We went to visit Ron this afternoon and although he looks much improved, the information I received was less positive. It seems the information Phil got from the nurse yesterday wasn't completely accurate. Firstly, there is evidence of kidney damage in the kidney that has the stone. The stone is of a significant size. Despite the fact that the ultrasound showed no damage to the other kidney, it cannot be functioning properly. One healthy kidney should have been able to keep Ron's system stable, regardless of the damage to the other kidney. The vet is continuing with the hydrotherapy and is also giving Ron antibiotics in case a kidney infection is present. More blood will be taken tomorrow and hopefully the creatinine level will be much closer to normal. At this point, the vet cannot give us a clear diagnosis. More research will be done based on Ron's blood results and an expert will be consulted on Monday. One thing that greatly concerns me is that he might have chronic renal failure, just like Harry, and that is why his kidney could not cope when the other one starting reacting to the stone.
Unfortunately there is nothing we can do but wait and see. The vet's office is very quiet at the weekend and that must be so strange for Ron. He lives in a house with three loud humans and three loud cats. He looked quite reproachful at being kept in a cage and I take that as a good sign - he is definitely much better than he was on Wednesday night.
Showing posts with label cats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cats. Show all posts
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Friday, 25 July 2008
Ron
We nearly lost this beautiful little bundle of fur this week. On Wednesday night I noticed that Ron wasn't looking well. His coat wasn't well groomed and his third eyelid was visible. When he walked, his back legs seemed stiff. Alarm bells started ringing in my head because that is how Harry was when he started displaying symptoms of chronic renal failure. An appointment was made with our excellent local vet the next day and the news wasn't good. His creatinine level was 500 (normal is 100) and his white blood cell count was raised. One kidney was enlarged. The vet suspected a kidney infection and kept Ron in overnight on an IV drip. He intended to scan Ron's kidneys this morning and prepared us for the possibility of putting him down if the kidney damage was extensive.
I worried myself into a soggy mess overnight until we heard back from the vet at lunchtime. The news was thankfully good. His creatinine level had gone down to 300 overnight and the ultrasound showed no kidney damage at all - only the presence of a single kidney stone which could well have been the cause of all the trouble. The vet can't yet rule out the possibility of a kidney infection or another cause, but we have every reason to be optimistic. Ron will remain on an IV at the vet's office through the weekend and the vet will discuss with an expert whether the kidney stone should be removed. Obviously, that can't happen now as he is too weak. We're going to the vet's office tomorrow to give Ron a big cuddle. My poor little Ron - I can't believe how close we came to losing him, and all because of a little kidney stone. I shudder to think what would have happened if his illness had coincided with the baby being born. Phil and I would have been running round like headless chickens. Would we have noticed Ron getting sicker and sicker? I sincerely hope so, but it makes me feel sick to think about it.
Get well soon, beautiful Ron. Xinx is lost without you.
Friday, 7 March 2008
Clomicalm
Phil took Harry along to the vet this afternoon to check on his kidney function. Happily, there has been no real change since he was last checked 18 months ago. As a young cat, he has adapted very well to the kidney medication he is on and remains in good health. He refuses to eat the special food for cats with chronic renal failure but he is lucky enough not to have paid a price for it. This means that the behavioural problems we have been seeing do not have a medical cause.
Phil discussed the issues with the vet, who believes that Harry is stressed and also jealous of Michael. He suggested that we try Harry on Clomicalm for a month - it is a tricyclic antidepressant. The hope is that it will break the cycle of negative behaviour. I'm not convinced that it will be helpful in the long-term but I'm keeping an open mind. I was researching the drug online and came across a number of owners asking vets for advice with their pet behaviour problems. Whatever Harry's faults, he has never once in 5 years been aggressive towards us and for that I am truly grateful. I hope the medication helps him.
Phil discussed the issues with the vet, who believes that Harry is stressed and also jealous of Michael. He suggested that we try Harry on Clomicalm for a month - it is a tricyclic antidepressant. The hope is that it will break the cycle of negative behaviour. I'm not convinced that it will be helpful in the long-term but I'm keeping an open mind. I was researching the drug online and came across a number of owners asking vets for advice with their pet behaviour problems. Whatever Harry's faults, he has never once in 5 years been aggressive towards us and for that I am truly grateful. I hope the medication helps him.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Cats again
Well, one cat - Harry. As I've mentioned previously, we have 4 cats. We have no problems with 3 of them, they are great cats, but Harry is, and always has been, a nightmare. We've had 5 years of trying to find a solution to his destructive behaviour and nocturnal howling. It has recently worsened as he is periodically going to the toilet outside of the litter box. On the last occasion he used Michael's playpen and I was absolutely furious. I foresee this getting worse because with a baby on the way, our attention is only going to get more divided.
