Freaking out vs "this is normal"

[zed xyzed]

How old is Pea-Pea? is she solid black?

 

[donutte]

How old is Pea-Pea? is she solid black?

We were told she was 3 when we adopted her in December, but we are thinking she was closer to 1. She's grown - not just in the sense of her weight, but she's gotten longer and taller since she got here. And while she has a few random white hairs here and there on her back (that you can't see except up close), yep, she's solid black

 

[donutte]

Sara seems to be back to normal today. Wish she'd stop going under the table every time one of the other cats just wants to smell her (isn't that what cats do?). She'll stop whatever she's doing and retreat. Sigh.

 

[kittens mom]

It's possible she feels better if the matts were making her uncomfortable. Cats are weird. Words from a very good vet I know.

 

[Margret]

 

Oh, those poor, sad eyes.  It's all a trade-off.  Matted fur, hated sweater, or cold indignity.

Maybe she can comfort herself with some more food.

Margret

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

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• donutte
• Apr 17, 2016

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• donutte
• Apr 17, 2016

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• donutte
• Apr 17, 2016

awww...your sweet Sara! 

my snick

would get cold very easily as her CKD progressed (as well as her age). i bought her a snuggle sack from a seller on etsy dot com, which she really enjoyed a lot. something else you might try is a heating pad on low, wrapped in a towel.

 

[donutte]

Sara was taking advantage of Mother Nature's heating element today. Got up to 83 here! And the sun was out and about today, that's for sure. Sara soaked up every bit of it, and pretty sure she enjoyed it. I'm a bit too paranoid to leave a heating bad on overnight. Thinking I may get a hot water bottle that I can put in a towel and she can sleep on that perhaps at night.

She ate probably about a third of a can of food today, in addition to the almost half-can of Fancy Feast she had this morning. About 100 calories so far! Trying to maintain about 150 a day if possible with her. We still have the community feeding tonight, she may or may not get 50 calories here, and then I'll try to give her the rest of what she didn't eat earlier. Maybe she's eating more of the dry food than I'm aware of?

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel sounds very nice for your girl! 

  petstages also makes kitty (or) puppy cuddle pals. those have little bags of rice/beans/oats (something or other) that you microwave, then put them back inside the cloth cover and close up the velcro on them. they're cozy and warm, snick 

liked those too.

 

[donutte]

Back to the vet with Sara. I noticed a nice-sized booger on her left nostril this morning with some moisture behind it. Awesome. I hope I didn't make her sick by taking her to the groomer I know we've had some very up and down weather the last couple days (70s during the day Sunday, 30s at night, 80s yesterday, 50s last night). And last night I forgot to turn the heater back on.

 

[donutte]

I just remember Pea-Pea having the sniffles either Friday or Saturday night. I remember hearing it and bells and whistles went off in my head, since I remember that she had a really bad recurring URI before I adopted her. In fact, the main reason they let me adopt her before she was spayed/had her shots was because she had been sick the entire time she was in the shelter, and they figured the best thing they could do for her was to get her out of the shelter. She literally had finished up a round of antibiotics the day before I took her home. Anyway, I wonder if something is just making the rounds in my house, and the two of them are just susceptible?

Oh well. Vet appt is scheduled for 2:30pm.

 

[donutte]

Sara has a URI. Stopping Orbax, starting Clavamox. Told me give her Cerenia beforehand the first couple days. So just had to give her a shot sans subqs, and I feel horrible because I know it stung Oh yeah, gonna reduce subqs to 125 a day.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Back to the vet with Sara. I noticed a nice-sized booger on her left nostril this morning with some moisture behind it. Awesome. I hope I didn't make her sick by taking her to the groomer

I know we've had some very up and down weather the last couple days (70s during the day Sunday, 30s at night, 80s yesterday, 50s last night). And last night I forgot to turn the heater back on.

