Kiri's latest vet check--update post #120.

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri and Kacey are staying with a friend about an hour away from here until I get my living situation straightened out.

My friend just called. She had to rush Kiri to her vet. They're running tests now, but it could be kidney failure. And it's possible that she (and my other kitties) could have eaten some of the tainted food.

Please send my poor Kiri your healing thoughts. I don't have any way to get to the vet's (an hour away, no car), and I'm so afraid that I'm going to lose her and not even be able to say goodbye. I'm also horribly worried about whether it is food-related and whether any of my other cats might be affected.

[Medusa]

Oh no! I'm so sorry! Prayers going out right now for your furkids that all will be well. A candle burns for you all.

[Prairie Purrs]

The vet thinks she's in total kidney shutdown. They're going to try to treat her overnight and see whether it does any good. But there doesn't seem to be much hope.

[kb2yjx]

O NO!!! Will keep Kiri and you very close in thoughts and prayers!!! I am so sorry to hear that tainted food might be the cause!!! Please take care!!!

[Catty1]

PT prayers for Kiri! Remember Pouncer? PRAYERS TO KIRI!

[catmandu]

The Pet Angel Hospital Squad is there with Kiri comforting her , and helping her through the pain.
If it is that Pet Food mess we hope that you can sue the people responsible for Kiris pain.
Bust the first thing is to pray that Kiri will be all right, and taht the White Coats will be able to help Kiri out of danger.
Prayers are coming from ALL OF US at the Hotel.

[phesina]

Prayers being prayed, healing energies being sent, fingers and toes and paw pads all crossed in support of dear Kiri.

We are so very sorry you have this to contend with on top of everything else that's happened.

Love with hugs and nuzzles,
Pat, Peony, Sydney, Priscilla, Poppy, and Elmer

[jenluckenbach]

Many prayers for Kiri.

[jennielynn1970]

Poor Kiri! I hope that the vet can do something to make her better! Can you get a friend to take you there???

[moosmom]

Oh CID, you've got prayers coming your way.

HUGS

[AbbyMom]

Prayers and healing thoughts on the way for Kiri.

[Catty1]

MORE PRAYERS...please, Creator, save Kiri and return her to the person she loves, so she can have the wonderful life in store for her! And to ease her owner's anxiety at such a troubled time in her life.


(When Pouncer was ill, I composed a little prayer off the top of my head...I hope no one finds this offensive. It's for Kiri and CID...and anything can only help!)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this.:( Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Barbara]

Kidney failure is a dangerous thing but it does not have to be the immediate end. In a crisis they usually get IV fluids and that may do the trick. later it's about sub-q fluids and you and your freind can learn to administer them yourself.

www.felinecrf.com

gives the best advise.

All the best for Kiri.

[Killearn Kitties]

I'm so sorry to hear you have to deal with this on top of everything else. My thoughts are with and Kiri today.

[Medusa]

Don't lose faith. The last time I took Puddy in, a vet there totally prepared me that I would probably have to have her PTS. And her kidney actually burst! So never say there's no hope. There's always hope. Hang on, Kiri. I really feel for you, CID.

[Freedom]

Kiri, dear, lots of PT prayers are coming your way. Rest and recover fast!

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri girl is hanging in there! They're pumping fluids into her and trying to keep her warm, and they'll do more blood work this afternoon to see whether she's regaining any kidney function. Please keep my sweet little girl in your thoughts today.

[Medusa]

You got it!

[moosmom]

Stopping by church to light a candle for Kiri. Please keep us posted.

[Trinityagain]

All paws, fingers, and toes crossed here. I was so afraid a PT pet would fall victim to the tainted food.

Come on Kiri! We're all pulling for you!!!!!

[Donnaj4962]

Oh my... I am just seeing this! Please, please Kiri, hang in there and get better! Many prayers coming your way from Indiana!

[wolflady]

Good thoughts and prayers on the way for Kiri! I'm glad to see that she's hanging in there, so I hope that she continues to improve.

Come on Kiri, you can do it!

**hugs**

[Cataholic]

Prayers coming to Kiri! Hang on little one.

[Queen of Poop]

Just seeing this now. Tears and Prayers for Kiri. Hang on sweetie pie. Medicine can do wonders, but nothing beats PT prayers.

