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Well that stinks with a capital suck...
Nov. 4th, 2009 06:00 pmOur cats have been getting older by the day, and today one of them decided to remind us of the fact most vividly.
Buster, our 15-year-old tabby, and the inspiration for my 'fursona''s markings, had to go to the vet today. He's on pain medication for kidney stones, and has been getting a bit bloated lately. Even though that's supposed to be a side effect, my mother brought him in because he just kept getting bigger. They took X-rays and couldn't see anything because of all the fluid in him. He's in overnight to have the fluid drained, which may be a temporary measure. The possible cause isn't much more positive: liver failure. If it's liver failure, we may be spending a fortune on procedures just to have him put down tomorrow.
What's worse is that we've got two other seniors coming up right behind him. Pepper, the 18-year-old Grand Dame of the household has taken to sleeping in a dark basement and waking up periodically with loud, piercing wails. The vet says the cause could be one of two things: deafness or dementia. This is in addition to the hyperthyroidism we already knew she had.
Oreo, even though he's 14 or 15, is surprisingly healthy despite having hyperthyroidism and no teeth. He had to have his teeth removed because of 'ulcerative gingivitis.' That leaves the young ones, TigerLily and Nibs. TigerLily's rather round, but became that way after a bite near the base of her tail became infected. She didn't go outside for nearly a year because she was scared of another attack. Nibs is even rounder, but we're thinking that's genetic; his brother Duke is just as round, according to his owner.
I don't think this is going to be a good winter for cats...
Buster, our 15-year-old tabby, and the inspiration for my 'fursona''s markings, had to go to the vet today. He's on pain medication for kidney stones, and has been getting a bit bloated lately. Even though that's supposed to be a side effect, my mother brought him in because he just kept getting bigger. They took X-rays and couldn't see anything because of all the fluid in him. He's in overnight to have the fluid drained, which may be a temporary measure. The possible cause isn't much more positive: liver failure. If it's liver failure, we may be spending a fortune on procedures just to have him put down tomorrow.
What's worse is that we've got two other seniors coming up right behind him. Pepper, the 18-year-old Grand Dame of the household has taken to sleeping in a dark basement and waking up periodically with loud, piercing wails. The vet says the cause could be one of two things: deafness or dementia. This is in addition to the hyperthyroidism we already knew she had.
Oreo, even though he's 14 or 15, is surprisingly healthy despite having hyperthyroidism and no teeth. He had to have his teeth removed because of 'ulcerative gingivitis.' That leaves the young ones, TigerLily and Nibs. TigerLily's rather round, but became that way after a bite near the base of her tail became infected. She didn't go outside for nearly a year because she was scared of another attack. Nibs is even rounder, but we're thinking that's genetic; his brother Duke is just as round, according to his owner.
I don't think this is going to be a good winter for cats...
