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| Welcome Sign |
Today, I took Dancer for his appointment with the vet. Getting him into the carrier was not too difficult. I had put his "lovey" (the fuzzy, white knitted scarf that he likes to drag around) into the carrier, first, along with a towel to line the bottom of the carrier, and I guess it's been so long since his last visit, he'd forgotten what happens when he goes into the carrier. But, he protested loudly once he was in the car and all the way to the clinic. He was quite vocal in the clinic too, but, eventually quietened down.
We were early, but, we were allowed to wait in the waiting room. Several of the staff members there were masked and some of the other pet owners wore masks, too. Others, including one staff member who was coughing into her jacket, were unmasked. The vet was masked and so was I.
Dancer was weighed and he weighed in at 8 lbs., he has lost 7 lbs., almost half his previous weight of 15 lbs. Poor kitty! I mentioned my concerns (off his kibble, not eating much, throwing up, etc.) and the vet checked him all over. His teeth seemed fine, he has some plaque, but, no tooth decay, there were no obvious nodules or tumors, his ears looked ok, etc., but, he seems to have arthritis in his hind legs (which I had suspected since he no longer jumps up onto things, but, pulls himself up with his front legs). Then, he was taken to the back, where they drew blood and given an injection for the arthritis. They will do a comprehensive blood test panel and urinalysis and call me with the results, next week. He is due for some vaccines, too, but, the vet said they could be given on a subsequent visit, since he's an indoor cat and doesn't come into contact with other animals.
The appointment was at 1:00 p.m. and we were home by 2:00 p.m. I gave him some tuna and had my own meal. Neighbor S gave me more food, late last night (she had more visitors, yesterday, some of whom parked in my driveway), practically begging me to take some of the extra food because her fridges were full and she didn't want the food to go to waste. Put that way, it seemed rude to decline! I was given rice, fried fish, fries, salad, strawberries, Armenian bread, and cake! I froze the cake for a later date. I had already made and had some chicken and vegetable soup for my dinner, last night, so, I put all the food that S had given me in the fridge. Today, I ate some of the fried fish and rice after I came home from the vet's appointment.
Then, both Dancer and I took an afternoon nap!
Later in the evening, Dancer consented to eat a little bit of his kibble, but, tuna was still his preference. I had some of my soup with some of the Armenian bread to accompany it and strawberries for dessert.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Access to vet services for Dancer
- He has no immediately noticeable ailments
- A safe drive there and back
- More food from neighbor S
- Phone calls and emails from friends
Today's joyful activity was getting Dancer's check up completed!
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| "Get me out of here!" |
Plans for tomorrow will include some much neglected housework!
Poor Dancer but glad he seems to be OK and I hope his test results come back with no cause for concern. Do you mind me asking how old he is not that I know much about cats? We only ever had one when the children were small, Dusty we called him as he liked to sleep in the coal bunker but sadly he disappeared and all our searching was in vain. We lived on a main road at the time and other cats went missing too, doesn't bear thinking about what happened to him.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Bank Holiday weekend here so we'll be staying home enjoying the garden as the weather is glorious.
Thank you, Eileen. Dancer is going to be 15 years this summer. He was a feral kitten rescued by a friend of mine and he came to us in early August 2008, when he was just a few weeks old. So, age might be a factor, too, although some cats can live well into their teens.
DeleteI hope Dusty found himself a nice place to call home after he left your place.