Sami and you ferret boys, I know you're busy at the Bridge but Dear Kiri needs your assistance please.

[Barbara]

Like Medusa said: there is hope. This will NOT be the end.

[jenluckenbach]

More prayers for Kiri.

[kimlovescats]

Praying for Kiri!!!

[Catty1]

This reminds me again of Pouncer...they did the fluids, the hot water bottles, and a day later he was charming all the staff. to the point that one tech asked "How is my buddy?" when Meowmie called her! :)

Sounding good - more prayers!

[phesina]

More prayers, healing energies, and appendage-crossings being sent Kiri's way..

Love,
Pat and cats

[Prairie Purrs]

Mixed news at this point--she's awake today, but still not eating and not peeing. They're going to give her some medication, wait another 24 hours, and then test to see whether there's any kidney function. If not, they will have "exhausted treatment," as the vet put it.

So it'll be another very, very long day.

There is one brighter note. The city inspectors came and left, satisfied that I didn't have too many cats in the house. So it seems safe enough now for me to bring Lily and Kacey home. And Kiri, soon, I hope. Then I can focus on finding a place in Illinois, so I can retrieve the rest of the caboodle from Dr. Goodnow.

[DrKym]

Who has been sending you huge energy and hugs! I have been watching and praying for Kiri, I am just way busy this week, (my kids are flying in on Thursday for a visit) I will ring you in a day or so, in the meantime your lap warmer says Hi and btw he wants you to buy halibut! :p

[kb2yjx]

Continued prayers for Kiri! At least you did get some good news from the housing inspectors!

[jennielynn1970]

Oh Kiri baby, you've got to be strong and pull through this! Your mommy wants to bring you home! Be brave little one... we're all pulling for you.

[Catty1]

More prayers for Kiri...come on, honey...just heal up and eat a little, and pee...come on, kidneys, come on back!

You can go home soon!

HUGS and PT PRAYERS!!!! :)

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri's kidneys have gone to work again, and the blood work shows that her kidney values have actually returned to normal!! She's got a bit of a UTI and issues with glucose levels, and she's still not much interested in eating, but she's much, much better!

Folks, I think we may have another PT miracle! Thank you all so much for keeping my Kiri in your hearts!

[Medusa]

YES! Wonderful news! I'm so happy for you both!

[Freedom]

YA-HOO!!! *dances around the floor* Kiri, way to go girl!!!

[Queen of Poop]

Yes!!! Very, very good news.

[Catty1]

YAAAHHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PT prayers never cease to amaze me! :D

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is wonderful news!!!:D

[AbbyMom]

Yea!!!!

[jenluckenbach]

Thank you, Lord.

[jennielynn1970]

That is fantastic news!! She misses you!

[Donnaj4962]

The greatest news we could hear! I am so glad that Kiri is feeling better. When will she get to come home from the vet?

[Killearn Kitties]

Oh please keep getting better Kiri! This is great news.

[kb2yjx]

HOORAY!! great news!!! C'om Kiri!!!

[phesina]

Oh HALLELUJAH! Such wonderful news. Keep on getting better, little Kiri, and before long you will be back with your meowmie and all your companions who love you so much.

Prayers, hugs, purrs, wishes, energies, chants, blessings to you,
Sydney, Elmer, Pat, Peony, Poppy, and Priscilla

[columbine]

YES! *happydance!*

Love, Columbine

[Barbara]

Kiri, you rock :)

It looks to me as if the situation was similar with Catnapper's Pouncer- a bad UTI which maybe has not been treated early enough. This is why our kitties have some extra lifes :)

[Prairie Purrs]

I should be able to bring her home tomorrow! They've been force-feeding her at the vet's, hoping that will bring back her appetite. She's still not wanting to eat on her own, but she's keeping the food down and looking perkier. And they still don't seem to know just what brought this on. They said that they can't tell for sure whether it was the food--it could have been stress. :(

I've already got Lily back with me, and I think she's wondering where the other cats are. Tomorrow I'll get Kacey and Kiri. I just hope I can keep Kiri from becoming too upset during the moving process--I'm hoping to move during April, even if it means that I'll have to stay with my parents or sister for a little while until I can get a house.

[Catty1]

Is there a mild tranny taht the vet can give you to give to Kiri?

