Sheba update
I got home from work last night and Sheba just wasn't her usual self. AND, she peed on the carpet on the stairs....for the last couple of weeks, she has been peeing outside her litter box as well as using her litter box, and so I have been concerned.
I took her to the vet last night and they took a urine sample and ran some bloodwork. No bacteria in her urine, so it wasn't an infection (which was what I was hoping it was). Her urine was acidic (bad news) and they gave her two bags of iv fluid - she was dehydrated even though she has been drinking a TON of water - another sign that her kidneys are shutting down.
I took her home (stopped at McDonalds to get her a filet-o-fish) and she was so uncomfortable 
The fluid had settled near her underbelly, which seems to have made walking and lying down hard for her. I let her sleep with DH and me last night, but she opted to sleep on the slipper chair instead. She seems a little more comfortable this morning.
When the vet and I talked last night after the fluids were given, he said we will have to wait and see what her BUN and creatinine are when the results come back and that I may have to make some decisions at that time. I know that I can go the give her fluids at home route, but based on how she responded and reacted last night, I don't know that I will choose that option.
To further complicate things, DH and I are going on a short vacation next week - I have decided that I will board her at the vet while we are gone so that they can administer fluids if necessary and keep an eye on her. Thing1 will be at home with KarateKid and BabyVoice, but I don't really trust any of them to care for her like I would.
I am hoping that the blood work comes back just fine, but I am prepared for the worst I will not get to the point where I am keeping her alive for me. Right now she doesn't seem to be in pain, only uncomfortable due the extra fluid in her body.
This is the last thing I need to be dealing with right now. Baby shower tomorrow, Sunday is Mother's Day, I am out of town from next Wednesday to Sunday and all I really want to do is snuggle with my girl.
Keep your kitty fingers crossed that the blood work comes back okay...
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Hope she the blood work comes
Hope she the blood work comes in ok. It's so hard when our furry friends have these problems. They can't tell us what's wrong.
oh darlin'...
oh darlin'... (((sheba)))
please keep us posted.
I'm so sorry! Two years ago
I'm so sorry! Two years ago last week I lost my sweet girl to the same issues. It happened within a matter of days. I still miss her.
Fingers crossed that you get some good news from the vet and can enjoy her for a little bit longer.
I am concerned that it will
I am concerned that it will happen quickly...usually when we let her sleep with us, she is in and out and in and out all night long, which is why I finally had to tell her to stay out. She did fine with it, sleeping in her bed downstairs and then coming upstairs to sit outside our door, howling at us to let us know it was time to wake up and feed her
Last night? She slept in our bed for a little while, then moved to the chair and didn't howl once this morning. Totally not like her and that's how I know it's not good.
I feel like it would be stupid to keep her at the vet while I am out of town only to come home and have to make that decision, but that is what may end up happening.
Ugh - I am so sick about this.
I guess I would want to at
I guess I would want to at least try to see if she can make an improvement. If she is at the vet, she will be in a place where they can give her the best care and advise you if any different course of action needs to be taken.
Hopefully this morning was just a bit of being tuckered out from all the stress of yesterday?
But it's better to have that
But it's better to have that happen than for her to pass without you home. I really hope you still have some time left with her!
With my girl, it seemed to happen overnight. One day she was fine, the next she was having the accidents outside the litterbox like you mentioned. She also didn't care about food either, even when I offered her favorites to her. She perked up, sniffed, then walked away. It was heartbreaking. She didn't appear to be in pain, so I just let her do what she wanted. The day before she passed, she spent some time sitting on DH's lap, but by that night, she sought some peace in the bathroom which is where she stayed until I found a vet that was open (of course it was a holiday weekend.)
Hopefully your vet can give you a better indication as to what to expect, and you can make your decisions accordingly. I feel guilty I waited so long to take her to the vet (she passed in my arms as I was taking her to the car) because I didn't want to "play God" and she hadn't acted like she was in pain. It's such a hard decision to make. I would love to get another cat, but I'm still sad it wouldn't be my missy.
*hugs* this is the hardest time...
when my daughter was a senior
when my daughter was a senior in high school, she found a small stray black kitty. We named him Cole, took him to the vet, got him all checked out. He seemed fine. 3 months later, on Prom night, I walked back in the house after pictures to see him struggling to walk.
I rushed him to the vet to find out he was in liver failure. Necrotic tissue - I had to put him down that night. It was the worst and I had only been attached to him for 3 months!! He had been fine and then just like you said, the next day not so much.
I am at work and I am a nervous wreck wondering if she is okay at home...
My girl kitty was also a
My girl kitty was also a stray. I had another cat at the time, and I didn't realize he was lonely while I was at work until I brought her in.
