Pete needs some good vibes!

alison

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It's been a while since I've posted here - many, many new faces (and I few that I remember from the past!).

Please send good vibes to my dear cat Pete. He's been at the vet's office since Sunday, November 29th, suffering from multiple urinary blockages. I believe we're swiftly approaching PU surgery, which we were (and still are) extremely anxious and hesitant about, but at this point we have to do what's best for Pete. We miss him dearly, and want him home healthy. He's only 5 years old, and we want many, many more years with our handsome boy. I can only imagine what the past week and a half has been like for him - the one thing I'm thankful for is that the vet is open 24 hours and has been EXTREMELY accommodating to us, letting us visit him basically whenever we want.

Again, any and all good, healing vibes that could be sent toward Pete would be VERY much appreciated! Pete (and his tongue!) thanks ALL of you, as do I!

 
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alison

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Many, many, MANY thanks for everyone who's sending good vibes Pete's way. As an update, he's scheduled for the PU surgery for this afternoon - I've done my research, and it looks like he'll be in good hands (board certified surgeon who has done plenty of these in the past).

you all, and will keep everyone updated.
 

farleyv

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Oh sweet Pete. Many prayers for a successful surgery. My cat Beeba is coming off crystals. I know how stressful this is for him and you.

Please update when you can!
 

otto

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All paws crossed here for Pete's surgery to go well.
 
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alison

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Quick update: the surgeon told me that the surgery went well. She was expecting Pete to be in much, much worse condition given what he's been through in the past 2 weeks (4 blockages w/ 4 urinary catheters). She did mention that there was quite a bit of bleeding, but she said that it was brought under control and is nothing to worry about. Pete will be at the vet's office in recovery until tomorrow, when we're scheduled to bring him home. Again, thank you to ALL who have sent good vibes Pete's way - please keep them coming, and keep him in your thoughts. The next few weeks will more likely than not be trying for all of us, but to know that we're FINALLY on our way toward getting Pete back and healthy is well worth it.

In the meantime, we're in the process of getting the house ready for his return - the surgeon recommended that we set up a large dog crate with a blanket, litter box, food and water so when we aren't around, we won't have to worry about him getting into places he shouldn't be and potentially damaging his stitches. We also don't want our other cat, Kylie, bothering her "big brother" while he's recovering.

I'll keep everyone updated!
 

farleyv

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Oh good. I am glad all went pretty well. I know how much I worried about Beeb when he was going through cathing.

I hope he continues to do good.


Thanks for the update...keep them coming!
 
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alison

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Pete came home last Friday, and each day he's doing better and better. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with the large crate we set up for him - we woke up Saturday morning to find his litter and food flipped over as well as his water bowl, making a wonderful litter+food "soup" that took a good amount of time to clean! Realizing that he was just getting stressed in the crate, we ditched that idea and he now has free reign of the back bedroom - needless to say, he's a much happier kitty! Our main concern was that he'd crawl under the bed and subsequently up into the box springs, potentially damaging the stitches, but the e-collar is (luckily) preventing him from getting under the bed - every time I walk in, he's either on the bed or in his cat bed, so he's really being a trooper throughout this entire "process."

There has been very little bleeding from the incision site, which has been a relief. The stitches are starting to itch him, so I believe the small amount of blood is from him rubbing the site to relieve the itching. The vet said that a small amount of blood is normal, so we aren't concerned. Also, the bruising is improving each and every day. He's eating, drinking (we moved the water fountain into the bedroom), and using the litter box like a champ, so things are on the up and up!

The stitches are scheduled to be removed this Saturday, 10 days post-op. We're almost there!
 

nance

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One of my cats had this surgery.....he lived to be 17 1/2 ...had the surgery when he was around 5...we had some complications from surgery like infections (wasn't easy keeping the area clean so I would just keep clipping all the hair all the time and clean it with warm water)...bladder infections ...but after a few months he was good as new...Some have no complications...lets hope Pete is one of them
 
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alison

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Nance - thank you for the good vibes! We're cautiously optimistic about how Pete will be once the stitches are out and the e-collar is off - thus far, he's been a real trooper, and has adjusted to his new "peeing stance" fantastically. He's one of the cleaner cats I've ever had - prior to the surgery, I hardly ever had to clean his rear, so I'm hoping that continues. The opinion from both our vet and the surgeon is that while there is a higher chance of a UTI post-op, we'd MUCH rather deal with the UTI instead of another blockage (to quote the surgeon, "I tell the owners of my patients that I'd rather deal with a UTI over a blockage any day of the week."). I'm sure that others on this board (yourself included!) could provide insight into that, but after the 1.5 weeks and 4 blockages prior to surgery, we'd have to agree based on that experience alone.

