kistha | Entries tagged with tayet

Today a card from

trenchwench arrived offering condolences for Tayet, and if I hadn't already been bawling my eyes out, I would have started... lovely and heartfelt. It came on the heels of something I've never experienced before.

The staff at VSC that took care of Tayet bought and sent us a book called "Cat Heaven" and throughout the whole book, I think everyone signed it - and not just signed but told stories and talked about the love they had for Tayet, the sorrow, and how much we too, loved him and went above and beyond.

I can't stop crying now.

In the ironical section of today's news, we had just gone to Michael’s Crafts in order to buy a collage frames for the Clinic as a whole, and for his doc Polly to put pictures of Tayet in as part of a thank you gift.

I can not be but amazed, grateful and so, so sad.

Current Mood: sorrowfully loved
Current Music: pages turning

Last night, Tayet went into final renal failure. After a midnight speed drive to the local emergency vet, we made the decision to stop the suffering. Really he would have passed on his own, but it would have taken longer, and he was definitely in great distress.

More later when I can write about him.

We lost the best cat. One in a billion for so many reasons - the heart of our home is silent.

I am so sick of loss, grief and pain.

Current Mood: crushed
Current Music: None

Today, Tayet goes in for surgery. This is kind of the last dice roll, and we could use all the good thoughts we can get.

Thanks everyone.

Current Mood: anxious
Current Music: None

And, this is good news. He's been in and out of the emergency vet since his surgeries in October. But on the 6th he went in and stayed until last night. We went in for more blood tinged vomit and not eating for 5 days. There was a lot of scary touch and go, force feeding, two blood transfusions, and many, many invasive diagnostics and the insertion of a feeding tube during his stay. Eventually it all boiled down to pancreatitis (which is the grey and scary fog of cat trouble) and so he's on lots of medications and a feeding tube. He's doing very well so far at home, even eating more on his own and we have a recheck on Thursday. He looks very sad, and all of his legs have been shaved so he looks like a demented poodle and he's still not very active. Of course, he's also pretty darned stoned. His first action after the litter box, was scratching vigorously on the scratching post we got for him.

While it's easier to do (because I can do it myself, let's hear it for the tube!) it is very time consuming. I'm hoping that at least one medication will be dropped on Thursday, and maybe even take the feedings down to two. (I'm cautiously optimistic. Very, very cautiously.) We may have to modify some plans that we already have scheduled for the holidays, since there isn't a lot free time in here. This is how it looks for now...

Feedings	6am	2pm	10pm
Buprenex	7am	3pm	11pm
Carafate	8am	4pm	12am
Nacetylcysteine	X	6pm	X
Pepcid AC	X	8pm	X
Prednisolone	X	8pm	X

So, it will be a busy couple of days/weeks. Good thing I'm not working, (but will be looking by February so, let me know if anything comes up). Taking him to my Mom's for Christmas is going to be a nightmare.

So there's two good news things, that so far seem to be staying good news. (This and this.)

Here's hoping...

Current Mood: cautiously hopeful
Current Music: And Dream Of Sheep - Hounds Of Love - Remastered - Kate Bush

Looks like he's been having trouble due to a couple of kidney stones, trying to leave the kidney.

So, he's home and on a shitload of drugs, but should be OK. We go in on Wednesday to have a check up for the surgeries, and will probably have another ultrasound done to check on his kidney the same day - of course we need to schedule that...on Monday. Here's hoping.

We've dealt well with our varied pet's illnesses with fairly good grace, including the insane period of lipidosis, where we had to force feed every 8 hours and medicate every 12 - without ever the two meeting, without really having any massive problems. (Not that we were fun to be around sleep deprived as we were...)

This time, it's a problem. It's two drugs every 8 hours, for five days.

dthon works far, far away, and while I'm home all day, it takes two to medicate and cage him. Hey, my VET called and asked if I could pill my own cat, and when I said yes, she said "I am thoroughly impressed, got any tips?" so it's not like I'm a big weenie - he's just that fucking difficult. Now if it was a needle, that I could do by myself. So we're trying to figure out some way to get Tayet his meds,

dthon to and from work and still get sleep...

