Boy Kitty's T4 Test
Today BK had his thyroid rechecked since Dr. Lester lowered his methimazole dosage because the last test results showed that his thyroid was too low.
Weight: 8lbs (last visit 8.4lbs)
T4: 1.8 (1-5) and last visit was .5
He is normal!
Vet visit $21.96
Dr. Lester suggested that Boy Kitty's urinating problem may be behavioral and she told me to place a few litter boxes around and especially where he is urinating. I placed two extra litter boxes with Cat Attract litter in the areas where he is urinating and I caught him urinating elsewhere -- and not in any of the boxes. I threw a inflatable swimming thingie at him to get him to stop because I couldn't reach him. He didn't stop. After he finished, he came to me and I placed him in the litter box. He jumped out. Placed him in again and he jumped out.
I know he is very grumpy because he had to be poked today. He didn't even want to eat when we came home. I usually drop him off at the vet and leave him there all day but because he's become so grumpy with them, I decided to make an appointment after work and bring him there so he wouldn't have to sit there all day. Results? Still grumpy.
Maybe I will try the Feliway spray since the plugin didn't do that much. Feliway is a feline phermone which should help behaviorial problems. I didn't think the plugin helped much but I will try it again.
Today was the last visit with Dr. Lester. Her last day is sometime next week and she will be on her way to NC. BK and I will definitely miss her!
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AbbieCat is doing pretty well. She isn't coming up to me much but she does allow me to put my arm inside the cage to pet her. Next week I will work on coaxing her to me.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Taming Abbie sidelined and so I returned her to the backyard.
I had a great accomplishment with AbbieCat and a huge setback with her all in the same night last night. I had her sitting on my lap (not freely) and was petting her while she kneaded my leg. Then she got away from me and I could not catch her. She actually went feral - hissing, spitting, growling, biting, climbing up the screened porch. I tried so hard and couldn't get her in the morning either. She was so sweet when confined and so feral when she was loose.
Here was the moment I had to flash forward into the future but also assess what was happening right now to decide what to do.
My vet recommended that the cats stay separate. My boy doesn't like her and was growling at her last night when she kept trying to bug him. He's declawed, he's old, he's sick. If I have to choose one, I have to choose my boy. When I move, I can't have them tearing each other apart in an apartment. I thought with time my boy would come to accept her as he has done with all of my new additions, but in a month, that didn't happen.
I also had to think about Mocha, my chihuahua. When I move, what if Abbiecat isn't so kind to her? I am not saying she would tear her apart, but Mocha is such a weenie.
I had Abbie confined for a month. I fed her, played with her, gave her a ton of treats, petted her, gave her shelter. I thought she was coming around, and she was, but it's amazing how quick the feral returns or more appropriately, resurfaces. Maybe if I didn't have my boy... maybe if I wasn't moving out... things could be different. Or maybe she is just meant to have fun outdoors. I can still provide shelter -- there's a small dog house outside that I put her cat scratch bed in. I can still feed her (when I am gone, my parents will feed her) and give her water. I can still play with her if she would come close (she hasn't all night and she runs away when she sees me). She's spayed, has had shots, and she's still a fighter so I am not too worried about her defending herself. But I can't protect her from cars or kids or wild animals.
I thought about setting a trap out again - trapping her, keep her confined, try it all again. But if it doesn't work and I've kept her confined for 3 more months only to have to rerelease her again, what good did that do for her? After a month I know she is fully healed from being spayed and her ear is finally healed as of this week. I do not worry about her ear getting infected (the ear scab kept reopening and a piece of ear was cut off due to her rubbing).
But I can't help feeling so sad, so deflated. I feel like I failed when at one point I planned my apartment hunting around this new addition. But several factors, including choosing my sick cat over her, made me decide to rerelease her. I am glad she is still hanging around my backyard though. I will miss her coming out of the cage and pushing her head into my hand to be petted...
A feral cat expert wrote to me and told me to return her to my backyard immediately if it's a relatively peaceful place. She said what I am doing would be called returning and not releasing as releasing is when someone would just release a feral anywhere. I am not doing that. I am returning her to her original domain -- my backyard. She said that it was important that I return her now so she doesn't lose anymore of her street smarts. I feel better knowing that the expert is on the same page with my alternative plan.
I had a great accomplishment with AbbieCat and a huge setback with her all in the same night last night. I had her sitting on my lap (not freely) and was petting her while she kneaded my leg. Then she got away from me and I could not catch her. She actually went feral - hissing, spitting, growling, biting, climbing up the screened porch. I tried so hard and couldn't get her in the morning either. She was so sweet when confined and so feral when she was loose.
Here was the moment I had to flash forward into the future but also assess what was happening right now to decide what to do.
My vet recommended that the cats stay separate. My boy doesn't like her and was growling at her last night when she kept trying to bug him. He's declawed, he's old, he's sick. If I have to choose one, I have to choose my boy. When I move, I can't have them tearing each other apart in an apartment. I thought with time my boy would come to accept her as he has done with all of my new additions, but in a month, that didn't happen.
I also had to think about Mocha, my chihuahua. When I move, what if Abbiecat isn't so kind to her? I am not saying she would tear her apart, but Mocha is such a weenie.