Also, I learned after the surgery that my Aunt's cat, who lived to be over 16, had the same procedure. I'm not sure of his age at the time of the surgery, but hearing that (as well as all the experiences from folks on here!) has truly put my mind at ease.
 

otto

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Thank you for keeping us updated on Pete, Alison. I can't think how I missed the update earlier in the week!

It's good to hear from people who have had this surgery with their male cats, and to hear success stories. In another forum I've read so some complications people have run into, the main one being scar tissue requiring more surgery.

I hope Pete doesn't run into that, all paws still crossed for complete recovery!

xo
 

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I missed this thread when it started. for an uncomplicated full recovery and many more happy years.
 
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alison

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Originally Posted by otto

Thank you for keeping us updated on Pete, Alison. I can't think how I missed the update earlier in the week!

It's good to hear from people who have had this surgery with their male cats, and to hear success stories. In another forum I've read so some complications people have run into, the main one being scar tissue requiring more surgery.

I hope Pete doesn't run into that, all paws still crossed for complete recovery!

xo
The complications were my main concern, and I made sure to bring it up to the surgeon prior to the surgery. She told me that while the scar tissue is a definite possibility, she herself has never had that issue with any of the PU surgeries that she's performed. Hopefully Pete won't be her first "complication," but I suppose only time will tell!

Today is his last day on Buprenex (7 days post-op), but we have 3 more days of Clavamox to go (10 days post-op). Getting the Clavamox down his throat has been a challenge (given his size, he requires 2ml instead of the 1ml typical cat dosage - double the fun!), but we seem to be getting better at it day by day - we'll probably be pros by the time Saturday comes and we don't have to give it to him anymore
Some of us start our day with coffee and the newspaper - I start my day by finding new ways to get antibiotics into the cat!
 

threecatowner

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I'm glad things are going well with Pete. In 1985 my Cujo had this same surgery - and he did well too. (It cost me less than $200 - can you imagine???) Reading about him dumping everything in the dog crate made me laugh - although I'm sure you weren't laughing at the time - it was just such a cat-thing to do!

I hope he continues to do well, and you can all have a relaxing Christmas!
 

farleyv

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Speaking of starting your day passing meds....I've been doing it for the last month. Just ending now. Beeba had the crystals and he had his last urine acidifier yesterday. In 3 days...no more pills!

I found that rubbing a bit of no salt butter on the pills makes them go down easier and they keep licking their mouths and swallowing which is a good thing. I always worry about pills not going down well. This helps. I think he likes the butter too so that is a plus.

I hope Beeb does not have to have the operation..as you say, time will tell. But it helps to read about Pete and how well he is doing. It gives me hope that if it comes to it, Beeb would do well too!

Keep up the good work Pete!
 
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alison

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Update time:

Pete had the stitches removed on Saturday, which coincided with his last day of Clavamox (hallelujah!). He's doing FANTASTICALLY! Besides his bare rump and the shaved areas on his arms, it's like the old Petey is back. Eating, sleeping, peeing (!), pooping, kneading, and being an overall lovebird. I had an early morning freakout where I just felt the need to check on him to make sure he wasn't blocked (which, according to the vet, is highly unlikely after this surgery), but he was OK and gave me the "Sheesh, Mom, don't worry, I'm okay, now shut the light so I can go back to sleep!" look


We were surprised at the reception that we got from the vets and techs when we took him in to get his stitches out - literally, as soon as I said that we were there to get Pete's stitches out, heads started popping out of all the rooms and we just heard, "Pete's here!" and they all came over to give him some love and see how he was doing. Since he was basically there for nearly 2 weeks, they all got real close to him and made him feel as comfortable as possible, so to see how much they cared a week after we paid the bill and took him home really put a smile on my face. My boyfriend and I joke around that "Pete's a rockstar over there!"

Also, we spoke briefly with one of the vets that I (amazingly enough) never got to meet during the ordeal, but spoke with on the phone. She made a special point to come out and introduce herself to us, and said that the incision healed perfectly (no scarring so far!). I told her that the surgeon did a wonderful job, and she told me that everytime she sees the surgeon do a PU surgery, the amount of plastic surgery-like precision that she uses amazes her and is top notch, which is why they keep her around.

I'll try to get a pic of the happy boy posted sometime in the coming days
 
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