It's just not pretty here. Not at all.

Current Mood: fucking frustrated
Current Music: I'm Going Slightly Mad - Classic Queen - Queen

Wow. Poor Tayet's butt looks like hamburger. Mostly bruising, really, but whoa that looks painful. The abdominal incision looks like it usually does. Last time they sent him home on lots of pain-killers, this time he's on the patch. Only for another three days though. He's wearing a collar like

cmpriest's cat had, which is a stiff fabric, and since it allows him to groom his legs, we may actually get through this without sewing one to his head. (Kidding, might actually sew the e-collar to a real collar, but we'll see.) Currently he stinks of astringent hospital, fear and pee. In a bit we'll take off the collar and give him a supervised grooming experience so that he feels (and smells) better.

We're just glad to see him home, and stunningly glad to see the bill to be much less than we had feared.

Also, Oba finally stopped her bleeding cycle (yes, yes the damn dog should be spayed but there's been problems and she's gone into heat right before her scheduled appointments. Come this January - it's happening, even if I have to do it in the basement) and so now she's no longer locked in the kitchen and has roam of the house again.

Ankhet is less than pleased with this particular turn of events.

Especially the part about the dog.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Theme From Rawhide - The Blues Brothers - Blues Brothers

Today Tayet is eating well, and comfy.

He comes home at 2pm.

We're all very excited to have him home - even if it does mean that he's back to the coop, which is all set up for his lordship. Now comes the hard part - keeping him e-collared and at the same time keeping him from overexerting himself to get it off.

*whee*

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: *yawn*

Finally got the call - Tayet is OK and is doing well. Both surgeries went well and without complication. They did even try the claw thing, but the stone was so big they couldn't get it past the neck of the bladder.

The pu site won't heal for at least 6 weeks. The abdominal site should be healed sooner than that, and while it was pretty chewed up in there, the surgeon did not lay out a gloom and doom recovery plan. We'll pick him up in a couple of days, and then comes the very long, very difficult recuperation and healing. At least 30 days in the "chicken coop" [you can see this 9th wonder of the world here ] and possibly more. If anyone has tricks on e-collars and cats, please share. We'll be trying everything, since Tayet is a bit of a Houdini. We'll also have a call with the doctor tomorrow for more detailed information on the recover period and plan.

From here on out, Tayet will be getting an ultrasound every six months.

Thanks to everyone for the good thoughts and prayers.

Current Mood: relieved
Current Music: Cabin Fever - Muppet Treasure Island - Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash, Bill B

During the pre-surgical ultrasound, they discovered that one of the stones is actually 8mm. It's too big for both the claw probe and the urethra.

So, they'll be doing an abdominal surgery and the p/u surgery. I've talked with the surgeon and he'll know better after the surgery what most likely caused the scar tissue, and hopefully we'll be able to do something for that.

Hopefully his bladder will heal OK from the fourth abdominal surgery.

Why didn't anyone have us check back in 6 weeks for scaring?

*cries*

Current Mood: scared
Current Music: none

...is sometime tomorrow.

Please, good thoughts and prayers.

Thanks,

Current Mood: anxious
Current Music: Kate Bush - All The Love

So. It's not just one stone - it's multiples.

They are just on the edge of too big (and multiples) to go for the "manual" option*.

They're going to try using a probe and claw under ultrasound and pull them out, since they should fit through the opening. If this is unsuccessful, they will go to Sx. We'll get the call one way or the other later this evening.

Assuming all goes well, and he recovers, the new plan (since he just won't be normal, damn it) will be to go in every six months for an ultrasound and if there are any small stones at the time, they'll do the "manual" option.

I am very scared, but the vet hasn't brought up any gloom and doom on the recovery end, so that's definitely a good thing. Here's hoping. Any good thoughts anyone can send would be helpful.

*This involves basically filling the bladder with water via catheter, putting kitty out then manually squeezing all of the water out of the bladder at once (flaccid muscles help here) rushing the stones out.

Current Mood: discontent
Current Music: Jayne, Wash - Complicated Escape Plan