Ultrasounds and Revenge
Yesterday, Joe and I loaded Marley up in her new snazzy cat carrier to head 2 hours south to Ithaca, to have an abdominal ultrasound done. Marley was not happy. We had to take her food away starting at 8pm the night before the appt. And then took her litter box away about 10am, so that she would have a full bladder for the ultrasound. She was hungry - actually you would have thought she was starving to death. For a cat whose food is out 24/7, this was quite the adjustment.
For the first 20 minutes of the ride in the truck, she cried and cried to be let out. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I let her on my lap, but she kept going for Joe's lap, and I kept having to restrain her from impairing Joe's driving. Finally she crawled back in to the carrier (see above photo) and was comfy there poking her head out, for the rest of the drive to Ithaca! We thought this was such a hoot! I was expecting something much different than this...involving lots of cat yakking.
She went in right 1pm for her appointment- they had to shave her belly. They didn't allow me in for her appt so I don't know how she did with this. For those of us who "know" Marley, we know she's not the friendliest of cats with strangers. They brought her back out in 30 minutes. Drool hanging from her right jowl and utterly pissed off. The radiologist brought us in to an exam room and told us that the good news was that they found no masses, no abnormalities, no cancer, no obstructions. The bad news was, they didn't have an answer to the elevated liver and kidney levels, the weight loss and eating habits that we've been experiencing for a few weeks now. We will talk to our vet tomorrow when she's back in the office to find out what the next steps should be.
The ride home went well and she ate approx. every 20 minutes ever since we returned to the house. But since last night I haven't seen the heavy drinking at all- but she still isn't herself. She's on top of me every minute, especially if I'm sitting. She'll leave my lap, eat, drink and then hide on a dining room chair under the table but isn't wandering around or being independent- she's not venturing upstairs at all unless I'm beading or in bed. I'm still worried. I just wish I knew what the problem was. I hope whatever it is, will fix itself, and soon.
I'm so sorry, Lorelei. I would be a wreck also, if this were one of my puppies. She could still be freaked out by the long car ride, which might account for the need to be close to you. I will continue to hope for the best for Marley.
ReplyDeleteLori, a few things that may shed some light on the situation:
ReplyDelete1. Our dog drank massive amounts of water in the last 3 years of his life. It seemed to begin very abruptly. For awhile, his kidney 'numbers' were way off. . .but when they were checked again several months later, they were fine. He still drank a lot of water. At 15, this had to have been age-related. The vet said his kidneys weren't as efficient as they once were, and that made sense to us. We had to euthanize him last summer because his arthritis was so bad he had to have help getting up to a standing position, and didn't have the strength in his back legs to maintain it very well. His kidneys had nothing to do with it.
2. ALL of my cats, some of whom had been downright chunky during their robust years, lost weight as older cats. One of them now is developing allergies to certain foods; we've had to change what we feed him, and may well have more changes ahead.
3. One of my cats (as I mentioned in a Facebook post) had terrible liver numbers for awhile. Then they were fine, and we never knew why. She died from thyroid disease.
The secret to living with aging pets is to treat what you can treat and ignore the rest. Watch for changes, of course, and get them addressed when it makes sense to do that. Keep her as happy as you can, and enjoy her. I have wasted a lot of time being worried half to death over things that never made any difference. The day the vet told me about my cat's liver numbers, I stayed home from work and cried all day. My parents were a wreck, too, because they adored her. The vet predicted she'd be gone in a few weeks; she lived another 3 years.
Go spoil Miss Marley and enjoy her! She'll only hate you for another couple of days. Right now, she's recovering from the anesthetic; that may explain the behavior you're seeing.
It would be nice if they could talk wouldn't it? Last summer my Siamese, Jaspurr, had to have an ultrasound after refusing to eat for days. This was dangerous due to his diabetes. They told me that he had gallstones and that a $4000.00 surgery many or may not help him. He had already been in ICU for a week. I took him home to think about it. When he came out of his carrier he headed straight away to his food dish and gorged! He's been fine ever since, 5 months and counting.
ReplyDeleteLorelei:
ReplyDeleteShe just looks so pissed in that picture! Too funny!
I don't know anything about Dot, but I definitely think she has a future in greeting cards. If that pic was of a dog, I'd buy it in a second.
Did the vet check for thyroid abnormalities? Because if those levels are off, I think it can affect liver and kidneys as well. I just hope whatever it is, she starts feeling better and you start worrying less.
You guys are all in my thoughts.
Pennie
It's so hard when they are sick and can't tell you what is wrong. I hope you find out what is wrong soon and she is ok.
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm reading your post, feeling your concern, reading everyone's comments, getting ready to write something caring and meaningful, and then I see the last post, by Mary Lau...for fitness equipment! I had to laugh, you just never know where your going to get spammed next!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love all the great advice Jenny gave, and it makes sense to me. I know how much it took for my cats to get their 'normal' attitude back after a regular vet visit, so I hope she's more back to herself today. Hugs, Shirley
hahahahah!!! i deleted it. thanks for the heads up. I am getting really annoyed- so many spam comments are sneaking through lately.
DeleteShe's really not herself still. wandering around kind of aimlessly.... she'll eat like a few bites, wander and eat a few more bites. she's been really low key- keeping to herself. And now her right eye is all runny and I have no idea why. gah. what next. I'll be speaking to my vet again today to find out our next steps.
I feel your pain. We have an indoor 16 year old cat who has been healthy all her life. But lately she is visiting the litter box too frequently and yakking up far too many hairballs. She has lost weight as well. It's difficult knowing how far to go with treatment, realizing that her life here with us is not likely to last much longer, yet she has many days when she feels good. Also has arthritis, gotta help her up onto the sofa!
ReplyDeleteI do hope that you can figure out what's going on with Marley. I know the attachment that comes with having a pet for so long. They truly are a part of your family!