Busy Day

Thursday was a busy day.  First, I had to get an abdominal ultrasound at 9 AM.  But their first offer was 5:30 AM, so 9 seemed much better.  I don't deal with appointments and time-commitments very well, so I didn't sleep well the night before.  I use a kitchen timer as an alarm clock (much easier to set) but I'm always worried I will sleep through the beeps when it matters.  But I got up and arrived on time.

The ultrasound requires a gel.  The tech warned me it would feel cold.  It was.  But when she spread it around, it was colder!  It was my first ultrasound, so I expected a machine.  I thought she was pushing on my with her hands, but that was the small detector she was moving around.  

The ultrasound was required for some possible liver scarring issues.  Livers get scars?  Anyway, it my right hip that bothers me, but my Dr is eliminating everything else before he will authorize a CT of the hip.  I sort of understand, but I wish he would get to the hip sooner rather than later.  

If the hip problem is fixable, I would like to get on with that.  But if it isn't, I would like to know that soon too!  There are possible causes for the hip pain that could be serious.  Delay is disturbing me.  Every negative test is just putting off a confirmable diagnosis.  And after every unimportant test, it is 2 weeks before I can see the Dr again.

So anyway, after the ultrasound, I went grocery-shopping, I had done a pickup order, but left out a few things I wanted.  Fortunately, I had bought a clear plastic bin at Walmart that fit the seat of my roller.  It is large enough to most of the things I buy.  In this case, it was chocolate chip ice cream, whole black pepper, frozen baby green peas, milk, and snow peas.  

And went home to get some sleep...  And not much.  Because I also had an appointment for Marley to get a urinalysis a 2 PM.  So 2 hours of bad sleep again and off I went with him to the Vet.  When we got to the exam room, they weighed him.  He was 16 lbs in his prime, but is down to 13+ now.  Age and kidneys are getting to him.

When they put him back in the carrier, he really surprised me.  He growled!  I can't recall hearing him growl since the last time he faced down an intruder cat years ago.  But then the vet tech said he is often difficult and growly when they do stuff to him in the back room.  Well, that's because I'm not there with him!

But anyway, his urinalysis was good and they didn't suggest any further treatment or meds.  So we went home.  We were both happy to be there again.

I slept for 3 hours, finally free of appointments.  Got up at 6 PM, fed the cats, made dinner, watched TV political news.  I bet I sleep 12 hours tonight!  No appointments to worry about.

Lori Update, Part 2

So we were at the Vet, 

discussing Lori's long-lasting diarrhea problem.  The vet has prescribed a few meds.  There was originally Fluoxetine to reduce her stress about Loki and Binq joining us, a pro-biotic to improve her digestion, and of course an anti-diarrheal (generic Immodium).    None seemed to help much.

Stress is hard to manage but Fluoxetine would help, and the Vet said the anti-diarrheal should work in just a couple days and the pro-biotic would help.  That was "then".  Lori's problems are mostly unchanged.

I say "mostly", because she does seem to be getting slowly used to Loki and Binq.  Hisses are not automatic.  She no longer ambushes them with an attack (mild ones because she is smaller).  

A week ago, I saw her sniff noses with Loki.  And most times now, she can simply walk past Loki or Binq calmly.  But it very slow progress.  There are still brief paw-whaps, but not like it was the first month.  Mostly, Lori just wishes they would "go away".

So the vet and I discussed other possible meds a few weeks ago.  Fluoxetine does mention diarrhea as a side effect (among many).  The vet said it is very rare, but has to be listed on the medical sheet if any cats in the testing had it.  

One suggestion was Amitriptyline.  I tried it.  She wouldn't eat any food with it for 3 days (and maybe a reason she had lost weight).  I gave up on that (and the Vet admitted it tasted bad to most cats).  And some of you warned against it as "zombie-stuff", which I appreciated, not knowing anything about it.  

So on the Friday vet visit, we decided to start over, with the idea that Lori was very gradually accepting the presence of Loki and Binq so physical distress was becoming the more likely problem.

So, more of the anti-diarrheal and pro-biotics, assuming the stress wasn't the major factor.  And the Vet suggested it could be the food.  Also, we are trying Metronidazole (as Benzoate) 125 mg/ml Susp 10 ml Chicken-Marshmallow.  It is an antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication.  The Vet tried a dose in-office of a formulation most cats will accept (butter/cream flavor).  She spit that right out.  So they called Wedgewood Cat Pharmacy, who suggested the "chicken/marshmallow".  It should arrive in 2 weeks.  Hopefully, Lori will accept that.

Originally they said (there are several vets and I trust them all) to give Lori one brand/flavor constantly.  So she has been eating Fancy Food 'Chicken Feast' exclusively for at least a month.  I'm going to change her to a fishy food and see if that helps.

She has happily eaten various flavors before, but the vet says there is a possibility she has developed a problem with one.  So we will see if a different one lessens her digestive problems.

We discussed various ways of getting meds into her.  I've tried about all of them.  Simply adding a pill to her food doesn't work (there is an empty bowl with the pill sitting at the bottom).  Pill-shooters don't work.  Pill pockets work for some meds (if dusted with powdered freeze-dried chicken).  

My best luck has been with crushing a pill with a spoon on a plastic placemat and scraping that into her bowl and mixing it in.  She will almost always eat that, especially if she has the privacy of the closed bedroom.

The newest pro-biotic comes with paste and pills.  Paste (orally from a plunger) and pill ground up.  Lori fights the oral paste.  For a small animal, she is suprisingly strong!  The towel-burrito trip barely helps.  But I've learned that if I just smear it on her lips, she will lick it off and ingest it.  

Tomorrow:  Keeping track of meds...

Lori Update, Part 1

I brought Lori to the vet for her rabies shot and to discuss her meds with the vet Friday.  The rabies shot went fine.  They clipped her nails too.

She is still having diarrhea.  It has been well over a month now, and I'm worried.  The vet can't really tell if it is a digestive problem or stress.  She doesn't even seem to know she is dribbling.  There will suddenly just be a line of little "chocolate syrup" drops as she walks around...

 A couple nights ago, she wanted to get under the covers with me.  And as she was getting in,  she dribbled on the pillow and sheet (and my elbow).   Sometimes it is on my blanket, sometimes the hallway, sometimes near or in the litterbox.  

It doesn't seem to connect to any immediate fuss with Loki or Binq, but maybe there is some psychological lag involved.   It is bothering me more than it is her.  I don't think she knows it is even hers.  She just knows she has to clean herself more often.

I've been doing a lot of floor-cleaning and laundry.  I soak the washcloths and soiled parts of blankets/sheets in the basement laundry tub with a 1/4 dose of bleach and then launder them separately with regular detergent and a spoonful of powdered Oxi-Clean.  

The mess itself doesn't really bother me.  When I was 15, Mom presented us kids with a new Sister.  Being the eldest, I was the natural baby-sitter.  And as such, changed a whole lot of diapers.  And back in the 60s, that meant reusable cloth diapers that had to be swished around in the toilet before being put in a special diaper bucket.  And sometimes I laundered them too.  

I probably changed and cleaned more diapers than most husbands back then.  LOL!

So the mess and the cleaning part are not unfamiliar.  But I sure wish Lori was cured of the diarrhea problem.  The mess is annoying, but I'm mostly concerned about her health.  She has lost a few ounces over the past couple months.  Not enough to threaten her health, but it can't continue.  She is down to 7.2 pounds (from almost 8).

I think I'll stop here and address the Vet visit more tomorrow.