And Tubby had a bad night
:( So it's been about 2 - 2 1/2 years now since Tubby was diagnosed as being in the early stages of kidney failure. As most of you know, the vet prescribed 1/4 of a pepcid everyday, and since he's been getting that, Tubby has been doing great. Well, last night I thought things had taken a turn for the worse.....:(
I knew something was wrong yesterday morning. First of all there were some small throw up spots in the bedroom. Just small brown liquid spots. Then Tubby wouldn't eat the treat he gets after he gets his pepcid every morning - canned cat food, which he has never turned down in his entire life! Then when I went to clean the litterboxes and fill up their food dishes, I saw that he had thrown up more down there. There was a piece of grass in it so I figured that's what the problem was and now that it was out he'd be ok.
(aside: we had been in the back yard Sunday afternoon. I normally don't let him eat the grass because I know it's hard on his tummy, and he doesn't need that extra stress on his system. Well, I turn my back for two seconds and he's off to the grass. I thought I caught him in time, but I guess not. Now, back to the story.)
Luckily Terry was working out of the house yesterday, so I told him to keep an eye on Tubby and call me if he started acting weird. I didn't get any phone calls, but as soon as I walked in the door I was informed that Tubby had thrown up. He had done fine all day, but late in the afternoon he threw up. Not much, just some more liquidy stuff - more greenish this time. I went downstairs to check the litterboxes for Peanut and if Tubby had left any evidence that I might be able to interpret. Nice little puddles for Peanut but nothing for Tubby, and I noticed that there was very little food gone, so I knew he hadn't eat much of anything all day.
Then when I was cleaning up the other spots, Terry noticed that Tubby was going to throw up again. I was able to get him off the carpet and get some paper underneath so he didn't make another spot, but then I knew something was terribly wrong. And these days, when he throws up he makes this horrible, horrible sound like it really hurts. :( After that throw up, he headed downstairs and after finishing upstairs, I went down after him and saw him coming out of the litterbox. He had squeezed out a small poop, which is common when his tummy is upset. Then he went over and took a small drink, stuck his face in the food bowl, but didn't eat anything. Then he went over to the stairs and sat on the rug we have there. This is the heart wrenching part. I went over and was petting him, and he meowed at me with this really pitiful meow, like "Mommy, it hurts." He did that a few times and I just about threw everything down right then and there to take him to the vet. But I thought with all the puking maybe he had gotten everything out of his system. So I decided to give him another 1/4 of a pepcid and let him rest for a bit to see if he just had a severely upset tummy or what.
I brought him upstairs with me, and he slept on the couch right next to me for awhile. He still didn't seem right though, because he didn't flip his tail when I pet him like he always does, and he wasn't purring like he always is. I got up to go to the bathroom and he came downstairs with me. When I got out of the bathroom, he was sitting up. I bent down to pet him, he turned his head up and meowed at me with the pitiful meow again, and looked at me with the most hurt expression I've ever seen on his face. :( Once again I was ready to be off to the vet, but decided to wait just a bit more. Went in to finish some laundry and the next thing I hear is him puking again. :( I rushed over to him and there were just a few liquid spots again, but he wasn't quite done...and finally he threw up a big chunk of grass. Not regular grass, but this ornamental type grass we have in the backyard. After that he went in to take a drink, which I took as a good sign because he didn't want anything to do with water before this, so I told myself that if he throws up one more time, we're gone, but maybe that big chunk of grass was just blocking him up and now that it was out he'd be ok.
He was already in bed when I climbed in, and he mrrrt'ed at me when I came into the bedroom, which I took as another good sign because he hadn't done that earlier, then when I was in and petting him he was flipping his tail, so I knew he was feeling better, but was still ready to head off to the vet at any minute if he threw up again.
Well, to finish this long story, he made it through the night with no more throwups and was doing his normal begging for his morning treats, so I knew he was feeling much better. I didn't give him as much canned food for a treat as I normally do, and gave him an extra big 1/4 of a pepcid. Then he came in to take a drink while I was getting ready, and was in his normal morning nap spot when I left, so everything is back to normal. Oh, and most importantly, the pitiful meow and hurt look on his face are gone, so I know he's doing much better - whew!
I was so scared that his kidneys had taken a sudden turn for the worse, and I was so relieved when I saw that big chunk of grass come out. I know a lot of you say eating the grass and throwing up is normal and good to clean out their stomachs, but this is just the sort of thing I worry about and why I don't let him eat the grass. And I most definetely won't be letting him anywhere near that ornamental grass anymore. It's a lot thicker and tougher than normal grass, which I'm sure is what was causing the problem.
So we made it through this one - whew! - but I got the biggest scare so far since his diagnosis 2 - 2 1/2 years ago. :(
Oh, and Peanut, the little sweetie, always had to go rushing over to him when she heard him throwing up. There's nothing she can do, but she's always there for support for her big brother. :)
A note frum Boots, da Kat ~
W:eek:W, Tubby!
So glad yur feelin better now! ;)
GRASS??
Nebber tried that.
Sumtymes I try summa Dad's green stuff (he callz it a *salad*) inna bowl -
but he wreks it by puttin salad juze all ober it - YUCK!
Ya better go eezie onna *gurk & yurk* -
THAT'll get ya a fast trip to the White Coat.
An fur gosh sakes KEEP *PEEin*!!
In my howze iffin ya miss a *pee* break - OMG!
Kant beliebe how fast Dad kan drive ober to Doc Mike's Lab!!
Stay Well!!
We all wurrie when ya get to feelin *punkey!
/s/ Yur Buddie, Boots :)
Re: And Tubby had a bad night
Quote:
Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
I went over and was petting him, and he meowed at me with this really pitiful meow, like "Mommy, it hurts.".......... ....... I bent down to pet him, he turned his head up and meowed at me with the pitiful meow again, and looked at me with the most hurt expression I've ever seen on his face. :(
Awwww......Isn't it the worst when the fur kids are sick? I could totally imagine your fears when you heard him meow like that. Thank goodness it was the grass and he's back to normal.
Tubby, no more grass! That's an order!
;)
Re: A note frum Boots, da Kat ~
Quote:
Originally posted by Cinder & Smoke
An fur gosh sakes KEEP *PEEin*!!
In my howze iffin ya miss a *pee* break - OMG!
Kant beliebe how fast Dad kan drive ober to Doc Mike's Lab!!
/s/ Yur Buddie, Boots :)
:D