I had Abbie confined for a month. I fed her, played with her, gave her a ton of treats, petted her, gave her shelter. I thought she was coming around, and she was, but it's amazing how quick the feral returns or more appropriately, resurfaces. Maybe if I didn't have my boy... maybe if I wasn't moving out... things could be different. Or maybe she is just meant to have fun outdoors. I can still provide shelter -- there's a small dog house outside that I put her cat scratch bed in. I can still feed her (when I am gone, my parents will feed her) and give her water. I can still play with her if she would come close (she hasn't all night and she runs away when she sees me). She's spayed, has had shots, and she's still a fighter so I am not too worried about her defending herself. But I can't protect her from cars or kids or wild animals.
I thought about setting a trap out again - trapping her, keep her confined, try it all again. But if it doesn't work and I've kept her confined for 3 more months only to have to rerelease her again, what good did that do for her? After a month I know she is fully healed from being spayed and her ear is finally healed as of this week. I do not worry about her ear getting infected (the ear scab kept reopening and a piece of ear was cut off due to her rubbing).
But I can't help feeling so sad, so deflated. I feel like I failed when at one point I planned my apartment hunting around this new addition. But several factors, including choosing my sick cat over her, made me decide to rerelease her. I am glad she is still hanging around my backyard though. I will miss her coming out of the cage and pushing her head into my hand to be petted...
A feral cat expert wrote to me and told me to return her to my backyard immediately if it's a relatively peaceful place. She said what I am doing would be called returning and not releasing as releasing is when someone would just release a feral anywhere. I am not doing that. I am returning her to her original domain -- my backyard. She said that it was important that I return her now so she doesn't lose anymore of her street smarts. I feel better knowing that the expert is on the same page with my alternative plan.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Boy Kitty -- Bloodwork/Hyper T rechecked
Weight: 8.4lbs (gained due to thyroid being way off)
Todays Visit (Ranges) Last Visit
T4 Test .5 (1-5) 2.5
This means his thyroid is too low. Cut back to 1/4 tablet twice daily.
He's also taking clavamox for UTI for 2 weeks beginning today.
WBC 13.0 (5.5-19.5) 17.0
RBC 4.11 (5-11) 4.69 LOW
HGB 6.8 (8-15) 6.2 LOW
HCT 18.7 (25-45) 20.5 LOW
MCV 45 (39-50) 44
MCHC 36.6 (30-36) 33.7
RDW 15.5 (13-17) 16.6
PLT 213 (200-500) 269
HMPV 9.0 (6.5-15) 9.9
ALB 3.1 (2.3-3.9) 3.5
ALKP 25 (14-111) 35
ALT 28 (12-130) 26
AMYL 1688 (500-1500) 1246 HIGH
BUN 61 (16-36) 63 HIGH
CA 10.6 (7.8-11.3) 9.9
CHOL 250 (65-225) 164 HIGH
CREA 3.7 (0.8-2.4) 3.7 HIGH
GLU 128 (71-159) 172
PHOS 6.0 (3.1-7.5) 8.7
TBIL 1.0 (0-0.9) 0.8 HIGH
TP 8.4 (5.7-8.9) 8.2
GLOB 5.3 (2.8-5.1) 4.3 HIGH
Todays Visit $228.52
Dr. Lester gave me a bag of subq at no charge. I also had a $15 coupon.
Dr. Lester suggested I come back in two weeks to just have his T4 rechecked to make sure the thyroid is stable. A full recheck of bloodwork will not be needed to be done again for another month or so. I have to take Mocha back (my chunky chihuahua who gained 1.2 pounds in 9 months!) to get the remainder of her shots done in two weeks too.
Weight: 8.4lbs (gained due to thyroid being way off)
Todays Visit (Ranges) Last Visit
T4 Test .5 (1-5) 2.5
This means his thyroid is too low. Cut back to 1/4 tablet twice daily.
He's also taking clavamox for UTI for 2 weeks beginning today.
WBC 13.0 (5.5-19.5) 17.0
RBC 4.11 (5-11) 4.69 LOW
HGB 6.8 (8-15) 6.2 LOW
HCT 18.7 (25-45) 20.5 LOW
MCV 45 (39-50) 44
MCHC 36.6 (30-36) 33.7
RDW 15.5 (13-17) 16.6
PLT 213 (200-500) 269
HMPV 9.0 (6.5-15) 9.9
ALB 3.1 (2.3-3.9) 3.5
ALKP 25 (14-111) 35
ALT 28 (12-130) 26
AMYL 1688 (500-1500) 1246 HIGH
BUN 61 (16-36) 63 HIGH
CA 10.6 (7.8-11.3) 9.9
CHOL 250 (65-225) 164 HIGH
CREA 3.7 (0.8-2.4) 3.7 HIGH
GLU 128 (71-159) 172
PHOS 6.0 (3.1-7.5) 8.7
TBIL 1.0 (0-0.9) 0.8 HIGH
TP 8.4 (5.7-8.9) 8.2
GLOB 5.3 (2.8-5.1) 4.3 HIGH
Todays Visit $228.52
Dr. Lester gave me a bag of subq at no charge. I also had a $15 coupon.
Dr. Lester suggested I come back in two weeks to just have his T4 rechecked to make sure the thyroid is stable. A full recheck of bloodwork will not be needed to be done again for another month or so. I have to take Mocha back (my chunky chihuahua who gained 1.2 pounds in 9 months!) to get the remainder of her shots done in two weeks too.
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