Phil called the breeder we purchased Harry and Ron from in desperation. She suggested that Harry is not happy being a little fish in a big pond - translation being that Harry does not like being part of a 4-cat group. She acknowledged that he has a very demanding personality. We have been seriously considering rehoming him for some time but the breeder does not recommend rehoming him alone - she thinks the stress would be too great. She advised rehoming him with his brother, Ron, if it comes to it. I really don't want to lose Ron. We're going to take Harry to the vet this week to check on his kidney condition. It is possible that his litter box issues stem from a worsening of his health. Obviously, we won't rehome him if his health is worsening. We really need to find a solution before the baby is born and after 5 years of trying, we're out of ideas.
Phil called the breeder we purchased Harry and Ron from in desperation. She suggested that Harry is not happy being a little fish in a big pond - translation being that Harry does not like being part of a 4-cat group. She acknowledged that he has a very demanding personality. We have been seriously considering rehoming him for some time but the breeder does not recommend rehoming him alone - she thinks the stress would be too great. She advised rehoming him with his brother, Ron, if it comes to it. I really don't want to lose Ron. We're going to take Harry to the vet this week to check on his kidney condition. It is possible that his litter box issues stem from a worsening of his health. Obviously, we won't rehome him if his health is worsening. We really need to find a solution before the baby is born and after 5 years of trying, we're out of ideas.
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
Introducing our cats
It is probably time for me to give a mention to our 4 cats. Introducing:
This is Ron. He is a 4 year old European Burmese. His pedigree name is Ragtime van Sirimyrhana. As you can see, he is absolutely gorgeous. He's a sensitive soul and you have to earn his love. He's a problem solver and could open doors by the time he was 3 months old. That is the reason why all our door handles are upside down. He is very active and loves to play.
This is Harry, Ron's brother. His pedigree name is Rashidi van Sirimyrhana. He is a sweet but very demanding cat and trouble with a capital "T". He chews everything and likes to howl at 3am, waking the whole household. Phil spoilt him rotten as a kitten which might explain a few things. He suffers from chronic renal failure so will be on medication and a special diet for the rest of his life.
The cat on the right in this photo is Xinx. His pedigree name is Blue Velvet's Xinx. We decided to use his pedigree name because it suits him. He is 1 year old and has the sweetest personality of any cat I have ever encountered. Nothing phases him - not even the addition of Michael to our family. As a kitten, his party trick was to scramble onto any available neck for a nuzzle. He is a tiny cat at only 3kg. His father is a whopping 6kg. He got cat flu from a live vaccine as a very young kitten and that might explain why he is so small. He has never mastered jumping and has an exceptionally high-pitched miaow.
This gorgeous girlie is Zita. We named her after the band, Zita Swoon. She is a 5 year old moggie and is huge at about 5.3 kilograms. She's a bit dense (especially when compared to the alarmingly intelligent Burmese) but we love her to pieces. She is unusual in that she adores water. She used to sit in the sink when she was a kitten and play under the running cold tap. Her favourite thing is to sit on Phil's chest and rub her face over his chin. Phil's solution to this is to remove the cat hair from his face with one of those sticky clothes rollers afterwards.
I was going to post a bit of a rant about how Harry is driving us mad at the moment by howling through the night, but I looked through his kitten photos in order to select one for this entry. It is hard to stay mad when I remember what a lovely little kitten he was. I'll save the rant for another day.
This is Ron. He is a 4 year old European Burmese. His pedigree name is Ragtime van Sirimyrhana. As you can see, he is absolutely gorgeous. He's a sensitive soul and you have to earn his love. He's a problem solver and could open doors by the time he was 3 months old. That is the reason why all our door handles are upside down. He is very active and loves to play.
This is Harry, Ron's brother. His pedigree name is Rashidi van Sirimyrhana. He is a sweet but very demanding cat and trouble with a capital "T". He chews everything and likes to howl at 3am, waking the whole household. Phil spoilt him rotten as a kitten which might explain a few things. He suffers from chronic renal failure so will be on medication and a special diet for the rest of his life.
The cat on the right in this photo is Xinx. His pedigree name is Blue Velvet's Xinx. We decided to use his pedigree name because it suits him. He is 1 year old and has the sweetest personality of any cat I have ever encountered. Nothing phases him - not even the addition of Michael to our family. As a kitten, his party trick was to scramble onto any available neck for a nuzzle. He is a tiny cat at only 3kg. His father is a whopping 6kg. He got cat flu from a live vaccine as a very young kitten and that might explain why he is so small. He has never mastered jumping and has an exceptionally high-pitched miaow.
This gorgeous girlie is Zita. We named her after the band, Zita Swoon. She is a 5 year old moggie and is huge at about 5.3 kilograms. She's a bit dense (especially when compared to the alarmingly intelligent Burmese) but we love her to pieces. She is unusual in that she adores water. She used to sit in the sink when she was a kitten and play under the running cold tap. Her favourite thing is to sit on Phil's chest and rub her face over his chin. Phil's solution to this is to remove the cat hair from his face with one of those sticky clothes rollers afterwards.I was going to post a bit of a rant about how Harry is driving us mad at the moment by howling through the night, but I looked through his kitten photos in order to select one for this entry. It is hard to stay mad when I remember what a lovely little kitten he was. I'll save the rant for another day.
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