Mishi to White Coats - PT prayers please

[RedHedd]

I wrote about this earlier in a couple of threads in Cat General but thought I'd post a special request here too. My big Mishi boy is at the white coats today. We know it's his kidneys that are failing. He stopped eating a couple of days ago and is obviously not feeling well. He is drinking water and peeing normally, but not being his usual silly spunky self. I have been able to get him to eat a bit by hand-feeding him turkey baby food and some of his special K/D crunchies and have been giving him Periactin to try and perk up his appetite.

He did cause a stir at the vets this morning when I dropped him off. They were late opening so we were the first ones in the door and then his squalling began! That boy talks a lot anyway, but when he's P.O.'d he HOWLS and doesn't shut up. That got all the other kitties in the hospital meowing too - what a cacophony! I know they must be LOVING him (not). Oh well. They're going to run the usual gamut of tests which I just paid for last month! I'll keep you posted as to his progress.

[furrykidsmother]

I just saw him in a post in General when you had your PT visit. He is such a beautiful boy. Prayers on their way that he will do well and that you will have many, many more years together. Please keep us updated.

[jenluckenbach]

Prayers for Mishi!

[Killearn Kitties]

All fingers and paws crossed here for beautiful Mishi! Please get well, gorgeous!

[Barbara]

Keeping all the fingers crossed for Mishi.

The problem with kidneys is: he should eat because not enough protein is nearly as bad for the kidneys than too much. My vet said in this case it's better to give him yummy food (talking about Filou).

I hope Mishi can be stabilized again.

{{{Hugs}}}

[Craftlady]

Keeping fingers crossed :)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh no! Come on Mishi, please eat for your meowmy. You just have to get better!

This is the same thing that happened to Tubby, and he had just had his 6 month check-up only 3 weeks before. At that time the vet said his levels were a little elevated, but it was nothing to be concerned about. :(

Please get better, Mishi. :(

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Prayers flying and all fingers and paws crossed for your sweet Mishi! A few ((HUGS)) for you too!

[AbbyMom]

Prayers for beautiful Mishi!

[RedHedd]

Well we're home with no news. All the vet would say is that his coat doesn't look good (which I know) and that he didn't eat. I'm kinda P.O'd because I have a very strong feeling that they didn't even TRY to feed him! When I brought him home he wolfed down a can of K/D and slurped up water from the Fresh Flow fountain. We won't get the test results until tomorrow or the next day. So right now he seems much better than he has been. Maybe he just needed an expen$ive day at the vets to remind him how good he has it?

[jenluckenbach]

Maybe he just needed an expen$ive day at the vets to remind him how good he has it?
Could be! Lucas has doen the "faking" routine on me several times.

But at least he ate and drank and as for the tests, it is always good to know where he stands.

I'll be waiting for the test results.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way. I sure hope that Mishi will be okay and that his test results are within the normal range. Please take care.

[Poo]

Prayers on the way for Mishi.

Nicki x

[RedHedd]

Mishi's kidney function levels are off the chart and it doesn't look good. She wants him to be hospitalized for IV rehydration. It's VERY expensive - over $100 a day and his petcare insurance does not cover renal failure.

I will take him in tomorrow for them to do their thing, but I am NOT leaving him there over the weekend as I know they don't have anyone there - even though the vet (not his regular one) said there are techs there for part of the time. I'm going to have them show me how to give him Sub-Q fluids. He will have another ultrasound next Tuesday.

Keep the prayers coming please as it just doesn't look good for my big boy. I am SO sad!

He did eat and drink last night and this morning, but I can tell he's not doing well.

Question: Do cats cry when they're in pain? I mean tears .... Mishi had tears in his eyes this morning which made me :(

[wolflady]

Gosh, sorry to hear about Mishi. Giving Sub-Q fluids isn't hard, so definitely have someone show you how to do it, so Mishi can stay at home while still getting treatment.

Prayers are on the way from me.
**hugs**

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh no, Georgia, I'm so sorry. :(

I think you are right to not leave him there. Being away from home is quite stressful for kitties - especially if there is no one there with them. Giving fluids is a piece of cake and I know you will be able to do it for Mishi. I sure hope they help stabilize him. :(

{{{hugs}}} to you and positive thoughts and prayers going out for Mishi. I know you will be giving him extra snuggles this weekend, so please give him some for me too - poor boy. :(

[jazzcat]

Oh no Georgia! Poor Mishi boy.

