Just back from the vet. Phurball and I left right after picking up Sprog #1 from school; while I was at the vet’s office I arranged to have someone pick up Sprog #2 for me. It was a toss-up between my dad (other side of town) or a close friend (fairly close by); I went with dad because a) he’s off work today anyway, and b) I figured the school would be less likely to have problems with a grandfather than a “friend of the family.” Although I did call ahead and let them know he would be coming.
By the time we let Phurball out of his carrier at the vet’s, he wasn’t nearly as poorly. His back legs were still a little wonky but the front ones were working normally again. He did have a brief ear-twitching, head-shaking episode that seemed almost like a seizure, but again, it was hard to tell.
They did blood work, urine, checked his oil and replaced his batteries and whatnot. A couple of levels were marginally high, but not alarmingly so. He didn’t show signs of pain when she prodded his back; she held him up and had him shuffling back and forth on his back legs, and they seemed to work. He would try to put both back and fore feet down on the table when she bumped them against the edge of it.
In short, we don’t know what’s wrong with the old fellow. They pumped in some subcutaneous fluids in case he’d gotten into something toxic, to flush it out of his system a little faster, and I’m to keep an eye on him tonight and take him to the emergency clinic if he takes a sudden turn for the worse. Otherwise we’ll schedule a follow-up visit with his usual vet, who will come here so the poor guy doesn’t have to endure a car trip.
Back home, he’s still walking funny on the back end, and he had another ear-twitching, head-shaking episode that seemed to distress him (well heck, it distressed me), though he calmed down when I petted him and talked to him until it was over. I’ve moved his litter box up from the basement so he won’t be trying to navigate the stairs in his unsteady state, and duct-taped his little cat door into the basement so that he can’t try and get down there.
So now we just keep an eye on him overnight, and see if he gets better or worse. Man, I wish that cat could talk.
3 Responses to “Cat Update”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Doesn’t sound good, but doesn’t sound all that bad, either. I hope he improves. Wonder if head a mild stroke? How old is he, anyway? My “old man” just turned 15 a couple weeks ago, and he occasionally shows his age, too. Mostly just having a somewhat hard time with the stairs.
Well, IIRC he came to live with me in 1989, and based on his gangliness and appearance I figured him to be an adolescent, a year old or less. (I’ve always suspected that was why his former owners dumped him–he’d just barely outgrown the cuteness of kittenhood.) So I know he’s at least 15 since I’ve had him that long, and probably is about 16.
Yeah, I got Sable in late September of 1989, and he was about 2 months old then. His littermates were all orange tabbies, but he’s solid grey.