. There's not a whole lot I can do for Waldo right now. I am waiting until tomorrow when I hope to get him in to see the vet ASAP. Waldo has continued to refuse all food, including things he usually loves, like tuna and those little Fancy Feast packets of anchovies and other delectables.
He is very lethargic, sleeping all day with frequent trips to the kitchen to drink water. Lots of water. Which means either diabetes (which could be reversible once I taper him off the prednisolone he's been on for his asthma) or kidney failure, which is not. The alternative treatment for his asthma would be a steroid or other drug inhaler, which I didn't think WaLdo would tolerate on a twice daily basis.
Although these things don't really explain why he's not eating. He was pretty stuffed up (congestion) Saturday morning, but it's not so noticeable now and the pollen count is low today/tomorrow. He has refused food any number of times before but until now I could coax him to eat with tempting little meals.
I am mostly worried about him not getting his 2 meds becus he is not eating. This morning I got up at 2:45 a.m. (or was it 3:45 am) and decided to try to pill him a half dose of the prednisolone because there can be serious repercussions if you don't taper off this steroid over a period of weeks. I succeeded in getting that down his throat, but he would not let me pill him the 2nd med he's on for his hyperthyroidism. The more time goes by, issues with that could arise.
I know they'll do bloodwork but doesn't that take days to get the results? He needs to eat.
I have been mentally preparing myself to euthanize him tomorrow. I will see what the problem is first and then make a decision. I am not one to spend untold dollars to keep an animal going til the bitter end. I think that's kind of selfish. It's going to be hard, no matter what. He's been a good cat, the most affectionate I've ever had, and he's lived longer than I expected, since I got him from the shelter when he was 8. He's been with me another 8 years.
I've stayed pretty close to home today. Felt terribly tired all morning. The woman did stop by at 9 and picked up the headboard I was selling. I did some pruning of shrubs in the afternoon and puttered with my outdoor potted plants, but otherwise, felt distracted and unable to do much other than call my cousin, who has numerous dogs and cats, to talk to her about what's going on.
Getting Waldo to the vet tomorrow is my only priority. Scooping him up in time to make an appointment can be tough, since I never know where exactly he'll be and I don't want to grab him so early that he has to sit, terrified, in his carrier for an hour. I will have to grab him when he's coming or going to his water dish, because his main resting places would be hard for me to reach: behind an easel and under a twin bed in the family room. I don't think he has any energy; that may work in my favor.
Watching and waiting
June 26th, 2017 at 01:11 am
June 26th, 2017 at 01:14 am 1498439691
June 26th, 2017 at 01:36 am 1498441013
We took our 14 year old kitty, Squeaks, in for similar changes: not eating, lethargic, etc. and she has a common kitty cancer, a lymphoma that is in her intestines. The bad news is it's terminal, but the good news is they were able to give her some sort of shot that made her perk up and start eating, and will reduce her pain and prolong her life (with quality) for another 90 days or so.
Of course, I hope your news is better than ours.
June 26th, 2017 at 01:55 am 1498442100
June 26th, 2017 at 02:09 am 1498442993
June 26th, 2017 at 02:50 am 1498445423
June 26th, 2017 at 07:53 am 1498463611
June 26th, 2017 at 12:02 pm 1498478538
June 26th, 2017 at 12:38 pm 1498480705