Theodore has taken a turn for the worst, advice please?

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elise1030

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Hi Elise, I've been playing catch up on your posts as I was camping and had no service. Wow another surgery!!! I wouldn't be too concerned with the peeing in odd places right away. My boy had to wear diapers for a week because he became temporarily incontinent. I guess they are so irritated. Bless his little heart. He is such a trooper!! The pain meds are most likely the reason he's been quiet.
Prayers are being sent your way! Kisses on your nose Theodore!!!
Jodie! Camping is good! I wish we could have a small vacation soon, I'm so worn out mentally and physically. I'm glad I have almost a week off work to recover as I had to work throughout this last surgery deal!

I didn't take him to the appt this morning, he's looking really bright today. We took his fentanyl patch off last night(its been 4 days) and we haven't given him any meloxicam at the advice of the hospital. He's looking bright and doesn't appear to be hurting at all. He continues to wee and I'm not so worried about the poop. He's eating wet food(fancy feast at this stage to get him eating) and the s/d dry food. The surgery site is looking good. The opening is massive! I would share a photo but I'd rather not scare anyone with it. I realize it's a massive risk for infections though. However, the preliminary culture results came back and his urine from last Monday was resistant to most antibiotics so they are doing further tests on it.

I need to find out when to stop feeding him s/d food and move him onto s/d food too and wether we can feed him just s/d dry and fancy feast or have him on a pure s/d diet or what to do.
 

jodiethierry64

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I feel for you Elise!! Having a sick furbaby IS exhausting. It's no different then a human baby! You're a very strong woman. You have a family and a full time job and nursing is one of the hardest jobs out there.
I no longer work and my son is married but I sure found it exhausting taking care of a sick furbaby!
Yes infections will be your biggest challenge. I really don't know how to avoid them. My girl with cystitis won't eat the prescription diet. I struggle with her but I'm thankful she hasn't blocked and most likely never will. I had that happen with my boy. I try to feed her only wet but she just licks the juice do I add warm water to it and she loves that but she does eat dry. She would starve otherwise. If Theodore likes the prescription go for it. It's not the best diet but in his situation it's the only solution. It would be nice if he could still eat the food he loves.
Take the time you have off to get as much rest as possible. Your body needs it. Hugs to you and Theodore!!!
 
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elise1030

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Hi Jodie, Theodore WON'T  eat the prescription wet food lol. He'll eat a bit of the dry. The Feline specialist Dr suggested to try Royal Canin S/O and see if he likes that better.

Amy (Feline Specialist Dr) called me last night regarding his resistance to antibiotics.  At the time the culture was done, it showed he was resistant to most most antibiotics, most likely because my local vet had switched him to various antis within a very short period of time. He is on the Clavamox at the moment and she wants him to be on that for 14 days. If after that, he still has an infection she wants to try him on Doxycycline as that is the most gentlest antis. Others that she could reccomend are fairly harsh on the body and she doesn't want that for him at this stage.

I have just woken up from a 14 hour sleep, I have been chronically tired since last week!
 

zoneout

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I go through chronic tiredness all the time.   It really makes life more  of a struggle.   I just hate waking up out of dreams.   

But anyway, have you tried Purina prescription s/o?    Thats what we used.   Maybe your cat will like that better.   Or try crumbling some freeze-dried chicken on top to entice him.
 

jodiethierry64

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Hi Elise, I'm glad you got that 14 hours of sleep!! Listen to your body!

Theodore's specialist knows best! She sounds awesome and I know you feel better having her in the picture! Zoneout has offered some good suggestions.
Theodore has been on a lot of antis, hopefully this
one does the trick. I know, as you do, that it's not good to bounce from one to the other.
Keep getting that rest!!! Hugs to you and Theodore!!!
 
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elise1030

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He is still doing really well! The specialist wants to see him two weeks time for a urine check and suture removal, even though he has dissolvable ones, she said that sometimes they don't always dissolve too well in the type of surgery he has had.

We've been taking him outside for short walks with a cat-harness and he loves it. He's so bright-eyed and bushytailed. He is going to the litter 1-3 times a day for pees and poops and he has a really good appetite, infact, the best I've seen him eat in a long time!



 

jodiethierry64

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I'm so HAPPY!!!!
I just LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU, Theodore!!!
This is the best news!!! Kisses on your wittle nose!!!
 

zoneout

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Great photos!!!!!   A happy kitty is good for the soul.

I gotta take my boys out.... now if I can just find those dang harnesses!
 
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elise1030

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I just got mine at a dollar store. It cost me $2.95 and it works a treat!

He is still doing really well, we go next week for a stitch removal and follow-up urine test and then we should be given the all clear :)
 

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Wow I just read through all of your posts, so glad he is doing well! He's so handsome!
 
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elise1030

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Update! Theodore goes for his post surgery checkup on Friday. I'm so terrified that the surgery hasn't worked as well as we'd have liked. I really expected the end result would be that the opening was bigger. It's really quite small, but it can be seen. He's not having any issues so far with peeing. I'm just nervous that it will close up even further given we are only 3 weeks out of surgery. The opening was massive at the start and almost loomed like it would be hard to hold his pee in. Now it looks like a very small dimple. I'm praying that it is normal and that it is actually plenty big enough for pee and crystals to come out if they need to.
 

angelinacat

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Hi Elise 


I had a long-haired cat also that had chronic urinary problems and blockages.  This was 1981.  I ended up having to go to the School of Veterinary Medicine at a nearby university.  The blockage was so extensive that the surgeons had to amputate his penis, remove the blockage and reroute the remaining urethra tube to a hole in his abdomen.This surgery was considered experimental at the time. 

At first, he had no control over his urine flow--which meant he was confined to a closed-in back porch for a while.  I was told that he would eventually learn to control his urethra muscles, which he did. Sometimes he did leak a little--which annoyed him, but otherwise he had excellent control.  He was an indoor/outdoor cat, did all the things a cat would do and lived a long happy life.  I believe that he was about 15-16 years old when he went to the Bridge.  At the time of the surgery, he was only a year old, and I could not bear to put him down.

This cat had the gentlest soul, and whenever he came across baby squirrels fallen out of the nest, or a baby rabbit with a hurt leg, he brought them to me for me to take care of.

Good wishes to your Theodore.
 
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