PT prayers for Ripley please - update post #9

[Pawla]

I am so sorry! {{{HUGS}}} to you, and prayers to Ripley. Please keep us posted. I will be thinking of you both.

[Craftlady]

Will keep good thoughts and prayers

[jazzcat]

We're back. I'm not sure what to tell you. She couldn't find anything certain. She ran the long blood tests to check his kidney levels and other things. His kidney levels are only slightly worse than last year. The only thing elevated much was his globin level or something like that which she said could be up from the G.I. disturbance (throwing up) or it could indicate a tumor. She felt the hard band around his stomach which was obviously sore to him and said it was in the liver and spleen area but she's not sure what it is. The blood work didn't indicate a problem with his liver. She said an x-ray may help but that it doesn't always show everything so she recommeded we not stress Ripley any more and wait a month for an x-ray. The good news is he has gained a much needed pound since Feb.

She gave him a round of sub-q fluids with a shot of penicillin to help ward off any possible UTI infections since I had told her his urine is almost clear like water. I discovered that when cleaning up his pee spot this morning.

She also feels Ripley may have some mental issues like dementia or Alzheimer's plus she has said this before but she thinks he is an OCD cat since he pulls out his fur and does a few other quirky things. She thinks that is his coping mechanism. He has some bald spots right now from pulling it out so badly. She also said she wouldn't rule out that he may be having little strokes.

Basically she wants me to watch him closely, call if there are any changes and bring him back in a month or so for x-rays unless he gets worse and we have to do it sooner. She also warned me that he will be peeing like crazy from the fluids so be prepareds since he will go anywhere. Great!

I feel like I just spent $200 for some fluids and very angry cat. I'm not mad at the vet, she spent a long time with us and she kept saying she didn't want to waste time and money on a bunch of tests when it may just be a kidney flare but I'm still frustrated. Ripley is peeing in the house, he seems miserable and he's making me miserable. I wanted something to fix! I know this is just how it is with an older cat especially with renal failure but still. I'm just frustrated!!!

[catmandu]

We have added Dear Ripley to our prayers and we are hoping that our Dear Old Friend can be helped and is back home as soon as possible , happy and healthy.

[jenluckenbach]

It is SO hard to not understand what is wrong. But it sounds like the vet did what she could. I can tell you that Mr. Meow has "something" the vet feels and we DID do the xray, and it is inconclusive....so if the vet felt it would stress him out, then I would just wait and see. (Mr. Meow is a typical Ragdoll....you can do ANYTHING to him without upsettinghim)

I also learned something recently that I never realized. 75% of an organ must be bad in order for the enzyme levels to show anything. And here all this time I thought by doing blood tests we could catch things early.

If at all possible, you might want to consider confining Ripley for a little while so that he can have his litter box close to him. It would save a lot of hard feelings caused by him missing the box (be it on purpose or by accident.)

[Catty1]

When the family Siamese was PTS at 19 1/2 (mom had taken him in a month earlier, but brought him home, and cried...she just couldn't), it was apparent that he had had little strokes for some time. Nothing that one could 'prove'...but during the last trip to the vet, he stood up in his carrier the whole way. I sat outside in the sun with him, opened the carrier - and he never even turned his head....just stared at the back of the carrier...

I know Omega 3 can help with dementia and strokes; is there a mild tranny that his kidneys could handle, or some Feliway, for the OCD?

Good that he is a whole pound heavier...I hope he regains some well-being.

Give him a hug for me...

[jazzcat]

Thanks Jen and Catty. I know the vet did all she could for him today and I'm thankful that she feels nothing is urgent enough to require a lot of tests. I really like my vet! She tries to not jump to lots of expensive tests unless really needed and she spends a lot of time with us at each visit. She usually calls a couple times after each visit to check on whichever cat has been there. She's special.

I just wish there was something to do to make the old man happy. He seems so down and it's obvious he's not feeling well plus he makes his feelings and stress known. He's started this mournful cry that sounds like he is totally lost and alone. The vet said there hasn't been a lot of study done one Alzheimer's and Dementia in cats but that the new mournful cry is a sign.

He loves to stay out in the garage and we've been letting him stay out there as much as possible. He has his food, water and two litter boxes but when I'm gone or when it's too hot he stays in the house and that is when the peeing accidents happen. He does not like to use the boxes the other cats use - he only wants to use the ones in the garage. The vet said that is another aspect of his OCD.