I bet when she is back home, she will start nibbling....her Meowmie will be there after all! :)

[Prairie Purrs]

Is there a mild tranny taht the vet can give you to give to Kiri?

I'll find out about that before the move.

[smokey the elder]

She might not want to eat just because she's at the vet. I hope she continues to improve and you can bring her home soon.

[Medusa]

Well, I think you're doing a great job. Kiri seems to have a strong spirit and that'll keep her going during the move, especially now that she'll be back w/you. Soon you'll be in your new place and this will all be a memory, one that you can look back on and say "I did the best I could and it worked." Those prayers haven't stopped for Kiri and you and all your furkids.

[Prairie Purrs]

The good news is that Kiri is home and sitting on my lap right now.

The bad news is that she's got a bad URI along with everything else. No wonder she's not wanting to eat! I hope I don't have to force-feed her, but whatever it takes.

The worst news is that the vet thinks that there's some kind of hard-to-detect cancer underlying all of this. He said that he's seen several cats whose kidney failure was likely caused by the poisoned food (one died :( ), and none of them had their kidney functions bounce back the way Kiri's did. So he thinks that her problems are caused by something else.

She's obviously a sick kitty right now, but I don't think she's ready to give up yet. I've got to get some food into her, though. I'm going to pick up some baby food for her--any suggestions as to what flavors might be tempting?

[DrKym]

Penny, you know I am so not going to tell you to feed her baby food..................................may I intrude on our friendship? Try some cottage cheese and yougurt, also some scrambled egg.


just my 2 cents hun

Love ya
Kym

[Prairie Purrs]

Penny, you know I am so not going to tell you to feed her baby food..................................may I intrude on our friendship? Try some cottage cheese and yougurt, also some scrambled egg.


just my 2 cents hun

Love ya
Kym

I'll give those a try. Thanks!

[Medusa]

When I first got Puddy at 5 wks. old, my vet had me feed her chicken baby food. Of course, she didn't have a UTI. But w/out a doubt, all my furkids love chicken.

[jennielynn1970]

Mine too. I think I had Beechnut chicken and broth and turkey and broth, and also the sweetpotatoes. Just make sure there are no onions or garlic in the ingredients. Could you also cook some chicken on your own and puree it with some of the cooked broth? That way you could blend it into a slurry and use a large needleless syringe to force feed her if necessary.

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri still won't eat on her own, probably because she's got a nasty case of the sniffles and can't smell the food. I've been syringe-feeding her Royal Canin recovery diet mixed with some chicken broth (tried to get her to eat some of the chicken, but no luck with that). She's been drinking some water and using the litterbox. But she's still a sick little kitty, and I'm still very worried about her.

[Catty1]

How about trying a bit of really stinky tuna or a bit of canned salmon? Or a can of cheaper stinky cat food?

If you have some Vicks, let her sniff a dab on your finger...that might help too.

PT PRAYERS for little Kiri! You've come this far sweetie, keep moving ahead!

[Medusa]

We'll keep the prayers going. Don't give up hope. Kiri is a fighter.

[jenluckenbach]

It is so hard when our kitties won't eat. :( But keep up the force feeding, to keep up her strength, and she should come around soon. Sending more prayers.

[phesina]

More prayers for sweet Kiri from us all.

Hugs and purrs,
Pat, Peony, Sydney, Priscilla, Poppy, and Elmer

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri is staying the same, which worries me. She still won't eat on her own, so I'm still syringe-feeding her. I don't know whether she's drinking much on her own, although I've seen her at the water bowl a couple of times--so I'm giving her water from a squeeze bottle every so often (plus I have to mix some water into the food to get it through the syringe.

She's using the litter box (no poops so far, though). And she's still got some fight in her--she's able to climb into my lap, where she spends a lot of time. And she tried to get out of the room I'm keeping her in when I opened the door this morning. But she's so thin and weak.

I've got a call in to the vet who treated her last week, to see whether he has any suggestions.

[cassiesmom]

Prayers being prayed, healing energies being sent, fingers and toes and paw pads all crossed in support of dear Kiri.
From here too.

[Catty1]

I think it was Pouncer - or some other PT cat - who still wasn't quite right after getting over the worst of something similar to what Kiri had...and a shot or two of Vitamin B12 really seemed to help.

