Doc's medical thread

[Tambrey]

aaahhhhh......he looks to be quite content and comfy.....roo stretches his toes like that too...and his pinkie toe sticks way out to the side...like a snobbish pinkie holding a teacup...LOL

[Tina B and crew]

Morning update. Doc is about the same, maybe a little perkier this morning when I first went in to check on him and then back to feed him. He had eaten almost all of the kibble I put in for him last night and ate maybe a little more than 1/8 of a can of wet food this morning. I am thinking maybe I won't put much food in tonight because I want him to eat prior to giving him the clindamycin, but I want him to eat more, period. I'm not pushing it though, as long as he is eating some. He hasn't lost weight, so that's good.

I went ahead and gave him the clindamycin since he has not showing any signs of vomiting. I just talked to my regular vet and he said to go ahead and give him the Cerenia about mid day since he had the injection yesterday around 12:30. We are going to continue with the clindamycin since he isn't vomiting and is eating, even if it is a reduced amount. He also said it may take a few days for him to bounce back - between the chemo, the infection, and the meds. We agreed that if he isn't any better by Monday I'll check back in and we will consider other issues. If he declines over the weekend I have the emergency vet services at VT that I can take him too and an oncologist is on call 24/7 there. I have a check-in email out to the oncologist as well and will hopefully hear back from her to see if she concurs.


Anyway, he felt like playing with his toy mouse for a little while this morning.




Tambrey...I think toe stretching is the best!



NOON UPDATE! Doc seems to be a bit more bright eyed and chipper today. He hasn't had his dose of Cerenia yet and I was able to entice him to eat a bit of kibble. He still turns his nose up at wet food. I will try some kibble with water in it later. But otherwise he has been alert every time I have went in and checked on him. Eyes wide open, none of this looking terribly sleepy yet.

Got an email back from the oncologist. She said to just keep on track what I'm doing but if he seems to continue to have issues with nausea or starts vomiting to email her with a phone number to my pharmacy and she will call in something stronger than Cerenia. But right now it seems he may not need it. I'm guessing his intake of food is at about 1/3 cup of kibble in a 24 hour period. That might be generous - I use a 1/4 cup scoop and don't quite fill it to overflowing when I put food in his bowl. Twice a day and he's not quite finishing it, but almost. He's also taking in about a tablespoon of wet before I give him his clindamycin. I don't think I should be terribly worried there unless he stops eating at all. I am concerned he isn't drinking enough so I will see what I can do to up his fluid intake.

Overall I'm feeling less stressed about this than I was yesterday.

[Traci]

Just to make sure, his oral health is ok, right?

It could be he's adjusting to the clindamycin and maybe an upset stomach while taking it. I agree, keep doing what you're doing and give it some time.

Check his hydration daily. (skin test, mucous membranes)

[Tina B and crew]

Yes, his oral health is OK. He's been checked over and over again and again. This cat hasn't had one inch missed in the last few weeks.

[Traci]

Well, even this morning's slight improvement is improvement!

[Tina B and crew]

He seems to be showing more curiosity again. Coming over to check me out when I was folding laundry on the bed. Following me when I was getting something out of the closet or from the bathrom sink - sticking his nose in to see if there was anything for him etc. In other words, he doesn't seem to be just lying around as much.

I have caught him hanging out in the litter box twice. Why do cats do that when they don't feel well?

[Traci]

I have caught him hanging out in the litter box twice. Why do cats do that when they don't feel well?

They normally don't, unless they are having trouble urinating or defecating.

He's been urinating/defecating normally, yes?

[Tina B and crew]

Well then, Doc isn't normal. Because I've caught him doing this on numerous occasions through his entire ordeal- meaning since October. None of those times has he had any trouble defecating and/or urinating.

That said, his urination seems normal from what I'm scooping, but I do wonder if constipation may be a potential issue. I scooped some poop just a bit ago but it wasn't a significant amount. Kind of small, not quite pellet like. The vets told me to watch out for diarrhea with the clindamycin, but so far it has stayed solid.

[Traci]

When was the last time he had a normal stool?

It's probably unrelated that he hangs around the box, it could be habit, from living outdoors etc - I wouldn't worry about it unless he's actually having a hard time with his functions.

[Tina B and crew]

When I scooped yesterday it was normal.

That's what I was wondering. Because I've seen him do it on occasion even when he was feeling just fine.