I'll be keeping you and Mishi in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully the fluids will make a big difference.

(((HUGS)))

[kittycats_delight]

I am soo sorry that Mishi isn't doing well. I hope the fluids will help him. Positive thoughts and get better vibes being sent from meowmie Michelle and the girls.

[ramanth]

Oh Georgia, I'm so sorry to hear Mishi is not better. :( :(

Give the big fluffy boy a hug for me. He is so sweet. I'm so happy I got to be nuzzled by him. :)

Many prayers and healing vibes for you Mishi!

[jenluckenbach]

I am so sorry to hear this. :( And I agree....keep him at home, you can do the sub-Q fluids, it is easy. He will be so much more comfortable at home.

Sending lots of prayers that Mishi can get better, and if he cannot, then I will pray that he is in no pain. {{{{HUGS}}}}

[RedHedd]

Just got off the phone with the #2 vet - there's something about her I can't put my finger on, but I just don't like her. We agreed that I will bring Mishi in tomorrow and they will show me how to administer Sub-Q fluids. They will also put him on antibiotics and he will be home with me for the weekend. I think he will be much more comfortable at home.

They didn't want to start the IV fluids and then have me take him home because they wanted to leave the catheter in and said I would have problems flushing it (did that make sense?)

She also told me he now has a rep at the office as being a problem child as he apparently ripped up one of the techs. My boy! He CAN be a terror when he wants to be and doesn't like what's being done to him.

So we're going to just take this one day at a time and hope and pray that whatever this is (she suspects it's kidney stones) will pass and that he will be able to stay with me on this side of the bridge a little bit longer.

[jenluckenbach]

They are probably right about not starting an IV and then taking it out again right away for him to go home. But the Sub-Q fluids should be great for him, and then IF needed, when Monday comes, he can have the IV.

Just a little note (on the sad side of things), but when my dearest Y.Lee became very ill (from his diabetes) I did not have the heart to put him through a whole lot of veterinary procedures. You see, my normally VERY sweet and loving boy, did not enjoy the poking and prodding that went along with the blood tests and such. It was more than once that I needed to rescue the vet assistants from a wild-cat who would not leave his cage. So when his situation turned into MORE tests and the like, I needed to let him go. :( I could not allow him any more suffering. I just felt you needed to consider this point of view. :(

But I pray that you will not be called to make this type of decision any time soon.

[RedHedd]

Thanks, Jen. I know and am trying to prepare myself. I remember how hard it was for me and Goldie when I was taking her in almost every day when she was dying from her cancer. Mishi is definitely a mama's boy and sticks to me like glue; I even offered to be available for them if/when they had problems catheterizing him. She said she's never done that, however the other vet (our real vet) had me be there when they had problems with Goldie. Being brought up in a medical household, I have no problem with medical procedures and know it's just a part of life.

The vet was talking about other options like surgery, dialysis, etc. which is WAY out of my budget and things I would not put a cat through as I know they don't understand and just get more stressed.

[Killearn Kitties]

Sending positive vibes to Mishi tonight! I hope he rallies with the fluids. The girls all have their paws crossed.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Oh Redhedd.....positive thoughts with you and Mishi.....

[kittycats_delight]

Come on sweet Mishi boy we know you want to stay with meowmie and Mitzi for awhile longer. Positive thoughts and get well vibes coming from Ontario, Canada from meowmie Michelle and the girls (Lilith and Vixen). All fingers, paws and whiskers crossed here that the fluids help Mishi.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Georgia, I sure hope that Mishi feels better soon. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way. Please take care. ((((HUGS))))

[Barbara]

Mishi, I don't stop sending positive vibes and keeping fingers crossed. We are NOT ready to let you go- and hope you have some more time to enjoy your life with Mitzi and your mom.

[Sus]

What is it with cats and their kidneys??!! :mad: Why is it that cat's kidneys are so frail? I'm so sad to hear about Mishi's problems.:( I'll send a little prayer that it will all work out for the best whichever way things are going to go.