If you haven't talked to your vet yet, that might be an idea.

It's all I can think of at the moment...prayers and good thoughts continuing!

[violmando]

This is my first time on here---so sorry, but I'll add extra prayers to make up for it all--I know how it is to fight kidney disease in a kitty. Keep it up--we'll keep up the prayers on our ends since that's all we can do. Kiri, we know you can do---she needs you. Yvonne

[columbine]

Warming up her food makes it smellier too. Try adding a bit of Kitty Kaviar or other bonito flakes and warming it up - if she can't smell that I'll be surprised!

Love, Columbine

[Catty1]

Have you tried holding something really stinky to her nose? Even a can of Fancy Feast might stimulate her! Junk food I know, but just to get her eating.

If you have a small steamer (add Vicks), maybe put her in the bathroom for a bit and steam up the room, or even with a hot shower running.

Eucalyptus oil...tea tree oil...just thinking of things that would get through her nostrils!

HUGS

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that Kiri is still not eating on her own.:(

Catty1, it was my Starr that had the vitamin B-12 shot and this really perked him up. I don't know if this would help Kiri but it might be worth a try.

Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri is back at the vet's--not the same vet as before, but one near my house. She was getting dehydrated again. Still no clue what's really wrong with her.

I don't want to give up on her, but I worry about whether she's trying to let go by not eating or drinking. She hasn't been trying to get away and hide--she's spent most of the last few days on my lap. So I don't know what she's trying to tell me.

[jenluckenbach]

I am so sorry to hear this. :( I sure hope they can get her feeling better, good enough to eat on her own.

[DrKym]

Kiri is back at the vet's--not the same vet as before, but one near my house. She was getting dehydrated again. Still no clue what's really wrong with her.

I don't want to give up on her, but I worry about whether she's trying to let go by not eating or drinking. She hasn't been trying to get away and hide--she's spent most of the last few days on my lap. So I don't know what she's trying to tell me.

You tell that Kat, that after her siblings chorused me all night, I expect her to visit and chorus also!! No if ands or Buts! she is now in big trouble if she doesn't quit worrying Mom! :eek:

Love, aunty Kym

[Medusa]

Oh I'm sorry to hear this. Let's pray that Kiri will get rehydrated and feeling better again.

[Catty1]

More prayers for Kiri!

You did it before, sweetie - just one more time!

HUGS

[Catlady711]

I just want to tell you a little (ok kinda long) story about Dusty that may help you have some hope with Kiri.

In 1997 Dusty ate her supper, and then vomited. Which wasn't all that uncommon for her as she often used to do that until we switched to better foods. Anyways while she vomited she apparently inhaled some of it and ended up getting aspiration pneumonia. She stopped eating, drinking and grooming altogether, we figured she blamed the food for her feeling so ill.

Dusty had to be at the vets for a week. They tried pilling her (which normally is difficult anyways) and they ended up having to call me to do it because Dusty kept holding her breath till she'd pass out to keep from having to take a pill. So basically after a couple days of this they had to find injectables to use instead. She still wouldn't eat a thing, they tried salmon, tuna, sardines, a plethera of foods and she turned her nose up at every one of them. They nuked the food, tried raw food, nothing! She rattled when she breathed, and was losing weight every day.

They sent her home for a couple days hoping being at home would help her recovery. She was such a sad thing just hovering over the water bowl but not drinking, still not eating or even attempting to groom. She wouldn't even walk, she just lay wherever you put her at. They told us to try putting her in the bathroom next to a hot tub running so the hot steam might clear up her congestion so she could breath better. I don't know how much water we ran but it was alot! Seemed to help her breathing but she still wouldn't eat. We had to run her back twice a day for injections for fluids and medications.

She was doing better with the breathing, and would walk some but still not eating or drinking at all! So back to the vets for a few days.

They put her in an oxygen tent for a day to help the breathing so she could rest and heal better. They even did an EKG on her, and a ton more lab work. After a few more days they had the pneumonia cleared up but Dusty still wouldn't eat, still blamed the food. They couldn't even force feed her because she'd fight them so much on it and refused to be fed. They tried Valium 3 times (it's side effect in cats is ravanous appetite), didn't work at all for Dusty. So they sent her back home again over a weekend and said that if she didn't eat for us that we should consider having her PTS as they had fixed the pneumonia but couldn't figure out how to get her to eat and drink.

