Prayers for my Pidgie, please!

[Medusa]

Hi Friends,
My miss Pidge just hasn't been herself. She's one of my first rescues, so she's about 16 years old or so. She turned her nose up at chicken day before yesterday and she's been lethargic. Today she was asleep in her bed downstairs instead of joining the rest of the posse upstairs as she usually does. When I came home from work, she was in the same spot. So I'm on my way to see Dr. Feeman since Dr. Lee is gone for the day. She did perk up and eat some chicken and she even let me brush her a little and clip her claws. But she has that same look that my Peeka did before she died. If it's acute renal failure, then I know what lies ahead. If it's chronic renal failure, I know like Puddy has, then I know what lies ahead there, too, but what's one more cat on subQ fluids? Anyhow, please send some good thoughts her way. She's never been sick one day since her rescue and she has the sweetest disposition of any cat I've ever seen. I'll post when I get home.

Blessings,
Mary

[furrykidsmother]

Good thoughts and prayers to Miss Pidge and to you too!

Let us know when you get back.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Will do!!! Let's hope it is just an upset tummy or so...

[kb2yjx]

Prayers for Pidgie on the way!!! Take Care!

[Medusa]

Hi All,
Home from the vet's. They said it was never easier to take blood from a cat than it was w/her, she's so sweet. She isn't dehydrated and her breath isn't bad like it would be if she was in renal failure. So, here's hoping that she was just having a bad spell. She went straight to the food dish as soon as she got home, the brat. ;) She cried the entire way there but on the way home she was as quiet as a church mouse. When we got home, Puddy took off running. I think she thought she might be the next one to get inside the carrier. :p As soon as I know what the blood tests tell us, I'll post. They couldn't take a urine sample cuz they said she has such a small bladder. So they let it go until they see what the blood tests results are.

Thanx for the prayers and I'll keep you posted.

Blessings,
Mary

[jenluckenbach]

Prayers for good blood tests results.

[sandragonfly]

how lethargic?

sweet pidge, you're in my thoughts! ma
ke sure your meowmie keep us up-to-date, we would like to know the result!

psst, what's with three "P"s? maybe don't give your next cat the name starts with 'P'. :p

good to see you back, by the way!

[Medusa]

That must be it! No more "P" names. ;)

Blessings,
M

[Medusa]

The vet just called and said that Pidgey's blood work was "fantastic"! (Her word) She did say, however, that a couple of her teeth looked like she might have gingivitis and that would be consistent w/her lethargy, if her teeth hurt. So it appears that what's next is a good cleaning. We can deal w/that. This morning Pidge ran right upstairs and out into the patio room as if to say "I'm feeling better, Mom. See? I'm up and about." So it looks like we dodged a bullet. Whew!

Pidge is such a sweet girl. She was dumped in my yard 13 years ago when she was in labor! Two of her kittens were stillborn and one died shortly thereafter. She had every conceivable worm, tic, flea, etc. that you could imagine and it took $400 on the very first vet visit just to clean her up and make her comfortable. You just cannot believe her disposition. She keeps Puddy in her place, if you can imagine. ;) When I brought her home after her initial vet stay, I held her on my lap and sang to her while we sat in the sun. I somehow knew that sitting in the sun would do her good. She purred like a little motor boat. Since that time she's been totally unassuming, as though she's just grateful to have a home and be warm and fed. And, of course, she has her man, Boo, whom she adores. If he enters the room, she runs right over to him. If he leaves the room, she's right alongside him.

I'm so glad that my Pidge is ok. I love this gal. Thanx for your good wishes, friends.

Blessings,
Mary

[Kirsten]

Just read about Pidgie's problems and I'm relieved that it's no kidney failure, and that her blood work was fine!

Glad to read that she is feeling better today! :)

Kirsten

[jenluckenbach]

A few bad teeth is great news in comparrison to what we were thinking it might have been. Hope Pidge feels better real soon.

[Medusa]

Yep, you're right. It's certainly better news than I feared. Pidge is doing good today. I made burgers for dinner and she actually came to the table but she's such a lady, she never begs. So I broke a small piece off and she ate it. I'm going to call my local vet on Monday and book an appt. for her for teeth cleaning. No sense in driving so far to see Dr. Lee if it isn't an emergency. Dr. LeBeau is 5 min. away and he was my vet for 30 years before he took early retirement. But now that he's back, I use him for the ordinary stuff and save the complicated stuff for Dr. Lee. They're both my heroes but in different ways.

Again, thanx for all the good thoughts and prayers. Pidge says 'thanx', too.