Love,
Sus and Bella

[RedHedd]

Mishi is doing SO much better! He was a wiggle worm at the vets yesterday when the techs were showing us how to give him subcutaneous fluids which made me worry that I would have problems trying to do it myself. He's also on antibiotics - Baytril - for the next 10 days. Good thing he's easy to pill

Thank you KAK for the tip about doing it in the bathroom - that made it SO much easier. He let me Sub-Q him this morning without any fuss at all. He's SUCH a good boy!

He is OBVIOUSLY feeling better, even pestering Mitzi a little bit. The vet (vet #2) suspects he was/is passing a stone. We are still on schedule for the ultrasound on Tuesday. but I am SO happy he is doing better. I saved several hundred dollars by opting to treat him at home and I think I made the right decision. He's so much happier, eating and drinking almost as normal. He even turned up his nose at the canned K/D last night and insisted on having his regular diet of the dry K/D.

Thank you everyone for all the good thoughts and prayers. They DO help us get through these tough times.

[jenluckenbach]

God bless you Mishi. You just made your mom and a whole lot of other people, VERY happy.

[gini]

Georgia, I just read through this entire thread........and my heart goes out to you.

You can just read the "joy" in your last post. I would be feeling exactly the same way. (I have been there, done that too)

Let's just pray that this good news continues for such a beautiful cat as Mishi!

[kittycats_delight]

Good boy Mishi keep up the good work and fight to get better for meowmie. Continued good vibes and get well wishes little man.

[furrykidsmother]

Keep up the good work Mishi! Everyone is pulling for you. Hope things continue to go well!

[Edwina's Secretary]

What a good boy, Mishi!

[Randi]

I'm so glad to hear that Mishi is doing better and you can give him subcutaneous fluids a home - such a good boy he is! :)

Give him gentle scrithies from me - and Fister sends headbumpies to his orange pal. Keep getting better, Mishi!

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is wonderful news!!!:D I'm so glad that he's doing better and that he let you give him the sub-q fluids at home. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are still being sent your way. Please take care and keep us updated.:)

[smokey the elder]

I think if you can do as much at home as possible, it works better, because the cat learns to trust you. Keep up the good work, Mishi, and be good for your meowmie.

[ramanth]

Great news!! I hope Mishi continues to get better. :)

[Logan]

Best wishes for continued improvement. And yes, Prayers, too.

Logan

[RedHedd]

Thank you everyone! Mishi continues to improve, although I did get worried last night when he crawled into Mitzi's carrier when it was time for me to go to bed. He hides in there when he's not feeling well. I couldn't get to sleep until he decided to climb into MY bed about an hour later. He is my bed-buddy.

[kittycats_delight]

You are doing good Mishi. keep up the good work and continue figting back. We are all keeping fingers, toes, paws and whiskers crossed that you continue to get well until you are all better once more.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I'm so happy to hear Mishi is feeling better! Yipee!!! I sure hope he continues feeling better and it is only from passing a stone or something. Actually I hope it's anything that will pass and he will be back to normal. Come on Mishi, you can get better, I just know you can! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

Prayers and positive thoughts are still being sent your way. Please get well soon Mishi.:)

[RedHedd]

Mishi had an Ultra$ound today which showed that his left kidney has decreased in size (it's the one that's almost completely stopped working) and the right kidney is larger in size as it's compensating for the loss of function in the left kidney- both since his last ultrasound in April 2004. They found that he had passed several kidney stones and could see them in his bladder. They're not sure if they will continue to pass down the urethra, but do explain why he was in so much discomfort last week.

They did another blood panel and we'll have the results tomorrow which will let us know what our next steps are. For now, he's to be on Baytril for the next 12 weeks! Depending on what the bloodwork shows, I may have to continue with the sub-q fluids, but we'll know more tomorrow when we get the results.

The vet (his REAL vet) is also discussing his case with a specialist who said there's a new study that shows Elavil helps them to deal with the stones in a more efficient manner. She is researching this new finding a little bit futher before trying it on Mishi.

So the final prognosis is that Mishi is going to be a very expensive cat to keep around - he's TRULY my golden boy - solid gold! They want to do a follow-up ultra$ound in a month and then another one three months later.