We took her home on a Saturday, by Sunday my mom called and set up an appointment for her to be PTS on Monday unless something changed. Nothing changed, still no eating or drinking, very little walking.

Monday morning 1 hour until PTS time - We're sitting there with her saying our goodbyes and crying, when lo and behold Dusty started grooming!!! She hadn't done that through the whole episode! They'd said if she would groom she might eat, so we ran and got a bowl of her favorite crunchies. Dusty got excited and licked her lips but wouldn't eat. Not to be thwarted we watered down the crunchies and wouldn't you know it, Dusty ATE!!! You never saw more happy humans in your life!! We waited 15 minutes to make sure the food would stay down, and during that time she also drank water!! All on her own!!! We called the vet to reschedule the appointment for later in the day as a RECHECK! Her food all stayed down, she had eaten more and drank more, and thoroughly groomed herself by the time we took her in that evening.

Basically they said if Dusty wasn't slightly overweight when this started she might not have made it at all. After that we made sure even when we put her on a diet, that she was slightly overweight. They also said in Dusty's case it was unusual for her to not eat for that long and not suffer kidney damage. Dusty is one lucky kitty that used at least 5 of her 9 lives that November in 1997.

Time Dusty did not eat: 16 DAYS
Dusty's weight at time of illness: 14 lbs
Dusty's weight at time of recovery: 7 lbs


Dusty currently sufferes severe osteoarthritis and muscle atrophy and is on experimental pain medication. I don't know how long the experimental meds will work or what kind of damage they might cause, but always the trooper she is still with us at 16 1/2 years old now.



**Just thought Dusty's story might give you some hope with Kiri!**

[Prairie Purrs]

Catlady, thank you for telling Dusty's story! I hope Kiri can make the same sort of comeback.

And thank you, everyone, for continuing to wish Kiri well. It means a great deal to me.

[phesina]

More prayers and wishes for the very best for Kiri,

Love,
Pat, Peony, Sydney, Priscilla, Poppy, and Elmer

[Catty1]

Any news????

[Prairie Purrs]

She's still at the vet's, still getting rehydrated. They're going to try an appetite stimulant. Her kidneys are working fine, and there's just nothing in her bloodwork to explain why she's not rallying.

I spent some time with her today, petting her gently and asking her to just let me know somehow whether she has the strength to pull out of this or whether there's some undetected bad problem that is making her want to let go.

[DrKym]

Penny you know I am only a phone call away, I am so sorry, wish you were here so I could fuss over the lot of you!

Healing energy and much love hun,
Kym

[Catty1]

Penny - try this: [email protected] - Nancy Efrusy

She is a pet psychic, inexpensive and very caring - she doesn't even need the money up front!

She needs a photo by email - and a few here have used her with great success.
She is able to tell what the animals are trying to say.

Email her with the urgency of the situation, though usually you don't have to wait long.

Is Kiri okay with you? Does she repond? Are her sniffles better? If not - maybe something as simple as treating the sniffles would help.

HUGS to you and that dear little girl!

[Prairie Purrs]

Another day at the vet's. Kiri's congestion seemed worse to me today, although her eyes weren't so goopy. She still won't eat. She tried to shove her little face up my coat sleeve and mewed a couple of times, but mostly she wanted to sleep while I visited her today.

I just don't think she can go on like this for much longer.

[Catty1]

Do they have ANY idea what is causing her sniffles? How about trying an antihistamine on her? That might clear her up enough to stimulate an appetite!

Please try that, please.... :(

[Prairie Purrs]

They've been giving her an antihistamine--which was supposed to also act to stimulate her appetite. No effect so far.

[Catty1]

:(

PT PRAYERS FOR KIRI!!!!!

Don't give up before the miracle happens...

[Barbara]

I am so sorry about Kiri. Still I think she doesn't eat because she doesn't smell the food.
I hope so much she'll be better.

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri finally ate something on her own today!

The vet wants to keep her until tomorrow, then send her home (mainly because they don't have anybody around on Sundays). They'll show me how to give her subQ fluids. Then probably more testing next week to try to find the cause of her problems.

Please keep fingers and paws crossed that she's finally turned the corner!

