Scooter Update 3.0

Hello Boys and Girls:

Today's Scooter Update: After an all-day fast (poor kitty) so she could be sedated for an x-ray, I come home to a ravenous kitty who looks like she wants to bite me. Her plaintive meow is responded to by me picking her up and shoving her delicately as possible into a cat carrier. I drive to the vet at Warp 2 to minimize the in-car time because as I drive, Scooter tries to break out of said carrier. She's been successful before, too so it's a real concern.

I must add, this is my original vet and not the new vet. He's checking for stuff that she hasn't done that I've asked her about several times with no discernible result.

We arrive at the vet's office which is, happily, deserted. I take Scooter out of carrier so vet doesn't have to risk life and limb to do so. He decides to try and x-ray her without sedation. I offer to hold her in place but he insists that it's not safe in x-ray room. I scoff, mentioning I've had more x-rays that anyone except Evil Knieval, but he refuses my assistance. I see why as he sends his two poor nurses in to do the dirty work while he discusses Scooter with me. He plays 20,000 questions and takes notes.

I try to pet the office cat -- they have an office cat -- named Levi. Levi takes one look at me and hides behind the microwave. Vet assures me I shouldn't take it personally, but I do anyway. I say hello to poor doggie who almost died of a ruptured appendix (or something like that) but is recovering but in pain.

X-rays are complete and I get Scooter and hold her while vet and I talk more and X-rays develop. X-rays show Scooter has mild arthritis so her walking issues are not related to that. She probably needs more exercise which she can't get. I'll try and get her to play more laser-pointer. He said he would discourage me from medicating her with anything at this point as it would cause more problems than it would cure. Glucosamine works well in dogs but he says not all cats respond well and he doesn't recommend it for Scooter -- something the other vet said as well. So, Scooter's back legs are slightly arthritic but not bad for a cat her age. He can't find the problem with her shoulder that is obviously there somewhere. Other vet thinks it's a torn ligament and says she can feel it but neither original vet or me can find said problem.

Ask vet to look at Scooter's ear gunk -- which both he and other vet have ruled out as ear-mites. He's amazed at how bad since I've just cleaned it again. He takes a sample to send to lab for testing to make sure it's nothing serious. Pay for vet bill -- Scooter has now cost more than my car. She's worth it, and I'm not complaining.

Take Scooter home and she eats like the pig she used to be. I want her to gain weight so she can build strength.

I'm stressed and Scooter's sleeping.

There's a box from Apple in my room. I'll open it this weekend.

Scooter Update 2.0

Scooter went in for a follow-up visit today.

Here's what I had given to the vet. (This refers to her original condition):
I just want to reiterate a few points: The morning Scooter had her incident she was fine. She was jumping up on tables, playing, being her usual rambunctious self. When I came home, she couldn’t move. When she tried to stand up, she would fall over and was unable to maintain any motion at all. She was lying in an unusual spot on the floor in an unusual position. I do not dispute the Thyroid diagnosis, but that is not a sudden onset condition with all these symptoms. I think that there is/was something else at work, and the Thyroid condition was certainly there but is probably unrelated to what actually happened.

Then I listed all of Scooter's current symptoms:
NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS WERE EVIDENT PRIOR and all were sudden onset:
1. She doesn’t walk with a normal gait. She lists to the left like a poorly loaded ship as she moves. And on stairs especially, she walks near the wall so she doesn’t fall. (I bought her stairs so she can get in and out of my bed easily.)
2. The faster she moves, the harder it is for her to keep balance. If she runs, she falls over, especially if it’s on the stairs.
3. She can jump UP onto objects with no trouble (my bed, the counter, the table) so her muscle strength appears to be pretty good. But if she jumps down she lands and the falls forward, hitting her head and often rolling head over heels.
4. She has trouble climbing though. For example her litter box (4” tall) is an enormous challenge for her and she sometimes gives up and uses the floor next to it. She tries, but watching her try to balance and crouch isn’t fun.
5. She’s far more lethargic now – she just lies in her bed most of the day. I know that may sound normal for a cat, but it isn’t normal for Scooter. She used to run around with her bizzy-balls and drop them all over the house and scream at the top of her lungs for me to come throw them so she could chase them. When I used to come home, the house was a mess. This was true right up to and including the morning she fell ill (because the house was a mess when I got home and she had eaten that day as well).
6. She’s lost a lot of her hearing. I can actually sneak up on her if she’s not looking my way. Nobody should ever be able to sneak up on a cat. Especially my cat.
7. She is grooming approximately normally and seems happy if somewhat bored because she doesn’t want to move around much.
8. She also can’t talk except a quiet squeak.

So that's what's up with Scooter as of today. The Vet agrees there's something else going on. They currently have a cat there with the same exact condition (symptoms 1-4) but that cat has been there for months and they are unable to determine what's wrong. I suggested an equilibrium problem or a stroke. I was told cats don't have strokes in the sense humans do, so that wasn't it. The Vet agreed an equilibrium problem was possible.

