Daddy's rock is out!

 Daddy's rock is out!  He had an appointment for the human vet yesterday, and as he was getting ready the rock came out!  He yelled for Mommy to come see, and they took the rock with them to the human vet.  Yep, it was his kid-knee rock!

As you can see from these pictures, we took very good care of him while the rock was in him.  The first picture is Little Bit nursing Daddy in his recliner, and the second picture is Starla and Daddy snuggling on the couch.  It will still take him a while to get back to feeling all the way better, so we will continue our nursing duties until he feels good again.

Daddy has a rock!

We're purrrrrrrrraying bigtime for our daddy!!!  Daddy came home last night and couldn't walk upright like humans are supposed to.  He was all bent over, and then he made icky sounds in the litter box room.  He called our friend Olie and Olie came to get him and took him to the human vet.  Grandma got Mommy from her work and took her there to be with Daddy.

When Daddy came home, Grandma, our uncle and his girlfriend, and Grampa all came, too, along with Mommy, of course.  Everyone made Daddy sit down for a while and drink lots of water.  Daddy was moving around a lot better, and he petted us and made sure we knew he was better than when he left.  Then Grandma and Mommy went to get bottled water for Daddy.  While they were gone, Grandpa came and the others left to go back home.  Mommy came back, and Grandma left to go home.  Then, after a bit, Grandpa went home, too.

Daddy said that he has a rock inside him!  What's a rock doing inside our daddy?  Rocks belong outside!  They don't belong inside people!  Bad rock, making our daddy sickies!  Get out of his kid-knee!  We're all making sure that he sits or sleeps.  Freya's been bringing him her spring, but he doesn't feel like playing right now, so she just left it by him in case he wants it later.  We all are watching out for him and following him around to make sure he's doing ok.  He's still hurting a whole lot, but he's doing a little better and sleeping right now.

Note from Mommy:
He's going to make an appointment with the urologist in the morning.  Luckily, the kidney stone is very small, only 3 mm.  Even so, it's going to take a bit before it passes and during that time he's still going to be in a lot of pain.  It may take up to 7-10 days!

Weird question....

Skylar writes:

Mom talked with my regular doctor today, and we have a strange question!  Including the vet, who doesn't know the answer to this either!

Has anyone ever had their thyroid levels continue to go low?  I had mine checked back in November, after 4 years with hyper-T my meds were decreased from four to three, then two pills a day.  Redid tests, and it was normal again.  Now, after my vet appointment last week, my thyroid levels are low again, so we're trying half a pill per day.

The vet has no clue why I'm suddenly "getting better", or at least my thyroid levels are!  My creatinine & BUN are slightly elevated, just out of the normal range, not as bad as we'd originally thought (we got the exact numbers this time).  That part's to be expected, and I'm still going to have my yummy canned food and my sub-Q fluids to try to keep my kidneys semi-under control.  But we're (and the vet is) absolutely clueless as to why my thyroid levels are normalizing!!!

Any advice/help/experience would be appreciated!

Skylar's not feeling well

Skylar writes:

Mom and Dad took me in to the vet on Friday.  It was time for my routine doctor appointment and bloodwork, but they were worried as well because I've not been grooming myself.  I keep my face, paws, and chest clean and smooth, but the rest of my fur is matted.  Mom plucks my "feathers" (fur that has come out but is still stuck in the rest of my coat) every day, and picks apart my mats.  Sometimes I let her; sometimes I yowl until she stops.  They were also worried because I've lost a little over a pound since Thanksgiving!

So, off we went.  I complained when it took longer than usual to get there, but then my purrents reminded me that we live farther away than we used to.  That made sense, so I settled down again.  I like to sit on Dad's lap while he's driving, and watch the cars go by out the window.

There was a new doctor at the clinic on Friday, a relief doctor, because the others were gone for the day.  As usual, when I got there I wanted down and pulled at my leash to go back into the back (treatment) room to say hi to everyone!  Nope, Dad wouldn't loosen the leash and let me run back.  Bummers!  My sis used to do the same thing.  Mom and Dad are glad that I like my doctors and staff so much that I immediately want to greet them!  Believe me, I wouldn't run away, I would just run TO someone to be greeted!

The vet tech took me into the back to weigh me, then brought me back out and talked with Mom and Dad after she stuck that thermometer in me.  :P  After she went into the back, I stood on the exam table and looked at the door for a few minutes, then YOWLED!  Ok, so where's the doctor?  I'm ready, so come in!  Everyone laughed at that, then Mom put me on the floor and I went to sniff both doors and then yowled again at the back.

FINALLY, the doctor came!  Should it really take her 10 minutes to get done with the doggie patient and come look at me?  She talked with my purrents, consulted my chart, then took me into the back to have the vampires take some of my blood.  They also took my urine.  Hey, you could have just given me a box instead of poking me!  Mom and Dad could tell exactly when they were poking me, because I think they could hear me down the street.  There's something to be said about being half-Siamese!  ;)

We got the results back on Friday evening:  possible kidney disease.  It's what my purrents were afraid of, especially considering that my kidney levels were elevated back in November.  I'm anemic, both my BUN and creatinine levels are elevated, I'm dehydrated, and I've lost that pound.  My thyroid levels are also low, but that's kind of a separate issue.

So, on to the next steps.  First off, I'm only going to get one pill a day, to even out my thyroid levels.  I've been looking at Mom funny when she doesn't give me my evening meds but takes hers, although I give up after a few minutes so she knows it's more from habit than anything else.  I still get my morning meds.

Then, I will be getting my own special food!  The doctor recommended giving me yummy canned food!  I don't even have to share with anyone else, so I'll get fed in a separate room.  Yay!

My blood and urine will have to be rechecked again sometime, but I don't mind that.  I may have to go back to getting sub-Q fluids, but that's not a big deal either.

Properly managed, which is a see-saw because it can change from day to day, I may have another year or three.  But it's different for every cat, so we'll just take each day as it comes and be grateful for every minute.