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Kitty Cat Wellness exam
Feb. 9th, 2012 01:14 pmMostly for my records but people do keep asking so here you go.
Blood pressure that three weeks ago was 225/150 is down to 147/105. Very reasonable and since we have worked out how to give her bp meds without making the problem worse I think we will stick with this until something changes again. I have a script for a three month supply of her bp meds now with an order to recheck then.
I looked at the space they have available for boarding and I am not going to do that to her. I need to find another space that is more comfortable for her and has the ability to help her with her medical conditions. Not sure if I can travel safely with her anymore. I don't want to increase the stress on her. The Honey has suggested finding a place and boarding her for a day and a half or so while we are in town to see how she takes it. Good idea. He is so smart.
Doc showed me a different type of comb that would be less bothersome for the girl. She has gotten to the point where grooming parts of herself is just not possible cause she falls over. The Furminator we have is too rough. Having ideas on how to help without hurting her is nice.
She has a heart murmur that is steadily getting worse over time. We don't know if the bp caused the heart murmur, the heart murmur cause the bp, if the stroke caused everything, vice versa, or if they are all unrelated concurrent problems. *urg* Ultrasound of her heart has been recommended if the blood panel doesn't come back with something definitive. *more urg*
They pulled blood and urine samples. Doc is worried about kidney problems and heart disease given her age and health concerns. The UofM ran a full battery of tests so we have a value to compare it to from 1.5 years ago which will be helpful.
Doc has no idea why the bp meds would make the REM sleep problem worse. She and I both think that it ought to make it better. Doc agrees that she is still very much alive and fighting for her right to stay here for a while longer. Kitten impressed the Doc with her vitality and spunk given all she has been through.
Starting the girl of Mirelax(sp?) twice a day for her digestive system, stepping down to once a day when that starts working. Doc and I are on the same page about not traumatizing her with a lot of tests that would only give us information and no real treatment options. I don't want her to have to be constantly pumped full of drugs to be here and functional. That said, lots of people live long happy lives on bp meds and anti-inflammatories. I am ok with this.
She gained weight, up to 5.25 lbs now. Ever so slightly bigger than a sack of flour. Still down from last summer but she is eating so much more now that we have changed her food that it has been steadily going up and her mood has shifted radically in the past couple of months. Natural Balance for the wet food and Royal Canin for the dry in case you care.
I am impressed with my girl. She has been through a lot in the past year and a half. She has gotten used to going to the vets office and no longer cowers in the corner. Even not being able to see anything she was exploring the room and went up to the doctor to check her out. Right now she is in the kitchen having a bite to eat and things are going well. I don't think I realistically could have come away from the appointment feeling better.
16.5 years old is something of a feat for an animal her size. When we tried to accommodate her by putting water down on the floor for her she completely ignored it. She knew where her water was and it wasn't on the floor. She hopped up onto the loveseat, toddled across to the arm, and over the arm to the end table where *her* water is. Stubborn little snot.
Blood pressure that three weeks ago was 225/150 is down to 147/105. Very reasonable and since we have worked out how to give her bp meds without making the problem worse I think we will stick with this until something changes again. I have a script for a three month supply of her bp meds now with an order to recheck then.
I looked at the space they have available for boarding and I am not going to do that to her. I need to find another space that is more comfortable for her and has the ability to help her with her medical conditions. Not sure if I can travel safely with her anymore. I don't want to increase the stress on her. The Honey has suggested finding a place and boarding her for a day and a half or so while we are in town to see how she takes it. Good idea. He is so smart.
Doc showed me a different type of comb that would be less bothersome for the girl. She has gotten to the point where grooming parts of herself is just not possible cause she falls over. The Furminator we have is too rough. Having ideas on how to help without hurting her is nice.
She has a heart murmur that is steadily getting worse over time. We don't know if the bp caused the heart murmur, the heart murmur cause the bp, if the stroke caused everything, vice versa, or if they are all unrelated concurrent problems. *urg* Ultrasound of her heart has been recommended if the blood panel doesn't come back with something definitive. *more urg*
They pulled blood and urine samples. Doc is worried about kidney problems and heart disease given her age and health concerns. The UofM ran a full battery of tests so we have a value to compare it to from 1.5 years ago which will be helpful.
Doc has no idea why the bp meds would make the REM sleep problem worse. She and I both think that it ought to make it better. Doc agrees that she is still very much alive and fighting for her right to stay here for a while longer. Kitten impressed the Doc with her vitality and spunk given all she has been through.
Starting the girl of Mirelax(sp?) twice a day for her digestive system, stepping down to once a day when that starts working. Doc and I are on the same page about not traumatizing her with a lot of tests that would only give us information and no real treatment options. I don't want her to have to be constantly pumped full of drugs to be here and functional. That said, lots of people live long happy lives on bp meds and anti-inflammatories. I am ok with this.
She gained weight, up to 5.25 lbs now. Ever so slightly bigger than a sack of flour. Still down from last summer but she is eating so much more now that we have changed her food that it has been steadily going up and her mood has shifted radically in the past couple of months. Natural Balance for the wet food and Royal Canin for the dry in case you care.
I am impressed with my girl. She has been through a lot in the past year and a half. She has gotten used to going to the vets office and no longer cowers in the corner. Even not being able to see anything she was exploring the room and went up to the doctor to check her out. Right now she is in the kitchen having a bite to eat and things are going well. I don't think I realistically could have come away from the appointment feeling better.
16.5 years old is something of a feat for an animal her size. When we tried to accommodate her by putting water down on the floor for her she completely ignored it. She knew where her water was and it wasn't on the floor. She hopped up onto the loveseat, toddled across to the arm, and over the arm to the end table where *her* water is. Stubborn little snot.