Blessings,
M

[TopCat3]

Yes the toxins from gingivitis can make them feel wretched. People too. She'll feel much better when they're seen to and she feels comfortable chewing again. Good luck with that Pidgie. :p

Medusa, how is Puddy doing on the fluids? How long has it been now? Cleo started weekly fluids about a month ago and is much better for it. The weather has been very trying for a cat with CRF, hot and very humid, typical Sydney Frebruary, it is still hot but not quite so humid and the temps have eased a little bit. Cleo is eating better but I still have to remind her and encourage her with handfeeding sometimes (like if she knows I am going to work on a Monday morning she will sulk...)and she is steadily losing weight. She went up a few grams one week, now she has gone down a bit again and looks thin. She's having liquid potassium as well as the neomercazol for thryoid and the Norvask for high BP. She has 100ml fluids a week.
How does this compare with Puddy and how long is it Puddy's had fluids? And how old is Puddy now? (I'm sure you've said but I read about everyone's cats and can't remember everything) Thanks TC3 :)

[Medusa]

Puddy, who is nearly 12 years old now, is doing just great on the subQ fluids. I administer them every other day. In the beginning, Dr. Lee and I experimented a little to see how long she could go, hoping to get her up to every 5 days or so. But that was too long in between treatments. Every other day is what we decided on and she appears to be thriving. Just this morning she was running up and down the upstairs hallway and I was afraid she was going to wake up all the other cats before it was time to get up! :p She's been on the fluids now for about 7 months, I think. (I'd have to check her records to be sure.) Her appetite is great, no litter box problems, no fever or nausea. The last time she had any problems was on Thanksgiving day and I gave her an extra treatment and it perked her right up. But she doesn't have high BP like Cleo does and that may be a contributing factor in Cleo's health. How often are you giving her the subQ fluids? In the beginning, Dr. Lee said that I may have to administer them as frequently as twice a day but, fortunately, that wasn't necessary.

I hope I've helped you somewhat and, if I can answer any other questions, I'll glady do so. Special prayers are going out to you and Cleo.

Blessings,
Mary

[TopCat3]

Thanks for clarifying and for your prayers. Cleo goes every Friday to the local homoeopathic vet to have 100mls of fluids. She started off at 60ml then at the suggestion of her other vet (much further away-too far for weekly trip) we increased it to 100ml and now she lasts all week and is very much more perky and has much better appetite. Last night and this morning she has eaten well, which is pleasing. Her BP is normal now due to the Norvask tabs.
We know we might have to start twice weekly later on.

How much do you administer to Puddy every other day, how many mls?

[Medusa]

Puddy gets 150 cc's every other day. And I do it myself. It's easier on Puddy and me and there are no vet visits to schedule and pay for, so it's less expensive. You might want to talk to your vet about administering the fluids yourself. The gauge of the needle is such that the entire session lasts approx. 5 minutes. I'm glad Cleo is perkier. :)

Blessings,
M

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Glad to hear that Pidge is feeling a bit better now

[Cat's Meowm]

I hesitated to step in here, cause of sickness. But I'm glad I did - once again I've learned something.

I will say a general prayer - cause everyone that writes on this site can use one!

[Medusa]

If you need a prayer, you got one! :) I hope you feel better soon.

Blessings,
Mary

[TopCat3]

Puddy gets 150 cc's every other day. And I do it myself. It's easier on Puddy and me and there are no vet visits to schedule and pay for, so it's less expensive. You might want to talk to your vet about administering the fluids yourself. The gauge of the needle is such that the entire session lasts approx. 5 minutes. I'm glad Cleo is perkier. :)

Blessings,
M


I have been thinking about asking my vet if next time she can hold Cleo and I could do the needle bit. But as to doing the whole thing on my own at home, I don't know... she's only got to struggle and it could hurt her and I could end up with fluid all over the laundry room (where we do all meds etc) and a very scared and cross cat. And a scared and cross Mummy. 150cc every other day is a LOT - much more than Cleo currently needs. If it came to her needing that amount, that frequently, I guess I'd have to. At the moment I have some special money set aside I am drawing on for these weekly trips so it isn't an issue. It's a big commitment you've taken on there and I think you're fantastic to be coping so well - I remember your first posts when you were so scared of hurting Puddy and doing it yourself. Well, that's where I am right now. Maybe one day I'll be where you are now - but not yet!!!

Thanks to everyone for the prayers. :)

[Medusa]

I certainly won't preach that you should do it yourself, believe me. Funny you should say that you remember my earlier posts cuz I was going to refer you to them. My hands were so sweaty, it was all I could do to hold onto the needle and Puddy. And the needle came out so many times that I lost count and fluid squirted everywhere. But we both survived. ;) Puddy is my feistiest cat (polite word for b*tchiest) and I envisioned myself scratched and bloody and her really pissed! But, as you may recall, after a few sessions of trial and error, it all goes smoothly now. She sits perfectly still; I know that she senses on some level that it's helping her. If you do decide to do it yourself, you won't be sorry. But you'll know if/when that time should come.

Blessings,
Mary