Milita's Monday

Hi everyone, it's Milita today.  

It has been pretty uneventful here the past week.  The humans have been shoving pills (antibiotics) down me for my urinary tract infection.  I am feeling better now, but I sure hope we are about done with those nasty pills!  Every time the human tries to give me those yucky pills, I try to flip them out of my mouth and across the room.  Sometimes I am successful, but they just put it back in my mouth.  What fun is that?

I have been hanging out on the Mom's bed a lot lately.  I like curling up on her big pink pillow.  It is very comfortable.  I even let Carmine lay near me most of the time when I am on the pillow.  Isn't that sweet of me?  

Speaking of that orange one Carmine, he seems to be eating more regularly again now.  The Mom figured he just needed time to adjust to the lower dose of Pred, and it looks like she was right.  He usually eats most or all of his meals and snacks now.  The Mom told me that he will go see the vet in March again, but don't tell Carmine or he'll start looking for a place to hide now.  

What do you all think of our new blog look?  Do all of our colors go together okay?  The Mom didn't change the color of our social media buttons (the kitty heads on the left sidebar), and she's worried it doesn't match?  The wonderfully talented Ann of Zoolatry made the beautiful blog header and wallpaper for us!  

One of us has a special day on Thursday, so please be sure to come back and visit us, okay?  Have a good week, everyone!  

Wordy Wednesday: Milita Update

Hi everyone, it's Milita today.  

Last week the Mom noticed I was having symptoms of a UTI so she took me to the new vet place.  She was anxious about how I might react given how stressed I was going to the former vet clinic.  

Carmine came, too.  The Mom made him get out of his carrier first, MOL.  They weighed him, and he gained three ounces!!  The Mom was so happy about that.  Why isn't she that happy when I gain weight?  

Then it was my turn.  My visit wasn't as simple as being weighed, though.  They did weigh me, and I weighed in at 14 pounds, 2 ounces, so I only gained one ounce since my last visit.  The Mom said that was good.  

The vet tech pet me and tried to listen to my heart.  I growled a bit at her, but she didn't seem to mind.  After she was done, she let me explore the room.  The Mom tried to give me a treat, but I wasn't interested in any.  I just wanted to go home.

We saw a different vet this time - Dr. H.  She came in and talked with the Mom a little.  She also pet me (imagine that!) and talked to me for a bit.  The Mom told her that I was traumatized at the former clinic and told her that I might scream when they tried to get blood and urine from me.  The doctor listened and seemed sympathetic.  Then Dr. H tucked my tail into my carrier and took me to the back.

When she brought me back, she told the Mom I did not scream even once (hmmmm.....).  She said I growled a little but that was all.  I have always growled at the vet, so the Mom wasn't too surprised to hear that.  The no screaming did confirm the Mom's suspicions that I was formerly traumatized, though.  

The Mom here - I'm not going to say much about this situation other than this.  Pay attention to your instincts.  If your gut tells you something isn't right, listen to it.  You know your cat better than anyone else.

Dr. H called yesterday with the results of Lita's blood tests and urinalysis.  Unfortunately, she may have diabetes!!  Her blood glucose level was high, and she had glucose in her urine as well.  Dr. H wants me to get a urine sample here at home to test.  She said that sometimes stressed cats' glucose will be elevated.  Lita doesn't have any of the diabetes symptoms - if anything, she is drinking less than she used to, and she's not losing weight.  If she does have diabetes, I wonder if the Prednisolone caused it, and if getting her off the medication would reverse it?  It is a very scary thing to think about, so some purrs and prayers would be appreciated very much.

Lita also had some struvite crystals in her urine, so the vet wants her to eat only urinary tract food.  I am going to pick up antibiotics for her UTI tomorrow.

Dr. H also wants Lita to come in for an x-ray so they can check for stones.  As soon as I can get a sample of her urine, I will be taking her in for that.

I am very relieved that the new vet clinic seems to be a good fit for both Carmine and Milita.  I am impressed with how great all the staff are with the kitties.

Milita's Monday

Hi everyone, it's Milita today.

Last week, I was forced to go see Dr. Stabby with Carmine.  I was crying when coming out of the litter box, and the Mom thought I was having a cystitis flare, so she booked an appointment for me to see Dr. Stabby when Carmine went to get his bloods and urine stolen.

Imagine my surprise when I was grabbed and shoved into a carrier!

At Dr. Stabby's they weighed Carmine first.  He has lost 2.5 more ounces - down to 9 pounds, 10 ounces now.  The Mom was sad about this, especially because she has been giving him appetite stimulants pretty regularly now.  Then they took him away and stole his bloods and urine and expressed his anal glands.

Dr. Stabby's staff said they forgot to send Carmine's bloods off to the lab, so there will be no results until Tuesday (we were supposed to have them on Friday).

Then it was my turn.  They put me on the scale and I weigh 14 pounds, 1 ounce.  I love my food!  That isn't so terrible, is it?

Then the Mom and Dr. Stabby talked about how I have been crying after using my box and also about how I've had some ::whispers:: diarrhea.  

Dr. Stabby decided to steal some of my urine.  Then she took a fecal sample from me!  I screamed and screamed and screamed, but they took it anyway.  I do not like being restrained!

They looked at my urine and fecal sample and then came back and told the Mom that I have a urinary tract infection and Coccidia.  Dr. Stabby and the Mom decided it was best to treat Carmine for Coccidia preemptively so we won't pass it back and forth.

I am now on Baytril and pain medication for my infection.  The Mom says the pain medication makes me a very mellow kitty!  I purr more and louder than I usually do, too.  Carmine and I are taking this stuff called Albon for the Coccidia.

Dr. Stabby and the Mom agreed it is time to try and lower my Prednisolone dose to 2.5mg (from 5mg).  They are hoping this will be okay for my asthma and want to get me on the lowest most effective dose of medicine.

Dr. Stabby told the Mom she wants me back in three weeks to make sure the Coccidia is gone.  Does anyone know how long that is so I can hide from her when the time comes??

I'm sure the Mom and Carmine will give you all an update regarding his test results later this week.  The Mom is quite worried about him.