I had to put him down suddenly when he was only 10 years old. I'm convinced it was from the tainted Iam's food back in the day. One day he was fine, the next day he was lying in the bathroom, just hanging out. He was very social and loved being around people, so it was odd for him. The next day he was just hanging out under a bed all day, which was very unusual for him, so I took him to the vet. He purred the entire time I held him while he was examined. They asked to keep him to run more tests, and the next day they called me and said that he had kidney failure, and there was absolutely nothing they could do. They called him "pigeon" there because he purred constantly. I couldn't believe he was that ill. They told me the most humane thing to do was to put him down, and I was devastated. He was my "roommate" from college, and grew up with me. He purred in my arms while they gave him the shot. It was heart-breaking. He didn't look ill, but just lied there refusing to eat, drink, or move, but he purred.
With Maya, she was thinner over the last year, but she was getting older. Then she was suddenly so sick that we knew it was a matter of days, and I just waited for a sign of pain. Just awful.
I'm sure your Sheba is still with you.
Why do these things always happen around holidays or when we go away?? When I was in college, we had to put down our dog because we had a once in a lifetime vacation as a whole family back to my parents' home country, and knew our sick dog would not survive all of us being away and being boarded at the vet for the weeks we were gone.
*hugs*
OMG, I lost my kitty right
OMG, I lost my kitty right after the food recall too! I was feeding her the Iams dry and wet food. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her and then she went down hill so fast...there wasn't really any other explanation for it. I hated China SOOO much then!! It was infuriating not being able to prove that it was exacty from the recall or I would've done whatever I could to join the suit!!
ETA: She was only 8, and so extremely playful before this happened.
I STILL haven't been able to get another kitty because of losing her.
She is 17 - 18 in November
She is 17 - 18 in November
I was going to ask the same
I was going to ask the same question. Unfortunately it is around this age that kidney failure takes over if there are no other problems.
{{{Hugs to Sheba and WOB}}} I'm so sorry you both are going through this and I hope things turn around so you can have more time together!!
Sending lots of hugs to you
Sending lots of hugs to you and Sheba.
Awwwww prayers... thinking of
Awwwww prayers... thinking of you both.
{{HUGS}} Sending healing
{{HUGS}} Sending healing vibes to Sheba and warm comfort to you.
((Hugs))
((Hugs))
I'm so sorry... I was in the
I'm so sorry... I was in the same predicament last summer, my 12 year old kitty Boo really went downhill about 3 days before I left for a trip out of the country. All she would do was lay in the same place. Of course it was renal failure. I couldn't bare to prolong what was going on and felt that if it was going to happen, it would be ME holding her, so before we left I made that final vet appointment.
While we were gone my other kitty Runis was so upset he ran away (jumped the fence and took off)... and was gone for 40 days before he showed back up one night. So... my boxer not only lost Boo, but also Runis. She went into a depression until Runis came back home.
yeah - I may have to make the
yeah - I may have to make the decision before I go.
I expect to hear from the vet later in the day, more towards dinner time. Once I have the information, then I will know where we are at.
So sorry, Walk. We went
She was 22 but it still sucks all around. Our prayers (mine and Maestro the cat's) are with you.
So - the vet just called.
So - the vet just called. She is still Stage Two - which means 66-75% of her kidney function is lost. Her numbers are higher than they were a few months ago...not unexpected.
I am to keep a close eye on her and if she stops eating, I will have to take her back for more fluids.
The next few days will tell....things can go from stage 2 to stage 4 pretty quickly.
We shall see...
My thoughts are with you and
My thoughts are with you and Sheba.
>^..^<
I hope you all are doing o.k.
I hope you all are doing o.k. I know it's been a while since you first posted. I just wanted to let you know that it is ok to let go when you need to. This may sound crazy, but my girl made it absolutely clear to me that this is what she wanted and that I should be comfortable with it. It was HARD, but I knew it was the right thing to let her go in peace. I only had 8 years with her, but she was one of a kind (at least to me, ha!).
Sometimes I wish they could talk and tell us what is wrong, but then I remember that it's probably much easier to love them because they can't talk! (Unlike step-kids
) Maybe if they could only when they weren't feeling well...
I got home from work today
I got home from work today and Sheba came downstairs to greet me like she always does
A little slower but she seems to be feeling better than she was this morning.
I know the day is coming, and I know she'll let me know when it's time.
I'm going to keep a close eye on her this weekend
Thanks for all the love for me and my kitty
Yay! My kitty greeting me
Yay! My kitty greeting me when I got home from work used to be the best part of my day.
Now, it's my FDH, which to be honest, isn't always as great, ha.
It is amazing what fluids can
It is amazing what fluids can do - they can really change a cat's affect. You will have to figure out if you and Sheba can do the fluids on your own at home. Every cat handles it differently.
I had a cat who was 18 and in stage 2 kidney failure. I gave her subcu fluids every other day for about 9 months. She was very laid back, and other than me stabbing myself with the needle, we never had a problem. I'm glad I went to the effort because her quality of life was fine for the 9 months. Then almost over night she got worse and I had to put her down.
I have a 17 year old cat now who is in stage 1. The vet and I have already decided that there will be at home fluids for him. He fights the needle like crazy. Even if I could do it, which I don't think I could, his quality of life would not be good. I'm feeding him a special diet and trying to get him to drink as much as I can and hopefully he will be ok for as long as he can.
Sending you both warm thoughts...