Sara has a URI. Stopping Orbax, starting Clavamox. Told me give her Cerenia beforehand the first couple days. So just had to give her a shot sans subqs, and I feel horrible because I know it stung

Oh yeah, gonna reduce subqs to 125 a day.

your Sara is 15 years old and has acute renal failure. she also was unable (your vet's recommended against) having dental work done. the URI my snick

had (and recovered from) not long before she crossed the bridge, i felt may have been my fault for not keeping it warm enough for her. but my vet told me that in cases like this, dental issues that cannot safely be addressed, these dental issues can leave them more vulnerable to developing URI's. so it's not something you or i could prevent, but we both made sure the URI's were treated. 

 

 

[donutte]

I feel like she's just had such a rough life and she didn't deserve that at all. She is such a sweet girl and for some reason, she's just had a very rough time in life. I honestly wasn't sure I was going to bring her home today If he thought it was her heart failing, I don't think I would have been able to try to treat that. It sounds like it's all up in her sinuses though, which is good in terms of severity, but if it's anything like humans, it probably means she feels like utter crap.

I don't regret not doing the dental, considering she went into acute renal failure a few weeks back. I know they are so much more susceptible to that with anesthesia, plus she has the heart murmur. Girl just got the bum end of the stick, and a mama that didn't know enough to take her to a vet regularly.

 

[jenny82]

Aww poor Sara. Im so glad she came home with you.

 

[zed xyzed]

Poor girl I am so happy she is home. 

 

[donutte]

I just had to pull her out from under the table to pill her. She has blood on the one side of her nose My mom thinks it's because it's just raw, it's not like it's gushing or anything. But I felt horrible that 1) I had to pill her twice because I couldn't fit everything in the gelcap and 2) that I disturbed her from the blissfulness of sleep. I feel horrible. She's not eating I'm sure because she can't smell very well. I'm just sick with worry right now

 

[Margret]

I feel like she's just had such a rough life and she didn't deserve that at all. She is such a sweet girl and for some reason, she's just had a very rough time in life. I honestly wasn't sure I was going to bring her home today

If he thought it was her heart failing, I don't think I would have been able to try to treat that. It sounds like it's all up in her sinuses though, which is good in terms of severity, but if it's anything like humans, it probably means she feels like utter crap.

I don't regret not doing the dental, considering she went into acute renal failure a few weeks back. I know they are so much more susceptible to that with anesthesia, plus she has the heart murmur. Girl just got the bum end of the stick, and a mama that didn't know enough to take her to a vet regularly.

"Old age is not for the faint of heart."  It applies to all of us, cats as much as humans.  We tend to suffer from increasing medical problems, we lose more and more of the people we love, and eventually our bodies just wear out.  But the only alternative is an early death.  I doubt that Sara would have chosen that, had it been up to her, and I know you wouldn't have chosen it for her.

All we can do is as much as we can do.  Sara is very vulnerable right now, but it is only your "fault" in that you kept her alive long enough to get old.  You've been doing everything you can for her, under very difficult conditions.  You're tired and discouraged.  This is not the right time to second guess your decisions.

You wouldn't blame anyone else on this site who was in the same circumstances; don't hold yourself to a higher standard than you do others.  I don't like it when people beat up on my friends.  Don't beat up on yourself.

Margret

 

[Margret]

I just had to pull her out from under the table to pill her. She has blood on the one side of her nose

My mom thinks it's because it's just raw, it's not like it's gushing or anything. But I felt horrible that 1) I had to pill her twice because I couldn't fit everything in the gelcap and 2) that I disturbed her from the blissfulness of sleep. I feel horrible. She's not eating I'm sure because she can't smell very well. I'm just sick with worry right now

Do whatever else you need to do tonight, get some supper, and go to bed.  Of course you're worried.  We all are.  But you need to take care of yourself as well as Sara.

Margret

 

[donutte]

Do whatever else you need to do tonight, get some supper, and go to bed.  Of course you're worried.  We all are.  But you need to take care of yourself as well as Sara.

Margret

Took some Excedrin PM for my headache. Watching some tv, gonna check on Sara in a few, then head to bed.

 

[foxxycat]

How is Miss Sara doing this morning? Hugs to you guys. My girl gets pretty miserable when she has an URI and she only eats treats when she is sick.Sometimes adding hot hot water to fancy feast will help. Poor girl but she has a wicked awesome meowmy for taking such good care of her!!