He's obviously feeling better and now has his "bikini shave" for for the summer months :rolleyes:

[Logan]

Bless his heart. I hope that the blood work will come back with good news. I know you love your Mishi and I hope he can feel better soon! :)

Logan

[krazyaboutkatz]

Georgia, At least you now know what was causing his discomfort. I hope that Mishi's blood work comes back within the normal ranges and that the Baytril will help him too.:) Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way.

[RedHedd]

Mishi's vet FINALLY called with his blood test results - all are back within the normal range! YIPPEE! Jumping for joy! He's back to being his silly, goofy self, meowing almost non-stop, pestering Mitzi and they even played with their toys for a bit last night. I really missed his "talking" when he wasn't feeling good - he makes the cutest, silliest noises almost ALL the time!

So, he's on Baytril for a total of 12 weeks :eek: ! He's feeling good enough now to fight me or spit out the pills. One good thing is that he IS easy to pill, but sneaky about the spitting out part. Silly boy! He's so cute about it that I can't get too mad; I just try again.

Once again, thank you ALL for your prayers, good thoughts and kind words. They help and mean so much to us.

[sirrahbed]

oh Georgia:( I am just finding this thread and reading about your wonderful Mishi. I feel in my heart for you - that you have to see decline in him.:( He is also one of my very favorite PT kitties.

Sounds like he still has his spunk, though - and I hope he sticks with you for awhile before that rip to the bridge that we all face eventually:(

Go MISHI fight sweet boy!!!:) Sounds like he is perking up and now filled with his old pee and vinegar!!

[Killearn Kitties]

Good news! Clever boy Mishi! :D

12 weeks of pills?! I don't envy you. Just as well he is quite easy to pill. Good luck!

[RedHedd]

Originally posted by sirrahbed
Sounds like he is perking up and now filled with his old pee and vinegar!! Especially the PEE part! Geez kidney kats pee a lot! Litter patrol has gone on high alert at my house :rolleyes:

[jazzcat]

I'm so glad to know he's doing better. Yeah Mishi!!!!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Yippeee!!!! Way to go Mishi!!! What wonderful news to start the weekend off with.

Smoochies to you, you silly boy. :D

No more fluids?

[RedHedd]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
No more fluids? No more sub-Q's for now. He was SO good about it, my little trooper! He's back to drinking out of the bathtub, his water bowl and the Fresh Flow fountain. He does this silly paw-flipping of the water when he's drinking out of the tub - I MUST buy some batteries and try to post a pic of the silly goon flinging water around the bathroom.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by RedHedd
I MUST buy some batteries and try to post a pic of the silly goon flinging water around the bathroom.

Yes, you must! :D

[slick]

What great news RedHedd!!!! Just shove those pills right to the back of the throat, close the jaw and rub under his chin or blow gently into the nose. That will make him swallow. Sneaky boy!!!

Good luck and please keep us updated.

[Barbara]

After some days of work interfering heavily with PT I finally managed to read all of this thread. News are wonderful! Filou never had an ultrasound scan and I have to check out on that!I am so glad for Mishi- so it looks as if it the acute problems were caused by kidney stones!

So glad Mishi feels better.:)

[RedHedd]

Originally posted by Barbara
Filou never had an ultrasound scan and I have to check out on that! Be forewarned - they are VERY expen$ive - almost $400 U.S. and he needs another one in a month!

[wolflady]

Yay! I'm so glad to see a positive update on Mishi! :D Now, we'll all be waiting for a Mishi pictures update! :p

**hugs**

[jenluckenbach]

I almost missed the great update. WOO HOO!!! I am so happy that the tests results were good. And acting his old self again is wonderful. :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is wonderful news!!!:D I'm so glad that he's perking up and feeling much better. Now hopefully this will continue for many more years to come.:D

[smokey the elder]

This is realy great! He may get better about the meds. Almost every cat I've had to give meds to for an extended period of time got used to it. Bribery and lots of lovin's doesn't hurt...

Mishi, you be a good boy! Mobius says that Baytril pills are nasty but much better than the liquid, which made her sick!

[Jennie Lu]

I'm all caught up on Mishi's health and send lots of scritches his way. I'll keep him in my prayers.

[furrykidsmother]

How is Mishi doing these days? Where are the promised pictures of playing in the water?