[Killearn Kitties]

All fingers and paws will be crossed for Kiri! I hope this is a turning point.

[Catty1]

Everything crossed!

I hope she eats more...that will help her heal faster! Maybe she just needs good food!

MORE PT prayers for Kiri!

[jenluckenbach]

GO Kiri!!! :)

[DrKym]

Woot!!

[phesina]

All fingers, toes, pawpads crossed for Kiri.. our prayers and healing thoughts continue..

Love,
Pat and company

[Prairie Purrs]

I spent quite a while with Kiri at the vet's today. She ate a little bit of food off my finger (and apparently had eaten a good amount before I got there). She mostly wanted to curl up and snooze, but I could tell she was more comfortable.

Now I just hope she'll keep eating when I bring her home tomorrow and that she'll gain some strength. She'll have some follow-up vet visits as they continue to try to find out what's wrong.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support of my Kiri girl! She's still got a long way to go, but she's going in the right direction!

[Medusa]

Atta girl, Kiri!

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is wonderful news!!!:) I hope that Kiri will continue to eat and get better. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent her way.

[Catty1]

Keep eating, Kiri!

I wonder if your vet would approve of kitten food - more nutrients and stuff.

I am glad her appetite has improved! :)

MORE PT PRAYERS! :D

[phesina]

Wonderful news, Kiri! You go, girl!

Pat and gang

[Prairie Purrs]

She's home, and she just ate a good meal! She got her subQ fluids for the day while we were still at the vet's--and she wouldn't hold still one bit, so tomorrow will be an adventure.

She's doing much better this weekend than when I had her home last weekend. Eating, for one thing. And complaining loudly when I leave her alone in the room.

The vet said that she'd probably have the sniffles for a few more days (not too many, I hope). If all goes well, she won't have to go back for a recheck for several days. Of course, if I can't get the subQ fluids into her myself, I'll probably have to take her over to the vet's (which is about four blocks away) so I can get some help with that.

Thank you all for your continuing well wishes!

[jenluckenbach]

What a very good update. Kiri, keep up the good work.

[Catty1]

OH GOOD!

Keep going, Kiri girl! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad to hear that Kiri is now home and eating.:) I hope that she'll cooperate and let you give her the sub-q fluids. When I had to do it for my RB Pepper and Storm, I did it in my bathroom and closed the door so they couldn't run away. Good luck.:)

[AbbyMom]

So glad she's feeling better. I did subq fluids for my RB girl Quasar. I was so worried about it but she always took it with no problems.

I think for cats that subq is a lot easier to deal with than pills. :)

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri's not eating as much as I would like--on top of everything else, the poor girl has a bad tooth, and I think it's bothering her a lot. But she is eating a little bit at a time, several times a day. And I was able to get the subQ fluids into her this morning. She didn't like it much, but we managed.

And she's getting restless enough to be a bit nawtee! :eek: I had to block off access to the electrical cords under my computer desk because she wanted to mess with them (not something she's done before)! I think she wants to get out of here and find one of her favorite spots elsewhere in the house, but she needs to stay in confinement for awhile.

[Catty1]

"nawtee" is a very good sign!

I hope she improves to where she can get that tooth taken care of. Will it have to be extracted?

HUGS to that precious girl.

MORE PT PRAYERS FOR KIRI! :)

(they always seem to do something for her...hmmm)

[Prairie Purrs]

"nawtee" is a very good sign!

I hope she improves to where she can get that tooth taken care of. Will it have to be extracted?

HUGS to that precious girl.

MORE PT PRAYERS FOR KIRI! :)

(they always seem to do something for her...hmmm)

The vet thinks that the tooth will be pretty easy to get out of there, but it may take some anesthesia--so we have to wait until she's stronger.

And yes, PT prayers and healing energy do indeed work wonders!

[Prairie Purrs]

Such a difference from a week ago! Kiri is nosing around the room, yowling to get out of the room, giving me headbumpies (and wiping her snotty little nose on my sleeve), and best of all . . .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/Pencats/Kiri008.jpg

She's starting to eat and drink without being coaxed/coerced to do so!

We still don't know what's really wrong with her, but it finally feels like she wants to fight back.

Millions of thanks to everyone who has been pulling for and praying for Kiri. We appreciate it so very much!

