Update on Razzeratz and some new kittens

[Auntie Debbie]

First of all, Razzeratz is showing some good improvement. He has accepted the fact that being pilled and sub-qd each day is a way of life. 90 % of the time he will simply swallow the nasty flagyl and not foam at the mouth like he was. That's a blessing. Popping the tap down his throat is a breeze. He will even sit still for at least most of his sub-q, sometimes we give him a little more when we can. The grinding noise he makes while eating comes and goes, sometimes even in the same eating session.
He love being hand fed cooked (or rewarmed cooked) chicken while I'm eating my meals. He can consume quite a bit, in addition to what he eats of his own food. He isn't gnawing on the food like he was so either he has learned to eat with or around whatever oral thing he has/had going on or it has resolved itself. According to my home scale, since his day at Red Bank, he has gained around 2 pounds. He looks and feels a bit heavier and looks so much better. I will have to call Dr. B on Monday and he will still need to be retested in about a month from now.
I'm guessing if he did indeed have lymphoma, he would 1.) not be gaining weight, 2.) likely be dead by now or close to it.

Two of the Basement kittens were adopted on Tuesday...Hennessey, aka Boinky and his girlfriend/sister Chianti. That leaves three.
I am also taking on four more. Since I have the crate and the spare room I can accomodate two groups. I couldn't before, because I didn't have an ac in there and had to leave the kittens in the crate because I had to leave the door open so they could get air from my ac. One of the women in the rescue group had two to spare so I took one and will be getting the new kittens this evening. They are hissers. Apparently the woman fostering did it as a favor, has no clue as to what she is doing and they aren't being socialized because she is afraid of them. They are 6/7 weeks old.

Outside of that there's not much else new here...just feeling tired this week (the humidity on Tuesday wiped me out-no ac in car and did alot of errands that day as well as going to Petco with the kittens to be adopted.).

[Traci]

What is the amount of fluids you're giving Razz, are you doing it every day, and for how long were you instructed to give fluids?

[Auntie Debbie]

He gets 100 ml once a day to b e given until instructed otherwise. Sometimes he will put up a very good fight and we don't get the entire mount done, so we try to make up for it the next day, but lately he's being very good. I will be calling the vet again on Monday with an update.
His appetite is very good and doesn't seem to be having as much trouble chewing as he was having. He will eat his regular food, hard and soft cat treats and his beloved chicken. He likes being fed by hand but will eat from the plate as well.
He's also starting to act more like his old self too...not overly back to normal, but he's doing things he hasn't done in a while. It's sooo good to have him be annoying again, LOL! But he also comes around looking to be loved more often too.
What I really like too is that his coat is feeling alot better that it has been.

[momPaws]

Since you are tired, and rightly so, will not ask for kitten pics, but when you are up to it will be happy to see some

[Traci]

When you get a chance to, and can afford it, please do get a urinalysis, it can tell you a lot about what's going on.

I'm thrilled to hear he's feeling so much better. Good job, mommy!! Now, as Mompaws says, when you're up to it....pics of the new babes!

I'm so happy to hear a couple of the black beauties have been adopted, all your work is obviously paying off! Fingers, toes and paws crossed for more adoptions!

[Auntie Debbie]

Thanks Traci, I really don't know what is going on with the eating issue...he is showing less trouble eating/chewing and is eating fairly well I'd say. On numerous occasions I've seen him scarf down huge chunks of the chicken and eat it like it was all he'd had for weeks. Definitely no "decreased appetite" with my boy. I think these vets are getting an idea in mind, see some symptoms that they think they are seeing and are taking it from there. Granted the bloodwork and other tests show certain results, but rather than listen to what I'm telling them, they are reading into things that aren't necessarily there and missing what really is.
I think lymphoma can pretty much be ruled out, the aspiration didn't show any. Even though that is really inconclusive, the fact that he is gaining so well should pretty much rule that out, right? Pancreatitis? He's really not showing any symptoms of that either like the imagined "decreased appetite" or vomiting. Even when I last spoke with Dr. B, he said the infflamed pancreas could be just part of the inflamed intestinal thing he's got going on. So I think at this point, I will skip the pancreatic test for now.
Then there is that nasty little crf thing he has going on. Dr. B said his values had improved with the last round of bloods, partly because of the decreased tap. I'm hoping for better results next time since we've decreased the tap further (1/2 pill 5mgs, twice a day now). But, there still is that nasty ultrasound showing one kidney smaller than the other....at best a mild form of crf at this point.

He is to have new bloodwork in about a month from now. At that time I do intend to go ahead with the full scale urinalysis. The vet said I could wait till then...so that's the game plan.

For now it's 1/2 tab of tap, twice a day....the flagyl twice a day..100 ml sub q once a day (more or less, depending on how well hedid the previous day or what's left in the bag) And oh yes, lots and lots of tlc and hand fed chicken!!!!!!

[Traci]

Well, you want to be careful with every-day administration of fluids because yes, it's possible to get fluid overload. 100 ml a day isn't too much, but in otherwise compromised patients you really need to monitor. Signs to watch for that would indicate fluid overload would be respiratory distress, congestion, poor distribution of fluids and obvious weight gain. Weigh him every other day or every couple days and keep a record, he should be maintaining rather than gaining.

[Auntie Debbie]

The scale only weighs in half pounds...like 8#...8 1/2#....9#....etc, so exact weights won't be happening. I think the majority of the weight he's gained is due to the amount of food he's been consuming, like all that chicken fed by hand...he has been eating quite a bit of that, treats and his own regular wet food. Like I said, he seems to be chewing better.
But I will keep the fluid overload in mind and weigh him every other day or so to keep tabs on how much he's gaining, maintaining or losing.
Last night wasn't a good night for fluids. We could only get 500 mls in him before he made it impossible to do more, so we will try to finish off the bag tonight with the remaining 150 ml, or at least the 100 that he should get daily. All in all, whatever the case may be, he is doing much better!

[Traci]

I'm sure you meant 50 mls, not 500

You can weigh yourself on your own bathroom scale, then pick up Razz, weigh yourselves together and subtract the difference for his weight.

[Auntie Debbie]

Yeah, 50, LOL! No wonder he won't sit for it al!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is how I weigh him...what I'm saying is that the scale only picks up weights on the half pound...there are no 8.10, 8.14, etc So he will wind up weighing either 7#, 7.50#, 8#, etc.