Enjoy your holiday weekend! It's a holiday weekend here, too (Memorial Day, usually considered the unofficial start of summer, here), but, the weather forecast isn't very promising. I don't approve! :D
I do hope Dancer's tests come back good. That is a lot of weight to lose. He needs lots of tuna treats! Maybe he'd also like some other canned cat food. My cat will not eat any fish, just chicken and turkey. Your neighbor is very generous with sharing food!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie. Yes, it's a lot of weight to lose, although, at the time, he was considered a bit overweight! Dancer has other canned cat food available to him; I buy the variety pack with salmon, mixed grill, and turkey liver - he only likes the pate versions, nothing with bits and pieces - but, lately, he's refused to eat it! I put the canned cat food in a bowl and he sniffs at it and maybe gives it a lick or two just to be polite. Even the tuna has to be mashed up - if there are any pieces or flakes, he'll push them aside or off the saucer! Whatever he doesn't eat, I give to Mama Cat and she just eats it all, without any fuss! He didn't used to like chicken, but, if I cook it and cut it up in tiny pieces, he will eat it. He likes greens from time to time - broccoli leaves, spinach, lettuce - corn, and potato chips! :D You know, I haven't bought any potato chips in a long time - I wonder if he'll eat some now, if I get a bag for him!
DeleteWow, Dancer was a big kitty at one time! 15 years is a respectable age for any cat and there are many treatments for what ails elderly cats. We've done most of them here. Good luck with it all.
ReplyDeleteYes, at his heaviest, he was 15+ lbs. and I was told he needed to lose weight! 15 years is not bad, is it? We'll wait and see what the lab test results reveal and take it from there. The vet didn't seem to think that there was anything seriously wrong with him, which was reassuring. Thank you, June.
DeleteWe have been watching the series, "All Creatures Great and Small", so it was not hard to imagine Dancer up on the table being examined. One of our cats used to flatten herself on the vet's table, until she was almost like a fur rug. Keeping a low profile, I guess! Both our cats lived to about 19 years, so I hope Dancer has some good healthy years ahead of him.
ReplyDeleteDancer does not like strangers and he usually hides under the bed when we have visitors, so you can imagine how unhappy he was being exposed to strangers. But, he tolerated it. Yes, the vet did say that some cats can live to be 19 or 20 years old. Maybe Dancer will, too. :)
DeleteWow, he's lost so much weight. That's scary. Sounds like you have plenty of food now.
ReplyDeleteI know, Stephenie. I was quite concerned. He is eating a little more, today, though.
DeleteI do have plenty of food! I ate some of it, today and there's still more leftover!
Oh Dancer - I hope you are eating the food your Mom gives you.
ReplyDeleteYou need to fatten up by a couple pounds at least. Double Digits!
I hope the tests will pin down what's going on with the "little guy".
You have lots of food now, Bless. I'm sure you will slowly absorb it into your days. So much for the meal plan, right?
Thank you, Debra. I opened a new bag of kibble and he has been eating some of it, but, he has been declining the tuna and the wet cat food. Mama Cat is enjoying all the yummy stuff that Dancer has been declining!
DeleteYes, the gift of food from S was accepted gratefully! I've made steady inroads to it and waved goodbye to the meal plan! :D
I hope that Dancer and Dr Franco are able to read after the effort made with that sign! I hope Dancer will be OK. I have already read ahead so I know you are still waiting for more results. Laurie's cat was off her food for a while and the vet suspected pancreatitis which was a worry but she recovered on her own and is now back to her old self.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, Dancer wasn't impressed by the sign! He said he had other things to worry about! He has been diagnosed with thyroid issues and I picked up the prescription, today. He will have to take it every day for the rest of his life. The vet wants to see him in about 4 weeks for a follow up and his arthritis injection. I'm glad that Laurie's cat recovered and is doing well. :)
DeletePoor Dancer. I do hope the injection will provide some relief. It is never easy seeing our beloved fur babies suffering in any way. If only they could tell us what was wrong. XX
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. The doctor said that it might take two doses of the injection before we see any improvement. He has since been diagnosed with thyroid issues and I just picked up his medication for that, this afternoon.
DeleteOh my, he has really slimmed down. Hopefully the thyroid issue can be easily addressed.
ReplyDeleteHe's been prescribed an ointment to be applied to the inside of his ear, twice a day. The first couple of days, he didn't know what was happening and let me apply the stuff; today, he was hiding in my daughter's room and I had to search for him! I need to make a follow up appointment at the end of the month.
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