May 2-3
Bette is doing well. She is having trouble urinating in the litter box but we have pads around the box so she has gone on those. But it seems she still has no blood in the urine or a UTI but we will continue 9ml water PO (by mouth), Buprenex .25 or so, and Methigel 2x a day. She has not yet gained use of her lame rear left leg but is able to quickly get around and up and down furniture. She is eating well, maintaining weight after losing 9oz in late March-April. We continue to put her in different rooms so that she is not shut up in just one (she usually spends the day post treatment in the enclosed dining room although the French doors allow her to see us; and her siblings hang out with her after she has rested.)
May 1
My husband drove Bette to the vet school for treatment today and will drive her up on Friday as well.
I gave him notes on the drive-time it takes, when it's boring (long, flat section), the dead animals he should try to ignore (there are so many!), where the police hide in their HUGE blue SUVs, the scenery (long, flat, boring), exactly when he'll be tired, exactly where and when there will be traffic. I even told him which gas station to stop at, the blond cows at the yellow house, and the geese and goslings in the marsh along a road. I told him which left turn to take to get to the vet school, to stay in the left lane and not the right when going down that street, and how to hand her off to the attendants. All of which he rolled his eyes and scoffed at until I told him rather forcibly to PAY ATTENTION! And then when he got home he said that I was right about almost all of it, but did I mention this one spot? Yes, I had but he must have still been scoffing.
April 27
A good day for Bette. She is over the obvious blood in urine but we continue to treat it as if still there. She didn’t sleep well Tuesday night so we increased the Gabapentin from .50ml to .75ml (the script calls for 1ml) and she slept well and used the litter box without crying or being disturbed. And she was able to get around (too much med and it makes cats wobbly.) She did well at today’s treatment.
But I still need a break. My husband will take her Monday and Friday next week.
April 26
So far this morning, Bette is doing much better. Her urine does not appear to be showing any signs of blood. And she used her litter box. We will continue to do the water by mouth every 2 to 3 hours, the extra Buprenex, and the Methigel. And, if it happens again, then I will contact her regular vet who will give her Zenequin . But I think right now everything is going in the right direction and that her bladder is going to hopefully calm down.
April 25
Bette possibly has bloody urine. I saved the pad to take today to treatment. She went at bedtime 10:30 pm in the box but over it onto the pad. It was light red orange. She had an accident in the crate on the way home and it was very dark orange and her urine has been stinking since Friday. So I didn’t know if yesterday it was the radiation treatment but last night it was rather dark looking. But since she only went one time, I didn’t think it was necessary to take her to the ER. She received her bedtime pain med which may have helped. We’ll know more later.
So-The vet school checked and thought she had no bacteria in the urine and suggested not giving antibiotics. They didn’t give sub q fluids to wash out the bladder and any irritants or bacteria that might be there but did give the regular amount of fluid she receives each day with her treatment. They did not offer me guidelines to address the issue. I’ve never had a vet dismiss this problem. They thought it was just stress since she does have a history of idiopathic cystitis. So I called her vet office once home and left a message with them asking her to call me Wednesday when she’s in. And that wonderful woman called me on her day off!! She said if this continues, she’ll prescribe Zenequin antibiotic because there could be bacteria and the pad wasn’t showing it. If it clears up, then Zenequin worked. Meanwhile, give more Buprenex (pain relief/inflammation reducing), water by mouth (we do 9ml a few times), and Methigel to improve the ph level of the urine. The radiologist did finally prescribe Gabapentin for night time.
I would have taken her to the ER last night had she continued to urinate and was in pain when urinating. We have had to do that years ago with Baby, Bette, Elizabeth; and Myrna-with HCM-was frequently in the ER after 8 pm.
April 24
Bette-good Sunday day. Slept well overnight. Good Monday so far. My husband and I changed my schedule since getting up at 4 am was exhausting for me. It’s amazing how one more hour and a half of sleep can feel great! Up at 5:30; shower and dressed; downstairs to make my breakfast and tea-now to go-and her meds; give her meds, crate her, finish gathering whatever; go to car. By 7:25-five minutes late but still ok-in the car.
He has hours of vacation he can use that allows him to take off an hour or so in the morning to care for the cats. He will be up earlier to take care of the cats for the days when he has an 8 am call.
Granted, I’m not a wash and go person. If I were, I suppose I could roll out of bed, shower and dress, etc at 6:30. But that’s never been me. Not that I put on makeup for over an hour but it’s not five minutes either.
April 23
Bette had a good Saturday of moving around or being moved and resting. Last night she slept very well. Not sure why compared to a restless Friday night. She used the litter box. We didn’t give her extra Valium. She slept on the bed and then the floor. So-I slept well for the first time in days, including a restless Friday night. The weekend break has been good for both of us. After she urinated in the cat house Friday night, and the urine got on the floor, and after cleaning the floor three times, I covered the floor with pads, even under blankets. You can see her sleeping under the rocker and see how small is the room.
No comments:
Post a Comment