Scooter had a new batch of blood work and thyroid tests. All pretty much normal. They are very concerned about her kidney results. In cats with thyroid conditions once the condition is controlled sometimes a kidney condition becomes evident. They're going to check her again next week.

They checked her (always nasty and gummed up) left ear and were sure she had ear mites. I told them it's always full of gunk which I generally clean every few weeks and that Scooter's regular vet has tested. Another test later, and it isn't ear mites. They've never seen so much ear gunk before considering they cleaned her out last visit too.

They've had me get non-drowsy Dramamine and suggest I give her a 1/4 tablet per day until next Tuesday and then I will bring her in again for more tests. After that the emergency vet is on vacation for 2 weeks.

Also, my condolences go out to Tom O'Drain whose mother passed away this morning.

First, a Scooter Update

Scooter is home. I picked her up from the vet earlier today. I'd love to tell you she's feeling fine, but she isn't. However, she is thrilled to be home. I spent some time with her, then left her alone for a short time to do a few errands. She cannot walk all that well, but she can walk. She made it to her litter box (and used it), she made it to her food bowl (and ate barely any), and she managed to jump into my chair where she was fast asleep when I came home. She doesn't smell too good, but I think that's because they weren't expecting her to come home today. She's also got a shaved leg where the IV was located. (See previous post if interested).

It still hurts me to watch her try and walk. On the one hand she is walking, on the other hand I use the term walking very loosely. It's more like staggering you'd see on a drunkard. But she seems happy, and is grooming herself. I brushed her repeatedly because she's shedding like mad. She sat in my lap for hours.

I spoke with Dr. Child who informed me that she was eating and has regained an entire pound. However I suspect it's mostly fluid from the IV. I will continue to monitor her carefully. She's also going to be on a wet food diet for a little while so she'll eat more and I'm going to increase her rations. I have the pills which I have to give her twice a day for the next month before they decide what the future dosage will be. I also got pill pockets to try to see if she'll eat them without a fight that way. My regular vet would like to examine her, but I will wait a few days rather than traumatize her with another vet's visit -- she also has to go back to the ER vet in 3 weeks for a follow up there.

I spent most of the day at home with her reading Harry Potter, and a review will be coming shortly.

Even More Scooter News :(

First, see previous post from yesterday. I had an appointment today at 4pm to pick up Scooter and take her home. This appointment was made yesterday because Dr. Child was confident Scooter would be in better shape and able to go home. Friday afternoon is not the time to go to a vet's office.

After a 15 minute wait, the vet came out to answer all my questions. It was Dr. Child's day off so it was one of the other two vets. She was a bit frazzled having finished some surgery on another critter of some sort. She patiently answered all my questions though not what I wanted to hear. They hadn't notified my regular vet Dr. Diaz who has many years of Scooter's medical history. They hadn't made sure she was able to walk. They were just going to send her home and have me bring her in every day for a week for a hydration. Fortunately, I have far more sense than they do, apparently.

Scooter was brought to me and she wasn't struggling with the assistant which was a bad sign. They put her down and she didn't make it two steps. I picked her up and held her. I explained to the vet how unsuitable it would be for Scooter to come home (two stories is bad if you can't walk -- too much risk of falling and getting seriously hurt trying to move around). She agreed and said they would hook Scooter up to an IV and try to rehydrate her and give her more food.

I told them I want time alone with Scooter before she went back to her cage. So I spent a half-hour with Scooter petting her and talking to her and trying to keep her happy -- all while trying not to cry. It was so pitiful I couldn't stand it. When it was time for her to go back to the holding pens, I took her myself and wouldn't turn her over. I am going to visit her again Sunday when Dr. Child is on duty -- and I might go Saturday afternoon as well.

Things just aren't looking too good right now. This vet has a totally different demeanour and outlook than the first vet. I left and went to my regular vet and demanded an immediate audience, and he graciously spoke to me. I explained what had happened and he agreed moving her to his office (or home) right now would just be a Really Bad idea. He also promised to check up with the doctor there. He feels much of this is due to Scooter's age and not the thyroid issue because the symptoms are still not fully matching. Cats with thyroid problems eat a lot and Scooter does not eat a lot any more. I won't likely hear from him again until Monday.

So I am going to have a bad weekend. I didn't sleep last night because Scooter wasn't beside me. I woke up, saw her bed, her dish, her toys and was reminded of her. Then I came home today and saw the same things. A few minutes ago, I caught myself checking her litter box even though she wasn't even home to use it.

Scooter News :(

Scooter has been losing a little bit of weight -- mostly eating a bit less. But otherwise she has been behaving normally. Just this morning she jumped up on the table and had a try at my breakfast -- something she normally does. She still jumps all over, and is generally active and cantankerous. Her only unusual behaviour change was about three months ago, she decided she wouldn't drink water from her bowl -- only the guest bathroom toilet. I have no idea about that, don't ask.

