big scare
I had such plans for yesterday; I was going to get to work on a really big scene in my WIP & hopefully even finish ch2. This is where Murphy's Law steps in & says, "HA! We'll just see about that." I was getting ready to work when I noticed one of my cats (the oldest) wake up & head straight for the litter pan. This was slightly odd in itself, but then, because I was nearby, I noticed that nothing was happening while he was in there. I knew that wasn't good...a cat not being able to pee is never a good sign. So I was worried, but not yet panicked. I kept an eye on him as he walked away, then went back & did it again. Okay, now I know I need to call the vet. And while I was on the phone with them, he did it four or five more times.
The vet wasn't going to be in the office until 5pm, but they wanted me to bring him in right then so the dr. could look at him. I didn't need to be told that if it was that crystallized urine syndrome cats (especially males) can come down with, it was bad, bad, bad. They can die from that, if not treated right away, & even with treatment, they tend to die eventually, anyway. Whaaaa! So I spent the whole day worrying & watching Angel like a hawk, & was at the vet's office a good fifteen minutes early. But just as the dr. was about to start seeing patients, a woman came in with a puppy that had been hit by a car. Oh, the poor thing. It was adorable, but not moving, & the woman was a mess--which I don't blame her for at all. And the next forty minutes were spent with the waiting room filling up while the dr. worked on that dog. (I hope he's all right; when I finally got Angel into the exam room, I asked the dr. if the dog was going to make it & he said, "We still don't know.")
Anyway, when we finally did get in to see the dr., my fears were somewhat relieved. He said that while there probably was some crystallization, it was more likely a bladder infection that could be treated with antibiotics, & the bladder spasms were what caused him to think he had to pee when he really didn't. So I was able to bring him home & he's now on two different medications...one for the infection & one to stop the spasms. And so far, he seems to be doing well. He's peeing again (yay!) & resting much more comfortably. Ironically, this is the same cat that has a bit of a spraying problem & for the last year we've had him on medication to stop him from peeing. Honestly, with one medication to make him pee & one to keep him from peeing, he's going to end up with a split personality. :-P
The dr. also suspects this problem was caused by the new food I'd put the cats on. I hate to say bad things about a brand that's very popular & a lot of people probably use, but it was Meow Mix. For the last couple years, I've had them on Friskies Special Diet (for urinary tract health) to avoid this very thing. (They love it, btw.) But during our last trip for shots, the dr. said I might want to switch them to something much lower in fat for the summer because they were putting on weight & the fat cells can damage their livers. So I ran around checking the fat content of every brand I could find, & Meow Mix was the lowest. They've only been on it about two weeks, but look what happened. And the dr. said he's seen a ton of cats with bladder & urinary tract infections who were eating Meow Mix. So, sorry, but that stuff is going in the garbage...or at least the composte heap. I don't even want to donate it to the SPCA for fear it will harm other animals. (Like those poor, homeless critters need more problems!) Now my cats are on special food that I bought right at the vet's office. More expensive than "over the counter" cat food, yes, but if it keeps them from getting infections like this again, it will be well worth it. And the dr. did say that I only need to have them on it for a couple weeks, until we see how everyone is doing. Then I can maybe switch them to something else. But I have a feeling even then, it will be the same brand, just maybe a different version--like "weight maintenance". :-)
The vet wasn't going to be in the office until 5pm, but they wanted me to bring him in right then so the dr. could look at him. I didn't need to be told that if it was that crystallized urine syndrome cats (especially males) can come down with, it was bad, bad, bad. They can die from that, if not treated right away, & even with treatment, they tend to die eventually, anyway. Whaaaa! So I spent the whole day worrying & watching Angel like a hawk, & was at the vet's office a good fifteen minutes early. But just as the dr. was about to start seeing patients, a woman came in with a puppy that had been hit by a car. Oh, the poor thing. It was adorable, but not moving, & the woman was a mess--which I don't blame her for at all. And the next forty minutes were spent with the waiting room filling up while the dr. worked on that dog. (I hope he's all right; when I finally got Angel into the exam room, I asked the dr. if the dog was going to make it & he said, "We still don't know.")
Anyway, when we finally did get in to see the dr., my fears were somewhat relieved. He said that while there probably was some crystallization, it was more likely a bladder infection that could be treated with antibiotics, & the bladder spasms were what caused him to think he had to pee when he really didn't. So I was able to bring him home & he's now on two different medications...one for the infection & one to stop the spasms. And so far, he seems to be doing well. He's peeing again (yay!
The dr. also suspects this problem was caused by the new food I'd put the cats on. I hate to say bad things about a brand that's very popular & a lot of people probably use, but it was Meow Mix. For the last couple years, I've had them on Friskies Special Diet (for urinary tract health) to avoid this very thing. (They love it, btw.) But during our last trip for shots, the dr. said I might want to switch them to something much lower in fat for the summer because they were putting on weight & the fat cells can damage their livers. So I ran around checking the fat content of every brand I could find, & Meow Mix was the lowest. They've only been on it about two weeks, but look what happened. And the dr. said he's seen a ton of cats with bladder & urinary tract infections who were eating Meow Mix. So, sorry, but that stuff is going in the garbage...or at least the composte heap. I don't even want to donate it to the SPCA for fear it will harm other animals. (Like those poor, homeless critters need more problems!) Now my cats are on special food that I bought right at the vet's office. More expensive than "over the counter" cat food, yes, but if it keeps them from getting infections like this again, it will be well worth it. And the dr. did say that I only need to have them on it for a couple weeks, until we see how everyone is doing. Then I can maybe switch them to something else. But I have a feeling even then, it will be the same brand, just maybe a different version--like "weight maintenance". :-)
I also won't be leaving the house for a while, as the vet told me I need to keep a very close eye on Angel for the next three or four days. So maybe I'll get chapter 2 finished, after all.
