xmas and even next,miracles happen, he is a strong old fella, and we can only hope for the best.

I have to tell you they had two of the most adorable kittens looking for homes, two siblings, lovely marked tabbys,their mother was a stray who sadly was run over, but these babies are going to be just fine, looked super healthy and getting great care at our vets, they often take in babies and cats needing homes, and puppies too, so hoping these two precious babies go together and find loving forever homes.

Anyhow much relieved furbaby mother here, glad it is all over.

[Medusa]

When my RB Puddy had gingivitis, I brushed her teeth daily and squirted Chlorhexadine mouthwash into her mouth on the instruction of my vet. It's the same mouthwash that I use but this is formulated for cats. This kept her from having discomfort in her mouth and I didn't worry about dental checkups after that. Has your vet suggested that? It's easy to do, you don't have to do it for long, just a few seconds and the toothpaste comes in chicken flavor (which Puddy hated) and also malt flavor and she loved that. All in all, it sounds as though your vet visit went well, though. That's a relief, eh?

[Catty1]

I am glad to hear both kitties came through well, and behaved wonderfully.

There is a thread in Cat Health that talks about non-grain foods preventing struvite crystals - it keeps the urine at a certain pH.

My boys have been on no-grain cat food for several weeks now...they don't eat as much of it, Oscar in particular is getting nice and lean and has more energy.

The no-grain food is high in protein, so maybe it's not good for Ash, but it might be good for Lexie. Check with your vet.

Hugs to Ash and Lexie!

[rg_girlca]

I'm happy to hear that all in all the vet appointment went well.

[carole]

yes Mary i had thought about brushing his teeth, and that is what i will try to do, but Ash is a very difficult cat to pill or do anything with,i seriously doubt i will have any success with trying to brush his teeth, but i will give it a go at my own peril.

As for Lexie, she is already on a special diet for the struvite stones, but it makes her fat, i will mention it to the vet next time and ask if there is anything else that will have less chance of making her fat, we may not even have the product you suggested here Candace, but yes thanks all i will ask.

[Medusa]

[QUOTE=carole;2136373]yes Mary i had thought about brushing his teeth, and that is what i will try to do, but Ash is a very difficult cat to pill or do anything with,i seriously doubt i will have any success with trying to brush his teeth, but i will give it a go at my own peril.[QUOTE]

This made me LOL. My RB Puddy was the same way; that's why I called her the Pudilator. After a while, though, she just sat there and let me do it. I think that it may have even felt good to her, I don't know. Good luck, Carole. Here's hoping that you come through it w/all your digits intact.

[carole]

Yeah me too lol, i am not looking forward to it,Ash almost got the vets hand when he pilled him too, i said you need a pill popper with my old boy, he agreed.

Yes well pilling him nightly for eight months two pills per night has been no joy either to us or the cat, but we have managed it,it is what is keeping him alive, silly ole puddy ,if only he knew that,let's hope he enjoys the taste of the pet toothpaste, i hope to get some next week and give it a go, let ya know how it goes.

Ash is so edgy these days, he trys and runs for the hills when we go to pill him,and he sure knows when dad is around it is going to happen, he seems to know exactly when ,even though we try and be sneaky, get the pills ready before hand etc etc,they are smart when they want to be lol.