I came home today a little early, at around 515pm and I was not greeted at the door. I called for Scooter and got a meow in reply. This is unusual because she always greets me at the door and demands fresh food. She was laying next to her bed (not in it) and looked at me plaintively. I said hello and went over to pet her. She stood up, and fell back over. She tried to walk, but listed heavily to one side and fell over again. She tried to run and didn't get two feet before collapsing. I picked her up, grabbed the phone and called the vet's office immediately. My dumb luck that his day off is Thursday and Sunday. I swear violently and stuff Scooter into her carrier and she doesn't resist -- a bad sign to be sure.

I drive like a maniac to the 24hour emergency vet in my neighbourhood. I get there in under 3 minutes, narrowly missing several cars and bicyclists and using the sidewalk as a passing lane. I park illegally and run into the emergency vet's office. I notice Scooter had pissed in her cage, something she's never, ever done before -- meaning she really has no control over her muscles. (I talked to her the whole time so she wouldn't be afraid.)

The Vet's name is Doctor Jill Child, and she sees Scooter (but not me) almost immediately after I answer a few basic questions of the "what's wrong" variety for the receptionist. They put me in the holding cell for distraught parents, which describes me perfectly.

Scooter's been to the vet. She's even been to the emergency vet when she had blood in her pee. But I've never been in fear for her life until today. After about fifteen minutes the Vet comes and talks to me and says there's nothing obviously wrong and she doesn't feel her life is in immediate danger. She said she'll run blood tests and such and call me later and I should go home. She asks me lots of questions and observes that Scooter is a quirky but intelligent cat.

I come home and notice a few things (a) she ate about half her breakfast, (b) there's a relatively fresh log in her litter box, and (c) her toys are strewn about upstairs and downstairs. So clearly this is a recent development. A matter of hours, at most. I prepare to call the Vet to give her more details and just as I do, my phone rings. It's the Vet. She says all of her tests indicate Scooter's organs are in good shape but her weight is critically low and she's got an absurd amount of crud in her ear (an ongoing problem for nearly 7 years). Her cell counts are all very good. She believes it's a thyroid problem even though she has passed several previous tests. She will consult with Doctor Diaz tomorrow.

Scooter must spend the night at the clinic and be force feed via syringe. They are also going to medicate her with Thyroid pills twice a day -- good luck to them with that -- which she will have to take twice per day for the rest of her life. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that since I have to travel and such, and she's a very bad patient, too. Feeding her antibiotics for an occasional urinary tract infection has always been a challenge.

I will have more news tomorrow and update then.

I am sad, upset, and terribly anxious.

Scooter Update

A busy day for me, to be sure. I came home after receiving the hernia news, and had a message to please contact the vet's office to schedule an appointment for more blood work on my cat Scooter. Of course, I immediately called and made an appointment to do so. (If you'd like to see pictures of Scooter, feel free to peruse them.)

Not 15 minutes later my phone rings again and it's the vet. Dr. Diaz who thought she may have a thyroid condition because her previous tests (T3) were all one point out of whack and scheduled the second test (T4) said her results came back perfectly normal. He said she doesn't need to go on medication and as long as her appetite and behaviour are normal, she doesn't need to go back to the vet. He recommends a check up every six months just to be safe.

At least there was some good news today.

Cat News

A number of you have inquired about Scooter's well-being. Thanks to those who cared. My vet is a good vet (a very overpriced vet, but I'll take overpriced any day over cheap and not good). She's been on antibiotics for a week to clear up any infection she might have had prior to said surgery.

Today, she went to the vet for a tooth extraction. At her age (18 or 19) that's a risky proposition. However she wouldn't eat, so that was the plan. She was dropped off this morning promptly at 8am. Lots of hugging and such, because I was told up-front this was a very risky operation at her age.

Showed up at 4:30pm for cat pick up as instructed. Vet came right out to see me. First, Scooter's doing well. She had her first bath in several years, ears cleaned, nails trimmed, all of which can't be done to Scooter while she's conscious because she tries to kill anyone who has the temerity to trespass on her person. She also had her teeth cleaned, her gums scraped, and all that good dental stuff we all hate.

But she didn't have an extraction. After all that cleaning, the vet decided it wasn't needed. There was so much tartar on the tooth, he thought that was the problem. His careful inspection prior to surgery saved her the operations (though the sedation is what's risky, not the extraction). How many of your vets would second guess themselves?

On the bad news side, he believes that the first blood test was wrong and is sending a second one out. He thinks she's got a thyroid problem because she has all the symptoms. So he's testing T4 instead of T3 whatever that means. We'll know Saturday. If so, she's on medication for life. That's good because it'll cure her, but it's bad because my body is already rough from one week of giving her antibiotic. It also means travelling anywhere will be out of the picture because no pet sitter can even catch her to give her medication. So it's me at home for quite some time. I will discuss with the vet if there's alternatives for this situation.

More as it becomes available.

(Addendum: Here's a full link with all sorts of details about the drugs, side effects, additional treatments, and so on).