[Killearn Kitties]

Oh Kiri, keep eating! You can do this, sweetie! :D :D
That is just amazing after being forced to eat for so long!

[Medusa]

Now how's that for good news!

[phesina]

WONDERFUL!!! Kiri, you ROCK!

Pat

[jenluckenbach]

Such happy news. :) :)

[Barbara]

Kiri munching- how good to see this :) I hope she stays on the road to recovery.

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri is continuing to improve. :D It's quite amazing, when you consider how very sick she was.

She's getting subQ fluids two or three times a week now instead of every day. She's eating more than Kacey and Lily do, although she's still way too thin.

The vet still doesn't know what's wrong with her, other than a nasty bad tooth. Once she's bulked up a bit we can see about getting that extracted. And I'm sure that there'll be more tests in the future to try to find the source of the problem.

In the meantime, except for the fact that she doesn't much enjoy getting the subQ fluids, she's a pretty happy girl. She's got my home office to herself so Kacey and Lily won't bother her, and she spends hours at a time on my lap while I work/play on the computer. I think she likes not having to compete with the other cats for lap time!

I credit the power of PT (with special thanks to Mary) for pulling Kiri through. Thank you all so much!

Here's a picture of Kiri using the keyboard wrist rest as a chin supporter (while lounging on my lap, of course):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/Pencats/Kiri.jpg

[Medusa]

I'm so glad to hear this news. Getting a lousy start on the week and this brightened my day. Kiri, stay strong, girlie. We're all pulling for ya.

[Barbara]

That's a very cute picture of Kiri :)
Looks as if she had one or the other spare life;)
Way to go Kiri!

[Medusa]

Kiri wanted to get closer to the mouse! ;)

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri wanted to get closer to the mouse! ;)

LOL! :D

[Prairie Purrs]

Kiri had a mixed checkup at the vet's today. The very good news is that she's gained almost a pound since her last visit 10 days ago! The bad news is that there's a growth in her mouth that needs to come out, along with her bad tooth. The vet isn't sure whether the growth has been there all along. And, of course, she can't tell whether it's benign or cancerous without a biopsy.

I'm tentatively planning to move May 10th, although the date is flexible. My vet thinks that I could wait and take her to a vet in Illinois for the tooth extraction and removal of the growth without time being a big issue. Waiting would give Kiri time to get a little stronger (she's still seriously underweight). And, frankly, money is becoming a problem, and I'm sure that my sister's vet would charge me less for the same services.

I hate to wait, and certainly if my vet recommended immediate surgery I wouldn't hesitate. But I would like to see Kiri regain more of the weight she's lost before having her undergo anethesia.

Recommendations?

[Catty1]

Here's what you might ask your present vet:

1. If the growth in her mouth, the size it is right now, was cancer, would surgery right now increase her survival chances? Or would it be maybe too late and a race against time?

If she says another 3 weeks won't hurt even if it is cancer because it is treatable, that's one thing. If she says cancer would mean that it is pretty much too late for treatment, then you also might want to wait til you get to Illinois.

Tough call. What does Auntie Kym think?

SO glad Kiri has gained a pound! Keep chompin', girl! :)

[Prairie Purrs]

Here's what you might ask your present vet:

1. If the growth in her mouth, the size it is right now, was cancer, would surgery right now increase her survival chances? Or would it be maybe too late and a race against time?

If she says another 3 weeks won't hurt even if it is cancer because it is treatable, that's one thing. If she says cancer would mean that it is pretty much too late for treatment, then you also might want to wait til you get to Illinois.

Tough call. What does Auntie Kym think?

SO glad Kiri has gained a pound! Keep chompin', girl! :)

I'll see how the vet responds to that. I'm afraid that she's too frail to make it through aggressive cancer treatment, so our options will probably be limited if it is malignant.

[Catty1]

Not to panic. I was just thinking that the vet had three reasons for saying a couple of weeks won't hurt:

1. She is sure that it is benign, so it can wait.
2. She thinks it is cancer, but it can wait.
3. She thinks it is cancer, but already too late to do anything, so no difference if you wait.

If Kiri is gaining weight and health slowly back, then that is a good sign. I am not suggesting this to make you paranoid. Just ask her why she thinks waiting is ok, and continue: "is it because (1, 2, 3)?"

HUGS - keep the faith. :)